It’s 6.20pm on a humid evening in Mumbai and a crowd of harried commuters at Andheri station on the Western Railway line is desperate to get into packed local trains heading to the outer suburbs of the Indian metropolis.
As the Mumbai-Surat Flying Rani train draws up at the station, Ahmed Najeeb, a 54- year-old government schoolteacher, deftly hops on to the D1 coach where a large group of friends is waiting for him.
“Najeeb bhai [brother] is here,” the men alert each other, making a quick head count to see if everyone has arrived from their group of 20 “train friends” — a concept typical among Mumbai commuters who travel long distances together.
The group comprises Hindu and Muslim residents of Palghar district, 120 kilometres away, who shuttle up and down each day to work.
During the month of Ramadan, the Hindu members of the group stand at the entrance of the carriage, directing incoming commuters to move inside the coach so that there is space near the footboard for Najeeb and their six other Muslim friends to pray and break their daily fast once the sun goes down.
“This simple gesture by our Hindu brothers gives us happiness as squeezing into Mumbai’s crowded trains and getting a place to stand itself is a harrowing experience,” Mr Najeeb tells The National minutes before the time for iftar — the meal with which Muslims break their fast.
Mumbai’s gigantic suburban train network is notoriously overcrowded, ferrying more than 6 million passengers daily.
Soon he and others are seated in a tight circle around small plates of fruits and food spread on a newspaper, and begin to pray on the moving train.
This train is like our second home and our train friends are like a family
Hasim Sheikh,
a commuter
“Most Muslims gather in their homes with family or mosques for iftar. But the iftar time arrives in the middle of our hour-and-a-half long commute, so we break the fast on the train,” Mr Najeeb says.
A regular commuter on the Palghar-Andheri route for the past 25 years, this is the third Ramadan in a row that Najeeb and other Muslims in the group are marking on the Flying Rani train.
“This train is like our second home and our train friends are like a family,” says Hasim Sheikh, a commuter who works as human resources manager. “It is because of their support that we can break the fast peacefully.”
Even Muslim vendors selling wares on the train are invited to participate if they are fasting.
After the prayers, the iftar turns into a communal get-together with dates and snacks shared among the passengers. The Hindu members of the group contribute sweets and other delicacies, reflecting the spirit of brotherhood, compassion and generosity that Ramadan represents.
“We take turns every day to organise some food item or beverage for iftar,” says Hitesh Rajendra Patel, a jewellery merchant and a close friend of Mr Najeeb.
On an especially hot day of Ramadan this year, the Hindu friends brought cold packets of piyush — a sweet, creamy version of lassi, a yoghurt-based drink, to quench everyone's thirst after a round of filling snacks.
Who makes such contributions to the iftar is kept under wraps, “just like Secret Santa”, jokes Nikhil Mhatre, a Hindu member of the group. “What matters to us is that we can all share and be part of this celebration,” he says.
The Hindu-Muslim brotherhood extends beyond iftar and Eid celebrations.
Mr Najeeb and the other Muslims in the group reciprocate by offering fruits to their Hindu friends like Mr Patel when they fast for nine days during the Hindu festival of Navratri. During the Ganpati festival, when the Hindu members of the group install a massive 5-metre idol in their neighbourhood, it is the Muslim train friends who lend a hand — from transporting the idol by road to helping with its ornamentation.
The iftar on a moving train might be unusual setting, but such scenes of inter-faith celebration during Ramadan are common across the country.
However, they are becoming increasingly rare in the charged atmosphere prevailing after the rise of Hindu nationalism.
Since the beginning of Ramadan, there has been a surge in anti-Muslim violence.
In the BJP-ruled Maharashtra’s Jalna district, an imam was beaten by unknown men for refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram” which has become a war cry of militant Hindu supremacists. In Uttar Pradesh state, governed by a brazenly anti-Muslim Hindu monk-turned-politician, members of the right-wing Bajrang Dal threatened a Muslim family in Moradabad for organising prayers with friends inside their house, while members of housing societies in Noida, near New Delhi, stopped Muslim residents from offering namaz in public areas.
However, such hatred outside has no place on the D1 coach of Flying Rani.
“It has no impact on our friendship,” says Aditya Mallah, a 30-year-old human resources manager, who says he has no doubts that he and others in the group would protect their Muslim friends in case of trouble.
“There are people who want to create trouble but that is not our upbringing, we respect everyone,” he says.
“We don’t discriminate or believe in differences due to religion,” Mr Mhatre adds, summing up the outlook of the group. “For us, humanity is the biggest religion and this iftar is a small part of it.”
“May Allah keep this affection between our friends forever,” Mr Najeeb chimes in.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
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UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
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