SPECIAL

Dahi Wadas With The Shaiks

What is your denition of the purpose of Ramadan? Rubeena: Ramadan is the month of blessings. During this month we ask Allah for forgiveness and our sins are expiated. The essence of Ramadan is in worship. In this holy month, all the bad is contained and the good is multiplied.

How is this year’s Ramadan in quarantine going to be dierent from that of every year? Salman: This Ramadan is very special because we are getting to spend more quality time with our family. Quarantine has brought the entire family together, all-male members are embracing their inner chefs.

What changes do you make in Ramadan to your technology usage, social life and diet? Samya: Screen time definitely goes down. This time around socialising also has come to a halt which would otherwise be bustling with iftar and suhoor gatherings. How much ever we try of course one cannot resist samosas and haleem.

What’s your secret to staying motivated and consistent throughout Ramadan, especially when you hit the mid-Ramadan slump? Rubeena: Mid Ramadan slump is a myth. As days keep on passing the excitement also grows as we look forward to Eid and its preparations. So shopping and gatherings are all that keeps us motivated. But due to the lockdown, the social gatherings will be less this time.

What is the biggest positive change any particular Ramadan has brought to your life? Salman: This Ramadan is proving to be a turning point in our lives. Even amidst this pandemic crisis like lock down, fall of the economy, loss of lives, Ramadan is a silver lining which is giving us hope and making us realise things we previously took for granted.

What do you plan on wearing this Ramadan since the option of buying a new outt seems to be closed? Samya: For the celebration of Eid, new clothes are not mandatory. It’s about putting on the best outfit you own, the only pre-requisite being cleanliness.

Iftaar With The Beg Family

What’s your denition of the purpose of Ramadan? Shakila: Ramadan for me is a period of the cleansing of not just the body, but also of the soul by abstaining, not just from food and drink, but from negative moods and thoughts whilst inculcating a spirit of generosity (zakat) and empathy.

How is this year of Ramadan in quarantine going to be dierent from that of every year? Amer: My daughter, Sehr, turned 7 on the 16th of March and to celebrate it my brother Samir Beg, his wife Tej Bhabi and his boys Zahan and Mikhail came to Hyderabad. As a blessing in disguise they got stranded here and couldn’t go back to Pune, so it’s been extra special this year for them to be around and the family to be together for the entire month of Ramadan and not just the Eid.

What changes do you make in Ramadan to your technology usage, social life and diet? Amer: I try and spend time reading the Quran and improving my knowledge of Islam as opposed to watching tv or being on my phone too much. Socially, I’m anyway difficult to get a hold off so that stays the same. When it comes to my diet, it’s quite a challenge because I normally eat every hour and in Ramadan, it gets put on hold but I don’t overeat when it’s time for iftar. being biased). There’s channa daal with lemon, dahi wade, seasonal fruits (loads of mango this season), banana or guava chaat salad, Haleem along with fresh juices.

What’s your secret to staying motivated and consistent throughout Ramadan, especially when you hit the mid-Ramadan slump? Tejuswini: I enjoy and cherish the traditions that come along with Ramadan so I don’t necessarily hit a slump. I look forward to this month and love the Sehri’s and the Iftaar’s and the family sitting together.

What is the biggest positive change any particular Ramadan has brought to your life? Shakila: Every Ramadan brings about personal development and reform to be a better human where one can introspect and do away with bad habits, bad practices and learn to be kind to others, be generous, be patient and tolerant for one another so the positive change has been constant every Ramadan.

What do you plan on wearing this Ramadan since the option of buying a new outt seems to be closed? Amer: It is a tradition for one to wear new clothes for Eid but if that isn’t available then we can wear our best clothes available to us. Thankfully I have a new Kurta and Pyjama that I had got stitched for a wedding but because of the quarantine I couldn’t attend, so I’ll be wearing that.

Biryani With The Khaleels

What’s your denition of the purpose of Ramadan? Zara: My Definition of purpose of Ramadan means a good opportunity to change yourself by having built the patience in you. And by doing loads of good deeds & charity which Benefits Others.”The word RAMADAN means Burning” It was named Ramadan because it burns the sins of the people with good deeds.

How is this year of Ramadan in quarantine going to be dierent from that of every year? Wajid: This year of Ramadan in quarantine would definitely be the opposite & totally different from every year of Ramadan in past. All these years it was during the time of Ramadan I use to visit the mosque more frequently to offer prayers. And to offer Tarawih prayers during the night time & spend more time in the mosque. There used to be a lot of iftar parties, hanging out with friends & playing cricket till the time of seheri & going to the old city occasionally to enjoy the real atmosphere of Ramadan with stalls of haleem all over & everyone enjoying the delicious haleem but this year of Ramadan in quarantine all these things would be missed a lot. But I’m excited to have all the Iftars at home with family.

What changes do you make in Ramadan to your technology usage, social life and diet? Zara: When the Holy month of Ramadan comes it’s natural that daily Routine of life changes completely for a month. I usually avoid watching movies & listening to music. I rather listen to or watch things which bring you knowledge. And hear lots of duas & surahs on youtube and which I get forwards on WhatsApp. Socially I don’t go for any birthday parties or weddings or any social party too. I just prefer going to iftar party as it gets over early too, and I can carry on with my tarawih prayers. During the month of Ramadan, I prefer eating twice a day sehri & iftar. Anything that I have post iftar till sehri is very light basically milk shakes & light munches.

What are the dierent cuisines made at home for iftar? Wajid: There are lots of variety made for iftar in my house because everyone has their own likes & cravings for iftar. As I prefer eating haleem & deep fried samosa, chicken spring rolls, bhajiyae , dahi vadae occasionally which are made every day for iftar. I make sure my favourite cuisine is made for me every day for iftar like fresh pineapple & watermelon juice, grilled shredded chicken sandwich or egg sandwich. I prefer having grilled chicken with corn too.

What’s your secret to staying motivated and consistent throughout Ramadan, especially when you hit the mid-Ramadan slump? Zara: I feel it’s the will power which comes from within to be motivated & consistent as the month of Ramadan starts. For the first few days, it’s the transformation of mind, body & soul. But especially when the mid-Ramadan comes it becomes quite easy to fast as it becomes a habit which I had adapted.

What is the biggest positive change any particular Ramadan has brought to your life? Wajid: Every Year of holy Ramadan since I had grown up I had lots of changes in me. Especially I feel in this month of Ramadan it brings inner peace Allah open doors for opportunity, forgiveness, acceptance of prayers & duas. A few years back in the month of Ramadan I learnt to forgive & seek forgiveness and not keeping anything for anyone in my heart. And it made a big difference in my life. I value more about my loved ones especially my mother, wife, kids & my family.

What do you plan on wearing this Ramadan since the option of buying a new outt seems to be closed? Wajid: Luckily I have a few pairs of new kurta pajamas that were stitched, bought by my mom & wife last Ramadan for Eid. Which I didn’t get the opportunity to wear as I had already my clothes stitched for Last Eid. So this Ramadan is the perfect time to utilise those clothes for Friday’s, special nights & Eid.

Fruit Chat With The Khans | SPECIAL

What’s your denition of the purpose of Ramadan? Anjum: For me, the definition of the purpose of Ramadan is to come closer to the creator of the world, to worship him and to seek forgiveness. It is also to master yourself by controlling your mind, heart and stomach.

How is this year of Ramadan in quarantine going to be dierent from that of every year? Moin: This Ramadan will indeed be a prime chance to self-reflect and celebrate loved ones and friendships. This year will evidently require some extra effort instead of going to fancy restaurants for a pricey iftaar meal; everyone can create their own feast.

What changes do you make in Ramadan to your technology usage, social life and diet? Sakina: In terms of technology usage now that everyone’s at home and have a lot of time in their hands me and my family have decided to utilise this time to watch Ramadan lectures and community prayers on YouTube. Talking about social life we used to have a lot of iftaar parties for our friends and family at home. All of that will be taken over by virtual iftar gatherings now. Coming to the diet plan, some of you may be thinking Ramadan is the great time to lose weight but this is the time where one actually gains weight. That’s because eating large meals super early in the morning and late at night with a long period of low activity bordering on lethargy in between can wreak havoc on your metabolism. I being a foodie can never have a diet plan during Ramadan.

What are the dierent cuisines made at home for iftar? Anjum: Every day is a feast at our home for iftar. And in this quarantine, I and my mum have decided to make every day something new so that we don’t miss out on anything. Some of my favourites are from haleem to dahi vade, from shami kebabs to sheer kurma, from dum biryani to fresh fruit juices, from meat curries to shahi tukda, all of these forms are a part of our iftar.

What’s your secret to staying motivated and consistent throughout Ramadan, especially when you hit the mid-Ramadan slump? Sakina: Ramadan is the month of the Quran. The recitation of the Quran privately, and the recitation of the Quran in the Taraweeh prayer itself is a motivator for me in this month. Also to make the month feel extra special I like to decorate my room. If you have fairy lights or candles try arranging those around your room. If you don’t have any decorations, you can make some by writing your favourite quotes and sticking them up.

brought to your life? Moin: From tight sleep schedules to hunger for extended hours to a reduction in consumption of junk foods, to a technology diet; to withdrawal from caffeine addiction, to lengthy standing in Taraweeh prayers at night, to extensive listening to the Quran. Every Ramadan I become more positive and a better version of myself and I thank Allah for this blessed month.

What do you plan on wearing this Ramadan since the option of buying a new outt seems to be closed? Sakina: Coming to outfits I have always been very particular to what I will be wearing on Eid. This year I just got lucky that I had 2 new outfits ready that I planned to wear in any occasion that comes up but now that all the events have been cancelled I have got a chance to wear one of the outfits for Eid. In this case, I still have a new outfit so there is nothing to worry about it.

What’s your denition of the purpose of Ramadan? Rubina: Ramadan is the month of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. The purpose of Ramadan is to come closer to the creator of the world, to worship him and to seek forgiveness. Muslims around the world observe fasting for this entire month and it’s not just about staying hungry all day but also abstaining from any wrong doing to the best of our knowledge. Also as the popular belief goes it takes 21 days to create a habit! So it gives all of us a chance to implement the good and let go of anything bad we think we have bought upon ourselves! How is this year of Ramadan in quarantine going to be dierent from that of every year? Adnan: One thing which I will miss the most this Ramadan is our Taraweeh in the mosque. It’s our Ramadan routine to go for night prayers every year as a family. We wait for this holy month of Ramadan to come so we can all go to the mosque and during Taraweeh prayers, listen to the Imam and understand the deeper meaning of the Holy Quran. And of course like every Hyderabadi irrespective of his or her faith, we are going to miss haleem, all the midnight hangouts and sehri treats which our city offers every year. What changes do you make in Ramadan to your technology usage, social life and diet? Rubina: In terms of technology, at home, we try collectively to reduce tv time as a family. We try to devote as much time to reading the Quran and prayers during the duration of the fast. Early evenings are consumed with the preparation of iftar at home. Every year we had some need to change our lifestyle in terms of social commitments to fulfil our obligations of the soul and faith in Ramadan. But this year staying home is giving us much more time to think and reflect and feed our soul. In terms of diet, I personally have to actively watch myself because I have the tendency to fill any voids in life with food, quarantine was the time I went into a food coma. I tried every new recipe I came across and you tube cookery channels were my saviours. But during Ramadan eating healthy and filling especially in the time of sehri will help you sustain the month-long fasts. I personally include bananas and complex carbs in sehri coz they help me stay full for longer. Suhoor With The Hussains

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What are the dierent cuisines made at home for iftaar? Rubina: I and my husband both are big foodies, so iftar time is very dear to us. It mainly includes traditional Hyderabadi dishes like dahi vade, fried items like samosas, bhajiyas and spring rolls, fruit juice and fruit chaat. I am a Gujarati so sometimes I crave for my dhoklas. So every few days there is some change in cuisine and we have gujju treat with some chaat for iftar.

What is the biggest positive change any particular Ramadan has brought to your life? Adnan: Every year Ramadan makes me grounded. It’s a month of sharing and giving whatever you can, be it money, food, knowledge or love. Going without good all day teaches you a lot of things. You do realize the plight of the poor and that motivates us to share what we have and try to do that in abundance. Also, a good positive change which Ramadan instils in me is discipline and self-control. I try to not sleep after Fajr prayers and start my day early. The calmness of early mornings gives a boost to my productivity.

What do you plan on wearing this Ramadan since the option of buying a new outt seems to be closed? Rubina: I actually didn’t think about this until I read this question. I think the lock down has taught us all to live in a minimalistic way. We have all come this far and managed to live without a lot of things which we once considered as a necessity. So yes, Eid this year will be more in essence than ever, we will dress up in neat clothes if not new and then sheer khurma can fill any voids if at all we feel the blues which is unlikely, we all pray we will have a beautiful Ramadan and an amazing Eid and all our worries and viruses soon may come to an end.