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Ramadan in UAE: Resident says holy month was special to him even before embracing Islam

“The Arab world became very much like home for us, and I foresaw my future here in this region,” he said

Published: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 6:57 AM

Updated: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 1:37 PM

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Thirteen years ago, when David Kinkead converted to Islam, fasting was not a challenge for him, as he accompanied his colleagues.

"Ramadan was very special for me even before coming to Islam,” said Kinkead, who moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from the United Kingdom 17 years ago.

“But what I felt more challenging was the Fajr prayers, where I had to wake up very early. Soon, I was used to it, and it became the easiest part of my routine. These early morning prayers are incredibly beneficial. It starts your day in such a positive way,” added Kinkead.

While he was in Jeddah, he said he was welcomed into the community as if it was his own. “The love and the bond in the community was very strong. From official gatherings to religious gatherings, I was made a big part of it,” said Kinkead mentioning that it made him think of his childhood.

Kinkead’s friends and colleagues introduced him to Islam, he then took his Shahada and embraced Islam. “The Arab world became very much like home for us, and I foresaw my future here in this region,” said Kinkead.

David who is from a teaching background, met Rania, an Egyptian national. “When I was in Saudi, I met my wife, and she was the one who wanted to move to Dubai. So, eight years ago we moved to Dubai. We've been blessed with two beautiful children,” said Kinkead.

Kinkead said Islam taught him to live a life grounded in any situation. “Ramadan takes us on another dimension. We have assignments and projects for our children about Ramadan and Islam. I want them to feel the same joy and excitement that my wife and I do during Ramadan,” said Kinkead.

“We have a Ramadan calendar for them where it's they open at the end of each day which tells them a good deed that they should complete for the day and completing that they get chocolate as a reward,” added Kinkead.

His family time includes looking at some of the stories from the Quran, just trying to build the love of Allah and love of religion into the children as well. “It becomes crucial family time just to spend during Ramadan,” said Kinkead.

Kinkead is the principal of Next Generation School, an American Islamic School in Dubai. “The school is an American curriculum for academics. At our foundation, we have an ethos of inspiring and helping students mould the future generation of Muslim leaders that will hopefully make us more successful. And to do that, we try to infuse every lesson and activity we are doing with a connection to Islam. So that means even if they are learning about Math or Physical Education, we ensure there is an Islamic connection to that framed from hadith or the Quran,” concluded Kinkead.

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