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Ramadan reports in Khaleej Times inspired this little boy to fast

Dubai - After reading the kid’s fasting section, Zaydan Nusrat said he also wants to fast.

While six-year-old Zaydan Nusrat had learnt about the holy month of Ramadan and the special act of worship – fasting - at school and from his parents, it was the Ramadan articles and pictures he saw in Khaleej Times newspaper that became his inspiration to fast.

A regular subscriber of Khaleej Times for the last three years, Zaydan’s father Shaneer Nusrat Siddiqui said his son is extremely fond of reading KT and more so during Ramadan, due to the lively coverage of the culture and inspiring initiatives during the holy month.

Calling KT the motivation behind his son’s first fast this Friday, Siddiqui said: “Zaydan is regular reader of Khaleej Times. Every day he skims through the newspaper and tries to understand what’s happening around the world through the pictures he sees. He specially loves the Ramadan pages in KT and loves to read the stories and see the pictures of kids who fast for the first time. Last week after reading the kid’s fasting section, he told me and his mother that he also wants to fast and we were more than happy to oblige.”

Siddiqui said that although Zaydan would talk about how some of his classmates were fasting, he never insisted on fasting until he started reading stories of kid’s fasting in Khaleej Times.”

Seeing kids, some even younger than him, in traditional wear, fasting, praying, doing charity and indulging in different Ramadan-related activities, motivated him to fast. He would show us how kids younger than him were fasting and would read their stories and experience, after which he began insisting that he also wanted to try fasting,” Siddiqui said.

When asked how his first fast went, Zaydan said: “I fast firstly, because it is the command of Allah, and secondly because I felt sorry for people who are unable to afford the basic necessities of life like food and water and wanted to understand how it feels to go through that pain. It really made me thank God for all the blessings he has give us and filled my heart with gratitude. Although the day began on a high note, I did experience some pangs of hunger and thirst but I kept going for the sake of Allah. It was indeed a beautiful feeling and I learnt some important life lessons such as being patient,” he said.

Zaydan’s mother Iffat Beg, a teacher by profession, said it was a very emotional and proud moment for them as parents to see their son fast with such patience. “As it was his first fast, he was extremely excited and although he started feeling a bit hungry and thirsty, he behaved so well all day that it was hard for me to control my tears when he said to me, ‘I am feeling thirsty but will not drink water as I am fasting’,” his mother Iffat said.

Little Zaydan spent his day offering his prayers on time, learning the meaning of some portions of the Holy Quran and staying busy by building creative things with his LEGO blocks.

“He ended his fast by praying to God to end the Covid-19 pandemic that has taken millions of lives and to help people suffering from this scourge. After he ended his fast wit his favourite iftar that his mother made, we also got him his favourite Lego gift,” Siddiqui said, adding that Zaydan has announced that he will be fasting in the last ten auspicious days (laylatul Qadr) of Ramadan too.

saman@khaleejtimes.com