It's been a LONG time !!!

Salam Alaikom everybody,

I have been away for a while, but I am working on a big surprise for "UAE Caravan" lovers and followers.

I hope you will all like it once it's ready.

May Allah bless us all,

Sarah

Ramadan Iftar

Salam Alaikom all...Hope everyone is enjoying Ramadan atmosphere! It's beautiful, isn't it?


Did you ever wonder how do we (Muslims) fast during the Holy month of Ramadan?
I'll tell you how in case you still don't know.

First of all, it is worth mentioning that Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

Muslims break their fast at Maghrib (sunset) prayer time with a meal named "Iftar".

When we hear the Maghrib prayer we usually say a prayer first (Dua'a) then break our fast by drinking a glass of Laban (Yoghurt based drink) and dates.

After that, we perform Maghrib prayer then go back to eat the Iftar meal, whick contains a number of delicious dishes.

The amazing thing about Ramadan is that the whole family (Grandparents, Parents, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc.) gather and enjoy the holy time together. What is more amazing than having Iftar with the whole family?

Ramadan is a time that brings family members together and closer than any other time.

Personally I enjoy cooking with my cousins and relatives. Each one of us decides what is she going to cook for Iftar. One says she'll cook the main dish, the other chooses the sweets and we help each other in every thing.

Not only women share these moments, but also men. For example, we always ask my elder brother to go and buy what we need in the kitchen, while my uncle helps us in exchanging dishes with neighbours and friends. It is such an amazing thing.

One of the most DELICIOUS, FAMOUS and BASIC dishes in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf region is "Harees". It is nearly a "must" during the Holy month of Ramadan.

One other amazing dish that I love so much is "Thareed", which is a mixture of very delicate home made bread, which is named "Khobz Regag" with a mix of vegetables and meat or chicken broth.

"Lugaymat" is another dish that is essential during Ramadan. It is part of the sweets or desserts. It tastes really good especially if you eat it while drinking Arabian Coffee.



After praying and eating, a cup of Arabian coffee or tea would be perfect. You just sit, relax and enjoy drinking it.

Normally, two or more "Dallah (s)" of coffee and tea are prepared before or right after Iftar.

You can also indulge yourself with fruits, sweets or many kinds of different fruits. But put in mind that we don't eat much in order to maintain our health. Eating a little bit of everything is
a very good and healthy thing to do.

We should always remember that fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality. It is time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allah and to offer more prayer.

I will post more information about the Holy month of Ramadan, but please do ask me if you have any questions or would like to know more about a particular issue.

Ramadan Kareem!

UAE Caravan wishes you all a happy Ramadan!

Regards,

Sarah Al Hanki

Summer in the UAE (Part 2)

Hello everyone,

Today I'll continue giving you options or suggestions on how to spend summer in the UAE, although it is burning hot!

Heat is not a problem anymore, thanks to air conditioners. And because the summer in the UAE makes it almost impossible for anyone to do any activities outdoors, so many indoor activities and places have been established, such as, shopping malls, exhibition centres where many events are being organized, museums, etc.

If you are a fan of Arts, History, Arabic Calligraphy and Heritage, then the Emirate of Sharjah is "a must visit" for you. It has a number of amazing museums, such as, Al Mahatta Museum, Sharjah Archaeology Museum, Sharjah Art Museum, Bait Al Nahbooda, Sharjah Calligraphy Museum and much much more.

Also, if you have kids, want them to get some knowledge then have some fun, after touring any of the fabulous museums, you can take them to Sharjah Aquarium or Sharjah Discovery Centre, which is the perfect place for both adults and kids, because you can get the chance of learning and entertaining at the same time.

To read more about museums in Sharjah or get more information, please visit http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/

The whole family can also enjoy exploring Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort, which is located in Al Ain city, UAE.

You can camp there too! there, you can experience and learn about wildlife and conservation in a unique natural desert setting.

for more information, please visit: http://www.awpr.ae/

Other suggestions:

1- Have fun in one of the Paintball parks all over the UAE (http://www.paintballuae.com/)

2- Dive in the Arabian Gulf, basikly in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (http://www.arabiandiver.com/)

3- Enjoy a desert safari and SKIING on the golden dunes! (http://www.desertsafaridubai.com/)

There is much much more to do in the UAE during Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring. So, don't miss the fun!

Summer in the UAE (Part 1)

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

Many of you (especially foreigners) might wonder, how am I going to spend summer time in the UAE? What if, for any reason, you can't travel and runaway from the heat?!

Will you still be able to enjoy the summer and sun

in the UAE?! The answer is definately YES!!!

The good news is that people can enjoy their

summertime without having to travel to a cooler

country. Many activities and events have been

organized all over the UAE to keep its people

(with different ages) entertained and give them

the chance to enjoy every day of their summer vacation.

One of the great events that is organized in the Capital, Abu Dhabi is "Summer in Abu Dhabi Festival" that is being held in Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC), Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort, Abu Dhabi Mall, Marina Mall and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, as well as Al Jimi Mall, Al Ain Mall and Bawadi Mall in Al Ain.

This great event is a family carnival where once in a lifetime experiences happen every day!

It has a wide array of activities to appeal to all age groups and interests.

For more information, please visit http://www.summerinabudhabi.com/

One of the events included in this friendly event is the "Big Apple Circus" that I am dying to attend (Maybe this coming weekend).

It's a 90 minutes show that will start on the 23rd of July and will last until the 3rd of August. It should be so much fun!

Also, if you would like to explore the city but be PROTECTED from the heat of the sun or the high humidity, you can take a hop on hop off tour by the air conditioned Big Bus and enjoy viewing the city and its famous spots and amzaing places.

Having FUN can not only be achieved in Abu Dhabi, but also in Dubai. You and your family or friends can enjoy the "Dubai Summer Surprises" Festival that also includes a wide number of activities for all of the family members.

You can go shopping in one of the many malls in the city, such as, the Mall of the Emirates, have a delicious meal in one of the restaurants there, and enjoy some of the shows that take place in the mall most of the times during the festival.

Also, you can spend some time SKIING in Ski Dubai! isn't that a good idea where you can experience Summer and Winter in the very same time?!!!

For more information, please visit http://www.skidxb.com/

If you have kids and you don't know where to take them, consider the following:

1- Dubai Dolphinarium ( http://dubaidolphinarium.ae/ )

2- Dubai Modhesh World ( www.modheshworld.com/en/ )

And if you are a group of adults who want to have great great time, you should spend a day in Wild Wadi Dubai. It is a MUST VISIT water park.

They have a SPECIAL LADIES NIGHTS too ^_^ so women who cannot swim, wear swimming suits or uncover their heads in front of men can have fun too. My sisters, relatives and I usually go there during weekends and we really have so much fun.

To be continued...

Foreigners in Traditional Costumes!

Salam All!

I hope you are all doing GREAT ^_^

I have received an e-mail from a lady asking me this question on behalf of her friends:

Hi Sarah,

Some foreigners love Emirati clothes and want to wear it, but they are shy and think that maybe this will offend Emiratis.

Do Emiratis consider it disrespectful to their culture if foreign men and women want to wear abayas or shailas, kanduras, ghutras, eqals or even niqab or burqa?

Here is the answer to the question from my point of view:

First of all, it is our pleasure as Emiratis to know that foreigners love our clothes and would like to wear it. And personally I don't think that it will or may offend us as locals unless a foreigner disrespected our traditional costumes.

I don't think any Emirati will or might get offended by seeing a foreigner wearing the traditional UAE costumes wether it was a man or a woman. On the contrary, we respect who respect us, our traditions and costumes and we are a very friendly and welcoming nation.

Some of us might get offended IF a person uses the UAE traditional costume in a wrong way and ON PURPOSE. For example, wearing the Abaya above DISRESPECTFUL clothes just to attract men "as many women do" or to make fun of Arab culture or traditions.

Last week, I was shopping in Dubai, and while I was inside one of the shops a foreign couples entered the shop. The lady was wearing a short skirt and a lovely shirt, and the man was wearing a Kandura (Dishdasha), Ghutra and eqal! at first I was surprised because he was very confident and acted as if he was a real local, but his blue eyes and his yellow hair that I could see from under the ghutra made me know for sure that he is a foreigner who loves our traditional kandura.

I smiled to him, he smiled back and I felt that he was so happy that I liked what I saw.

So, everybody feel free to wear our costumes but make sure to respect it, and I am sure you will.

Prohibition of Selling Dogs in Islam

Good morning everybody,

I am sorry for not publishing this post last night, but I had to do some research about the prohibition of selling dogs in Islam before publishing the post.

In my religion, it is undesirable to keep dogs, and that the one who keeps a dog will have two kirats deducted from his reward every day, except for dogs that are kept for hunting, guarding livestock and guarding crops, which are permissible to keep.

There are many "ahaadeeth" narrated from our Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), which state that it is forbidden in Islam to sell dogs BECAUSE THEY ARE ENTIRELY IMPURE (NAJIS). The general meaning of these "Ahaadeeth" include all kinds of dogs, those which are permissible to keep and those which are not permissible to keep.

The transaction of selling a dog is not valid and the price is not "Halal".

What did some of the Muslim Scholars Say:

-Some said that the sale of dogs which bring some benefit is permissible.

-Others said that it is permissible to sell a hunting dog but not any other kind.

- The majority said that it is not permissible to sell a dog at all wether it is a hunting dog or a herding dog or any other kind. If a person is in a desperate need to have a dog and cannot find someone to give him one, then he may buy it.

As a conclusion, it should be mentioned that Prophet Mohammed (Peace be Upon Him) forbade the price of a dog, the wages of a prostitute, and the fee of a fortuneteller.

I hope the post is useful and please do not hesitate to ask me any question regarding this topic or any other topics that are related to my religion or to my country, the United Arab Emirates.