The observance of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered as the holiest month of the year for Muslims.It was originally the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) on the night of the Laylat Al Qadr, on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Ramadan lasts for one complete lunar cycle, usually 29 or 30 days and Ramadan officially starts when a moon-sighting committee in Makkah, Saudi Arabia (considered to be the holiest city in Islam) makes an official announcement.
Once Ramadan is declared adult muslims are required to fast from dawn until dusk, everyday throughout Ramadan. Whilst non-muslims are not expected to fast, good etiquette, good manners and common sense dictate that one should be mindful of others and be respectful in the way one dresses and acts during this time.
Fasting commences each morning before sunrise, when one takes "Suhour", the pre-fast meal. Muslims break their fast at sunset, before the Maghreb Prayers. Dates are traditionally taken as the first food along with water or a sweet juice and the subsequent fast-breaking meal is called Iftar.
Given this is my 30th Ramadan since working with and living in the Middle East, I thought it was high time that I experienced, up close and personal, the firing of the Iftar cannon, which signals to all, the breaking of the fast.
So en famille we headed to the Madinat Jumeirah where a group of families had already gathered, under the shadow of the burj Al Arab, to observe the ceremony and subsequently break their fast.This really was a family event and the troop of soldiers who were tasked with undertaking the ceremony were extremely kind and welcoming to all and encouraged pictures to to be taken.
The attending soldiers looked extremely proud to be participating in this ceremony and looked splendid decked out in their uniforms and striking red and white Keffiyeh (also known as Ghutra or Schemagh).My best mate Seth and I were quick off the mark and with Mrs. C operating the Fuji (XPro2 and 56mm F1.2), we got the shot we wanted.
I was determined to try and record the exact moment the cannon fired. I had spent ages planning my shot, picking the right vantage point, using manual focus and focus peaking to ensure all bases covered and switching to continuous drive to ensure I didn't miss the shot. Well, a camera is only as good as its operator and in my defense, no-one had told me the word for "Fire" in Arabic. So once the sergeant at arms shouted something in Arabic, which presumably meant fire, I was caught unawares. Even though I pressed the shutter, I missed the shot. In fact, the cannon was so loud and un-expected that I literally jumped out of my skin and almost dropped the Fuji. Once my heart-rate returned to normal, my ears stopped ringing, the smoke cleared and the dust settled, I was able to have a quick chimp at the images. In the interest of full transparency I have set out the before and after images below.
The before shot.....
And after.........the one that got away!
Adopting my usual positive attitude and rather then saying I missed the shot, I would rather label it as "A learning experience"! However, we really did have a wonderful time. We then broke our fast with a succulent local date and a glass of sweet juice before heading off for our Iftar meal, armed with yet another wonderful memory of our time in the Middle East.