The month of Ramadan is both a holy one and one that encompasses one of the UAE’s most memorable and tragic moments in history: the loss of a father – and one of the greatest losses the world has seen.
For as far as I can remember, we greeted Ramadan with our arms wide open, excited for the magic it would bring with it. This is a time when not only is our spirituality and faith heightened but also one when our spirits are taken to a parallel universe where anything is possible.
Ramadan is a time where all that’s good in the world seems superior and all that’s bad simply washes away, when every person is closely connected to God and to the people around them.
Family and friends connect throughout the day and bonds are formed like never before. Quality time is spent in group prayers and spiritual gatherings.
Ramadan to me is always more than just a holy and enchanting time of year. It’s a lifetime of memories that will always remain with me.
One of those defining memories happened 10 years ago. It was the 19th day of the Ramadan of 2004. We were all shaken awake by the news of his passing away. If it were any other month, I don’t know how we would have managed, as a nation, to pull through. Our mentor, our father and our leader, who made the UAE what it is today, passed away.
Amid the fairy-tale atmosphere of Ramadan, the whole country mourned his loss. Every tree, every flower, every being, had a part of their light taken away.
I always believed that our prayers for him were taken and our sorrows replaced by angels with a sort of peace and understanding that only God could grant for someone that was loved by the world as a whole.
The world has not seen a leader like Sheikh Zayed, God rest his soul. For the love he had for his people and his generosity. For the legacy he has left in each and every one of us that lives on and makes us what we are today in our ideology, our ambition and our visions. For what he has done for the country, the people and every individual, he will always be remembered for the light that he was, and the light that he left behind.
Shamma Al Suwaidi is a 23-year-old business administration major. She is currently doing her master’s in international law at the Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi.
