The Star | Canada's largest daily
Tuesday April 5, 2022
For Somali student and entrepreneur Abdinur Mohamed, 31,
Ramadan is the most special time of the year.
“Ramadan means everything to me,” says Abdinur who lives in
Kuala Lumpur. “It is the month of forgiveness and the month that the holy Quran
was revealed,” he shares. “To me, fasting brings out the best in people; it
promotes patience, discipline, helps us have purity in our thoughts and
encourages piety,” he says.
Abdinur came to Malaysia as a student 12 years ago. After
obtaining his undergraduate and Masters degrees, he returned to Somalia for
some years but has returned to pursue his PhD in International Relations – he
has applied to do it in Universiti Malaya.
Although he now considers Malaysia home, it did take some
time getting used to the way of life here and also the food.
“It was my first trip abroad and I came to Malaysia alone. I
had problems adjusting to Malaysian food which to me, initially, tasted weird.
I found it too spicy. I was frustrated at first and almost wanted to return to
Somalia.
“Luckily I moved to Nilai in Negri Sembilan and then to
Taman Melati in Gombak where I found many other Somalis. There was even a
Somali restaurant. Slowly, I adapted to the food – at first, it was Western
food and finally, Malay Food which I now enjoy. I guess it is just a matter of
time for us to adjust to everything, really,” he says.
Now, Abdinur is married to Saliza Samiran, a Malaysian from
Johor, and the couple have four children, Aamir, Mu’amar, Mohamed and Mohamoud.
“Malaysia is like my
second home. It’s the place where I gained more knowledge and learned about
different cultures. However, it is difficult not to miss the place of one’s
birth, fasting together and celebrating with my family is very meaningful to
me... just as it is to everyone too. I do miss the food back home the most
though as it is super fresh and delicious,” he shares.
However, having his sister with him and his family is
comforting, he says.
“Usually every Ramadan, my schedule is quite
straightforward. I teach classes on the Quran and other Islamic subjects online
during the day and then I prepare for the Tarawih prayers because I am an Imam
at the surau near where I live,” says Abdinur who also runs a travel agency in
Somalia and has a cargo business with his wife.
“I would like to wish my fellow Muslims Ramadan Mubarak, and
hopefully we can all be thankful, pray more and stay away from bad actions this
month,” he concludes.