Habib Umar: The 1st sphere: Islam – Part 2

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In session 2 the Shaykh began with the 1st sphere that one enters: Islam.

One enters this sphere, that of Islam, by mentioning the two testifications of faith, declaring ones beleif in Allah and His Messenger(SAW), and by committing to the actions prescribed, i.e. Praying, Fasting etc. And it was stated that if the seven heavens and Earth were to be put on one side and the two testification on the other, the testifications would outweigh them all.   The one who believes in the testification of faith, will make a firm resolve to practically follow Islam in his or her actions in all facets of life. However this is the start and this faith, which can be looked at as a seed, requires water. And this water is knowledge. The point of knowledge therefore being that the seed of faith is watered and then expands.

Good Watering

The following are examples of good watering, which has caused the heart to be in a pure state.

1] During the battle of Khaybar a Mushrik man who was a slave and tended to sheep for the Jew’s of Khaybar came to the Prophet(SAW) inquiring about Islam and asked what happens if he should become Muslim. After being informed of what awaits him in the hereafter he accepted Islam. However he had sheep and did not want stealing from the wealth of others to be his first deed, so he sent the sheep back and returned to fight the war immediately for the sake of Allah. During the fighting he died and was among those who entered the gardens of paradise, not praying a single prayer. A seed well watered, despite not having the opportunity to offer Salah. On the contrary there was also a man who wrongfully took one blanket from the spoils of war, however the Prophet(SAW) made it clear that this will be a blanket of fire for him.

2] An arab from Madina also embraced Islam and went to fight as he wanted to serve the Prophet(SAW) and Allah(SWT). When the spoils of war were distributed we was absent and when asked of where he is, it was said that he is looking after something. The Prophet(SAW) ordered them to give him his share. Upon receiving his share he went to the Prophet(SAW) asking what all this was. The Prophet(SAW) replied it was his share. The man responded “I did not follow you for this”. The Prophet(SAW) questioned what he fought for? And the man said “So that I may end up with an arrow here” (pointing to his throat, in the pursuit of Paradise). During the next battle this is what the man received. Upon which the Prophet(SAW) said that he was true to Allah and Allah is true to him.

3] The other story mentioned was of a man who longed to be with the Prophet(SAW), but his people would not let him go. When the opportunity presented itself he fled, however he was caught at which he explained that he was of no use to them and asked them to take all his wealth, leaving him with only what he was wearing – his upper and lower garment. After this he dedicated his life to the Prophet(SAW) following him everywhere. After he died in battle, Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali, along with the Prophet(SAW) lowered him into his grave and said “Oh Allah be pleased with him, as I am pleased with him”.

So, if the seed[the faith within our hearts] is nourished by good deeds, it will grow, leading a goodly life and even if the body decays the seed will not. However if the seed is in wretched soil, nourished with bad water, i.e. sins, it will die! At this point everyone must assess themselves and where they are. If one is doing deeds and not benefiting, then the problem is in the deeds themselves or the heart.

Oh you who believe, respond to God and His Messenger when He calls you to that which will give you life; and know that God intervenes between a person and his heart. [Qur'an 8:24]

Causes of corruption of the heart

Corruption comes in many forms. [The following are an excellent list that can be looked to in order to focus ones efforts to remove these bad characteristics from our hearts]

1) Being pleased with ones nafs. Allah gives effects to the one who blames himself and worries about his state, not the one who is pleased with himself. A famous scholar once said that “someone who looks at himself with pleasure, Allah(SWT) is displeased with him”.

Allah(SWT) says in a Hadith Qudsi: “I am with those whose hearts are broken for my sake.”

2) Seeing and being around those things which cause temptation or create pride in the heart. If the heart becomes attached to creatures or people, then the person may begin to show off and envy among other things, in attempts to subconsciously or consciously please people, rather than Allah(SWT). Therefore ostentation is something which can quickly corrupt the heart rendering deeds worthless.

3) To become overtaken by beastial desires of the lowerself, to the point where one is dominated be these desires.

4) Listening to the shaytan, not wanting good for others and anger. “The one who follows his desires, becomes a slave to the lowerself. The one who follows the shaytan, becomes a slave to anger.”

So a beleiver must strive to have a heart purified from these enormities. And from here, it is clear that the realities of the intellect appear. That which differentiates the human from the animal. The one who does not take note of these realities, then how different is he from an animal. [It is only once we begin to use our intellect that we move forward towards the purification of the heart. Upon realising the importance of nurturing and looking after the heart, the one who utilises his intellect will seek to journey the path of self-purification.]

Aqim Salatak – Establish the Prayer

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“Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer, and stand up with devotion to Allaah. And if you go in fear, then (pray) standing or on horseback. And when you are again in safety, remember Allaah, as He has taught you that which you knew not.” [Quran 2: 238-239]

The Prophet[SAW], said: “The first act that the slave will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment will be the Prayer. If it is good, then the rest of his deeds will be good. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad.” [At-Tabaraani]

A talented group of individuals in Saudi Arabia have made a series of short clips, or advertisements, that seek to encourage and remind people about the importance of Salaah, the five daily obligatory prayers. They feature on the well-known MBC channels, the Aqim Salatak campaign is looking to target the 16-24 year old age group.

The commercials are very professional with a great message.  More than often it is said that Muslims need to get into the area of ‘Media’ and use it for good.  It seems this is exactly that.  Aside from having good intentions to bring people back to Prayer, the producers also have the right work ethic, putting in their all, using market research and techniques used to develop ad’s for any other product, so it’s not just a half hearted effort.

“Back in 1999 we thought to ourselves that we have the ability to promote products. So why shouldn’t we try to help people,” said one of the founders, who requested anonymity saying the group is seeking reward from God and does not want publicity.”

Some have argued that the ad’s appeal to ones fears of death, beleiving that we should pray and do good due to faith and love of God, not fear. However, the truth is that along with His Mercy and Love, Allah(swt) also reminds us of the shocking reality of the Day of Judgement where there will be loosers and winners, there are verses of reward and also punishment, there are hadith about Paradise and also Hell. Both reward and punishment are an important part of the message, so reminding people about the thing that every human shall experience is something needed. Truly sometimes, nothing shakes and wakes our stubborn souls more than the stark reality and fear of death and what will proceed, depending on how we live.

The focus of the ad’s are two characters, Bader and Nawaf, two young guys enjoying themselves, who are involved in an accident with a nice Dodge Charger and good old GMC Suburban (two vehicles Saudi’s seem to love). However the choices the two made in life cause their endings to be very different.

Nawaf

Bader

“Some faces, that Day, will glow (in brightness and beauty) looking towards their Lord.”[Quran:75:22 The Resurrection]

A great job with the video’s and may they continue to bring reminders like this, keeping up the good work that will benefit the makers eternally insha Allah.

Aqim Salatak [Website]

Habib Umar – Introduction and The Four Stages – Part 1

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Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi

This post includes the first section of the book covered by Habib Umar(ra), which included the Introduction along with the excellence of saying ‘Bismillah’ and the superiority of the ‘Shahada’.

Bismillahi-Rahmani-Raheem

The teacher began praising Allah and send blessings upon Muhammad, peace be upon him.  It was stated that this book suffices anyone who yearns to get closer to Allah, saying that the book shows how Islam is interlinked and how one can get closer to Allah.  And so from studying this book there will hopefully manifest in the heart a spiritual benefit and realization.

The book begins with an extremely eloquent introduction sending blessings on the Prophet(SAW) and praising Allah(SWT).  The good that Allah(SWT) wills for His creatures is mentioned, along with the fact that Allah(SWT)’s Mercy, outweighs His(SWT)’s wrath.  Making it a point to mention that the author and dignified scholar did not begin with characteristics such as the Compellor for example, rather putting emphasis on the attribute of Mercy, as is in ‘Bismillahir-Rahmaani-Raheem’.

Leading on to this great saying of ‘Bismillahir-Rahmaani-Raheem’.  That Allah has allowed us to start in His name, so make a strict effort to never start without it.  The evil of things, that may come through drinking, eating, putting on clothes etc are fended with this pronouncement.  And truly blessings are increased.  And as we know the devil’s are restricted from partaking in activities where this has been said.  While a point to note is that it can also be used to veil from the Jinn community, so when we reveal awrah it is good practice to say ‘Bismillah’ to veil ourselves from any Jinn that may pass or be there.

Story of the Pious woman

There was once a pious women who used to say ‘Bismillah” before she committed to any action, small or large.  So some people decided to play a trick on her and gave her some money for safe keeping.  The lady took the money saying ‘Bismillah’, got up saying ‘Bismillah’, took the key to her safe saying ‘Bismillah’, went to the safe saying ‘Bismillah’, opened it saying ‘Bismillah’ and so on, until she deposited it.

The man after quietly took the key and removed the gold and threw it into a well.  At a later point the man returned requesting his possessions.  So the lady again saying ‘Bismillah’ before every action took the key and opened the safe.   To the mans surprise, there it was, the gold coins were there! At this point he was in shock and began to cry, thereafter realizing the greatness of this invocation.

Continual reward

It was mentioned that some people who loved the Scholar asked him to write council/advice.  These people would love to receive council, so that they may benefit.  However it is something to be marveled, that if  100′s of years after, for example in this gathering, we are also benefiting from that same council, then the scholar who gave this AND those who asked council will share in the reward of this gathering and that which comes from it.  Such is the greatness and endless reward that Allah(SWT) is capable of giving. [Pure generosity, Allah Al-Kareem]

This deen that was sent to the Prophet(SAW) has outward and inward, roots and also branches, general and also detail.  The end of this affair cannot be reached but by fixing it’s beginning.  The BEGINNING IS KEY.  As however, the inward cannot be reached without the outward also.  Every human based on their aptitude and level of striving will reach an equivalent daraja(stage).  For example, the Sahaba all saw the Prophet(SAW), but yet EVEN they had ranks.  The four Caliphs and the ten promised Paradise[ashra mubashr], were ranked highest, then the ones that fought in the early days were superior, like in the battle of Badr, however those that witnessed the pledge of Aqaba were considered like those present at Badr, you had the Muhajir(emigrants from Makkah) and Ansar(helpers of Madina), who were also respectfully different.  And there are many other ranks.

The deen of Islam is therefore only one, however there are many ranks that can be reached, in this world and the hereafter.  For example:

  • The people of Emaan will say:  there is no deity but God
  • The people of Ihsaan will say:  there is no aim other than God
  • The people who are established in Ihsaan will say:  there is nothing but God
  • The people of spiritual Gnosis will say: there is no vision except God

The Shahada and a method

It is said that those who know Allah, the knower’s of Allah, they have concluded the Shahada is the best thing!  And there are also methods to it.  For example saying it 360 times, where in the first 100, one thinks that there is no deity but Allah, in the second 100, one thinks there is no aim but Allah, in the third 100, one thinks there is nothing in existence but God.  In the last 60, one thinks a vision of nothing but Allah.  This should be done with the presence of heart and without lighting is the best. There are many secrets in the shahada.  [Something to this effect is also mentioned in a great book called "The Degrees of the Soul", where la illaaha ilallah is also recomended as a remedy to the diseased heart].

Realisation

We say ‘Bismillah’ when we do various actions so that we are attached to Allah,  so it should be understood that  meaning should also be attached to this invocation.  This means that when we are eating, wearing, entering or exiting; we say ‘Bismillah!’ REALIZING that all we have and see exists only because of Allah.  [This is a beautiful point.  As all too often invocations can become habitual to the extent that one doesn't ponder on its purpose, what is actually being said and the greatness of the One who it is being made to].

There is a famous story of the Companions of the Prophet(SAW) where some disbelievers came to them, the Sahaba(ra), and questioned whether they are the companions that came with Tawhid (Oneness of Allah/Monotheism).  After the companions responded in the affirmative, the disbelievers said “Who will drink this poison then?”.  Khalid Bin Walid(RA), the great general, came forward saying ‘Bismillah’ and drank the poison.  The effects on him were none.  Why?  Because he drank in a state of realization!  [The same was with the pious lady mentioned earlier]

Concluding the introductory section the scholar explained that Allah, when He sent the Message, He made it complete and also easy.  And the deen can be said to comprise of the two testifications , where  islam, imaan and ihsaan are the axis upon which the sphere of Islam spins.  [There are 4 stages: Islam, Imaan, Ihsaan and Gnosis in the spiritual path which have so far been highlighted.  These will be explained in the following sessions]

“May this reading not be reading, but a spiritual enhancing progress”.

Introduction to a wise Scholar

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Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi

Last month I was fortunate enough to attend a Mosque retreat. It started off being informed about a local mosque at which there was a scholar who was visiting from Yemen. I had heard much about him, but never had an opportunity to hear him, let alone sit in his gathering. So I attended. Upon hearing his ‘speech’, ‘talk’, ‘lecture’? I don’t really think these words are befitting, because I’ve been to talks/lectures before, however this seemed to be all that and also a ‘call’, a call to the heart to return, not just to rules and laws, but also to the internal affair of the soul. I’m not really able to describe it fully, because some it was “felt”, not seen. However it was uniquely comprehensive, taking from and including all spheres of life, from family to the outside world, from internal to external and from this life to the hereafter, all beautifully linked with the Seerah(Biography/Life) of the Prophet(SAW) and the book of Allah(SWT).

The Scholar was the respected Habib Umar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafidh(RA).

At the mosque they mentioned a retreat with the Scholar, upon hearing about it, I was determined to spend time in his gathering over the period of 2 nights and 2 days. And Alhamdulillah they were two great days. It was organized so a classical text would be covered on the issue of spirituality and gaining closeness to Allah, the ultimate purpose of our religion, something which can easily be lost focus of when the only thing discussed is the prohibited and permissible, i.e. laws. The course was a sure winner after hearing the Shaykh speak the previous night and sure enough, that it was. After attending it and insha Allah taking much benefit from it, I’ve decided to put my notes into an organized format on this blog, so that firstly I may benefit from it and also, maybe others that might pass through here. The explanation Shaykh Habib Umar gave of this deep yet comprehensive book was truly an awakening and enlightening.

May Allah reward and bless all those who organized and were a part of this great effort, including the author of the book which was covered. May all those that attended have a continual benefit from what they have learned and maybe even insha Allah experienced. Ameen.

[N.B: The notes that will follow will be in six sections. The notes will consist of quotes, directly from the Habib Umar(ra), but also summaries of what was said, paraphrased. If there are any mistakes in these than they are from me, if someone should notice anything please let me know, JazakAllahKheir]

Hiding Sins and Protecting the Honor of Others

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Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi

Allah’s Messenger(SAW) said:

“He, who relieves a hardship of this world for a believer, Allah will relieve (from him) a hardship of the Day of Resurrection; he who makes easy an indebted person, Allah will make it easy for him in the Dunya and the Hereafter; he who covers a Muslim (meaning his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in the Dunya and the Hereafter…” [Muslim]

Following on from the last post about helping others, I began to think about the ways in which the believers are supposed to help each other. I remembered this hadith. There are three types of people mentioned here. However the third characteristic is a little different, as it’s not the first thing that comes to ones mind when we think about helping others, and this is probably also a reason that it’s a characteristic that is not only seldom found among people, but it clearly highlights the value of hiding the sins of others, which most of us easily expose at any given opportunity.

Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) related, “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) once rose above the podium and then said with a loud voice, “O those who have embraced Islam only with their tongue, while Eemaan has not yet entered their hears, neither harm Muslims, nor mock them, nor try to expose their mistakes, for he who follows (searches for) the errors of his brother, Allah will follow his errors, and he whom Allah follows his errors, He will expose him even if he was in the middle of his home.”

Imam an-Nawawi (RA) writes ‘This Hadeeth indicates that following and then exposing people’s mistakes only occurs by the hypocrites and those whose Eemaan is so weak, that it did not yet fill their hearts…” [Bukhari's Jamee as-Saheeh]

Following the wrong actions and mistakes others make and exposing it or making a mockery of the person in question is quite common. A typical situation sometimes seen is where you have a family or a group of friends, in which a person among them is trying to adhere or make some sort of an effort towards Islam. An example: a girl begins to wear the hijab or someone advises people that something is not permissible or recommended in Islam. The reaction of many people will be, “Who is he/she to tell us, do you know that he/she did/does ‘such and such things’.” Some will also fool themselves by making it into a joke so as to make themselves look like they realize the truth, but by saying something about the other person make themselves feel better about themselves, for example, “What he is right and everything, but maybe he should start with the basics, like saying salam properly!”.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “The person who says something indecent and the person who makes it known are equal as far as the wrong action is concerned.”

Hukaym ibn Sa’d heard ‘Ali say, “Do not be hasty, spreading and divulging secrets. Ahead of you lies a severe, distressing affliction and events which would take a long time explain namely oppressive conflicts.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When you want to mention your companion’s faults, remember your own faults.”

We can conclusively see that the revealing of faults is a big danger not only for the person being spoken about (whether they hear about it or not) as we are dishonoring them when we speak about them and humiliate them in the eyes of others, however it is a greater danger to ourselves.

1) We are loosing out on the opportunity to have our own sins hidden.

2) We are destroying the brotherhood that Allah(swt) wants us to have amongst ourselves, a total contradiction to the Sahaaba(RA).

3) We have most probably become proud and sincerity is lacking in our hearts. If we were truly humble we would look to ourselves first and see our faults and be ashamed of those before we make public those of others.

On Groups, Tolerance…and what this Blogs about

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Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi

As a Muslim it can be quite complicated in our times, maybe more so than it was before. There are a lot of different ideas floating around and a lot of people claiming they are “the ones” on the straight path. You have terms such as sufi, salafi, wahabbi, tablighi, deobandi, “hizbi’s”, hanafi’s, maliki’s, ashari, athari, maturidi etc. So what are all these terms or labels and what does it all mean?

There came a time when I began to venture through the gatherings of different people who hold some sort of label among the “Sunni Muslims”, whether it be Sufi’s, Salafi’s, Tablighi’s, “Young Muslims” and various “Islamic societies” etc. After seeing many of them and noting the good they were doing, although not agreeing with everything, I saw that many of these Muslims were restricting themselves, so I wanted to know why they were limiting themselves to particular mosques or study circles or even scholars.

1) Isn’t Islam, just Islam? We have one Qur’an and one Sunnah, then why are there these people out there with all these different opinions about how to live Islam?

2) Not only that, but why do they call to “their” way as being superior and better than all others?

Well, its only natural that over 1400 years differences will have developed. As long as they’re permissible in Islam and they aren’t major in terms of core beliefs then it’s not that big of a problem. The concept of ikhtilaf (difference of opinion) is something which is accepted by all Muslims and is established firmly from the time of Prophet(SAW). Along with this, the situation that the Muslims are in, as a nation, is unique in history, therefore it’s only natural that people will have different ideas about how to rejuvenate and revive this sleeping nation.

That answers one part. But, the differences still exist and so the big question remains, which opinion or methodology does one adhere to and is one superior over another? During my little travels which started with going to different masjids, dawah stalls, study circles etc, I noticed everybody seemed to group together, which is somewhat expected as generally people are more likely to associate with those with similar ideas. However often it goes beyond this, infact people will try to discourage you from attending other circles. From here theres two options that I have seen most people go for. I’ll explain them in terms of someone who attends a “salafi masjid”, where the jummuah khutbah is about bid’a and sufi practices that they consider bid’a, along with why we shouldn’t visit the “sufi masjid”. [Terms used e.g. "Sufi masjid" are for the ease of understanding, im not saying one is good or bad]

1) The person will accept what is being said based on seeing maybe a few of these things with his own eyes and thinking, “yes, they do practice these things and he’s given evidence, this masjids excellent, everything makes so much sense and it MUST be right because they have given hadiths and Qur’an”. He’ll continue to attend the khutbahs and maybe start attending extra study circles there. And before he/she knows it they’re a “salafi”.

2) The person will hear the khutbah and think “wow, people of bid’a will not be privileged with the Prophet(SAW)’s intercession, thats scary, I need to find out more about bid’a, lets see what other people have to say about this. Maybe the masjid they just warned me about, lets see what they have to say”. And so they will go and speak, learn and try to understand the differences and possibly come to some sort of a conclusion, or they may continue to research.

3) Oh and of course theres also the one that will hear it and say “Bid’a? Sufi’s? Huh?! Why do I care. This imam has gone way over his time limit, i’m going to be late for work!”

Note: Lit Def. Salafi: The first three generations of Muslims, the companions, tabi’een and tabi tabi’een.

The term salafi cited in the example was in reference to the salafi movement, respectively, commonly known as “wahabi’s” by some.

As for me, after taking the second approach I asked questions and came across more and more groups of Muslims, some who varied a lot and some who didn’t. After meeting them and spending time with them, I discovered theres different groups within these groups, and among them there are also groups established for specific purposes. When I visited the different groups, I found that I was benefiting from them in different ways and some not at all. I found there was good to take from almost everybody and everybody is playing some sort of role which is somewhat necessary in the revival of Islam.

One group of people alone can never achieve everything that the Muslims should collectively be doing. There are for example some working on arranging classes that teach fiqh, there are some discussing current affairs and the need for a state based on Islam, there are those who are working with the youth, there are those urging others to focus on the heart and character, and along with these there are many others.

It’s clear there are many people who are contributing to the spread of Islam and the revival, and these people are from all types of groups, like the ones mentioned earlier. They do not come from any one part of the world, nor do they agree on all aspects, but thats not always necessary, providing the fundamentals are there and the final objective is the same. And Believing its bid’a(innovation in religion) to use rosemary beads for dhikr and another believing its not, is not a significant difference. The Fundamentals are believing in what are commonly known as the six articles of faith, mentioned in the Hadith of Jibreel(AS):

…Then, he asked, “Tell me about belief (iman).”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “It is to believe in Allah; His Angels; His Books; His Messengers; the Last Day; and in destiny—its good and bad.”

[Muslim]

I understand it can get complicated when we bring in certain groups that go against the sunnah of the Prophet(SAW) in a major way, however the majority of the time, this isn’t the case and so it isn’t necessary or wise to make a mountain out of a molehill, as most people do, creating friction and contempt between those who are supposed to be brethren in religion. This is one of the biggest challenges we face as a Muslim community spread worldwide, tolerance among ourselves and also the rest of the world.

On many occasions arguments spark from a difference of opinion which should be tolerated, especially in the current climate and obstacles that we face today. So if it isn’t a case of Kufr and Islam, the true basics, then much of the time: If you don’t support it or agree with it, in many cases it’s better to remain silent, as opposed to rushing to the differences you have and creating division among our already divided communities.

To conclude; this push to be the saved group or rightly guided, which has caused people to bad mouth the efforts of others, is a detriment to Islam most of the time and is hindering the progress that the Muslims are in dire need of. We must “think”, thinking is the key. People will do what they will, if you don’t agree with it, don’t go around spreading an atmosphere of hatred and division, instead use wisdom and go speak to the person directly in private if you feel strongly about the issue, after that it is upon them to accept or reject. Our intention should be to help them or allow them to help us, as it’s possible that we could be wrong, if that is the intention and it is for the love of Allah, then hatred and bad adab(manners) should not come into it. You have done your job and that is all that is required of you.

As soon as we create that atmosphere of division we must remember we are building obstacles with our own hands. So as for this blog, I dedicate it to openly exploring the many differences out there and documenting my thoughts, to find the truth. As well as other things.

May Allah(swt) guide me and all the children of Adam(AS). Ameen.

Fate of “Islamasaurus: Saudi Arabia”

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Asalamualaikum

So it’s been a long time. But im actually back home now and not in Saudi Arabia. And as far as the blog goes, I only got as far as the journey to Riyadh lol. Well, I did infact make it to Riyadh and also traveled to the far east of Saudi and also to the west. Nevertheless, now that I am back home, what will become of “Islamasaurus: Saudi Arabia”?

Well, what I experienced in Saudi Arabia was quite an adventure, an episode of my life that will not be forgotten and has certainly shaped me in some way or another, as most encounters do. However this was an eye-opening journey, full of fun, stress, trials, excitement and all the other good things that life can throw at a person. And so I have decided to leave this section of the blog open. This is so that any reflections or experiences that I might write about relating to “Islamasaurus: Saudi Arabia” can be posted here and still be a reference for information about Saudi for myself and others, who live there or are have thought about going there for work or some other reason. So hopefully when thinking about the experiences something can be taken from it to benefit.

………………………………”Islamasaurus: Saudi Arabia” continues.

Journey to riyadh

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Journey to riyadh

Originally uploaded by ISLAMASAURUS

Asalamualaikum,

So i’ve found a temporary way of posting pictures. So heres my first few. It was the journey to Riyadh. What its like to be above the clouds, for those of you who’ve forgotten what it looks like up there.

So what happens when you actually get into Riyadh? Theres 3 stages.

1) You’re about half an hour away and the captain comes on, tells you about the weather, dress code(everybody wears abaya, a long garment) etc. Then you get a card, you put in your details, type of visa you’re coming in on etc and then you suddenly start thinking about the death penalty. They give you a card that says anybody bringing in drugs etc will be punished by DEATH! At that point you’re like oh man! Then you remember you dont have any drugs. Phew. But what if someone planted them on you?! Then you convince yourself “thats dumb” and ignore the card like you’ve never seen it, or try:p.



Journey to riyadh

Originally uploaded by ISLAMASAURUS

2) Your plane lands on the runway, you see many of the Saudi women throw on their niqaabs and abayas (face veils and abaya). Then you walk out into the HEAT. This of course depends on which month you come in. September is pretty hot. So you go through their customs area, police guys everywhere. You wait in line for a long long long time, if you’re lucky and the staff are actually doing their job you get through at a reasonable speed. But it wasnt my lucky day. Waiting, waiting……waiting. You look around and you see these guys who are beyond thin wearing super tight trousers, which cling to them (somehow), they check one passport, then go for a little walk, stand around laughing with other staff who are also in super tight trousers. “Hmm, strange place” you think to yourself. So you wait around some more unwillingly seeing the abomination to the eye(the trousers) and it goes on for a while, till finally you see a line where a guys doing his job and he didnt have the gross trousers! So you sneak over to the other line without the security seeing you and telling you off and away you go.

So you’re through and out on the streets. From here you either grab a cab or someone picks you up. If you do get a cab, be careful not to be ripped off. I was picked up on time, which was a little relieving. As you get onto the roads and the choatic highways of Riyadh you may start to feel a little anxious? A little more than anxious, maybe terrified, but that depends on where else in the world you’ve been. Driving in Saudi requires a whole post, so i wont digress into that right now. But lets say people drive a little too close here and pull a lot of dodgy turns, so for about 89% of your journey time on the road you may feel just a little uncomfortable.



Journey to riyadh

Originally uploaded by ISLAMASAURUS

3) From here you go to wherever it maybe that you need to go. As for me I had to go to a hotel that was organised for me which was pretty nice. So from here one sits in their room and thinks, am I really here? So to convince yourself you may go downstairs and walk around, try talk to a few people, I do that, I go out and talk to random people. However I quickly found nobody can speak english. So I walked around in the heat for a little while till it tired me out and retreated back to my room. From here I analysed my situation and mentally prepared myself for a year here. So that could be your first experience of Saudi, or not. But that was mine. But one things for sure, the probability of you experiencing part 1 and 2 is pretty high. But dont let that put you off:-)

Peace


Internet in Saudi

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Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi

So it’s been a few days since my last post. Reason? I wanted to start posting pictures of my day, makes it more interesting, plus it gives a better idea of what Saudi really looks like. So I have a bunch of pictures but I can’t post them right now, which leads me to probably my first real post that may actually be of some use.

Internet in Saudi Arabia

Introducing the system here isn’t too difficult. The most prominent feature of Saudi Internet is of course the censorship of websites that have sexually explicit content that violates the values of Islam. But of course it goes a tiny bit beyond this, well actually it goes way beyond this. Censorship actually goes beyond the central goal that Saudi states, it also blocks political and religious websites and a whole bunch of others that are harmless and could be anything from medical to historical. That’s censorship summed up, other features that stand out are the inconsistent browsing speed, the super slow upload speed, (they don’t have broadband here yet) and of course deceptive advertising.

Saudi has wealth, plenty of it, so why isn’t it providing a good service? In the end it comes down to how the country has been run for the past…since it was created? However things do seem to be changing with the economic reform strategies that Saudi is moving towards, the main one being Privatization. Privatization is basically when the transfer of property or control of assets, usually owned by the state is passed to the private sector. Privatization isn’t an easy move for an economy, which has been completely state-owned, as has been seen in the past. But how does all this link to Internet in Saudi Arabia?

If privatization is the movement of business from government to private sector, then we have to look at what exists in the market. Previously there was the ‘Saudi Telex, Mail and Telephone Ministry’ that organized all the services associated with Telecoms. Then Saudi Telecom (STC) emerged as a result of ‘privatization’, it was as good as being state-owned of course, STC was a complete Monopoly, i.e. the sole provider of Internet and land-line/mobile phone services. Being a monopoly STC could sit back and of course do what it shouldn’t, take advantage of the situation and provide a service that was far below what it’s capable of, giving consumers little choice, quality and of course overpriced products.

Fortunately, however STC’s days of kicking back and enjoying the ride seem to be moving towards an end. Not to long ago a new company set up in Saudi Arabia called Mobily, creating competition, something every healthy economy needs. Although STC is still the only provider of landlines and all non-wireless Internet, a level of competition at least now exists and there are a few new competitors trying to infiltrate the market. So it looks like there is hope for Saudi Internet after all.

Now with these changes and a hope for better Internet in the land of sand, what has Saudi Internet got to offer at the moment?

1) DSL offered by STC: Reasonably priced (however that’s relative to other options, really its pretty expensive). It’s not the best, but it’s improving, by force of course, they’ve finally realized they need to take some initiative by offering a better service.

2) Wireless internet offered by Al-Jawal[STC] and Mobily. Now this is pretty cool, albeit being expensive. You simply buy a usb device that acts as a Modem connect it to your PC or laptop and use it in any location in Saudi. So you could be driving around or going to the park and have the Internet with you. Coverage varies, but in the major cities its quite good and getting better. But again the price is a killer. 1000SAR for the USB and then 300 SAR per month, that’s approximately 80USD/40GBP per month!

3) Satellite Internet, offered by Orbit. This is again expensive like the wireless, however it’s reasonably quick and has no site restrictions as its satellite.

That’s pretty much it. I have the wireless, its convenient and I couldn’t wait 3 weeks to get the DSL installed, because it wouldn’t have been three weeks, more like 3 months. Anyway summing it all up, Saudi’s pretty behind, but things are changing and with the new companies setting up the prices should start to drop slowly with quality hopefully increasing, lets hope not the other way.

Back to work for now, good thing its wednesday:D Over here the weekend is Thursday and Friday.

Wasalamualaikum

First Saudi Post

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Welcome to ISLAMASAURUS.com,

My first post. Heres some information for anybody who might read this.

· What is ISLAMASAURUS?

ISLAMASAURUS will be based around the day-to-day life of a foreigner in Saudi Arabia. I’ll be posting information of what I get up to, what its like to live in this country, what the native people of Saudi are like and general other junk about this place and my experiences and thoughts here. So hopefully there’ll be some interesting information at the end of this year spent in the land of sand. At the same time this may act as useful source of information about the country if you ever consider working there or just going there for some other reason. Hopefully I can get pictures up pretty soon to have some imagery so we know what Saudi actually looks like(getting a little snappy happy here).

· Whats the situation?

So heres some general information to get us going here at ISLAMASAURUS.com. So far I’ve been here since September 2007, its been a good 6 months now (wow, time flies), therefore I must say I’ve experienced quite a bit already with respect to Saudi life, people and the general culture that prevails here(most likely what I have posted will probably just come out in future posts).

· Who am I?

A little about myself. Im a Muslim born and brought up in the West, so its quite a change being here, climate, people, DRIVING, culture, bureaucracy, DRIVING, work life etc. However alhamdulillah(all praise to God) I seem to have adapted quite well to the difference.

I’ve come here to primarily learn Arabic and while im here I’ll see what this part of the Middle East is like to live in. The Arabic im learning is classical or traditional Arabic, also known as fusaha, not the slang that is mostly spoken in most parts of the Arab world.

That should do for now. See you tomorrow blog.

Wasalamualaikum Warahmatullahi