as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Ramadhaan is here and I noticed that more people smile and extend the Islaamic salutations. The Muslims are more kind and the neighbours are more neighbourly with one another. I had just gotten home from work when one of my neighbours, a hip-hop listening Saudi youth, knocked on my door. (more…)
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Everything looks so different here, you really do feel like you’re in another country. I wanted to make Umrah during Ramadhaan, and the brothers all advised me to go late at night because the end of Ramadhaan is almost as busy as Hajj. I really wanted to bring my family but I know it would have been too much for my daughter and wife, what I would soon find out is that it would be too much for me as well. (more…)
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
I know that it has been quite a while since I posted, between being intermittently ill, working, studying, and trying my hand at translating I have been extremely busy with my family.
However, I did want to write something about why one should move to Saudi Arabia if they are able, and I must first point out that you will not find perfection here in the Kingdom. You have all heard the stories about racism, and yes there is lots of that here, you have heard the stories about oppression and admittedly, that too is present. You’ve heard the stories about ignorance and how bad the driving is and for a certainty elements of that exist. Yet again, for all you Saudi haters we do need to point out a couple of things we have observed if we want to be just:
1. In addition to printing Qur’aans, books, fliers, and television programs, did you know that the radio station Qu’aan radio 89.9FM often has Scholars like Shaykh Fawzaan and the Muftee Shaykh ‘Abdul-Azeez Aalush-Shaykh answering questions for listeners who call in? Did you know most of the Da’wah Centres have people who come in and regularly convert to Islaam with much higher regularity than we have seen in other countries?
As salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
I know it’s been a while since I posted, it seems like Saudi Arabia is also a microcosm for every type of virus you can think of. About every two weeks I’m sick with a new cold that lasts almost two weeks, al-Hamdulilaah. At least, I have been told by the other brothers here for a while that it usually subsides after six months or so, insha’Allaah. May Allaah make it easy, Aameen.
Since coming to Saudi Arabia I have heard good things about one of the Prince’s named Ameer Mamdooh and that he lives in Jeddah with us. He has weekly sittings where people come and ask him for assistance and he makes it a point to make sure that they get explained to them, while they are waiting for his assistance, what true Islaam and Sunnah is, and what is ad-Dawatus-Salafiyyah.
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
This story is not so much a “how to” as much as it is a “do not do under any circumstances.” My family and I were on our way to drive to the Corniche, which is a long strip of boardwalk and ocean-side beach, when we turned left onto Amir Naif Street. There we saw a beautiful display in the middle of the roundabout which looked like pots; all of them spouting water and while this one was not as exceptional as some of the others in Jeddah, we felt it was at least worth a photo. I turned the car around in the roundabout, stopped at the concrete divider and we took out the camera, and that is when the trouble started…
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
All over our apartment were the brothers books who was moving out, so although exhausted, I helped him get all of those books out of the way and onto a truck then thirty minutes later he came zipping back ready to take us for some last minute shopping before I had to show up at work the next day. Good thing it was Tuesday night because the weekend in Saudi Arabia begins Wednesday after work (something I’m still adjusting to).
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
After that long trip my family and I were exhausted, we piled all of our luggage into the car and we were being driven off to our new home. My friend introduced me to the brother who was driving and that he was an American from Brooklyn – Allaah willed it (masha’Allaah) he was brimming with an abundance of valuable advice for someone who had newly arrived here. Also, because he was here for some time and an American he had a unique perspective of living in Saudi Arabia. (more…)
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Good news for those trying to get to Saudi…
Business Visas Available in 24 Hours, Top Official Says Foreign businessmen and investors can now get visas to Saudi Arabia within 24 hours directly from its missions abroad, says Muhammad Bin Ahmed Tayeb, director general of the Foreign Ministry’s office in the Makkah region. “We have developed a new system for the issuance of business visas. Businessmen anywhere in the world can now apply for visas to visit the Kingdom, without any restrictions.” Tayeb said Saudi missions abroad have been instructed to issue business visas within 24 hours. “Applicants do not need a Saudi sponsor to get visas. They only need a letter from the federation of chambers in their respective countries,” he said. … for the complete article, please refer to the following url:
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Talk about a huge airport! We located the sign that would tell us where our next departure gate was and we were off to find the bathrooms. After that was out of the way we needed a few Euros to get some sustenance, I mean the meals on the flight were not terrible but they were only slightly better than hospital food.
as salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Now I knew it was going to be a long trip but Subhannallaah, it was like 23 hours!
I mean the whole ride to the airport my friend was steady grilling me on the names of the days of the weeks, months, holidays, etc. Finally, I had to let him know that after 6 months or so of living in Saudi Arabia it wouldn’t matter! It would have to become second nature since I have made it my home. (more…)
