Carrying around enough tissue paper in my handbag nowadays is a lesson I had to unfortunately learn the hard way. In South Africa our home has an eastern toilet as well as a western style high pan. I personally find the eastern style toilet messy and unhygienic and hence at home I simply grew accustomed to the high pan.I have been forced to use the low pan toilet in South Africa during the occasional camping trips which have led to some uncomfortable situations but all-in-all, my experience at public washrooms has been generally positive especially at filling stations like Ultra city. Sure, on road trips, you would find the yucky, smelly, dirty washrooms but none of that experience could prepare me for what I would find in the Kingdom.
Obviously, my experience is limited to using female washrooms here in the Kingdom but I am told by my colleagues that the male washrooms are quite similar in nature. As you can see, the Eastern style toilet can be used in a manner similar to the one presented on the YouTube video below (The video is hilarious but so true) There is a hole and a hose. Easy enough to figure out I suppose. When I viewed the video for the first time it kind of reminded me of all my disastrous toilet experiences during my trip to India. The toilets were just shocking. I have no words to describe the unhygienic and filthy state of Indian public toilets. There were times when I really required to use a toilet whilst out sight seeing and upon seeing the condition of the restrooms it caused my urge to disappear almost instantly. I recall an incident whilst out shopping in Mumbai city and my dad needed to use the restroom urgently. So what he decided to do was hop into a taxi and get dropped of at the nearest five star hotel in town so that he could use their bathroom..I will never ever forget my toilet experience in one of the villages in Gujurat, India. For a start the toilet was situated outside from the main house and was literally a hole in the ground. The toilet was made out of corrugated metal sheeting very similar to a shack house that we very often see in South Africa. The toilet had no lights and so during the day slight amount of light would come through from the holes in the sheeting. I remember using the toilet one morning after breakfast only to come out screaming after noticing a huge cat size rat that ran past me whilst in the squatting position. (lol--- I am laughing as I write this)
Usually in South Africa even after utilizing water to wash your buttocks, there is always toilet paper on hand to dry the water away. But here in the Kingdom, in most public toilets you will not find toilet paper. Going to the toilet is quite an experience and a half with most public toilets allowing you the choice to utilize either a western high pan or an eastern squat pan.
So this is the basic scenario with regards to the toilet issue in the Kingdom. You are out at a shopping mall with your best friends for a ladies night out. You are dressed in your most elegant flowing abaya for the occasion and in between the whole experience you suddenly have the urge to use the restroom. So you rush off to the nearest female toilets only to find that the entire floor area looks as though a tsunami has hit the place. There is black murky stagnant water, hair and dirt everywhere. There is also urine drops on the toilet seat. Now you begin to wonder what the hell was the person before you doing in the toilet? Why have they splashed water all over the place? For your information the toilet story in the Kingdom is a never ending story as scenarios like the one I described to you above happens every time, at every toilet and to everyone.
You would think that the Kingdom with all its oil wealth and with the Saudi Royal family traveling abroad almost every week on end would gather some insight from other countries into building adequate restrooms that are clean and hygienic for their citizens. The pilgrims traveling between Makkah and Medina by vehicle have a really difficult time as the garages or filling stations here in the Kingdom are a sight for sore eyes.
I remember traveling between Makkah and Medina two years ago and we stopped for the Asr prayers at a masjid on the way. That urge to use the toilet simply disappeared after viewing the disgusting state of the toilet. A strong urine smell emanated from the toilet and there was dirty stagnant water everywhere. The most shocking part of it all was that the toilet was right next to the masjid. There is a hadith that states "Attahooru Shatral Imaan"...Cleanliness is half of faith.... So with hygiene and cleanliness being a part of the Islamic religion I fail to understand why all the bathrooms and restrooms here in the Kingdom are so dirty.
The airport toilets are generally more user friendly as there is usually a cleaner who stays permanently in the restroom mopping and cleaning as you leave the toilet. However, the manner in which she cleans is just so primitive and outdated. Buckets of water is thrown onto the floor as though a flood hit the place and then she takes a mop and mops up all the water down a drain. With so many sophisticated cleaning machines available in the market you would expect a country that is rich to have better systems in place.Wearing a long abaya and entering into a toilet bombarded with stagnant water all over is definitely not a pleasant experience at all. Your clothes become impure which in turn makes it very difficult to perform your prayers.
If there is someone from Saudi reading this blog, please, please please can you tell me why are the Filling stations sooooooo run down and why are the washrooms in this country so dirty and unhygienic!!!!
Saudi Arabia has to be undoubtedly the only country in the world where everything is based on nationality.Your job, where you reside and even the service that you receive is all dependent on the passport you carrying.Nationalities are classed into different zones.So you may be thinking that Saudi citizens are classed as zone one as they are the native people of the country. Wrong!!!Think again. You will be shocked to learn that Americans and Canadians top the list followed by Saudi citizens and thereafter various other nationalities follow with Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos and Bangladeshis at the lower end of the list.I find it surprising that the people of the country haven't questioned this.So what does it mean if you carrying an American or Canadian passport. Well,you will be eligible to numerous perks and benefits that are simply not afforded to many of the other nationalities.You will be entitled to a huge villa with pool and cleaning service, you will be given a higher salary than everyone else and many a times you will be offered to fly to the States twice a year at the cost of the company. I find the house bit ironic when there are thousands of Saudis who do not have homes or big villas to reside in. Almost 60 % of Saudi citizens live in rented apartments or homes.There are many Americans that I work with who simply have diploma degrees or normal B.Sc degrees but earn salaries that are three times more than their counterparts.For some odd reason, the perception here is that if you come from the USA or Canada you automatically are a great, intelligent person.Shouldn't a salary be based on merit in terms of the knowledge and experience that you have acquired rather than upon a passport or nationality?
I have two friends. One is American and the other is Pakistani. The American has a normal Bachelors degree whereas the Pakistani has a doctorate in his field. The most amazing thing is that the American earns almost four times more than the Pakistani, is given the best accommodation within the hospital compound along with various other perks. The Pakistani on the other hand is not allowed accommodation within the hospital compound neither is he entitled to an education allowance for his kids.Of course the American friend is allowed a very high education allowance for two kids.If Saudi Arabia calls itself a Muslim country, then how can these bizarre policies ever be deemed as Islamic. This principle is totally against the teachings of Islam. Why is there a perception that anyone from the west is great and intelligent whereas people from the east are poor, uneducated, etc etc.
The same kind of bizarre attitude exists at the airport as well. Many a times I would arrive at either King Khaled International airport in Riyadh or King Abdul Aziz airport in Jeddah only to find queues of Filipinos and Indians waiting patiently to pass through customs and immigrations. They would be spoken to in a very abrupt manner and treated with complete disrespect.At the same time I noticed many Americans or lets just say western orientated people treated with great care at the airport. They are usually asked to proceed to a separate gate where there are no queues at all.What kind of a mentality is this?
At the Janadriyya festival this year a group of Saudi friends who visited were refused entry at a stage show as there were no more seats available. There were however four rows of seats right in front reserved in the event of any VIP guests arriving to view the show.As my Saudi friends left they encountered a group of western nurses who were also heading for the same show. They told them that there are no more seats available. However, at this point the guard came up to the western nurses and simply ushered them straight in to the VIP area of the event to the amazement of my friends who were quite annoyed and upset.
We were having a chat the other night over coffee with my colleagues about how one nationality perceives the other. Mr. N a Saudi gentleman views all Bangladeshis as thieves, all Pakistanis are shrewd and dirty especially the cab drivers according to him, Lebanese women are promiscuous and well Indians are perceived by him as being quiet and generally not too bad. So during this conversation, Mr F who is a Pakistani doctor said that all Saudis are lazy, they come to work late and leave early and if all the expats left Saudi Arabia overnight the country would literally collapse.Its really awesome working with people from all over the world. Its is even more fascinating learning about their cultures and knowing about how they view the rest of the world. Whilst some of the stereotypes that we have created are true I still believe and maintain that at the end of it all we are all simply human beings and so irrespective of race, colour or creed, in every society you will find the good, the bad and the ugly. You are bound to find lazy and hard working people in all parts of the world and whilst many people here are under the assumption that Bangladeshis are thieves, you are bound to find thieves in America and within Saudi Arabia too.
There is one event that occurs yearly in Saudi Arabia and also happens to be one of the five pillars of Islam. The Hajj ritual quite rightly sums up the whole discussion regarding the issue of nationalities.During the Hajj ritual all nationalities stand together side by side dressed in one attire.There is no differentiation between rich and poor, American and Indian,educated and uneducated individuals, everyone stands in front of God as His servants. No one is better than the other or more superior than the other.I think this policy of nationality that exists in Saudi Arabia is something that should be addressed and abolished. Everyone should be treated equally based on merit rather than a document stating that you are an American or an Indian for that matter. Respect is something that every human being deserves irrespective of class or status.This is the basis of the Islamic religion which unfortunately is not practiced within our so called "Islamic countries". As the Prophet (saw) said that an Arab is not superior over a non Arab and a white person is not superior over a black person accept in good deeds and piety.
Working the night shift in the emergency pharmacy is usually my favourite shift. Not only is the atmosphere more relaxed and laid back but I also tend to encounter the most colourful, vibrant patients during the night. There are some patients who only prefer frequenting the hospital during the night as they sleep during the day and hence I have become more familiar with them and know many of them now on a personal level. Last night I had an encounter with two females who both hailed from completely different family backgrounds. Both women were walking the path of life with different life destinies and yet what intrigued me the most was that both desired what the other one had.
Mrs. M arrived at the pharmacy just before midnight with her husband. She was visibly distraught and her red puffy eyes indicated that she had been crying. She is a tall, slender woman with fair skin and beautiful Arabian eyes. She is also a mother of five kids and a week ago her doctor informed her that she is two months pregnant despite having been fitted with a contraceptive device that has obviously failed. Her husband explained to me that they wish to abort the baby due to the financial situation in their home. They have been frequenting different pharmacies throughout the city trying to get a drug that is used often in South Africa to bring about an abortion.Here in the Kingdom though, the drug is not available for sale and is only available in some hospitals and utilized after a gynaecologist has declared that the health of the mother is at risk if she delivers the baby or in the event a child will be born with serious abnormalities.
I honestly didn't know what to say to them. The only thing I could say was that the baby is a gift from God Almighty.Mrs. M said that she was never the type who wanted to have a huge family. However, she married into a family where her in laws and her husband wanted her to have many kids as she is the eldest daughter in law in the home. She feels that she has not given her kids the best upbringing and has neglected them many a times as she is unable to cope with them as they are all merely one year apart.
After they left, Mrs. G came by to visit me. She is a delightfully bubbly personality and lives in Dammam, the eastern part of Saudi Arabia. The people of the Ash-Sharqiyya or the eastern province are very friendly and relaxed. They have a more liberal outlook to life and many of the women in that part of Saudi do not wear the full veil. They simply wear the hijaab or head scarf.Mrs. G was in Riyadh as her mom was a patient in our hospital having undergone a major valve replacement surgery due to rheumatic fever that was diagnosed during her childhood. Mrs. G is a pharmacist as well and is the second eldest out of 10 siblings. For the past week she has been visiting me during the nights and somehow we have formed a special friendship. Last night though she opened up to me and shared with me some of the best and the worst moments in her life.She was lucky to be brought up in a liberal educated family. Hence, the happiest moment in her life was getting married to the man of her dreams whom she desired to marry. Her husband is a pharmacist as well and they both studied together.Mrs. G always wears a smile on her face. However, behind this facade of happiness is actually a dark cloud of sadness. She has been married for four years and has had three miscarriages. Last year during her fifth month of pregnancy, expecting twins she miscarried. Doctors have told her that her chances of conceiving in the future will be less than before. Of course that is purely the will of God. Her husband is a kind and understanding man, however his family is encouraging him to marry another woman for the sake of having a child.Mrs. G at this point feels sad and disappointed. She wishes to adopt a baby but in this society adoption is not the best option. Her husband agrees to adopt a baby but his family are not very accepting to the idea of adoption.Also not many women here would adopt their babies very easily.
I then thought about Mrs. M and her husband who I had encountered earlier.She didn't want a huge family with many kids and is even considering aborting her sixth child whilst Mr.s H on the other hand always dreamed of having a huge family with many kids but is yet to have one child.There are hundreds of women here in the Kingdom who are unable to conceive due to one reason or another and this brings about a huge strain on many relationships as a result thereof. I then decided that both women should meet each other and maybe Mrs. M would be willing to adopt her new born baby to Mrs. G instead of aborting the child. With me playing the middle man I decided to introduce both women to each other. I do not know what transpired between them but I hope that God willing they have reached an agreement so that both are satisfied. Sometimes God uses us as a tool to alleviate someone else's pain and suffering.We never know what life has in store for us but what I do know is that God never burdens anyone with more than they can handle.Every cloud does have a silver lining. We just need to believe in that!!!
KULLU 3AM WA ANTUM BEKHAIR INSHA ALLAH EID MUBARAK
"Like Ramadan, Eid celebrations too are changing with the times. On the one hand there is ever-increasing ostentation, impermissible celebrations and extravagance, on the other many Muslims may experience loneliness within their communities or an unfortunate lack of enthusiasm for Eid. We may wind up spending the first part of Eid catching up on lost sleep, the middle half, cooking elaborate meals or overeating to “make up” for Ramadan, and later, cruising aimlessly through malls and amusement centers late into the night, dressed to kill, vacant eyes asking: “Are we having fun yet?”....and of course in South Africa, you would find the youth making their way to the famous "ZOO LAKE" to parade off the latest fashion on a day which should be one of the most significant days on the Islamic calender.The sweet innocent muslim girls, who adorned the hijaab and abaya during the month of blessings will suddenly transform themselves into model like divas sporting the latest unislamic trends and fashion.Boob tubes, mini skirts, sleeveless dresses, you name it and you will find it.What about the muslim boys you may ask? Well,Muslim boys use the day as an opportunity to show off their new cars (at the zoo lake) and of course the cars are a tool to impress the young divas.Now,there is no harm in visiting scenic places of nature. However, the misrepresentation of the auspicious day of Eid in this manner accompanied by such unacceptable conduct definitely needs to be addressed.The point is the modern West - as opposed to Christianity - adores life in exactly the way a glutton adores his food; he completely devours it, and has no respect whatsoever of it.
Islam does not look upon life as a fleeting opportunity for material satisfaction or a place for sensuous delight.Every Muslim has to regard himself or herself as personally responsible for all the happenings around him or her, and to strive for the establishment of right.Every year the same message goes out with the fervent hope that someone out there, be it even one person, can be saved from emulating the non-believers in their ways and celebrating Eid in a way far befitting how our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the companions of the Prophet (saw) spent their days.Can we really say we have love for the beloved Prophet of Allah when we do not even feel a little at the way he lived his life, the way he ate, the way he fasted or the way he dressed."
I often wonder what Eid was like in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions. It’s unthinkable that they would have frittered away their time on frivolities and vanities, or felt ‘bored’ or indulged in impermissible acts on the day of Eid. How did they celebrate?
In his book Al-A’yad Fil-Islam, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jibaly defines Eid as “any day of gathering, from `Aada (meaning returned), because people return to it periodically. Some scholars say that it comes from `Aadah (custom or practice; plural A’yaad) because people are accustomed to celebrating it. According to Lisan-ul-Arab: “It is called Eid because it returns every year with renewed happiness.”
We learn about the Sunan (traditions) of Eid from various narrations:
• The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite Takbeer during the night of Eid from sunset on the last day of Ramadan until the Imam came to lead the Eid prayer in the morning.
• They raised their voices in supplication and remembrance of Allah in the marketplaces, mosques and homes, but the women did so inaudibly.
• The Prophet would not go out on Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten an odd number of dates. (Ahmad and Al-Bukhari) In Al-Muwatta, it is recorded from Sa’id Bin Al-Musayyib that the people were ordered to eat before they went out for prayer on the day of breaking the fast.
• They performed Ghusl (ritual bath) and wore their best clothes and applied perfume. Ibn Al-Qayyim writes: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a special (Yemeni) cloak that he would wear on the two Eids and Jumu’ah.”
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) would take his wives and daughters to the two Eids, and after he prayed and gave a Khutbah, he went to the women and admonished them, reminded them of Allah, and ordered them to give charity. (Al-Bukhari) Umm ‘Atiyah reports: “We were ordered to go out with the single and menstruating women on the two Eids in order to witness the good and the supplications of the Muslims. The menstruating women would be separate from the others.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The issue of women attending the Eid prayers in congregation in South africa has recently been a hot topic under discussion by the religious scholars of the country. In my opinion it is appalling and absurd that many clerics believe that women can not attend the Eid prayers despite the fact that there are numerous Ahaadith confirming that the Prophet (saw) himself took his wives and daughters to perform the Eid Salaah in congregation. In Makkah and Medina thousands of women perform the Eid salaah every year.If there is a separate section for females then it is clear that women can attend the Eid prayers. I remember my mom was telling me on the overwhelming experience she had when performing her first Eid salaah in Medinatul munawwara that tears rolled down her cheeks. She was surrounded by thousands of muslims meeting and greeting each other. There were kids all beautifully dressed in their new Eid clothes and many people were handing out gifts to them. She recalled a group of Saudi women who insisted that mom and her friend partake in their dates and qahwa(arabic coffee). There was an overall atmosphere of love, care, sharing and giving. This is the true spirit of Islam. This is the way Eid should be.
• The Prophet and his Companions paid Zakat Al-Fitr before the Eid prayer, or even a day or two in advance.
• After the Eid prayer, they dispersed by a route that was different from the one they took to approach the Musalla.
The Islamic Tarbiyah (upbringing) imparted by the Prophetic traditions is not restricted to the outward aspects of worship, it goes deeper and teaches us the correct spirit of celebration.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jibaly writes: “The major part of the celebration is not eating or drinking – rather, it is a prayer that brings Muslims together to remember Allah’s bounties and celebrate His glory and greatness. The Eids and their celebration in Islam carry a distinctive meaning and spirit. They are completely different from the celebrations in other nations and cultures. For other nations, a holiday is a chance to immerse in worldly pleasures, or to involve oneself in prohibited acts to the utmost.
“Not so for Muslims! For Muslims, the Eid is an occasion to increase in good deeds. Each Eid marks the conclusion of an important worship, and the determination to continue in obedience and submission to Allah. In moments of extreme pleasure or sadness, a Muslim never forgets his Lord’s greatness, might, glory, and watchfulness. A Muslim’s actions are always controlled by this continued remembrance and awareness.
“Thus the Eid is not an occasion to take a vacation from Islamic responsibilities and commitments, nor to waste time and money in extravagance. It is not ‘fun for the sake of fun’. Rather, it is controlled and directed rejoicing that is of ultimate and definite benefit for the Muslim. The Eid is a chance to multiply good deeds by bringing happiness and pleasure to the hearts of other Muslims, by helping and supporting the poor and needy, and by getting involved in pastimes that emphasize the strong and serious Islamic character.”
When the Prophet came to Madinah he found the people celebrating two days of sport and amusement. He then said: “Allah, the Exalted, has exchanged these days for two days better than them: the day of breaking the fast and the day of sacrifice.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood)
In his explanation of this narration, Sheikh Ahmad Abdurrahmaan Al-Banna said: “(They are better because) they are legislated by Allah and are His choice for His creatures. They follow the completion of two of the greatest pillars of Islam: Hajj and fasting. On the other hand, the days of Navrooz and Mihrajaan (Persian festivals) were devised by the people of those times, because of a change in weather or other passing qualities. The difference between the two cases is apparent to whoever ponders upon this.” (Al-Fath ur-Rabbani)
There are several instances where the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) to indulge in suitable recreation on Eid.
Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah, entered the house and I had two girls who were singing about the battle of Bu’ath [a 120-year battle between the tribes of Aws and Khazraj that ended with the advent of Islam]. The Prophet (peace be upon him) lay down on the bed and turned his face to the other direction.
Abu Bakr entered and spoke harshly to me, ‘Musical instruments of the Satan in the presence of the Messenger of Allah!’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) turned his face to him and said: ‘Leave them.’ When Abu Bakr became inattentive I signaled to the girls to leave. It was the day of Eid and the Africans were performing with their shields and spears. Either I asked him or the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked if I would like to watch them [I don’t recall now]. I replied in the affirmative. At this the Prophet (peace be upon him) made me stand behind him and my cheek was against his. He was saying: ‘Carry on, O tribe of Arfidah,’ until I tired. The Prophet asked: ‘Is that enough for you?’ I replied: “Yes,” so he said: ‘Leave [then].’”
Ibn Hajar writes in Fath Al-Bari, “It is related that the Prophet said that day: ‘Let the Jews of Madina know that our religion is spacious [and has room for relaxation] and I have been sent with an easy and straightforward religion.”’ Perhaps it’s time to rediscover the balance this Eid.
