Yesterday morning I received news that our parrot who has been with us for the past 30 years is ill and has been admitted to a veterinary clinic close to our home.It appears that he is unable to breathe properly and requires nebulization. Most African Grey parrots die due to respiratory conditions. Even though he was not as close to me as he was to my brother and mom, I kind of felt an inner sadness. He has been literally a part of our family. I know of many people out there who find it strange if you cry or feel sad at the loss of an animal. I have also come across individuals who have pets but fail to take them to the vet when they are ill based on the grounds that they are just animals, so what if they die. Many of these individuals practice Islam and preach about Islam but they forget to uphold the rights of God Almighty's creation. There are numerous sayings of the Prophet Muhammed (saw) related to the humane treatment of animals. I always believe that having a pet in your house is equivalent to adopting a child into the home. The pet requires the same basic needs that a child requires which is of course being fed on time and provided with tender loving care.I hope that the our parrot gets well soon. Our house and family environment will never be the same without him.
A few weeks ago I was visiting the home of a member of the Royal family along with a close friend of mine. The middle aged lady was a patient at our hospital and over a period of time she had taken a liking to me. Despite hailing from an aristocratic family, she is a very simple, down to earth woman that displays exemplary character to all around her. Her son Abdul Aziz has adopted his mother's fine qualities and personality traits. To be honest, I have never encountered such down to earth people in my life despite their excessive wealth and status within society. I was quite taken aback to find Abdul Aziz having his dinner on the floor with his drivers and other helpers who reside on the huge property. After dinner, we all gathered at the back of the property on the outside porch overlooking the garden and swimming pool area. Whilst chatting about mundane, everyday topics about life, my friend' s mobile phone rang. She answered the call and suddenly her tone of voice changed. She seemed worried and shocked at the same time. When she eventually hung up the call, she related to us a story that sounded just like a movie. The story is about a family who now resides in Makkah. They are originally from Pakistan and hail from Karachi. The father was a successful businessman owning a huge textiles factory. Years ago, after getting all four daughters married into wealthy homes, he decided to retire and hand over his entire business empire to his only son. However, things went horribly wrong. His son was kidnapped by members of the underworld who demanded a huge ransom for his release. Part of the ransom included the factory. Months went by and there was no trace of his son despite seeking help from the police. During this period, his wife became ill due to stress and worry. When he finally lost hope that his son is perhaps dead, he received a note saying that his son is alive but he needs to hand over the factory. Not being able to bare the torment any further, he handed over the factory and other valuable items to the kidnappers. His son was eventually released and whilst everyone rejoiced and celebrated their financial situation was in turmoil. At this point in time none of the son in laws were interested in extending a helping hand. The father, his wife and son then decided to move to Saudi Arabia.He was hopeful and optimistic that his son would acquire an excellent job due to his education and will thus be able to support him and his aging wife. How wonderful it would be to simply retire and spend most of the day in the Haram gazing at the house of Allah. The father was confident that his well educated son will be able to get a good job and support his parents. He also felt that after being through a lot it would be a perfect time to simply relax and be in the city of Makkah engrossed in prayer. Once again, his life took a drastic turn. The son that he gave up everything for became a monster. He started abusing his parents with the support of his wife depriving them of their basic needs like proper clothing and food. There has been occasions where the daughter in law hits her mother in law with a stick if she asks for money to buy essential items like medication. As my friend continued to relate the story, I noticed Abdul Aziz's eyes filling up with tears. I was speechless. How could any individual be so cruel and heartless I thought to myself. My friend met the mother of the house a few years ago in the haram after discovering the woman crying inconsolably. She has been helping the lady ever since. Abdul Aziz instructed me to call the lady and find out what her needs are in terms of medications etc. The next day I called her and whilst weeping on the phone, she related her story to me. Thus far, we have sent her some money and medications but hopefully another close friend of mine who is a fellow blogger as well will find a permanent solution to her issues soon.
Just a while ago my dear friend Ayedh came by the pharmacy and he was relating to me a story about a woman who came to the emergency department some time back with cancer and required an emergency operation to remove a tumor from her brain. Neither her husband nor her kids accompanied her to the hospital. When the doctor called the husband asking him to come by to sign the consent forms, the husband simply replied that he was very busy and had no time to come by. Hence, the doctor and my friend Ayedh, took the responsibility for this woman's treatment. In another bizarre incident that occurred around twenty years ago, a Saudi man took his aged mother and left her in the desert as he felt that she was a burden to him and could not look after her any longer. He told her to wait in the desert whilst he goes to city to bring back some water for her but he never returned.
Hours went by and evening set in. A group of youth came to the desert to picnic and noticed the old lady sitting on the hot scorching desert sand. She told them that she was waiting for her son to come back from the city. The youth stayed with her for some time and eventually forced her into the car and drove her back to the city despite are insistence that she would wait for her son to return. They took her to the local masjid and only after some time did the realization finally set in that her son, her own flesh and blood wanted to get rid of her. The imam arranged a home for her and took care of the woman's needs until her death. How heartbroken she must have felt. In South Africa, I use to work with a lady years ago, whose son use to beat her up black and blue. There were many times that she would just have a nervous break down. I lost touch with her over time but I do hope that her situation has improved.
And whilst you do get kids from hell on the other hand you get individuals like my dear friend, in fact he is more like a brother to me, Ayedh. He turned down a scholarship to further his studies in the USA simply to look after his parents and be there for them in their old age. He is the eldest son in his family and feels that he needs to gain maximum reward by looking after his parents who require his help and support in their old age. I guess it is because of this that Ayedh has gained much success in his career and God Almighty has opened up for him numerous doorways leading him to success and prosperity. He always speaks words of wisdom and I guess I am really fortunate to be associated with such a kind soul. During our conversation I was quite astounded to hear that in Riyadh there is in fact one old age home. I always thought that old age homes did not exist in the Kingdom. Ayedh has promised to find out the exact location of this old age home and we have agreed to visit the elderly when I return from my five week vacation God willing. Ayedh suggested that we take some food and other goodies with us. It is always a delightful experience to put a smile on someone else's face and to make a person feel loved and wanted.
To the youth out there, instead of being engrossed in utter nonsense like computer games, video games, mobile phones, and television, isn't it more beneficial to be involved with social work and being a part of organizations that visit old age homes, orphanages, schools for the blind and disabled. It does not always have to be a monetary contribution. Simply being there for someone else and making a difference in someone else's life is a rewarding experience in itself.To everyone out there who has parents, value your parents, shower them with love and affection.It is only through their blessings that you acquire happiness and success in this world. As God Almighty says in the holy Quraan,
"And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as] 'uff' [i.e., an expression of irritation or disapproval] and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say: 'My Lord! Have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.'" [Quran 17:23-24].
Not a day passes without some depressing news from one Muslim country or another. Either it is a terrorist attack in Afghanistan or the Syrian Air Force bombing its own people. Iraq continues to be hit with violence of the most gruesome kind. Mali now joins the list of Muslim countries facing internal turmoil and external intervention. People continue to be killed in Pakistan either in drone attacks by the US or in inter-sectarian strife. Why?
I think no one who reflects on the worsening conditions in the Muslim world can fail to ask these questions: Is this the community envisaged by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was born on 12 Rabi Al-Awwal, and is this the world we would have witnessed if Muslims had proved true to their religion and had lived according to the guidance provided by their Prophet (pbuh) and the teachings of the Holy Qur’an?
Muslims may complain of many things but they cannot complain that they have no role model. They have the perfect role model in their Prophet (pbuh).There is no other prophet on whose life so much light has been shed. Living in the full glare of history, his sayings and actions have been documented as no other prophet’s have. Recorded in minute detail, their authenticity has not been questioned by fair-minded scholars and honest historians.
It is extremely difficult for the Muslims of today to imagine and much less to endure the hardships that the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions underwent. In the ninth year of his mission, the Prophet (pbuh) — having been persecuted and terrorized by his people in Makkah — headed for Taif, home of the Banu Thaqif tribe. If anything, he was treated even more rudely by the tribal elders, who told him to leave the place and even sent street urchins after him to beat him and pelt him with stones. He bled profusely. His entire body was covered with blood and his sandals became clogged to his feet because of the severity of the beating and torture he was subjected to. Those who would resort to violence at what they perceive to be insults to the Prophet (pbuh) and Islam should realize that he bore no ill will toward his tormentors. Instead, he made a heartrending invocation to God Almighty beseeching mercy for the people who had persecuted him. Those Muslims who are intolerant and become violent at the slightest provocation are doing a great disservice to their religion and the principle of tolerance it espouses.
When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) noticed the continued absence of a woman in Makkah who used to insult him and throw garbage on him as he walked the streets, he asked people about her and visited her after learning that she had fallen ill.
Over 14 centuries have gone by since he left us, but his message still lives on. It can lead us from darkness to light as it once led the Arabs from backwardness to the heights of success and glory. His life was one of mercy, compassion, care, consideration, kindness and tolerance for all. His sayings, known as Hadiths, bear testimony to this.
One particular theme he was never tired of stressing concerns the rights of women. You should look at what the Prophet (pbuh) said and did in order to realize what an honorable and respectable position Islam affords women. However, it is sad to see that many Muslims ignore this or behave in a way that gives a very wrong impression about women’s position in an Islamic society. “Fear Allah in respect of women,” the Prophet (pbuh) said. On another occasion he said: “The best of you are they who are best to their wives.”
Here is another Hadith: “A Muslim must not hate his wife, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good.” According to him, “The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is.”
In what was considered a revolutionary idea at that time, the Prophet (pbuh) taught his companions to remain in their mothers’ service, saying that Paradise lies beneath their feet.
Today, we violate the Prophet’s teachings over this and so many other things, which creates so many problems for us and brings a bad name to our religion.
Start with the self-appointed guardians of faith. They preach piety, but are they pious? Do they live by the tenets of Islam? They preach, but do not practice. What about those who spew hate, abuse and defame others – all in the name of religion? Have they not read about the Prophet’s attitude and behavior toward all those around him including the ones who abused him and tried to kill him?
Do people in authority follow the precepts of the Prophet (pbuh)? If they did, so many Muslim countries would not be in ferment, providing an opportunity for outsiders to intervene in their affairs or to set one section of the people against another.
Are our bureaucrats punctual and sincere? Do they cater to the public’s needs? The functioning of government departments throughout the Muslim world in the holy month of Ramadan tells its own story.
Most of our problems are self-inflicted. There is no point in crying that enemies are plotting our destruction or hatching conspiracies against us. Of course that is what enemies everywhere have been doing throughout history. The question is whether we should help enemies by our own actions or inaction.
Take, for example, scientific progress and economic development. Muslims once led Europe in science and the pursuit of knowledge. All experts agree that without the Arabic numbering system, which included decimals and the cipher (zero), modern science and business would have been impossible. The first university of Europe was established by Muslims in Spain. From the 8th to the 10th centuries, Baghdad flourished as the world’s most civilized city. Its university was attended by 6,000 students from all over the world.
Aristotle and Plato were rediscovered by Muslim scholars who translated many Greek manuscripts into Arabic. Even non-Muslim historians admit that Muslims were the originators of modern chemistry, meteorology, mathematics, sociology and geography. Muslim surgeons were also the first to dissect the human body. The first known telescope was built for a Muslim ruler.
We should remember that we are the followers of a Prophet (pbuh) who said that one should seek knowledge even if it means traveling as far as China.
Today, as we stumble through a confused and turbulent world and as uncertainly and depression grip large parts of the Muslim world, we should go back to the teachings of the Prophet (pbuh). This is the only way to get rid of the social ills from which we suffer.
Unfortunately, we say one thing and practice something else. The Holy Qur’an says: “Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” Surah Al-Ra’d - Ayah 11 (13:11).
Let us teach ourselves and our children about the life of the Prophet (pbuh) with a firm resolve that we will use it in our daily lives. Let us be more tolerant, more forgiving and show compassion to all people irrespective of their race or religion. This is the best way to show our love and respect for our Prophet (pbuh).
Staying on the theme of divorce, after reading the article I posted a few days ago many of you out there felt pity for Saudi women as they seemed to be the poor victims whilst Saudi men took on the character of being the dominant villains. Sorry to burst your bubble folks but this scenario is definitely not true. As I mentioned earlier there is always two sides to a story. Let us now examine some of the weird and bizarre reasons why a Saudi woman would divorce her husband. Whilst surfing the internet I once again came across some really hilarious articles.
A wife put an end to her husband’s romantic conduct when she filed for divorce after he kissed her in front of their children, Riyadh daily reported.
According to the wife, for years she had suffered from her husband’s overrated romance. She said that she had warned him many times not to be over romantic with her in front of the kids.For five years, she said, she had condoned his behavior, until he kissed her recently in front of the children again. She then filed for divorce.
"A Saudi Arabian woman filed for divorce after her new husband left her at an airport because shed been on the toilet for too long. The couple were returning from their honeymoon in Malaysia when he returned home from Kuala Lumpur airport because she had been in the bathroom for too long. Im not sure how long constitutes too long and an acceptable reason to leave without her."
After 30 years of marriage, cynics might say most husbands and wives would have seen quite enough of each other, thank you very much.But not in the case of one Saudi Arabian man who managed to live with his wife for three decades without setting eyes on her face.Not that he had much choice about it. His 50-year-old wife followed the tradition of her native village near the south-western city of Khamis Mushayt and kept her features veiled at all times.Until one night last month, that is, when the husband was finally overcome by curiosity and tried to lift his wife's veil as she slept to take a look at her face.
Tradition: In the village in South West Saudia Arabia, women keep their features veiled at all times.It was an error he is unlikely to be given a chance to repeat for his outraged wife woke up during his sneak peek and is now demanding a divorce.
'After all these years, he tries to commit such a big mistake,' she told Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh after leaving the house in disbelief.
She said her husband apologized and promised never to do it again, but she insisted she wanted a divorce. It is not the first example of Saudi husbands with wives forever shrouded in mystery.There was the case of Ali al-Qahtani whose wife had been wearing a face veil for the entire ten years of their marriage. When he tried to take it off she threatened to leave and only decided to stay after he swore never to try again.And neither the husband or children of Om Rabea al-Gahdaray, 70, have ever seen her face. It was a family tradition, also followed by her mother and sisters, which her husband accepted and never tried to change, she said. When asked how she could have children without her husband ever seeing her face, she replied: "Marriage is about love, not faces."Many Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran require women to cover their faces in public but in the privacy of their homes there is no such compulsion.But always remaining veiled - even in front of your husband - is not an Islamic practice, but a very old tradition practiced by a tiny minority of women in remote areas of Gulf countries.Most examples of it are in Saudi, one of the most conservative of countries.
Saudi courts should grant divorce for a woman who discovers that her husband is a smoker and that she is harmed by his habit, a judge in the Gulf Kingdom was reported on Thursday as saying.“A wife should be granted divorce and separated from her husband in case she discovers that he is a smoker,” judge Ibrahim Al khudairi told the Saudi Arabic language daily Al Watan.“If the woman tells the court that she has been hurt by her husband’s smoking, like suffering from allergy or chest problems, then she should be divorced.”
Furious after her husband stores her name on his cellular phone as Guantanamo, a Saudi woman files divorce after the notorious American prison, saying it is enough of a reason to end a 17-year marriage.The unnamed woman, 30, reportedly called her husband on his mobile phone, which he had forgotten at home, and saw the word "Guantanamo" appears on the screen, Saudi's al-Watan newspaper reported.The furious wife, who lives in Jeddah, immediately filed for divorce and argued that the nickname shows her husband, is a tyrannical person that she could no longer live with despite 17 years of marriage. The husband, however, defended himself by claiming that the nickname was not about how he sees her, but rather to maintain his own privacy."I don't want people sitting around me to know that this is my wife calling," he told local papers.The controversial Guantanamo Bay detention center, managed by the U.S. military in Cuba, became the symbol of torture and oppression in George W. Bush's "war on terrorism" launched after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.For other Saudi husbands it is common practice to create alias' for their wives on their phones in a bid to secure their privacy.Saudi-resident Khaled al-Maliki chose the nickname "criminal" for his wife because he says she stresses him out and calls him all the time to ask where he is. Maliki also cites privacy as the reason for giving his wife the nickname."Sometimes my friends use my mobile phone or might be next to me when she calls," he told Asharq al-Awsat. "I don't want anyone to know my wife's phone number."Khaled Omar said he stored his wife "salary" because "she has no mercy when it comes to spending."Abu Sultan decided to store his wife under a common Arabic man's name "Saeed al-Hindi" so that people will not know his wife is calling.But for Dr. Mohamed al-Motawaa, professor of psychology at the al-Imam Mohamed bin Saud Islamic University, these names are provocative and insulting."These names indicate the type of relationship between husband and wife," he told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. "These names are like a bullet aiming at the woman's heart, especially if the kids hear them," he said. "This is has a negative impact not only on the wife, but also on the kids when they grow up."
A colleague and I were both laughing in stitches after reading the last article. I then asked him what nickname would he use for his wife and whilst still very much in a fit of laughter he replied 'Hitler'. So gentlemen out there what pseudonym or alias would you create for your wife on your mobile phone? This ought to be an interesting one.
The way the cloth of the Ka3ba use to be woven in the past
One of the pillars of the Holy ka3ba with its wooden base and crown dating back to the construction of Abdullah ibn az Zubair in 65 H. A rocky base was holding the pillar in the holy Ka3ba dating back to the construction of Abdullah ibn Az Zubair in 65 H
A copy of the original othmani musshaf which was written in the era of othman bin affan
Door in Medina- Prophets Mosque
A mouth piece of the well of zamzam with its ring and lid.
A pulley for lifting zam zam water dating back to the end of the 14th century of Hijrah.
A brass bucket which use to be in the well of zam zam dating back to 1299 H
A diagram explaining how zamzam water flows. The water flows from below hajre aswad on one side and two sides from safa. If any one of the openings is closed, the water will not flow. It pumps water at exactly the same level and depth over and over....
A marble midday timer used to determine prayer times before the printing of the Hijri Calendar.
Unable to bear the famine and malnutrition in other poor impoverished countries around the world, one Saudi restaurant owner has decided to take matters into his own hands by enforcing levies on all patrons of his restaurant that do not finish all the food that they have ordered. He has signs posted in his restaurant stating that if any customer does not finish their meal, leaving food on their plate, they will be charged an additional fee. The additional monies collected are placed in a box and when sufficient funds are collected it is then distributed to various charity organizations. The restaurant owner hopes that all other restaurants in Saudi Arabia would follow suit.
I personally believe that this is an excellent initiative. I have noticed lots of food wastage here in the Middle East especially during the fasting month. Hotels and restaurants prepare elaborate five course meals and after dinner most of the left over foods are simply thrown away into a garbage bag.Mind you I guess this is also bound to happen simply because the food portions per person are quite large in most Saudi restaurants. Usually when I go to a restaurant I tell the waiter to pack the remainder of the food as a take away and I usually eat it the next day of give it to my domestic worker. It pains me to see food thrown away into the garbage bin when there are people out there who have no idea where their next plate of food is coming from. However, in many countries around the world restaurants as well as citizens of the country are not allowed to distribute left over foods to the poor by law due to health and safety hazards.So what do you think, should all restaurants across the globe follow this Saudi gentleman's example by charging an additional fee to customers who do not finish their meal? Do you think that this will decrease the problem of food wastage in restaurants? Would this initiative curb the 'eyes are bigger than the stomach' syndrome?
I am writing to you and hoping everything is going well with you.
Since I am now in the USA continuing my studies and this is for me the first real experience to live outside my home country and culture that I am so use to facing every day, I thus have so many thoughts about this experience and stories o...f different people “Saudis and Americans”.
About myself, I did not need America or the “American System” to teach me the mannerism, good behavior, or communication skills with other people, Alhamdulillah “thanks to Allah” I got those from my childhood since I have good parents. But, unfortunately, for some reasons many Saudis are lacking those behaviors and I am sure you know what I am talking about. It is really difficult for me to live the unorganized inconsiderate Saudi style in my country. So, when I and many of my good friends came to USA, we just found the “way of living and common respect” fits in with our lives. We started to hear new words were simply missed in our culture back in Saudi Arabia like “Thank You”, “Excuse me”, “Please”, or “Sorry”. Guess what, I saw people standing in a queue everywhere “banks, shops, and even in front of a hot dog carts on the sidewalks”. I have seen people holding the door for me to keep it open, which I hardly recall ever happening in Saudi Arabia….. Oh wait I am sorry, it does happen for certain people only who are ranked highly in society and the doors figuratively and literally are kept open for their pleasure, even though this may affect other people. A common mistake in our society is that if anyone thinks that you disagree with some people from within your community that means you are against the country or you are a rebelling person. I am one proud Muslim, but I prefer a Christian guy who treats me with respect over a Muslim who happens to be unfair with others. Many close minded people will take my speech as being liberal or me being influenced by secular thoughts.
But for sure America is not that perfect place with no one single flaw. “I believe that heaven is the only perfect place”. They have their horrible history from the Indians and Native Americans, slavery, and racism and discrimination. I am sure you are a good reader and follow the news. Almost 35 years ago during the blackout that stroked New York City , the city was lacking the power for only two days, but people went mad and started to break shops and commit crimes for no reason at all. I am, as a resident there, always keeping in my mind that Mr. Johnny who happens to be a nice, smiley friendly neighbor, when he loses his job and thus has no money in his hands, he might take the advantage of the blackout and rob me. Unfortunately, this behavior of stealing from others in times of crisis occurred during the last big explosion of the gas lorry in Riyadh and it was videoed as well.
As a general observation, we have the same crimes as they do. But they are taking it seriously and try their best to catch the criminals and, in contrary, we do not.
Needless to say that freedom in the USA has the greatest impact on their culture. But as Muslim, there are things that cannot be accepted under freedom of choice “like homosexuality, parents abandoned by their kids, sexual relationships before marriage, abortion, and etc…”. and for some unknown reason, you cannot say it in public that you are against these kind of behaviors.
I remember when I was having a discussion about culture differences with an American, he asked me: “are you a religious person?” and I answered: “your question has a different meaning in our religion in comparison to yours. For us as Muslims, you have to pray all the prayers no matter what happened, with a small exception in the arrangement for certain times, etc… So we have to be religious otherwise we will not be called Muslims. For your religion, if you asked someone are you a religious, that means do you go to a church every Sunday, and if he does not go to a church, he will still be called a Christian”
Then he made me laugh when I asked him:” Do you go to a church?”
He said:” NO, and God has to understand that”
In general, if there is one thing I can bring back home from the USA, it is how to deal with other people with respect and how to understand other peoples point of view. We are labeled as Muslims, but we don’t practice this great faith.
Saudi Arabia is reported to be a country that has one the highest divorce rates in the world. Almost one fifth of all marriages do not last and this figure seems to be increasing annually. According to Arab news some time back, Saudi women are to blame for most of the divorces as they enter into marriage type relationships without being adequately trained domestically.Whilst there is some truth in this, I personally believe that there is always two sides to a story.After all, it takes 'two to tango'. Whilst researching this subject though, I came across some really hilarious articles in which Saudi men have divorced their wives in pretty unconventional and innovative ways.
According to Emirates 24/7 news, a Saudi husband used a loudspeaker to divorce his wife at a busy shopping mall after seeing her take a note from another man bearing his phone number.This, according to the Saudi Arabic language quotidian, Kabar.
The husband was with his wife and three children at the mall when he went his own way into a men’s clothing shop.
“When he left that shop, he saw a man giving his wife a note bearing his phone number…she accepted the paper and put it inside her bag,” The newspaper did not mention where the mall is located.“He then used the mall’s loudspeaker to shout divorce words against his wife although she was with her three children.
Earlier this year, a Saudi man broke up with his wife because she disobeyed him by going on a business trip without his consent.
The man phoned a radio program dealing with marital problems to complain about his wife to host Sheikh Ghazi al-Shammari, a prominent Islamic scholar. The unnamed man said his wife “offended his manhood” by traveling from the Saudi port city of Jeddah to the capital Riyadh for a business conference, alone and without his approval.
Al-Shammari concluded that the man had to divorce his wife.
“Such a wife is suspicious because she insisted to travel alone to Riyadh and without ample reason,” Al-Shammari later said, as quoted by Al-Arabiya. “I did not rush with the advice because I saw that the issue was dangerous and that we should not remain silent more about it.” The caller decided to heed the advice, and divorced his wife of ten years – during the live broadcast. Al-Shammari said the man should consider remarrying her if she repents for her actions.
Two years ago, a Saudi man divorced his wife by sending her a text message.A court in the city of Jeddah finalized the divorce, which under Saudi Arabia's Islamic Shariah law only requires a man who wants a divorce to tell his spouse "I divorce you" three times, The Daily Telegraph reported. The Telegraph said the divorce is believed to be the first in Saudi Arabia to be initiated by a text message.
The man, who was in Iraq at the time the message was sent, called on two relatives to confirm his intentions in court.
The Arab News reported the man was in Iraq for "what he described as 'jihad.'"
Just a few days ago, a Saudi man in his 30's divorced his wife for having an account on Twitter without his knowledge according to Arab news. The husband asked her to cancel her account after he found out that his wife had many male and female followers.
"He took the decision to divorce when she refused, after which she went to her father’s house in Jeddah.
The husband tried to call her back and according to their relatives, reconciliation efforts resulted in a suggested agreement under which the husband will have to pay an amount of money to his wife, who will in turn delete her account.
However, the wife insists on keeping the account, saying the husband’s action was unjustifiable and that she is not convinced that simply being on Twitter could cause a family dispute of this scale. Members of the family said efforts are ongoing to bring the couple back together, and that the reconciliation money could be doubled."
Early last year,Guinness World record judges confirmed that Abdulaziz Goldstein became the first man to divorce his wife via twitter.The 38-year-old Saudi sent the termination tweet of ‘I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you’ to his former wife, who wishes to remain unnamed, while away on business in Bahrain in February of this year. It was only when friends suggested that Goldstein might be the first to use the platform to make such an annulment did he contact Guinness.
“I’m amazed,” he told The Pan-Arabia Enquirer from his hometown of Riyadh last night. “When I sent the tweet, I never thought in a million years that I would be the first to do so. It just seemed like the obvious way to do it at the time, as I had run out of credit so couldn’t send an SMS.” Using the remaining 96 characters of his tweet, Goldstein is believed to have asked his then wife to remember to take the trash out and pick up his mother from bridge club.
I find the last article to be dubious though. For a start I have not come across original Najdi Saudis with the surname of Goldstein and neither have I come across a bridge club within the Riyadh area. It is articles like these that create a mockery towards Islamic values and towards an Islamic lifestyle in totality. Divorce in Islam is a very serious issue and usually when a couple is heading for a divorce both sides of the family will make tremendous efforts to provide the couple with advice and also encourage reconciliation especially if there are kids involved. In an authentic hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar, the Prophet Muhammed (saw) said," Of all the lawful acts the most detestable to Allah is divorce." Usually, the husband will give one talaaq either written or verbally. In other words he will say "I divorce you" once. The husband and wife will then stay under one roof for a period of three months without having any sexual relationship."The waiting period helps to prevent hasty terminations due to anger and allows both parties time to reconsider as well as to see if the wife is pregnant. If the wife is pregnant, the waiting period is lengthened until she delivers. At any point during this time, the husband and wife are free to resume their conjugal relationship, thereby ending the divorce process. During this waiting period, the husband remains financially responsible for the support of his wife." There are various other laws and regulations pertaining to the divorce issue and in general it is not as simple as saying "I divorce you" three times. Whilst many people from other parts of the world may find it shocking and presumably frown upon the fact that women in this region can be merely divorced via sms, twitter,on live national radio or through a mall loudspeaker (quite bizarre in my opinion), this is unfortunately divorce Saudi style!!
Luv Israni, an ace photographer personifies an eccentric and inspiring spirit; untamed yet sophisticated; spontaneous yet focused; zest for life; enthusiastic and tremendously visual.
At a very young age, Luv started his journey & flourished as a kid model. He was exposed to the camera at a very early age and gathered all the confidence, strength and ability on screen. His keen eye in direction was a big plus factor when he directed two short documentary films in Mumbai ‘bomb blast’ and another ‘Mumbai 4 A.M to 4 A.M’ in the year 2005. That’s when he realized, his desire was not to be in front of the camera but his aspirations changed to be behind the camera. From that point onward he chose to be a photographer without looking back.
In 2005, Luv entered the trade and did various shoots and that’s when he started developing his career path. Luv is one of the finest and the youngest advertising, fashion and celebrity photographer in India today, shooting a number of Advertising campaigns, Film & Television Publicity shoots, Product shoots, Magazine covers, Fashion Features, Model Portfolio, Catalogues as well as Hotel & Property shoots.
Today he is a much sought after personality within the fashion, fame and glamour industry. Respected by clients and colleagues alike, Luv's masterful talent speaks volumes for itself. Luv's creativity extends far beyond the studio walls. Most importantly he has earned the respect of his peers and the public for his creativity, customer satisfaction, tireless devotion and work ethic. All one needs to do is glance through his work to see the heart and soul of a gifted artist in the prime of his life and career.Read on to find out more in his own words.
Nationality: Indian.
Education/background: Graduate from MMK College of Commerce from Bandra.
Favorite reading material: Don't really read
1. Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed despite your very hectic lifestyle.So tell me who is Luv Israni? Tell me a little bit about your background. Where were you born? Basically a brief synopsis of your life from a child up until adulthood.
Luv Israni earlier known as Mohit was born and brought up in Mumbai. At a very young age I had joined my family business where I was a Casting Director handling all sorts of castings for films, television serials, print ads, as this has been my family business for over 2 decades now (www.modelspoint.com).
I always wanted to be a film director, I had taken admission in the London school of film making but at the last minute I decided to drop the idea. My career took off again with my family support when my dad started a magazine known as Tele Prime Time where I got opportunities to start clicking away.
2. How do you find and get clients?
Initially it was a little easier for me as I had a model in my house, my younger sister Megha..So I used to experiment with her..But yeah, I started off with shooting kids portfolios.. My mom became my business manager & started showing all her models my work & started getting me shoots.
3. Is this your full-time job or do you have other businesses as well? Please elaborate
I am lucky as I have made my passion my profession & yes this is my full time job. Along with this I also have my family business which takes up a bit of my time and is varied.My dad runs a Celeb Management Company known as Celeb 9 that handles television celebrities; their complete business. He has recently also opened an acting school known as MUMBAI ACTING ACADEMY which is a one stop shop for anyone who wants to act where acting is not taught but actors are made.
My mom handles this website www.modelspoint.com which is a portal for fresh talent & a casting agency known as Israni Communications. I have started a Wedding division which is run by my sister. She's the first wedding director in the country who covers videography & photography of weddings.
Though all of us have our own domains I focus on my photography but I do have to sometimes over look all the other departments too.
4. What are the hardest challenges you face in running your own business?
Dividing Time - my major draw back which I am quite aware of and trying to work on is..Time Management..I wish the day had 48 hours so that I would be able to do everything as per plan...
5. Do you feel like you’re balancing your work and personal life pretty well?
No not at all.. My sister has been complaining about this for many years now, friends too, and recently my girl friend also broke up with me because of this. I do wish to create a balance but the more I try to do the balancing act, the more it gets out of balance.
6. If you were not a fashion photographer, what would you be doing?
As a child I always use to think of studying Hotel management and would always want to be a Chef.. But today when I think about this question I have come to realize that I am happy in my current profession and can't imagine doing anything else.
7. What topics and subjects are you the most passionate about?
Pictures & People.
8. What makes you the most happy? (Work or personal)
Clicking clicking.. I can go on and on non stop without a break. all day all night
9. Where do you and your friends like to hang out or do in your spare time?
I am a complete Bollywood Buff - Movies is something I use to earlier try to watch once a week. Nowadays its one in a month or sometimes one in 3 months because of work pressure. But I like chilling out with friends, calling them over for a drink. I often invite them home and drink with friends and family together.
10. If someone could grant you a wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?
Grant me a wand to travel all across the world..
11. What are your favorite websites?
I have a few minutes to spare for Facebook only
12. Who or what inspires you?
My father. He is 58 yet has so much of energy..His Dreams inspire me to work harder and achieve them all..
13. Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person?
I believe in God. Love visiting temples. I often go to shirdi. Pray every morning before beginning my day
14. Have you had any formal training in photography or graphic arts?
Not at all.. It's my father who has trained me and he is not a photographer himself. I have not assisted any photographer or gone to any photography school.
15. What are some of your most memorable shoots?
The last shoot I did recently in Goa. One of the most special shoots ever.
16. How would you describe your photography style?
I have always tried not to have a particular style when I shoot people. I try not repeating the same thing, my style is finding new locations, new garments, new feel so that none of my images look like the ones I have done earlier.
17. Your picture gallery on facebook shows your passion and well developed eye for fashion.What is it about fashion that attracts you as a photographer?
I love when my pictures speak. I make all my models and actors perform. A video is quite easy as u have 25 frames a second to perform. But in a still its much more difficult to have it all perfect. I direct all my talent to perform & get the image right & that's my forte.
I always believe that I should perform better than yesterday. Each day when I shoot I tell myself I have to click better than yesterday & that's how I keep growing.
18. What advise would you give to students out there who aspire to be a part of the fashion photography industry?
Think different, work hard and keep clicking.
19. Are there any additional comments you’d like to add for the blog readers?
It has been 7 years now that I have been clicking away and finally I present to the world a glimpse of my work over the years. It has been a great experience capturing various Actors,Models and Brands..With great Pride and Gratitude I thank my team,my fans my faces who inspire me to do better work and God up there who makes my click better than the last..
Once again,thank you Luv (Mohit) for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!!
If you wish to see more of Luv Israni's fantastic photography then visit his website or facebook page
The reason I posted this letter from the Director of the Al- Falah Charitable Trust in Malawi is not to boast or off show, for certainly what the right hand gives, the left hand should not know about. Boasting, showing off and being proud is not a part of my character for I was not brought up in that way. My sole intention in posting this letter is to simply create an awareness that the projects that my family and I are involved with are legitimate projects. I know of many people out there who wish to contribute funds to the poor but are afraid of the legitimacy of the organization. Many of my Saudi friends have given donations to organizations outside of Saudi Arabia and they have been duped by these bogus organizations. A family friend of ours had given a huge sum of money for a masjid to be built in India. When he visited India himself he went to the village to enquire about the masjid that he had supposedly funded only to realize that no masjid was built. In other words he was cheated and robbed of his money by shady, unscrupulous characters.Be very careful to whom you donate money to. Make sure that the money is given to trustworthy, honest individuals. I would now like to take this opportunity in encouraging all my blog readers to join in our yearly Eid ul Adha Qurbaani program in Malawi by contributing funds to purchase sacrificial animals. If you wish to be a part of this project along with the well building project to provide clean drinking water to the poor impoverished villages in Malawi then kindly drop me an email or contact the institute directly. My email address is desertmoonsdiary@gmail.com. As God Almighty mentions in the Holy Quraan, " Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said: " “Charity extinguishes the heat of the graves for the charitable people. And the believer will stand in the shade of his charity on the day of resurrection.”. Always pray that God Almighty blesses each and everyone of us in this world with hands that give and not hands that receive. Ameen!!
( Click on the JPEG pictures below if you desire to read it in bigger print)
The maid issue in Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly a never ending saga. After almost a period of two years, the recruitment of Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may resume shortly according to Arab news. The two year ban came about due to the tensions that existed between Saudi Arabia, Manila and Jakarta over the rights of domestic workers, cooks and drivers within the ultra conservative Kingdom. Diplomatic ties between these nations were severed following the execution of an Indonesian maid Ruyati binti Sapubi, who was convicted of killing her female employer with repeated blows using a cleaver after suffering protracted abuse and being told she could not return home. Around 2010, another Indonesian maid Sumiati Salan Mustapa was severely tortured by her female employer and required hospitalization. Her case triggered off a wide spread furor throughout the Kingdom as well as across the globe.She had severe head and body injuries after being tortured repeatedly with a hot iron. Further aggression was created against the Saudi government by human rights activists after a Sri Lankan maid's ordeal made headlines throughout the world. Twenty four nails were hammered into her hands, legs and forehead by her Saudi employers after she complained of a work overload. After imposing a ban, thereby preventing the entry of Indonesian and Filipino maids into the country, the Saudi government announced that it would seek domestic workers from other African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya as well as Morrocco. However,as soon as this announcement was made the Saudi women were up in arms at the thought of having 'beautiful Moroccan maids' inside their homes. Saudi women feared that Moroccan women would seduce their husbands as they are known to engage in witchcraft and sorcery. My Saudi friend mentioned to me that they use to have a Moroccan maid some time back but fired her after finding talismans, amulets and strands of hair in her bedroom.
Also in 2010,"Saudi Arabian legal adviser Saleh bin Saad Al-Laheedan issued a fatwa, or religious edict, allowing Saudi women to work as maids, provided that they have no other recourse, are over 50 and are accompanied by a mehram, or close male relative. However, by the end of the year, only 30 Saudi nationals were reported to be working as maids."
On the flip side of things, there has also been an increase in child abuse cases carried out by maids in Saudi Arabia with the latest case being that of a four year old child whose body was decapitated by the Asian house maid. According to newspaper reports, the child's mother collapsed and was rushed to hospital after seeing the child's lifeless body in a pool of blood. Her husband was rushing to get home when he sped through a red traffic light and met up with an accident that instantly killed the driver of the other vehicle and seriously injured the other passenger.The maid on the hand tried to commit suicide after carrying out this heinous crime by drinking a bottle of clorox. However, she survived the ordeal and was hospitalized.
Hiring a maid in Saudi Arabia is an expensive affair with recruiting agencies charging between SR10 000 to SR15 000. Very often maids run away from their employers without informing them and hence bringing a new maid means paying a huge sum of money and starting the whole recruitment process from scratch. Usually maids runaway after seeing advertisements in the newspaper of other employers offering higher salaries and better working environments. According to the Saudi gazette, local families claim the increasing number of runaway maids has caused them great frustration, leading them to take on the household chores themselves. Sarah Sonbol, a mother of five has started a campaign called ' Do It Yourself' where she encourages families to do all the household chores themselves by dividing tasks amongst each family member. Her movement has already received positive feedback in the Medina region where almost thirty families are now doing the domestic chores themselves. “Do It Yourself” provides a step by step program on how to divide chores appropriately and ways to motivate household members. Sonbol’s movement not only aims to deal with the maid crisis and the high prices Saudi families pay for domestic helpers, but also to keep families active and work collectively. “Doing things ourselves worked wonders for our relationship with our children and has helped a lot with my marriage,” she said.
Whilst the media are quick to sensationalize negative stories by creating the impression that the Saudi society is a barbaric ignorant one, I on the other hand would like to relate to you a few positive, heart warming stories regarding this topic. Recently, whilst chatting to a prince over coffee, I was informed that his father had given their house maid of 25 years, SR2 million the day that she left their home and returned to her family in Eritrea. She bought a hotel and improved her family's lifestyle. Another member of the Royal family honoured his Filipino maid and nanny by building a school for Filipino kids in her name. A colleague of mine attended the function and was amazed at the manner in which the prince showered love, respect and adoration for his nanny by equating her to his own mom. She had been a part of his family from the time he was a child. A princess, who frequents the hospital quite often with her mom informed me that she had paid for her drivers's kids education. Her driver is from Egypt and so she had sent his kids to the USA to complete their tertiary studies. She even provides them with a small monthly allowance. Making headlines just a few days ago, a Filipino maid who married her employer inherited SR20 million from his estate. Her brief two year marriage to her employer certainly turned her life around from rags to riches.
So you see folks, the moral of the story is this: In every society you get the good and the bad. Whilst there are many bloggers and other individuals out there who are quick to write negatively about Saudi Arabia using any bad occurrence by a Saudi individual to taint the Saudi community and Islam in general, I can assure you that good people do exist in the Kingdom. Most of the time their stories do not make it to the media as they do not wish for the world to know about their activities. Abuse and human rights violations do not occur only in Saudi Arabia. It is a global world wide phenomenon. Signalling out one country is just not fair in my opinion.
During the month of Ramadhaan I was commuting on a weekly basis to Makkah to spend time with my family who were in the Kingdom for a six week vacation.Whilst in Makkah I arranged for my family to visit the Makkah museum. It was a truly fascinating experience and of course a very educational one as well.
Usually in Ramadhaan the museum is closed to the public unless prior arrangements have been made by your travel agent. The museum prefers to accept groups of pilgrims who have booked to visit the museum in advance. Since I reside in Riyadh, I asked one of my Saudi friends to seek permission for my family and I to visit.The administration staff at the museum were very kind and accommodating and allowed us to come by whenever it suited us. Whilst viewing all the artifacts in the museum, qualified and knowledgeable staff were on hand to provide us with detailed history and information. If you wish to visit the museum kindly call the Makkah museum ( Mat7af al Haramain) at 00966 (0)2 5602188. It is a museum that I highly recommend for all children to visit in order to gain a better perspective with regards to the history of the Haram in Makkah and Medina.The museum is situated approximately 20 minutes away from the Haram area on the old Jeddah road.
A teak staircase of the holy Ka3ba dating back to 1240H
Ash Shumaisi moldings which used to be above one of the entrances of the Holy Mosque
A slab of Ash-Shumaisi stone on which is engraved the name of the ameluke sultan Qayitbay who died in 901 H
The brassy head of the pulpit made in the era of sultan sulaiman alqanoony on the tenth century of alhijra
A brass crescent belonging to one of the minarets of the Holy Mosque dating back to 1299 H
Four inscriptions on two stone pillars recording the reconstruction of the Muqam (stance) during the reign of the Amluki sultan al ashraf abu an nasr linal in 858 and sultan ganosh al ghori in 915.
Wall plaques found in the Haram with Allah, Muhammed and the names of the four khalifa (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and Ali)
