Friday, January 31, 2014
Moving again
Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
It is a common thing here to have to move, even if you are comfortable in your home. We know of people whose landlord just told them that they wanted the place for someone else and they had to leave. Our landlord informed us that he wants to build on our roof, so by April we would have to move. In any case, we found several very nice apartments here in Aziziya, all within SAR 20,000 to 25,000. However, we ended up renting a brand new, 5 bedroom, 3 bath apartment for SAR 25,000. It has a two entrances, a men's majlis, women's majlis, kitchen, and 5 rooms that can be used as bedrooms or, in our case 3 bedrooms, a school room, and a play room. Al hamdul'Illah.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Books
Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
Many people assume that living in Saudi Arabia, and particularly Madinah, means that all the books available here are Islamically correct and compliant. However, that is far from the case. There are wonderful collections of ahadeeth and Islamic texts that are all used by the Jami'ah students and scholars for reference, but there are many others that are incorrect, unchecked, and deviant.You either need to know your books, so you can purchase those that will truly be beneficial knowledge, or ask someone to advise you what to buy. That said, Islamic books are well worth buying here - particularly if you are buying Arabic ones or from Darussalam - as they are cheaper and the selection is exhaustive maashaa Allah.
When it comes to English books and fiction, it is quite a different story. There are Arabic translations of the totally unsuitable and un-Islamic Twilight series, Harry Potter, and more. The same books, as well as others dealing with Western families with divorce, boyfriends, and various other typical subjects, are available in English. In addition, there majority of books have pictures, images, photos, and can even be of Christian influence. We have seen children's Islamic books that talk about Muslim children doing ballet, having Christmas decorations, and celebrating secular holidays. It is not easy to find a good variety of non-fiction books for children and young adults here and many of the school and story books have spelling and/or grammar errors.
Should you want to order books, the place we use the most is The Book Depository. They ship worldwide for free and we have always received our shipments, maashaa Allah. You can find a very good collection of books there, usually cheaper than buying them here, and can select books more suited to your needs. Of course, there is always Amazon.com as well, but you have to pay shipping for the books, which can be very expensive.
Barak Allahu feekum.
Many people assume that living in Saudi Arabia, and particularly Madinah, means that all the books available here are Islamically correct and compliant. However, that is far from the case. There are wonderful collections of ahadeeth and Islamic texts that are all used by the Jami'ah students and scholars for reference, but there are many others that are incorrect, unchecked, and deviant.You either need to know your books, so you can purchase those that will truly be beneficial knowledge, or ask someone to advise you what to buy. That said, Islamic books are well worth buying here - particularly if you are buying Arabic ones or from Darussalam - as they are cheaper and the selection is exhaustive maashaa Allah.
When it comes to English books and fiction, it is quite a different story. There are Arabic translations of the totally unsuitable and un-Islamic Twilight series, Harry Potter, and more. The same books, as well as others dealing with Western families with divorce, boyfriends, and various other typical subjects, are available in English. In addition, there majority of books have pictures, images, photos, and can even be of Christian influence. We have seen children's Islamic books that talk about Muslim children doing ballet, having Christmas decorations, and celebrating secular holidays. It is not easy to find a good variety of non-fiction books for children and young adults here and many of the school and story books have spelling and/or grammar errors.
Should you want to order books, the place we use the most is The Book Depository. They ship worldwide for free and we have always received our shipments, maashaa Allah. You can find a very good collection of books there, usually cheaper than buying them here, and can select books more suited to your needs. Of course, there is always Amazon.com as well, but you have to pay shipping for the books, which can be very expensive.
Barak Allahu feekum.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Our Apologies
As salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
This blog was set up so that people who wanted information about living in Madinah and what to expect upon arrival here. It was never intended as a job finding service, a database for salaries, or a resource for government regulations and requirements to set up businesses. Neither is it intended as a resouce for finding spouses in or out of Saudi Arabia.
As Shariyf works at Taibah University and has many friends in the Jami'at ul Islamiyyah, he has provided information about them when asked, to the best of his ability. However, he doesn't have any knowledge or information on other types of jobs and cannot get people jobs in Taibah University.
We will try to provide more details on life here and various developments, but please don't send us questions or requests for assistance in getting employment, starting up a business here, or to find you a wife or husband, as we cannot help you. Please accept our apologies for our shortcomings and we pray that you will all benefit in some way from this humble effort on our part to fill an information gap.
Barak Allahu feekum.
This blog was set up so that people who wanted information about living in Madinah and what to expect upon arrival here. It was never intended as a job finding service, a database for salaries, or a resource for government regulations and requirements to set up businesses. Neither is it intended as a resouce for finding spouses in or out of Saudi Arabia.
As Shariyf works at Taibah University and has many friends in the Jami'at ul Islamiyyah, he has provided information about them when asked, to the best of his ability. However, he doesn't have any knowledge or information on other types of jobs and cannot get people jobs in Taibah University.
We will try to provide more details on life here and various developments, but please don't send us questions or requests for assistance in getting employment, starting up a business here, or to find you a wife or husband, as we cannot help you. Please accept our apologies for our shortcomings and we pray that you will all benefit in some way from this humble effort on our part to fill an information gap.
Barak Allahu feekum.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Umrah in Muharram/over Aashoorah
Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
Going to Umrah from Madinah is pretty much a straight road for 4 of the 4.5 to 5 hour drive. There is, midway, a rest stop that is quite new and very popular as it has fast food franchises of Burger King, Baskin Robbins, Al Baik, Barnies, and more. Of course, there is a masjid there and the bathrooms are large and decent compared to many others along the way.
While we have driven for all the past Umrah trips we made, there is a VIP coach service to Makkah run by SAPTCO, which we used this last time. The booking office is beside Elaf Taibah Hotel and the bus leaves from in front of the hotel. There are three departure times a day, one in the morning, one in the early evening, and one at night. The cost round trip is 180 riyaal ($48) per adult, 90 riyaal ($24) per child, 12 and under.
The coach is large, spacious, with a built in table in front of each set of seats and power outlets underneath. There is a bathroom on the bus and they provide a meal for the journey followed by tea or coffee. The meal on our outbound journey from Madinah was chicken nuggets, potato wedges, salad, an apple, a fruit drink, and water. It is a non-stop service, however on the way the Makkah it stops at the meeqaat for 15 minutes. The meal on our return journey was a Kudo chicken sandwich, a can of soda, tea or coffee. It is a very comfortable ride, which enables one to relax, take a nap, and arrive in Makkah rested and in great shape to perform Umrah. This is quite the contrary to driving, where after a 5 hour drive, one is inevitably tired both physically and mentally. It is also a far better option than taking a taxi, which is usually crammed full of people and puts your life on the line as the driver travels as breakneck speed getting some people there in just 3 hours.
In the aftermath of the amnesty for illegal residents, there were vigorous raids to catch the illegals that stayed. On arrival at our hotel, we were told by the receptionist that they were closed because all the workers had run away! This was due to fear of being caught by the authorities, the result of which would be imprisonment, a hefty fine, and deportation with a 10 year re-entry ban.
With the Hajj over, one might think that Masjid al Haraam would be quiet at that time of year. Well, comparatively, it is. The Hujjaj are gone and there are no visas issued for umrah for a 2-month period after the Hajj. However, GCC nationals don't need visas and every year over the Ashoorah break you will find many Bahrainis visiting, among others from the Khaleej. This makes for a comfortable and easy Umrah, maashaa Allah.
After several janaza prayers, each one for a woman and a child or a woman, my youngest daughter asked me, "Mummy, all these prayers are for women and children. Don't the men ever die?" Then on seeing the typical Africans waving around deformed or missing limbs begging, my older daughter asked, "Mummy, why is it only the black people who beg? There are poor white people as well, aren't there? Why don't we see them beg?" That left me without words for a while, LOL.
Going to Umrah from Madinah is pretty much a straight road for 4 of the 4.5 to 5 hour drive. There is, midway, a rest stop that is quite new and very popular as it has fast food franchises of Burger King, Baskin Robbins, Al Baik, Barnies, and more. Of course, there is a masjid there and the bathrooms are large and decent compared to many others along the way.
While we have driven for all the past Umrah trips we made, there is a VIP coach service to Makkah run by SAPTCO, which we used this last time. The booking office is beside Elaf Taibah Hotel and the bus leaves from in front of the hotel. There are three departure times a day, one in the morning, one in the early evening, and one at night. The cost round trip is 180 riyaal ($48) per adult, 90 riyaal ($24) per child, 12 and under.
The coach is large, spacious, with a built in table in front of each set of seats and power outlets underneath. There is a bathroom on the bus and they provide a meal for the journey followed by tea or coffee. The meal on our outbound journey from Madinah was chicken nuggets, potato wedges, salad, an apple, a fruit drink, and water. It is a non-stop service, however on the way the Makkah it stops at the meeqaat for 15 minutes. The meal on our return journey was a Kudo chicken sandwich, a can of soda, tea or coffee. It is a very comfortable ride, which enables one to relax, take a nap, and arrive in Makkah rested and in great shape to perform Umrah. This is quite the contrary to driving, where after a 5 hour drive, one is inevitably tired both physically and mentally. It is also a far better option than taking a taxi, which is usually crammed full of people and puts your life on the line as the driver travels as breakneck speed getting some people there in just 3 hours.
In the aftermath of the amnesty for illegal residents, there were vigorous raids to catch the illegals that stayed. On arrival at our hotel, we were told by the receptionist that they were closed because all the workers had run away! This was due to fear of being caught by the authorities, the result of which would be imprisonment, a hefty fine, and deportation with a 10 year re-entry ban.
With the Hajj over, one might think that Masjid al Haraam would be quiet at that time of year. Well, comparatively, it is. The Hujjaj are gone and there are no visas issued for umrah for a 2-month period after the Hajj. However, GCC nationals don't need visas and every year over the Ashoorah break you will find many Bahrainis visiting, among others from the Khaleej. This makes for a comfortable and easy Umrah, maashaa Allah.
After several janaza prayers, each one for a woman and a child or a woman, my youngest daughter asked me, "Mummy, all these prayers are for women and children. Don't the men ever die?" Then on seeing the typical Africans waving around deformed or missing limbs begging, my older daughter asked, "Mummy, why is it only the black people who beg? There are poor white people as well, aren't there? Why don't we see them beg?" That left me without words for a while, LOL.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Autumn in Madinah
Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
The beginning of autumn is a vague thing here in Madinah, because the weather is still extremely hot. However, over the three months of the season, the temperatures start to moderate, especially overnight. Mosquitoes start turning up and flies can be seen buzzing around the rubbish. During the intense heat of the spring and summer, they rarely make an appearance, maashaa Allah. By the end of November, we finally turned off the air conditioners and started sleeping with windows open and/or ceiling fans on. The air is fresh and cool in the mornings and evenings, while it still gets quite hot during the bright sunshine of the day.
A notable thing here is that the air becomes drier as the temperatures drop and this can have a notable effect on the skin, lungs, and mucous membranes. In our first year, I found myself with sore lips, extremely dry skin, a chronic sore throat, and prone to coughs. I was advised to get a humidifier and, maashaa Allah, it did the trick. In restoring the moisture to the air, all the unpleasant symptoms disappeared. Now, at the first sign of the cool, arid climate of autumn and winter, we switch on the humidifiers and enjoy the pleasant weather. Al hamdul'Illah.
The beginning of autumn is a vague thing here in Madinah, because the weather is still extremely hot. However, over the three months of the season, the temperatures start to moderate, especially overnight. Mosquitoes start turning up and flies can be seen buzzing around the rubbish. During the intense heat of the spring and summer, they rarely make an appearance, maashaa Allah. By the end of November, we finally turned off the air conditioners and started sleeping with windows open and/or ceiling fans on. The air is fresh and cool in the mornings and evenings, while it still gets quite hot during the bright sunshine of the day.
A notable thing here is that the air becomes drier as the temperatures drop and this can have a notable effect on the skin, lungs, and mucous membranes. In our first year, I found myself with sore lips, extremely dry skin, a chronic sore throat, and prone to coughs. I was advised to get a humidifier and, maashaa Allah, it did the trick. In restoring the moisture to the air, all the unpleasant symptoms disappeared. Now, at the first sign of the cool, arid climate of autumn and winter, we switch on the humidifiers and enjoy the pleasant weather. Al hamdul'Illah.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Female Shop Attendants
Bism Illah wa as salaamu alaykum.
After much lobbying, it was finally approved for women to staff ladies lingerie shops, and various other shops that are mainly frequented by women. This means that they will be only staffed by women, as there cannot be a male attendant in the same shop at the same time as the woman attendant. The implications of this were not fully considered by us, but hubby had a taste of it the other day when we went shopping and wanted to go to The Body Shop, which sells ranges of body care products and fragrances for both women and men. He found he could not enter because it was staffed by a woman. The sign said, "families only," which means women or women with their mahrem.
This led to us wondering how a man could get a gift for his wife or purchase something for himself in such a situation. It is certainly nice for women to be able to go and buy underwear, etc. in a comfortable and halal environment, but this has made us wonder how many other shops will end up banning male customers if they aren't accompanied by a female. It will limit business if it extends to all womens' clothing shops, perfume shops, etc. It will be interesting to watch and see how it all works out, in shaa Allah.
After much lobbying, it was finally approved for women to staff ladies lingerie shops, and various other shops that are mainly frequented by women. This means that they will be only staffed by women, as there cannot be a male attendant in the same shop at the same time as the woman attendant. The implications of this were not fully considered by us, but hubby had a taste of it the other day when we went shopping and wanted to go to The Body Shop, which sells ranges of body care products and fragrances for both women and men. He found he could not enter because it was staffed by a woman. The sign said, "families only," which means women or women with their mahrem.
This led to us wondering how a man could get a gift for his wife or purchase something for himself in such a situation. It is certainly nice for women to be able to go and buy underwear, etc. in a comfortable and halal environment, but this has made us wonder how many other shops will end up banning male customers if they aren't accompanied by a female. It will limit business if it extends to all womens' clothing shops, perfume shops, etc. It will be interesting to watch and see how it all works out, in shaa Allah.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The Real Scoop
Bism Illah wa as salaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.
So many things about Saudi Arabia in general and the real issues and opinions held here can be found in the online newspapers. It is not always pleasant or encouraging reading, but it is very real and will put things in a better perspective for those who are seriously seeking to come here. The more you know about the reality of a place, the better prepared you are for living in it.
Saudi Gazette
Arab News
So many things about Saudi Arabia in general and the real issues and opinions held here can be found in the online newspapers. It is not always pleasant or encouraging reading, but it is very real and will put things in a better perspective for those who are seriously seeking to come here. The more you know about the reality of a place, the better prepared you are for living in it.
Saudi Gazette
Arab News
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