No wonder why that is.
I went to the Masjid the other day and I prayed Maghrib and Isha at the grand mosque in Bahrain. I got a new appreciation for strictly using the right hand to eat and greet with. The bathroom had stand-up toilets but no toilet paper. I haven't mastered the squat down jammies yet, and I think I would probably fill my pants with poop if I did. So anyway after cleaning myself and making Wudu again and going back inside. I found a Tajweed class. So I sat down and listened to some of the most beautiful Tajweed I have heard in person in a long time. The Alim was tenacious and didn't let anything slide not like in the states. So then I got to read and after I read Al Fatiha the best I could without any corrections mind you the Alim kindly told me that if I want to sit in his class I would have to go upstairs and register with the Masjid, bluntly translated the state. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot over. Since when does someone who wants to learn their Deen need to register with the state. Allahu Alim maybe they are just doing some routine maintenance, but it freaked me out, but not really cause I don't really care I just want to learn some Tajweed and I'm not trying to start a revolution or anything, but still it is creepy. Now I can better understand why my brothers and sisters that come from this part of the world act the way they do.
Well my internet time is up so I will drop this post. I will see you all again later. I will try to get back to my one post a day.
Well my internet time is up so I will drop this post. I will see you all again later. I will try to get back to my one post a day.
It may have been a paying class that you sat down with. Here in our masjids in Egypt, we have both......the free ones...and then the ones for money.
ReplyDeleteBut good for you....go register!!
Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Gulf.
I don't know how much you have followed the situation in Bahrain over the past few years but they have some serious problems with potential political instability and of course, the Gulf countries have (justifiably) fears about the increasing influence and threat of Iran here. After all, for a long time the Gulf countries had a pretty open door policy allowing Irani Shi'a to immigrate. Now Iran is openly calling Bahrain a part of its "Persian" Empire and insisting that the UAE is occupying three of their (Iran's) islands.
The "king" of Bahrain is trying his hardest to get a grip on the situation but unfortunately the way his people have handled it is to clamp down on just about everything where people gather or express themselves. And btw, it has hppaned to bloggers.
As for the "Indy" girls, prostitution is rampant here in the Gulf -- as it is everywhere else :-( Such a shame, isn't it?
Salaam Alaikum,
PM
Welcome to the Gulf,
ReplyDeleteI have been a silent reading for a few months now. I enjoy your writting and I am sooooooo hapy to read and feel how much you LOVE your wife. If MOre men could act liek you, we women would be so much happier and so would you men....Hats off to you
How long are you staying. I hope you overlook some of the odd things here. After a while they will become More normal inshaallah.
Take these places for whatthey have to offer and leave the rest.that is what I do.
Take care,
Hmmm... Registering for anything, imho, is a bad plan, cause then they have a record on ya!
ReplyDelete