Part 1: Life in Jeddah FAQ

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. I’m often asked the same questions over and over again about life in Jeddah. In Shaa Allaah you will find some benefit in my replies. I will add to this compilation soon bi ihdnillaah.

Please advise me if I have some misinformation here.

Haneefah

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Adjusting: Adjusting was not a problem for me, my zawj or my daughter. Maybe because we wanted to come here so bad, we basically “fell in line with the locals.” My daughter was only one and a half when we made hijrah, so she just went with the flow. I absolutely love the liftstyle here, Tabaarakallaah. I would advise you to learn the laws and customs of the people before coming as it will help you to adjust and avoid trouble.

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School: I had a hard time at first finding the right school for me. I needed a school with relatively early hours and short days to fit my daily schedule. After several months of looking, visiting this shcool and that school, trying out this tutor and that tutor, going back and forth, “Daarul Haafithaat al ‘Ishroon” is the school I decided to attend. The classes for sisters are only 4 days a week, 3 hours per day from Sat. – Tues. There are special Tafseer classes on Wed., for those who wish to attend. Adapting to this was not hard at all Alhamdulillaah.

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Enrollment:  Yes the enrollment at my school is fairly easy. No major paperwork, the tuition is cheap, no waiting list. They’ll allow you to pay as you go if you need time to get the money togehter.

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Friendly Classmates:  Very much so Alhamdulillaah. We see and help each other in and outside of class. Most of us (teachers and students) attend the same masjid and sit together at the varouis lectures and conferences. We visit each other’s homes as well.

http://desertdiaries.wordpress.com/?s=daarul+haafithaat+al+ishreen

Women Uncovering in School, Gatherings & the Like: Yes, for the most part, once we are at school, in each other’s homes, etc., we remove our ‘abaa-a. I never really understood why until coming here. There are a few reasons:

1. The overgarment/outer-cloak is just that – an “outer” cloak to be worn over the clothing. One sister I asked about it had a nice explanation. Some women in the West look at their ‘abaa-a as if it were their actual “clothing,” so they wear it as such. The women here look at it as if it were a “coat,” so they were it as such. Would you wear a “coat” in the house? No. So, they take their “coats” off  and hang them on coat racks when they get to where they’re going if no men are present.

2. It is HOT here. Really akhawaat, you will not want to wear your ‘abaa-a once you get to where you are going. Trust me, the first thing you’ll want to do when you get inside is to remove those extra layers of sweaty clothing.

3. After dragging your ‘abaa-a through these bedawi streets, you will NOT want to wear them once you get to where you’re going. Some of the streets look like garbage dump sites and the odor will make you want to vomit, so when your clothes drag over all that, you are nothing short of grossed out and can’t wait to take them off. Yes the merits of dragging the ‘abaa-a are known, but there are some things lying on the ground that you just don’t want touching your clothing….ok my skin is crawling now…next topic!

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Food: You can find all the food you like from the West here in Jeddah, even yummy Baskin Robbins. I basically cook the same meals that I prepared in the West like mashed potatoes, veggies and meatloaf, fried chicken, spaghetti, etc. Every now and then I’ll try something different, or we’ll order take out. We love to eat the food of the people, Saudis and non Saudis alike. The food is relatively cheap and very delicious. You’ll pay high prices at Western restaureants like Apple Bees. Fast food chains are kind of cheap. All the things that we are used to are basically available.

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Socializing: I don’t socialize too much. When I do go out, I find the sisters are generally warm and welcoming. There’s lots to do here, you won’t get bored In Shaa Allaah.

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‘Arabic: I studied some before making Hijrah. I’ve been here a little over a year and Alhamdulillaah my speaking and understanding has improved. I’ve learned that being shy of making mistakes does not help, it holds you back. My advice is to just try, try, try. Conversate as much as you can whenever you can. I have several books that I study from and they help me with everyday situations. The Madeenah books are good, but they don’t give you want you need first hand. I also listen to native speakers and observe their actions. I also have friends that are either ‘Arab or fluent in the language, so we conversate. When I learn a new word I look up other ways to say it in ‘Arabic. This broadens the vocabulary and has helped me tremendously. I understand the lessons of the scholars more because of this study tactic. Study Tafseer and Ahaadeeth, this will broaden your vocab as well. You can use lots of verses from the Quraan as well as statements from ahaadeeth in your everyday speech.

I read children’s ‘Arabic books with my daughter. I can’t tell you how my vocab has increased because of her books, Tabaarakallaah. My daughter is a busy body, so I have to constantly speak to her (do this, don’t do that, don’t touch that, it’s time for a bath, etc). Sometimes I realize (in mid sentence) that I don’t know a word, so I look it up immediately or jot it down so I won’t forget to look it up when I have free time. Once you learn a word in ‘Arabic, use it instead of Eng (even if the majority of your sentence is in Eng). I am not fluent in the language, but I’m working on getting there In Shaa Allaah. I hope these tips help.

Maids & Drivers: They come a dime a dozen. If you really need one, then khair, they aren’t hard to find and won’t cost you that much.

So long as your mahram is with you, you should not have a problem when it comes to a driver.

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Toilet Paper: Na’am we have tp..lol. 16 pack combos, 2 ply, Charmin, whatever you need In Shaa Allaah. Not every facility will have it. So, if tp is a must for you I’d suggest you carry some with you at all times.

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Feminine Hygenie Products: Yes, we have those too. Click here: Girls Only

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Haircare Products: Na’am. There’s some info under the girls only link.

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Treatment of Women: Women are treated like gems for the most part. There are some people here with diseased hearts and will do some foul things though. We trust Allaah, keep to our du’aa and In Shaa Allaah we’ll be ok. Everything is qadarullaah.

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Are we completely restricted from going out?: Not at all. The women here spoiled..really. There are tons of women only facilities and many positive things for us to do. In Shaa Allaah I’ll mention a few places another time.

Is it not safe there? There’s crime everywhere you go however, Saudi is overall safe and secure. You can see, and feel the peace here. No matter where you live, it is better to go out with your hubby or in a group. There are men called the Hayaa here. They patrol the streets in an effort to stop immoral crimes. The regular police are riding around all the time too. Really…I’ve never felt more at peace or had a real sense of security until I came here. Honestly, the police will more than likely stop you and ask for your iqaamah or passport before someone approaches you to harm you. To reiterate, yes there’s crime here, but it’s safer here than in the West in my humble opinion.

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Witchcraft: Unfortunately some people do practice witchcraft. The police have been arresting magicians a lot lately. Most people who go to them for “help” are the ones who are sick and want to be cured by any means, even if it is haraam. I don’t know anyone who has been a victim of a spell Alhamdulillaah, but it does happen in the East. Don’t allow this to scare you. Nothing happens except by Allaah’s leave. Just safeguard yourself as much as possible (3 quls, aayatul Kursi, etc).

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Can a woman have her own bank account? Let me get back to you with exact details.

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Do you have ATM machines? Yes. There are many, many ATMs. You will not have a problem finding one here in Jeddah. – Wachovia Bank Users: If you plan to move to/visit KSA, call Wachovia and let them know first. They’ll authorize international usage of your card. This will help you avoid “security issues.” Also, make sure your card has the PLUS logo on the back or it may not work at the ATMs here. Alhamdulillaah the transaction fees are not that high.  In the beginning I didn’t do any of these things and I could not get my money from the ATM.

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Classes in Jeddah?

Fridays: Shaykh Mohammad al Malki’s classes are held on the residential Camp KAIA (King ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Int. Airport) at Masjid Baraa bin Malik. So long as you have the proper paper work you shouldn’t have a problem getting pass security.

The khutbah (in ‘Arabic first) begins at 12:30 – please don’t etch this time in stone as it is estimated. The Shaykh then translates his own khutbah into Eng., then gives a class from the book Ad Duroos al Muhimmah Li ‘Aammatil Ummah (just in Eng.) followed by Q/A on the topic if anyone has a question. After the class, food is served.  I was told that the Shaykh gives other duroos in his Masjid during the week in ‘Arabic, but I don’t have a schedule for them. I heard they were after ‘Asr. Have your zawj confirm with the Shaykh In Shaa Allaah.

Friday Nights: Shaykh Abu ‘Aasim ‘Abdullaah al Ghamidee gives a dars on Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen’s Exp. of al ‘Aqeedatul Waasitiyyah. This class takes place after ‘Ishaa. I am not sure what time the adhaan is…maybe it’s around 7:40 PM. I will check and get back to you. Location – Hayy as Safaa – Masjid al Furqaan or al Faarooq (behind Sooq al Marjaan – some call it Sooq As Surrayn others say As Sireen). – In this same masjid are classes on Fri. after ‘Asr for brothers to learn Quraan. Allaahu Aa’lam if there are classes for sisters. I did not hear the Shaykh mention the women.

Sat. Nights: In the same masjid as Shaykh Abu ‘Aasim, Shaykh Fu’aad al Amree teaches Manaarus Sabeel and another book after ‘Ishaa.

The sisters have private classes with Shaykh al Ghamidee 2x’s a week I believe via telelink. My private tutor is a student of his, so I’ll ask her for the schedule. I believe the sisters gather in a house for this, but those who’d like to call in can do so. He was supposed to start sisters only classes on Pal Talk…I’ll ask about them and get back to you In Shaa Allaah.

On the last Thursday of every month Shaykh Muhammad al Madkhalee comes to Jeddah – Hayy al Jaami’ah at Masjid Ameerah al Hissah. He teaches from Maghrib to a little after ‘Ishaa. His classes are in ‘Arabic only.

 

 

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