4. Muslim World: Upper Asia and Indian Subcontinent

China and Upper Asia

Islam reached this farthest, most remote areas of this region by way of the Silk Road. The Eastern part of China, and countries like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhastan, Afghanistan, Chechnya; these are all Muslim lands. Many of them used to be under the control and influence of Russia, so many of them speak Russian in addition to their traditional language.

But this region that Ibn al Battuta called Asia al- Kubraa, has a long tradition of learning Arabic language particularly for the purpose of understanding the Quran and the religion of Islam. Imam al Bukhari and Imam Muslim, who are the major collectors of Hadith were from this region of Upper Asia. Uzbekistan and northern Iran.

Throughout the history of Islam komplek-makam-saad-bin-abi-waqqash in China, Chinese Muslims have influenced the course of Chinese history. According to China Muslims’ traditional legendary accounts, Islam was first brought to China by an embassy led by Sa’d ibn abi Waqqas that was sent by Uthman, the third Caliph. Emperor Gaozong, the Tang emperor who received the envoy then ordered the construction of the Memorial mosque in Canton, the first mosque in the country, in memory of Muhammad.

https://www.chinatouradvisors.com/attractions/guangzhou-maqam-saad-abi-waqas-1185.html?id=1185

The Indian subcontinent consists of 3 countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh

With a huge population of 1.3 billion, India is officially a Hindu country with about 170 million Muslims. For centuries Hindus and Muslims lived together sometimes in peace and other times in bitter conflict.

Trade relations have existed between Arabia and the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Even in the pre-Islamic era, Arab traders used to visit the Konkan-Gujarat coast and Malabar region, which linked them with the ports of Southeast Asia

Arab merchants and traders became the carriers of the religion of Islam, and they propagated it wherever they went.

Urdu, the official language of Pakistan, with over 100 million speakers, contains many Arabic words like other languages throughout the Muslim world.

Urdu also uses Arabic letters. There is a Pakistani news station I watch from time to time, which subtitles are written at the bottom of the screen. I can read a good portion of the script which is so much like Arabic, but I can only understand bits and pieces.

Arabic words found in Urdu language:

fazal [urdu], fadal [arabic] – Divine favor/ grace
rehmat, rehmah – mercy
barakat, barakah – prosperity
zaroorat, daroorah – necessity
hajat, hajah – need
‘izzat, ‘izzah – respect/ honor
‘uzar – excuse
islah – correction
ghalat – wrong
khata – mistake
insaan: A n.m. man/human being/mankind
auqaat: A n.m. times (plu. of waqt)
auqaat: A n.f. status/position
awwaal: A adj. first/excellent/best
aulaad: A n.f. children (plu. of walad)
imaan: A n.m. belief/faith/creed/conscience
saheeh – correct
manzil – destination/ residence
du’a – supplication
ayyam – days
khiffat – light weighted/ fade
sanad – record
Read more at http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?177399-Arabic-words-used-in-Urdu-Hindi-amp-Punjabi&s=495e54609bc8ee5506c62437a3118a9b#V4GxRrkHgzxZcscJ.99

Quran in the Indian Subcontinent

BK4573-500x500 Qaidah Nooraniya

Nur Muhammad al-Haqqaani of the Punjab, made a great contribution to Quran learning by authoring the book al-Qaidah aNooraniya. This book has spread all over the Gulf countries; Saudi Arabia and the surrounding countries and even spread to the West.

India-Youme-Tasees-15102011-Program-04

3. The Northern Half of Africa

The Muslim World: North Africa, by Nadiya Johnson

Africa is a vast and diverse land mass, made up of numerous cultures, peoples, and languages. Yet despite its size, Islam swept over the whole Northern half of this massive continent from the Indian Ocean on its East to the Atlantic on its West and across the Sahara الصَّحَرَاء (desert).

Africa is basically sectioned into 3-4 regions in terms of the Muslim world: al-Mashriq, al-Magreb, and the Horn

المشرق Al-Mashriq

The Northeastern Region: مِصْرُ Egypt, لِيبِيا Libya السودان Northern Sudan

رَبُّ الۡمَشۡرِقِ وَالۡمَغۡرِبِ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيۡلاً

‏ Lord of the East and the West, there is no deity (worth of worship) except Him, so take Him as a Disposer of (your) affairs. (Muzammil:9)

مصر Egypt

When most people think of Egypt, they envision the Great Pyramids of Giza and Luxor and the face of Ramses II carved in stone, but aside from its Pharoanic history, Misr has a tremendous Islamic history as well. Mentioned both in the Bible and the Quran, this powerful country has been the backdrop of the stories of Prophets such as Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Ibrahim (Abraham), Yusuf (Joseph), and Ya’qoob (Jacob) alyhim assalaam. Misr was opened to Islam under the 2nd Khaleefah, Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه and the military leadership of the Sahabi, Amr bin al-Áas رضي الله عنه in 645 A.D, about 22 years after hijrah.

Upon approaching Cairo from any direction, one of the first sights is The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, built between 1830 and 1857. The mosque sitting on a hill, along with its citadel, stands as a reminder of Egypt’s Islamic heritage which spans over 1,300 years.

Even today, students of knowledge from the US, UK and Europe, flock to Egypt to learn Quran, Arabic language and Islamic knowledge. With al-Azhar University and many active private learning centers, some students have been able to reach a high level of competencies, even as far as receiving an ”ijaza” : الإِجازَة which is the grant of permission or authority usually represented by a certificate, to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to teach Quran or another subject of Islamic knowledge.

السوان Sudan

To the south of Egypt is Sudan. Sudanese men are known for the large white turbans العِمَامَة and wear a distinguishable white thobe, with its wide arms and relaxed style. The women are known for their ‘thobé’ which is not actually a thobe but rather more like an Indian saree, wrapped from the waist and then over the torso and head.

Besides their distinctive dress, a major quality that Sudanese are known for is their sincere generosity and relaxed nature. In a Sudanese living room, it is normal to find single beds, decorated with pretty sheets, instead of sofas. After eating a large meal, you may be invited to ‘ to ‘lay down’ and let your food digest. So just relax!

المَغْرِب Al-Magreb

The Northwestern Region: المَغْرِبُ Morocco, تونس Tunisia, الجَزَاِئر Algeria

The Magreb is now known as the official name of the country of Morocco, however in the past, the Magreb referred to Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Mauritania. Magreb, like the name of the prayer after sundown, means the western region, the direction at which the sun sets.

The Magreb was opened to Islam under the military leadership of الصحابي الجليل The courageous companion, Úqba bin Nafi رضي الله عنه under the Khalifa Mua’wiya رضي الله عنه . This represented the spread of Islam from Arabia, the Red Sea, and all the way across to the Atlantic Ocean. It is related that U’qba bin Nafi, upon reaching the Atlantic ocean, he rode into the water still on the back of his horse, lifted his eyes to the heavens and said, “Oh my Lord, I have done all that I can do. If it were not for this ocean, I would have continued to fight until none is worshipped except you!”

So it is no surprise that, like Egypt, this region has also a long history of Islamic and scientific scholarship. Beginning with Fatimah al Fihri, who grew up in an educated family and learnt Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Hadith. Fatima inherited money from her father which she used to build a mosque. Established in the year 859, the Qarawiyin mosque had the oldest, and possibly the first university in the world. Students travelled there from all over the world to study Islamic studies, astronomy, languages, and sciences. Arabic numbers became known and used in Europe through this university. This is just one important example of the role of women in education and an example of the heritage of knowledge in this region. http://www.1001inventions.com/

Five centuries later in the 1300’s the Magreb was still producing scholars such as Ibn al-Battuta, the Islamic judge, explorer and anthropologist, who traveled to China, Southeast Asia, India and upper Asia and all of the known Muslim world recorded his travels, observations and experiences in the book Ar-Rihla.

the right is the hijab that was worn in all 3 countries of the Magreb; Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Called al-haik الحايك it was a full hijab in white. Sadly, it was after colonization by the French, then World War 2 and the rise of Arab nationalism, that the Muslim woman began to appear in the streets uncovered across North Africa.

موريتانيا Mauritania

Mauritania has been called “The Forgotten Country”. This country is known for producing eloquent scholars of the Arabic language and outside of Mauritania, many are well known by the name of Shanqiti/ Shan-qeetee. When we hear this name, we know the person has his lineage in Mauritania.

الحَبَشَة al-Habasha (Ethiopia)

This region was all the lands around the Horn of Africa, now broken down into 4 countries; Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti.

Remember our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the early Muslims made their first hijrah to this region and were protected by the Habashi/Ethiopian King Najashi.

When I taught Somalian students, they would always say ‘I know that word!’ ‘Oh, we have that word in our language!’ The Somali language has Arabic sounds and words in it and if we travel a bit more south we will find people speaking Swahili. What we call, lughatu Sawahil which is an Arabic/African language. It is

Wherever Islam spread, it brought with it the Arabic language. Just have a look and compare these Swahili words with Arabic words.

Swahili	Arabic	Meaning
hatari	خطر	Danger.
Safari	سفر	Travel. Also: trip
mahali	محل	Place
vitabu	كتاب	Book
msumari	مسمار	Nail
kata	قطع	Cut, chop
habari	خبر	news
huru	حر	free
dhamiri	ضمير	conscience
kamusi	قاموس	dictionary
baridi	بارد	cold
samahani	سامحني	forgive me, excuse me
rafiki	رفيق	companion, friend
tafadhali	تفضل	please
furahi	فرح	happy

https://baheyeldin.com/linguistics/list-of-swahili-words-of-arabic-origin.html

2. ‘Sham’

Let us travel from al-Khaleej al-Arabi to the northwest. Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey we find Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon; a region we Muslims know as bilaadu – Shaam, بِلادُ الشَّام and that which the French and English called the Levant “the land where the sun rises”.

The star of this region is the city of Jerusalem, which we call al-Quds. Why is Palestine and in particular Jerusalem so important to us as Muslims? Our Prophet sallallahu alyhi wa sallam said that it is one of the 3 masajid to which it is permissible to specifically travel.

Al Bukhari, Muslim and others reported from Abu Huraira that the Prophet. “Do not set out on a journey except for three mosques: Al Masjid Al Haram, my Mosque (at Medinah) and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa (Mosque of Jerusalem)”.

Masjid al-Aqsa was also the Qiblah, toward which the Muslims prayed until 16 months after hijrah to Medina.

The most important event showing the significance of al-Quds and Al-Masjid al Aqsa is The night of al-Isra wal Miraj, The Night Journey and Ascension. Allah mentions in Quran, the night in which our Prophet (saws) miraculously traveled with Jabril alyhi salam to Masjid al-Aqsa is one night and then to the 7 heavens.

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِى أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الاْقْصَى الَّذِى بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ

Glorified be He Who took His servant for a Journey by Night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed…(al-Israa:1)

ِAllah, Most High, goes further to show the virtue of Jerusalem and the lands around it:

وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا ۚ وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ

And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind, blowing forcefully, proceeding by his command toward the land which We had blessed.(surah al-Anbiyaa: 81)

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed.

al-A’araaf:137 Allah mentions

يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَلَىٰ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ

(Musa said) “O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you and do not turn back [from fighting in Allah ‘s cause] and [thus] become losers.” al-Maida: 21

The explanations of the above 3 ayat in which Allah speaks about the blessed land, a Holy land, all point to not just Jerusalem itself, but the region of bilaadu Shaam.

(http://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/tabary)

Jerusalem, Baytul Maqdas, is a city that numerous Muslim prophets called home, from Sulayman and Dawood to Isa (Jesus), may Allah be pleased with them. It is called in Quran a blessed land. Part of its virtue is that it is a fertile green land that bears many fruits. Agriculture is a big part of their economies. Here in Qatar, we consider Jordanian and Lebanese produce as ‘local’ produce and it is always plentiful mashaAllah. Peaches, grapes, dates, olives, almonds, apricots, citrus fruits, figs, pears, cucumbers, and green leafy vegetables are all found in the markets, imported from Lebanon and Jordan.

In these times, Palestine is known in the Arab media as “occupied Palestine” فلسطين المحتلة That is because the land was overtaken by Zionist Jews after World War II, who consider it their religious homeland. With the help of England and the United States They renamed it Israel. Israel is internationally recognized as a country Palestine is not. So in the Western Media they will only speak of ‘the Palestinian people’, or areas such as ‘Gaza’ or the ‘West Bank’. May Allah give honor to Islam and the Muslims in every place.

اللهم اعز الإسلام والمسلمين في كل مكان

Lebanon

When I hear the word Lebanon, the first thing that comes to mind is…the food! When it comes to Middle Eastern food, Lebanon and Egypt are in stiff competition to be the best. Lebanese food is known for variety and color; your mouth waters just seeing it hit the table at Shater Abbas (a popular Lebanese restaurant). Fresh grilled meat, seasoned and oh so tender, fresh vegetables, blended dips made from eggplants, cucumbers, seasoned with mint, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. Green taboula salad is my favorite, full of parsley (so cleansing for the liver and kidneys) and bulgur, a high-fiber, low-fat whole wheat grain. I dip my bread in the humus, then the baba ghanoush, then into the taboula, then make a little sandwich with the grilled meat and dip it again… mashaAllah, so delightful!

While I have never been to Lebanon, I can only imagine that its high mountains and green fertile valleys are just as beautiful and refreshing in person, as in the pictures. Northern Lebanon also sees quite a bit of snow! To the left, Lebanese women in hijab engage in a snowball fight in Faraya, one of Lebanon’s ski resorts. (Reuters: Mohamed Azakir)

Jordan

The Hashimi Jordanian Kingdom, its official name, traces its lineage to the tribe and clan of our Prophet sallallahu alyhi wa sallam. Surrounded by civil wars and destruction all round it, by Allah’s permission, Jordan has maintained safety and security. Jordan is the location of important historical sites. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, is believed to be the place in which Allah destroyed the people of Lut/Lot. The Dead Sea is at the border of Jordan, Palestine and Israel. It has such a high salt content that people naturally float in it but living things such as fish cannot live there.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Dead Sea

Petra is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. Established possibly as early as 312 BC as the capital city of the Arab Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction. (wikipedia)

Here is a video about travel in Jordan. showing historical site Petra and more. There are subtitles in this video, so you can mute the music.

Syria

Syria, in Arabic Suriya, سُورِيا is located north of Jordan and south of Turkey. As all of the Middle East, Syria is an ancient land inhabited for thousands of years a part of the Greek and Roman empires and before that. Aleppo, Halab حلب is said to be the longest inhabited city in the world. Damascus was captured by Muslim Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid in 634. Decades later, the Islamic Caliphate came under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty, which chose Damascus to be the administrative capital of the Muslim world. (wikipedia)

The Great Mosque of Aleppo (Arabic: جامع حلب الكبير‎‎ Jāmi‘ Halab al-Kabīr) or the Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo (جامع بني أمية بحلب Jāmi‘ Bani Umayah Bi-Halab) is the largest and one of the oldest mosques in the city of Aleppo, Syria. It is located in al-Jalloum district of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a World Heritage Site, (wikipedia)

The Umayyad Masjid before and after the war in Syria:

Masjid Courtyard Before After

Masjid Interior Before After

Since the war began, many schools and hospitals were targeted for bombings and have been destroyed. I interviewed a new Syrian friend named Raama who is from Halab. I asked her about the war. She said she was a student in a university outside Halab 4 years ago. Her and her classmates were having coffee in the cafeteria after classes when 2 bombs hit the university. “Glass was shattered all around us. Al-hamdulillah I was wearing a thick jacket, so the glass did not cut me. When we stepped outside the building and looked back, the building looked like a piece of cake that had been sliced on both sides with the middle still standing. I knew it was only the mercy of Allah that I was still alive. My mother and father were already living here in Qatar. They got a visa for me and I was able to leave.”

Just the other day while I was driving home listening to al-Jazeera I heard an interesting radio program about Syrians living underground. The journalists interviewed teachers at an underground school, a doctor and a nurse in an underground clinic and everyday people who have carved out homes for themselves amid the maze of tunnels designed to protect them from the bombings. There stories are sad, but at the same time I am amazed by their resilience, subhaanAllah!

Press the link to see this AMAZING underground playground in northern Syria!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syrian-war-children-deaths-bombing-civilian-casualties-besieged-areas-underground-playground-land-of-a7441271.html#gallery

The Shaami Dialect (al-lah-jah) ُاللَّهْجَةُ الشَّامِيَّة

Some phrases in the ‘Levantine’ dialect or lah-jah of Shaam. You can compare these to the fus-ha which we learn in classes. What similarities or differences do you find?

1. The Arabian Gulf

ur tour of The Muslim World begins in Mekka and Medina which are located in the country of Saudi Arabia المملكة العربية السعودية
This is the home of our Prophet sallallahu alyhi wasallam and his companions. Saudi Arabia (see the map) is quite a large land mass and it is divided into 2 major regions; Hijaz and Najd. Hijaz is the southern region where the Haramayn (Mekka and Medina) are located. Najd is the northern region where the capital Riyadh is located.

WHAT IS THE GCC?

There are several smaller countries which surround Saudi Arabia; they are al-Yemen, Oman, al-Bahrain, Qatar, al-Imaraat (UAE), and Kuwait. All these countries, (except Yemen) are major exporters of oil/petroleum/natural gas and come together to form a group which is known as the GCC or Gulf Cooperation Council. What we know in Arabic as مَجْلِسُ التَّعَاوُن الخليجي

Have a look at the map. This is the Gulf ُّالخَلِيجُ العَرَبِي (al-Khaleej ul Arabi) The peach-colored portion you see is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (al-Mamlaka). Around it are al- Yemen, Oman (note: Umman عُمَّان with letter ayn) to the south/southeast, UAE , Qatar, Bahrain to the east. Kuwait to the northeast near al-Iraq. This land mass is called a peninsula or gulf in English and khaleej in Arabic. The khaleej is also referred to as al-jazeera. It is connected to the continent of Asia, but is surrounded by water on 3 sides.

GULF CULTURE

The GCC countries have very similar dress codes, customs, laws, local dialects and ways of living. The dress code in the GCC is generally the black abaya for the woman and the white thobe (long garment) for the man. This is the national/ official public dress code throughout most of the Khaleej. The styles do vary somewhat depending on the country.

Omani (عُمَّاني) males have a unique look with their colorful turbans and hats. When we see them we automatically know them by their style mashaAllah!

WHAT IS AL-BATOOLA?

Another unique cultural trait you will see in the UAE, Oman and Qatar is al-Batoola. Originally worn as protection from the harsh, desert climate to help keep hot sand and dust out of the nose and mouth, the batoola also serves as garment of modesty and used to be worn by young females (before marriage) as a sign of coming into age.

At first glance, its metallic, shiny texture appears to be metal, however if you were to touch it you would find it a material of cloth or soft leather, sometimes made of colored silk, sometimes with gold or silver threads and sequins. Of course, al-Batoola is not from Islam, it is said to be a Persian tradition. Nowadays, we see mainly older grandmothers wearing it. A young Qatari woman talks about her grandmother and al-Batoolah

LANGUAGE

The dialect spoken in al- Khaleej, is different from the fus-ha (classical Arabic) we learn in class. Some words are used across most of the Middle East, but there are some phrases that are particular to the Khaleej and some that are only used in the North. Here are some common phrases used in Qatar and Kuwait:

Some people give salaam, but a lot of people say ‘Yaa halla‘.

What’s going on with you? Ish lown-ich or Ish akh-baar-ich. What’s that? Ish-nu hay?

Enough- Khalaas! What can I do? Ish A-saawee? I tell you. A-qul-lach

This ‘ch’ sound which takes the place of ‘kaa’ or ‘kee’, is interesting to me as a linguist and makes me wonder if it comes from Urdu or Hindi.

WAY OF LIFE

Of course the vast majority of Gulf people are Muslims, although there are foreign workers from around the world living in al-Khaleej. We hear the athan 5 times a day and there is a masjid in every neighborhood, on every street, at gas stations, in malls and shopping centers. No reason to miss a prayer!

Many public places such as schools, gyms, and hospital waiting rooms are separate for men and women. In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive but in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar woman are allowed to drive cars. Actually, if you don’t live in the city it is quite difficult to get around without your own vehicle, unless you pay for a private driver which can get expensive. Dubai and Abu Dhabi in UAE, have railway systems to make transportation easier, and Qatar is building one too mashaAllah.

Food in the Khaleej, tends to be different variations of meat and rice. In Saudi Arabia, they call it ‘kapsa’ and in Qatar we call it ‘mach-boos’. If you are invited to an event like Eid or a wedding, you’ll taste lamb that practically melts in your mouth! I do love the way they cook that lamb mashaAllah, so tender! The rice gets to be a bit much for me though. As an act of generosity, the hostess will keep feeding you and feeding you until you are about to burst! So lay your spoon across the plate and slide back from the food, then they will stop feeding you.

GOVERNMENT

The countries of al-Khaleej ul- Arabi are also similar in their governments and laws. For example they all (except Yemen) have a ruling family. Saudi Arabia is ruled by the Family of King Abdul Azeez ibn Al- Saud. King Abdul Azeez (rahimahullah) is best known for uniting the Arab tribes, to form what is now known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ruler of Saudi Arabia also assumes responsibility over the millions of Muslims who travel there for hajj and Umrah every year. So in 1986, King Fahad ibn Abdul Azeez, rahimahullah announced on national television that he would no longer like to be called “Your Majesty” he said, “I would be honored if you would call me ‘Custodian of the 2 Holy Mosques'” . ِِخَادِمُ الحَرَمَيْنِ الشَّرِيفَيْن Khaadim ul Haramayn aSha-reefayn.

Since then, this is the official title of the ruler of Saudi Arabia but you may only hear this term mentioned by the Arab media. In Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar we know the leaders by the traditional title, “Sheikh”. So for example in Qatar, our leader is called Sheikh Tamim (hafi-tha-hullah). In UAE, we have Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid of Dubai and in Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al-Jaber.

VISITING THE GULF

I am often asked about visiting the Gulf and, outside of Saudi Arabia, it’s quite easy. If you are a U.S., U.K., or citizen of most European countries, you can obtain a 30 day tourist visa and extend it an additional 30 days to visit any of the GCC countries. This visa is issued at the airport upon arrival into the country, for about $30.

Have you ever lived in or visited al-Khaleej? It would be interesting to know your thoughts and experiences. If you have never been, then it would be interesting to know what you imagine life to be like in the Khaleej, what you heard or if you have any questions.

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