“I cannot hug even my sister-in-law, but I can hug my wife, my daughter, my sister, my aunt–whoever is blood-related to me,” said Siala. Men and women sit separately on buses. Always enter a home a with your right foot first. Men and men, and women and women, hold hand and walk arm and arm. Arabs often adjust their voices to the situation, speaking softly in one-on-one meetings and shouting to be heard when there are lots of people around. This culture ingrained in our common belief that “There is no Lord but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His Messenger.”. The right hand is for eating, left for cleaning one butt. One example of the best of guidance comes from Chapter 49 of the Quran, Surah Hujurat, which came down to the Prophet in the city of Medina. Men enter from the front and pay the driver. Despite the country’s wealth of resources, it’s been a long time that Iran has been isolated from the global economy due to the political situation. Tampons can be found at supermarkets, pharmacies and hotel shops. Common conversation topics with foreigners include sports, food, television shows, movies, places in Arab world, areas abroad that your friends have visited, history, and families. When any one of you sneezes and says ‘Alhamdulillah’, then he has the right to hear every Muslim say – ‘Yarhamuk Allah’. Discussions can get heated and last for hours. Visitors were rare and they are always welcomed and offered food and drink. Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions” edited by R.C. Islamic teachings put great emphasis in how we deal with people in our daily lives. Hospitality is regarded as an honor and a scared duty. In some places, good male friends often greet each other by reaching out shaking hand with both hands, with a right hand placed on top, gently massaging each other’s hand, or by following a handshake by placing one’s hand’s near one’s heart. The Final good-bye is preceded by lots of preliminaries. [Source: Middle East and North African Customs and Manners by Elizabeth Devine and Nancy Braganti (St. Martin’s Press)]. 8- The caller for Islam should be fluent in the language of the person who is calling as well as a good background of his religion and culture. See Prayer Times. If a person holds up his hand with his thumb and fingers together it means “Wait a minute.” If he holds his right hand with the palm facing up and opens and closes his hand it means “come here.” To beckon someone, move all the fingers of your hand towards. Hospitality is expressed with warm welcomes and giving guests the place of honor at the table. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit. Music, crucifixes, Bibles, books by Jewish authors and other non-Muslim religious texts are also banned. There are over billion of Muslims in the world living in different countries, speaks different languages but share one common Muslim culture. We find them in currency in every clan, culture and nation. By Rukhsana Khan. The Muslim lunar calendar consists of 12 lunar months, alternating between 29 and 30 days. This makes some foreigners feel uncomfortable. When offered more tea, a right hand over the cup means "no thanks." Some customs and traditions may be more motivated by culture than by religion. gender segregation at a McDonald's in Saudi Arabia. However, these regulations are not observed very inflexible about tourists. Haj (masculine) are Haja (feminine) the titles given to people who have completed the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sanitary napkins are widely available. Non-Muslims who break the rules are routinely sent to prison until the fast is over. Arabs: Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; Some Muslims feel the greeting should only used with other Muslims. ), Never point your shoes or the soles of your feet at someone or touch someone with your shoe. Reports that fail to meet such criteria are disregarded. They can't drive or ride bicycles; they can’t fly without permission from their husbands; and they can not eat in the company of men even in hotel restaurants frequented by foreigners. Social Etiquette. Never point your finger or feet at someone. Foreigner visitors's can usually get away with just removing their shoes and are not required to wash their feet. Give to beggars. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty Allah is the only judge of human righteousness. In public areas, women should avoid having eye contact with men; ignore rude remarks and gestures; and avoid places like crowded markets where men can touch them. This often done in the late afternoon or evening. Shops are closed during noontime and afternoon prayer times, which last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Businesses and shops are often closed on Friday. Business in Iran, Etiquette, Customs and Culture. A favorite topic among women is their sons. Don’t say anything bad about God and Islam. Inside a mosque don't walk in front of someone who is praying, don't touch the Qur’an, never sit or stand on a prayer rug and never place a Qur’an on the floor or put anything on top of it. [Source: Charles F. Horne, ed., The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, (New York: Parke, Austin, & Lipscomb, 1917), Vol. Even so, foreigners should try not to back away if away they can help. Don’t ask personal questions when you first meet somebody; don’t refer to a man’s wife unless you know him well. It means the same thing as does in the West—“very good.” If a policeman or official makes a line across your palm with his index he is asking you for your passport or other documents. The Sunnah reads: “When a man cometh into his house and remembereth God and repeats his name at eating his meals, the devil saith, to his followers, "Here is no place for you to stay in tonight, nor is there any supper for you." If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. They also enjoy clothes, fashions. Arab American Institute aaiusa.org/arts-and-culture ; Websites and Resources: Islam Islam.com islam.com ; Islamic City islamicity.com ; Islam 101 islam101.net ; Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; Religious Tolerance religioustolerance.org/islam ; BBC article bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam ; He explains in great detail the place of customs and etiquette in Islamic Shari'ah. In Saudi Arabia, women are segregated from men in offices, schools and restaurants. Women are expected to respect Islamic and local customs and traditions. Women often don't shake hands with strangers. This dates back to a time when this gesture was used show to that one was unarmed. Remember to give or receive a gift with two hands. The reasoning went that if someone helped them they should help someone else. VI: Medieval Arabia, pp. (Reported in Ihya-ul-Uloom by Imam Ghazali). Need to move abroad? Along with the Hadiths they are the most important texts in Islam after the Qur’an. Islam from UCB Libraries GovPubs web.archive.org ; If you do it try to seek hospitality somehow do it as diplomatically as possible and provide your potential hosts with away to save face. In universities, women watch their male professors on television because they are not allowed to be in the same room together. In the Middle East and Arab and Muslim world, homes are regarded as a kind of private sanctuary. In this lecture he will discuss Islamic customs and etiquette. Sometimes they remove them before entering an office. Foreigner are expected to follow Islamic customs just as local people do. Muslims: PBS Frontline documentary pbs.org frontline ; [Source: Middle East and North African Customs and Manners by Elizabeth Devine and Nancy Braganti (St. Martin’s Press)]. When a woman enters a room, men are supposed to stand up. When asked about marriage, women should say they married even if they not, and have an excuse to explain why their husband isn’t with them. Women often sit around chatting with their children and with friends at their homes. People sometimes butt in line. He explains in great detail the place of customs and etiquette in Islamic Shari'ah. Sheikha Lubna greeting Farzana Raja, at the 2011 Horasis Global Arab Business Meeting, When Muslims greet each other, instead of saying, “good morning” or “hello” they say “As-salaam alaykum,” which means “May peace be upon you and may God's blessings be with you.” This greeting makes a Muslim aware that he has to spread love and peace wherever he goes. This holds especially true in Muslim majority countries outside Middle East. To keep the months in sync with the phases of the moon the length of the twelfth month varies: during a thirty year cycle, 19 of the final months have 29 days and 11 of them have 30 days. Vehicles—whether be buses, service taxis or private cars—often pull to the side of the road during prayer time so people can pray. In the 30 year cycle, the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 19th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 26th, and 29th years are leap years. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. Five Pillars of Islam: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving and Pilgrimage Ramadan: In the ninth month of the Muslim Calendar, it is the period of time when Muslims abstain from food and drink between the time of sunrise to sunset. If a person holds his down and flicks the fingers forward it means “go away.” The gesture with palm up and all five fingertips touching each other means “be patient” in much of the Middle East. So much so that they did not care even to seek permission before entering another's house and did not wish each other when they met. When a person raises their right hand to their forehead and then places in on their heart it can mean good-bye or no thank you. Many social events are men-only affairs, Rules for Women In Conservative Muslim Areas. Knowing some Arabic is always helpful. The greeting of Assala mualaikum (“Peace be with you”) used by non-Muslims is sometime greeted with an uneasy silence by Muslims when it is directed towards them. Don’t mention sex or make any sexual jokes. Getting straight to the point and getting down to business are regarded as abrupt. It is not right for a guest to stay in the house of the host so long as to inconvenience him. Bedouins are expected boil their last rice and kill their last sheep for feed a stranger. To point your foot at someone’s is a great insult. Some people keep heir left hand behind their back when they eat. In many parts of the Muslim world it is difficult to have a conversation with someone without frequent references to God and Islam. Some open on Thursday afternoon. (Lecture no. Visitors who happen by are usually invited to sit and share a cup of thick, gritty coffee. Don’t take personally attacks on the United States, the U.S. government or U.S. policy. Etiquette. This custom is tied to Islamic principles that prescribe the left hand should only be used for removal of dirt and for cleaning. Fruit, flowers, a desert, candy for children, house plants, books, games, something small from your home country is fine. When new guests arrive at a party, every one should stand and greet them. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. The former because it reportedly has hallucinogenic properties and the latter because it contains alcohol. Although Arabs often talk among themselves about Islam, women, politics, their governments, Israel, the Palestinian issue, and wars involving Arab world, foreigners should avoid talking about these topics with Arabs. Rules for Non-Muslims in Muslim Countries. Oct 31, 2019 2 comments . If he hold out his right hand with the palm up and moves it up and down slowly, it means “be quiet.” The Islamic sign of victory is a right fist with a raised forefinger, the Western No. Islam is also seen as an all-comprehensive way of life relatively strict exclusive religious code because of its focus on balancing personal and public life. Some people offer their wrists. Mind Your Manners: Your guide to Iranian customs & etiquette Respecting local customs is an important part of travelling. Inside their homes Saudis are much more free. [Source: Middle East and North African Customs and Manners by Elizabeth Devine and Nancy Braganti (St. Martin’s Press)]. There is no prohibition to be vegetarian in Islam, but any practising Muslim will come across meat on many Islamic occasions when meat is provided. Some women smoke in their homes. If sitting, rise when shaking hands as well as when an esteemed person enters a room. This quiz, Etiquette in Islam, looks at manners. This means that an Arab man may spend hours drinking tea and coffee and eating food with a stranger and show up late or miss and appointment with friends. “I heard this, that God is pure, and loveth purity; and God is liberal, and loveth liberality; God is munificent, and loveth munificence: then keep the courts of your house clean, and do not be like Jews who do not clean the courts of their houses. They often do things that are supposedly forbidden from doing: watching videos, listening to music, even drinking alcohol. Arabic Customs & Culture for the Business Traveller Around 1 million British nationals visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) every year. In the summer when it is really hot many businesses open and close early or take a longer afternoon break. Islam also teaches a Muslim, what he should say, when he sneezes, and what he should say, when he hears another sneeze. by Nellie Huang Posted on 11 May 2016. During Ramadan non-Muslims are obligated to follow all of the restrictions and prohibitions that Muslims follow. If you are the copyright owner and would like this content removed from factsanddetails.com, please contact me. Saudi Arabia is one of the strictest and most closed societies in the world. In this short Chapter, (containing on 18 verses) Allah (swt) instructs us on how to deal with one another with the best social etiquette. The Qur’an dictates that you should donate 10 percent of your money to charity. Men often sit cross legged or with their legs to the side. It is customary in some Bedouin tribes for a host to smear blood from a slaughtered animal onto of the mounth of his guest in a show of hospitality. Kisses are often given by people who haven’t seen each other for a long time. Here are 9 examples from this Chapter: 1. A man who has eaten his host's bread and eaten his salt may claim sanctuary for three days. 9- The caller for Islam must use different methods of da’wah. When saying goodbye older people often give each other a kind of salute in which they raise their right hand to their forehead and then place in on their heart. ", Image Sources: Wikimedia, Commons except McDonald's Mvslim. Author: Dr. Sa‘eed ‘Abdul-‘Atheem In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah his family and Companions, and those who follow him. Greetings are followed by enquiries about ones’ health and family members. Therefore the responsibility of the dai’yah is to convey the message and not to put faith in people’s hearts. 18/09/2020. The prophet (S.A.W.S.) Inside their homes Saudis are much more free. See Prayer Times. [Source: Middle East and North African Customs and Manners by Elizabeth Devine and Nancy Braganti (St.Martin’s Press)]. Whenever an animal is slaughtered for a guest it is ritually sacrificed in accordance with Islamic law.