Religion & Islam in Saudi Arabia

Religion & Islam

Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam and all aspects of life are governed by the Shira law that is set down in the Quaran. Below are sites that have extensive information about the Shira law and Islam.

Islamic Law Myths and Realities: There is no separation of church and state, the religion of Islam and the government are one. www.ummah.net/bicnews/articles/law.htm

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MORE information with pictures about Mecca and Medina on the page The Holy Cities

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Islamic law and the Modern Age: by S. Muzaffar Hussai www.muslim-canada.org/lawmodern.html

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FAQ's about Islam by Dr. Shahid Athar, MD: Dr. Athar is a physician, an Islamic writer and speaker, he is author of over 60 articles and 5 books on Islam. www.hammoude.com/FAQ.html

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Religion and social customs
Islam is the only permitted religion in Saudi Arabia. There are no Christian churches in the country. Bibles are sometimes confiscated on entry. Strict segregation of the sexes in the workplace and at most public functions is the norm. Even social engagements may be segregated, though less so in more cosmopolitan Saudi circles. There are 5 prayers during a 24 hour period when all businesses and shops close their doors:

www.britishcouncil.org/saudiarabia/contact/sauvisit.htm

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To say religion pervades every aspect of life in Saudi Arabia is an understatement.

Saudi Arabia is governed by sharia, or Islamic law, which means its rules, regulations and laws are based on the Koran and the sunna, the spoken and acted example of Mohammed. Sharia governs all aspects of public and private, social and conomic, religious and political life.
www.sptimes.com/2002/webspecials02/saudiarabia/day1/story3.shtml

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We are heading back to Riyadh. No pictures were taken on the beach as cameras were not allowed there.
See the road signs. Non-believers must drive around Mekkah.

www.valpas.com/photos/20010525/index.html

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Accidental killing: this ruling is controlled by the Shira Laws (Islamic Law) and you will pay out sr100,000 ($ 27,000) to the family of the deceased. PLUS the children of the deceased have the right of requesting the death of the guilty party, if there is an underage child then the decision is delayed until that child becomes of age. Imagine waiting for a 2 year old to come of age so you could learn your fate.

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No Autopsies: There are no autopsies performed in Saudi, the dead are buried before sunset of the same day. In Islam, to respect the dead is to bury them quickly. On rare occasions the burial is delayed, like the instance of King Faisal's untimely killing. To accommodate the heads of state's arrivals, King Faisal was buried two days later.

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05/02/2004 Over 590,000 animals sacrificed for Eid / Jeddah, 5th February 2004
Over 590,000 sheep, camels and cows were sacrificed during this year’s Hajj, under the Kingdom’s Project for Utilization of Sacrificial Meat.
He added that the sacrificial meat of 32,000 cattle had been distributed to pilgrims and needy people in Makkah. The remaining meat is being shipped and dispatched to the needy and poor people of a number of Islamic countries. http://www.saudinf.com/main/y6717.htm

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At the end of the Hajj ritual, each Haji is supposed to sacrifice a lamb and distribute it among the poor, you can imagine how much waste there was each season. Not only that but in those days all the dead animals were piled high and bulldozers would push them into holes dug to try to control disease from the rotting flesh.

When I first heard about all the sheep that were being 'dumped' I told as many people as I could that this meat should be sent to other poor countries. I guess someone spread the word because eventually the government built freezing hangers at the Haj site and the freshly frozen meat was being sent to other Moslem countries. Another 'great' idea was that a Haji could buy a coupon at many bank branches with the instructions of the sacrifice and let those involved take care of it, less work for the Haji and the meat was guaranteed to reach the hungry!!

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Islam is the only permitted religion in Saudi Arabia. There are no Christian churches in the country. Bibles are sometimes confiscated on entry. Strict segregation of the sexes in the workplace and at most public functions is the norm. Even social engagements may be segregated, though less so in more cosmopolitan Saudi circles. There are 5 prayers during a 24 hour period when all businesses and shops close their doors.

www.britishcouncil.org/saudiarabia/contact/sauvisit.htm

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Men lowering their eyes when speaking with women.

Islam commands proper behavior and dress of men, they have a special commandment to lower their eyes, and not to brazenly stare at women. www.jannah.org/sisters/index.html

This commandment is practiced by about 25% of the men (it's almost un-nerving to talk to a man that is staring at the floor) and about 25% of men are normal interacting people, but the remaining 50% think, 'it doesn't hurt to try'..... which is normal the world over!

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In Saudi, grave sites are unmarked because the Islamic belief is that a person should not return to the site to pray or visit so that a person will not continue to mourn or be upset over the loss.

Picture: www.baynardscastle.com/adventures/almuwayh.html

MANY more pictures and information when you visit

The Holy Cities -- Mecca & Median