I am sorry! I have not been updating my blog recently my mistake. I am writing an article which is to be posted on my blog about the halalness of food which to me this subject has become a tool of divisiveness to the Muslim masses! The subject has become too contentious to my liking. It is a tool whereby the conservative could flex their growing muscle again!!!!

I will not divulge what i am writing but enough to say to the Malays understand halal and haram well and understand that fermentation would lead the glucose or sugar and carbohydrates to change to ethanol and many fermented things that we ate does contain alcohol which is haram. Tempoyak or fermented durian which is used by Malays to cook in their curries especially in Perak would contain alcohol. Alcohol does burn if you cook at high temperature but not when you cook in stew or soup base! Soya sauce that is used in all food as an enhancer does contain minute amount of alcohol!!! What about Vinegar, it is a further process of fermentation where ethanol(alcohol) is change into ascetic acid! Enough that i leave you with this thought! I here will reprint articles that I have commented on American Bedu http://americanbedu.com/

Saudi Arabia: Distinctions between Dogs and Children

Posted on June 20, 2010 by American Bedu

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I was dialoguing with a friend about differing customs and cultures. One distinct cultural difference that came up during this discussion I wanted to share with American Bedu readers as it really does showcase an excellent example of perspectives.

In the United States many are enamored by dogs. America is also a “dog-friendly” country. People can easily travel with their dogs and many hotels accommodate people who travel with their dogs. There are many doggie parks scattered around the country too. A doggie park is an expansive gated area where people can go and play and exercise their dogs without the restriction of a leash. Whether in a city or in the countryside it is common to see people out walking with their dogs. At public parks and at many beaches families will bring their dog along to the outing. Dogs will catch Frisbees out of the air or chase tennis balls into the water. Some of the dogs will wear a colorful bandana around its neck. Other dogs may even be decked out in a shirt or coat or maybe even wearing boots. Long haired or fluffy dogs might have little bows or ribbons in their hair. The toenails may even be painted. It is pretty common for people who like dogs to come up to those who are out with a dog and freely pet a strange dog. In Saudi Arabia dogs are viewed as haram (forbidden) by a large percentage of Saudis. The dogs are viewed as unclean and not to be touched. A lot of Saudis believe the only purpose to have a dog is as a guard dog. They would never consider having a dog as a pet.

Saudis are attracted to little babies. In spite of a closed and conservative culture, a Saudi will smile spontaneously at a baby. Some Saudis may even come up and kiss a baby or pat the baby’s head. It does not matter if the person is a stranger, children are revered. Yet what is viewed as a natural action in Saudi Arabia to kiss or pat a baby in passing could send alarm bells in the United States. Anyone coming up to an unknown child in the United States would likely be met with suspicion…especially if they look and sound foreign.

Yes, in America it is tacitly okay to pet an unknown dog but stay away from a baby. Whereas in Saudi Arabia you can kiss or coo to a strange baby but may be viewed with horror if interacting with a dog.

My Comment

wan zaharizan, on June 20, 2010 at 11:13 am Said:

It is funny when it comes to dogs. In the Quran Dog is given an exalted position for her story is mention in the chapter of the Cave as the companion of those who slept for a hundred years! The only thing was Dogs and Pigs are said to be najis mughalazah the closest meaning is dirty which is basically not the same, similar yes but not the same!!!!

Even then if it is wet, yet if you keep a hunting dog and if the dog pick up a bird which have fall after you shoot it, the food is halal. You do not need even to slaughter it!!!!! and samak it although the dog has bite it!!!!Samak the closest meaning to it is to clean , to me you can clean it with water and soap it would do in fact all food need to be clean that way!!! But many conservative muslims require a ritual of soil and water. It is just part of belief not of faith!!!

The only one you can find about dog is in the hadiths where the angel jibrail was angry at the dogs barking thus Muhammad pbuh was to have said those who keep dogs th angels would never come in. This was the basis of the values that many cultures says don’t keep dogs!!! For me if it is true then better for me to keep dogs then the angel of death would never come in and I could leave forever!!! How happy I would be then!!!!

There are many hadiths against the keeping of dogs but hadiths is not the Quran and we have to understand that Muhammad is man, a husband an Arab and most importantly a prophet, hadiths must be analyze further to understand.

A very famous story both in Islam and Christian is regarding the prostitute who gave water to a Dog. Because of her act she goes to heaven!! Why these two factors were introduce perhaps it is for us to think. A Prostitute is a human she errs. She might be the scum of the society but she is still a servant of God. A lowly dog is the biggest najis combine the 2 it tell us it is not important so much about dogs or cats,it is about duties the we humans are ask to perform. We must not forget that!!!

A dog too is a creature of God being kind to to God’s creature is ask of us!! Not to malign them or hurt them but to love them. They have the right to exist like we have and for that we are ask to protect them. I hope this explain solve the dilemma whether you can keep dogs or not. My father kept dogs, he loves dogs but since my society have become conservative we can’t anymore~~~~

Aafke-Art, on June 20, 2010 at 12:56 pm Said:

wan zaharizan, Good comment!
I am sorry you can’t have dogs anymore.
I have a dog and my life is much happier for it.
Also i feel much safer walking home in the dark.

Jerry M, on June 20, 2010 at 10:07 pm Said:

@wan zaharizan

There aren’t any well known stories from Christian scripture about a prostitute giving water to a dog.

wan zaharizan, on June 22, 2010 at 8:46 am Said:

@Jerry M true this story is found in Muslims but if you dig deeper this story or like it is found throughout the Arabian peninsula. Whether it is Islamic or not the moral of the story should be emphasis!!!

I want to tell you a story of Buddha when he first enter Nirvana and met Brahma who entice him to go back and preach to the world about enlightenment carries similarities on Moses going up the mountain to receive God’s commandment and also similarities in the flight of Muhammad to the stars to receive the commandment to pray!!

Thus if you go deeper you be surprise of the eerie similarities of all apostle of gods. But again i stress i am a Muslim but i found the differences that is enunciated by men of cloth does not have bearing on me when it comes to acknowledge people who are inherently good and i believe will be judge accordingly for their piety regardless of what faith they wore on their sleeve but what is important is what in their heart!!!