Dear Ali: Does rain mean anything significant in Emirati culture? Is it considered a bad sign, especially when you see some of the floods that occur in the region? YR, Ras Al Khaimah
Dear YR: "Oh rain, fall, fall, rain/ Our house is made of steel" – these are the lyrics we used to chant when we were young whenever it rained or there was a thunderstorm.
Allah says that in rain, there’s life for everyone and everything – planet Earth and all of its creatures, from humans to plants and animals, as mentioned in the Quran (25:48-50): “From the sky We pour down pure water, therewith to revive a region that was dead. And to give drink, among what We created, many cattle and humans”. Rain is viewed as a blessing.
The desert feels it is being blessed whenever the rain falls – it’s something all of the people of the region look for and even pray to God to bless them with.
In Islam, there’s a special prayer that Muslims recite to seek rain. Despite any difficulties that anyone faces from the results of heavy rain, they will still love and appreciate it when it rains, simply because it doesn’t rain a lot in this country, and people always look out for it.
Here is a prayer that Muslims recite whenever it rains: “Allahuma, aj’alhu sayyibann nafi’an”, which translates to “Oh Allah, make it a beneficial rain”.
This means people are aware that heavy rain can also affect others who are in need of shelter – birds’ nests could get destroyed, or villages could be damaged – so people pray to Allah to make the rain beneficial for all.
When it rains, it means one thing and one thing only to many people in our society – it’s desert time; time to go and enjoy the beautiful wet sand dunes.
Dear Ali: I know that talking about politics in public isn't popular here, but I want to share my political point of view on an international situation. How can I do that without causing offence, for example via social media? TY, Abu Dhabi
Dear TY: Politics is one of our favourite topics to discuss with each other privately or in public, but we definitely know with whom we can openly discuss this subject and whom we should not. Most importantly, it's not what you say, but how you say it.
We live in a multinational environment where each individual represents a certain country, region and ideology. If you publicly say anything against any group, ethnicity or person, it can be viewed as intolerance and could provoke indignation. So it’s not appreciated for us to talk about politics publicly, more as a matter of respect – not because there’s no freedom of speech as some might believe, but so as to not offend those with different views.
Under UAE cybercrimes law, published content that might have a negative effect on social cohesion and peace is considered offensive. That includes content that mocks the leaders of the country or affects national unity or social peace.
We always keep that in mind before posting any comments regarding political situations. It’s your responsibility to think about what you’re going to say before you publish your thoughts on social media.
Words can be powerful, and power means responsibility.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.
