Dear Ali: I’ve read your column about not showing the soles of your feet to Arabs, as it’s considered rude. But when I go to the women’s toilet at work, my Muslim colleagues use the sink to wash their feet. And they use soap. I know that it’s to do with the ritual before praying, but it seems rather disrespectful, no? JM, Abu Dhabi
Dear JM: I know that some buildings have not been built with an ablution area, so worshippers sometimes create their own. Washing the feet is the last part of wudhu, so perhaps you are walking in on your colleagues at the end of their ablution. Some will go to the washroom and balance on one leg as they wash the other. Not all Muslims agree with these methods, but we understand that maybe this is the best they could come up with.
Praying is essential in Islam and wudhu is important for a worshipper to be in a state of purity, hence making this is an important ritual.
You might put in a quiet word to your manager about getting these ladies a private ablution area, as I understand how off-putting it might be.
The part of your question that puzzles me is the soap. Soap isn’t used during wudhu – just water. So if your colleagues are using soap then they are not doing their ablution. Again, I would advise going through a manager to address your concern. And maybe add a sign to remind people to keep the place clean and dry.
Dear Ali: Have you ever been to the Tree of Life in Bahrain? I’ve heard that it’s a big tourist destination and I was wondering if I should visit? RK, Doha
Dear RK: I’m not sure if I would categorise it as a “big” tourist destination, but, yes, I have been to the Tree of Life. It was many years ago, and I understand that Bahrain’s government has added signage, so perhaps it is being taken seriously. Actually, the Tree of Life is a ghaf tree, which is the national tree of the UAE.
The ghaf is known for its amazing roots, which can grow as deep as 12 metres. They do this because the tree grows in hot, desert climates where water is scarce. If I remember correctly, what makes the Tree of Life (called Shajarat Al Hayat in Arabic) so unique is that it’s the only tree in the area, which is near Jebel Dukhan or the “Mountain of Smoke”, which is about half an hour south of Manama.
The Mountain of Smoke is Bahrain’s highest mountain and is called that because it looks smoky on hot, humid days.
The tree is also very large for a ghaf. Another interesting thing about the Tree of Life is that it’s allegedly 400 years old. Archaeologists have dug up pottery remains and artefacts in the region that link it to the Dilman civilisation thousands of years ago.
Actually, after reading about it, I want to go back and see the Tree of Life again. Maybe it should be a big tourist attraction.
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 and to find his guidebooks to the UAE, priced at Dh50.
