All the praises & thanks are due to Allah.

We praise Him & seek His help and forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah, Most High, from the evils of our own selves and from our wicked deeds. I bear witness that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah alone, without partner or associate. I further bear witness that Muhammad is His last & final Messenger. I want to let you know that we are glad to have you here among us. I may be late in greeting you but better late than never. Some of us have been abroad and know the feeling of being a stranger in another country. The situation can be further be complicated when the social background is markedly different from that of our own. There would be occasions where one of us would have been invited to a gathering yet now know exactly what to wear for it. He would not know whether to dress formally, casually or somewhere in between! In most countries, you do not need to know much about the religion of the people in order to know their social code and customs. In Arabia, however, one needs to know about Islam to understand how the Arabs live, think, judge and react to different situations. Islam is not only a religion but also a way of life. It is a moral code, a social code, and a legislative system at the same time. You will see Islam in the mosque, at home, in the street and in the office. You will see Islam in public and in private. The whole land is a masjid for a Muslim and anytime is a time of worship. Worship is not limited to rituals but every act of a Muslim is an act of worship. Therefore, knowing more about Islam will help you understand the cultural aspects of the society.. Every religion of the world has been named either after its founder or after the community or nation in which it was born. For instance, Christianity takes its name from its prophet Jesus Christ; Buddhism from its founder, Gautama Buddha; Zoroastrianism from its founder Zoroaster; and Judaism, the religion of the Jews, from the name of the tribe Judah where it originated. The same is true of all other religions except Islam, which enjoys the unique distinction of having no such association with any particular person, people or country. Nor is it the

product of any human mind. It is a universal religion and its objective is to create and cultivate in man the quality and attitude of Islam. Islam is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to the Creator, Allah. Islam is not a new religion. It is in essence, the same message and guidance which Allah (God) revealed to all of His previous messengers. As Allah have mentioned in the Quran; 3:84

Say: We believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes of Israel, and we believe in the Books given to Moses, Jesus and the Prophets, from their Lord; we make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will. The Message which was revealed to the Last & Final Prophet, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Islam in its comprehensive, complete & final form. Islam is a comprehensive and perfect system of teachings, regulations and instructions. Through the Noble Quran and the Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon him) sayings and deeds, Islam gives Muslim all over the world, guidance in all aspects of life. It does not leave them at the mercy of inherited traditions which differ from one place to another and which may be right or wrong. Islamic values are logical and cohesive, and shared by knowledgeable Muslims everywhere. In fact, most people who are not Muslim are not Muslims because they dont know Islam, know very little about it, or have a distorted picture of it. Islam is also an attributive title, anyone who possesses this attribute, whatever race, community, country or group he belongs to, is a Muslim. According to the Noble Quran, among every people and in all ages there have been good and righteous people who possessed this attribute and all of them were and are Muslims. Whoever submits himself and he is a Muhsin (performs good deeds totally for Allahs sake only without ay show off or to gain praise or any fame) is called a Muslim. Arabia occupies a special place in a Muslims heart. Some Muslims consider the whole of Arabia as a sacred place because Arabia was the cradle of Islam from which its light spread. Thus observing the Islamic code of conduct whilst in Arabia will help you get along not only with the Arabs but also with the other Muslims in the country. Your consideration will be appreciated and so will your efforts to cope with the new life style. Appearance and clothing are the first things people get to know about you and it might be a good start for you to know what is acceptable in the way of clothing. People tend to judge others by their appearance and how they are dressed not by how good they may be inside. therefore