***please note the UPDATED information on my last post with regards to Asasi Awal Muqaddimah (a class prior to Asasi Awal - Introduction per se; for those students who are really new to reading/reciting Arabic.)
just to note instant noodles are a big no-no in Daruz Zahra. by right it is prohibited by left almost everyone I know has a couple packs stashed somewhere for "emergency".. *grins*
just to note instant noodles are a big no-no in Daruz Zahra. by right it is prohibited by left almost everyone I know has a couple packs stashed somewhere for "emergency".. *grins*
new boarding students will be placed in dorm rooms without wardrobes (only seniors will be in dorms with wardrobes) thus you literally will live out of your suitcase for about a year or two before moving rooms therefore 1 big luggage and a bagpack will suffice. opt to use carton box/boxes if you have more items to bring. easily discarded after use.
the bagpack will be handy for going-out trips etc. do note it is considered not of etiquette to use a bagpack for school as books of knowledge are to be sacred and not be placed on your back so bring a spare "messenger bag" / handbag for school.
(*) WHAT TO WEAR BEFORE STEPPING IN YEMEN
(i.e. Seiyun airport; half an hour car ride to Tareem)
Plain Black Abaya (3pieces)
3 would suffice cuz laundry dries in an hour crisp here. believe it or not I only have 1 hanging in my wardrobe for my daily wear.
Custom make your own Black Jilbab & Niqab (2sets)
we have to cover top to bottom including eyes (Daruz Zahra ettiqutte). here we wear a khimar (its like a Harry Potter's cloak that covers you from head to knees - 1st photo). the niqab that you wear inside the khimar covers your face except the eyes). you can opt not to wear the niqab underneath the khimar if you could see through the 2 layers of cloth over your head/eyes. tried tested, not recommended eh. these are available here however it takes a while to wait for the orders to come.
KHIMAR & NIQAB UNDERNEATH
therefore before coming, please custom make your own plain black Jilbab (alike the typical prayer outfit top i.e. telekong top or a bigger version of the typical "tudung madrasah"). you have to wear a niqab (face piece that covers face except eyes; either tied or with elastic band attached to wrap behind your head) if you opt this. refer photo below. niqab-s are readily available in Singapore urm, right? if not custom make that too. my niqab shown below, gifted by my senior, has an additional layer meant to flip back, seriously not necessary especially in windy snadstorms.
JILBAB & NIQAB
Shawls (Hijab; 5pieces)
we kinda not ever use our normal pins and studs as we would in Singapore. we loosely wear our shawls to cover our hair and necks cuz outside we have our khimar over our heads therefore coloured ones are ok. do note unmarried local ladies wear only black and only adorn themselves with colours and makeup etc. after marriage.
but do bring basic plain colours (black, red, purple etc.) cuz there are days when we have events or shows and we like wearing same hijab colours. its a girly thing. heh. but don't worry too much about it cuz we are like a big family here.. we then to borrow one another's stuff.
but do bring basic plain colours (black, red, purple etc.) cuz there are days when we have events or shows and we like wearing same hijab colours. its a girly thing. heh. but don't worry too much about it cuz we are like a big family here.. we then to borrow one another's stuff.
general rule is, as long as a lady is outside of their homes, only plain black is allowed.
Black Socks
bring a couple comfy ones.
Black "Crocs" Slip-On Shoes (2pairs)
buy those cheap lookalikes available in your neighbourhood stores
Black Pants Underneath your Abayas please. heh.
(*) WHAT YOU WEAR IN DARUZ ZAHRA (OR DOWRA HOUSE) ITSELF
Prayer Outfit (1set)
bring your own first. prayer outfit called gamis can be bought here for about SGD12. i heard of people selling in Singapore for SGD40 *faints*.. buy it when you reach Tareem. this is readily available.
Housedresses (3sets)
long sleeves and just above ankle length. some Malaysians wear their baju kurung. we usually wear our "baju butterfly". cotton is definitely a good choice. short sleeves are acceptable but frowned upon. well, as long as your armpits can't be seen ya.
Cotton Pants (3sets)
we are required to always wear pants underneath our housedresses. basically Tarimis consider pants as "underwear".. *giggles*
Shawls (as per the 5stated above)
coloured shawls are welcome but do have plain black ones too.
FlipFlops (3pairs)
you will wear this and the Daruz Zahra compounds and to the common bathrooms. (not necessary for English/Western Dowra students)
SCHOOL ESSENTIAL
school uniform is your Plain Black Abaya worn OVER your housedress and pants.
White Hijab/Shawl (2pieces)
Al-Quran Mushaf/Kitab that is with translation
cuz we have Al-Quran lessons almost daily and we revise with it often thus bring one that you are able to hold when you do not have your wudhu or during your menstruation.
School Bag / Stationery
i love Smiggle. period. if its not "zuhud" that we are trying to emulate here, i would have opened a Smiggle store right here in Tareem.
Arab-English Dictionary
MP3/MP4 player (equipped with radio; recordable preferred)
its not a necessity but we we always use this for classes with Habib Umar -who is at Darul Mustafa- cuz classes is aired on live local radio. download your own favourite hadith, Al-Quran, audio classes so you could hear it when you are free. we have no internet access in the school so trust me, you will have time to listen to your own favourites. do note too we have suprise spot-checks on our MP3/MP4 so please keep your Coldplay and Beyonce back in Singapore *reminder to myself*
Basic Non-Camera Non-Wifi Handphone
we are given our above mentioned phones every Thursday after school till mahgrib (Singapore time 5pm-11pm) to contact our families etc. Only this kind of phones are allowed in Daruz Zahra. if you want, you could buy it here (takes a while of course) for about USD40 (about SGD50).
Smartphones and Laptops are to be kept in school office and we can only have access to it if we have invitation to go out to homes we are invited to. we have permission to go out once a month to our friends' homes (those with families outside); of course it is as per permitted by Darul Mustafa / Daruz Zahra. we are really like royal princesses who are being watched on our movements and who we hang out with.
(*) TOILETRIES
Hanging Toiletries Bag
our bathrooms are outside of our rooms. bring this along with your own set of bathroom essentials i.e. shampoo, toothbrush, towels, shower gels, face garb; you get me gist aye. after the 1st set then the next batch of essentials could be bought in Daruz Zahra store itself.
please note we have never seen Hair Conditioners nor PantyLiners in Tareem so either make do without or bring your own bagful. heh.
please note we have never seen Hair Conditioners nor PantyLiners in Tareem so either make do without or bring your own bagful. heh.
Small Torch
to fit in your toiletries bag cuz electricity cuts are quite frequent especially during the summer and you don't wish to be caught in the midst of your shower in the stark dark. been there done that, never want anyone to have to go through that. however Darul Mustafa and Darul Zahra's back-up generator comes back up within 10mins max cuz the government prioritize our schools.
people living outside are not so fortunate though; they usually live with an average of 10hrs of electricity cuts (when it happens) so for them intending to live outside, bring along portable/chargeable fans/lamps among your pots and pans.. =)
Small bucket i.e. Gayung
trust me you will thank me, especially when you have to go out for da'wah trips at remote places.
CURRENCY
A MUST - USD500
(deposit to Darul Mustafa; this will be returned to you when you are travelling back to your respective countries. you will hand this over to the school once you reach here).
ANOTHER USD300 - see breakdown below at Registration Must-Have
besides the first two above, bring at least another USD500 to last you a year for your daily knick knacks and toiletries. ATMs here are not advisable to use. if you need more money, have your family hand it to people travelling here.
Total to bring on hand:- USD1,300 or more if you want (it will last you the whole year InshaAllah)
Total to bring on hand:- USD1,300 or more if you want (it will last you the whole year InshaAllah)
you can change the USD currency to Yemeni Riyals in Daruz Zahra itself.
REGISTRATION MUST-HAVE UPON REACHING DARUZ ZAHRA
Passport Sized Photos
get ready at least 10 pieces that depicts you in a black hijab and if you can write your full name and nationality i.e. Singapore in Arabic behind each photo. if you can't, don't worry, the seniors designated to help you during registration or our Ustadha-in-charge here can write it for you.
Contact Numbers of Parents & Person-in-charge of your arrangements in Tareem
just have this handy, its typical info needed during registration.
Have the above mentioned USD800 on hand (see the highlighted blue)
estimated breakdown as follows:
1) Visa (est USD40)
2) Blood test (est USD45)
3) Boarding Fee (est USD15 x 1year = USD180)
4) Registration Fee (est USD1 haha.. just had to write it down for info sake)
5) Books (depending on the level it will be between USD10 - USD20; very cheap, no worries)
6) Deposit to Darul Mustafa (est USD500)*
*only the deposit is to be given in USD, the others (est USD300, you can change it conveniently at the shop in Daruz Zahra itself as prior mentioned.
(*) BEDDING AND MISC
(English/Western Dowra students would not have to worry about basic bedding and linen, we do provide it. just consider the others in the list).
you will sleep on a thin single mattress and a pillow supplied by the school so bring your own single-size bed covers and pillowcase. you could buy your own mattress and pillows after settling in here.
Summer Blanket
Storage Box to put your books
(buy those foldable ones from IKEA)
Chargeable Small Study Lamp
(lights out is at 10.30pm thus this is handy if you want to study through the night)
Alarm Clock
yes, we do have them angels who don't seem to need sleep, who'd be the ones waking us up for Tahajjud or from Qaylulah (nap) but do bring one for the snooze effect should you know you are the kind who'd only wake up upon a mother's yelling.
Eye Sleeping Mask
there are no curtains here so you might want to bring this to help you to nap easy in broad daylight or when you want to sleep early yet your other room mates are still up and about and would only rest till lights out at 2230hrs.
Thread & Needle (Mini Sewing Kit)
for the those annoying tears and hemming you have to do when the need occurs.
Handy Torch & Portable Handheld Fan
(as mentioned, we have frequent electricity cuts during summer)
Paste-able Wall Hooks (3M ones are good) and Clothes Hangers
as new students will be housed in rooms without wardrobes, these will come handy.
Clothes Pegs
for when you want to hang your washed laundry.
Foldable Sleeping Bag and Mini Pillow
we tend to go ot for Da'wah trips for periods of between a whole day to a week to parts of Yemen as part of our tarbiyyah (eduation); once or twice a year. the places are usually suburban areas where minimalism would be the understatement of the century. it is good training for the nafs especially when one gets to sleep on hard floors, middle of the dessert, dusty mud houses, steel rod bedframes without mattresses etc. you get me gist. this item will also be good if upon arrival, you'd rather your own sleeping bag rather than the school-provided mattress and pillow.
WINTER ESSENTIALS
(between average 27deg to lowest 5deg as I have experienced; dry dessert winter. please note Daruz Zahra is not equipped with air-heaters thus we are exposed to the cold. our rooms are our best warmer comforts. we have hot water available though; not that we shower much during winter. heh.)
Long John Set or Thermal Inner Wear (2sets)
Sweater or Light Jacket
Winter Jacket
Winter Socks
Winter Blanket
(during winter we sleep with both our summer AND winter blankets)
A really Good Moisturiser i.e. Cetaphil (available at Guardian/Watsons) cuz your feet will crack and bleed if you don't use it.. =/ also if you avoid using good moisturisers most girls suffer from bloated painful skin condition due to extreme dryness. just always note the dorm is an open exposed building alike Polytechnics or NUS in Singapore thus these conditions. its different if you stay in a house i.e you are not a boarding student. good news though, your scaly skin will be back to its supple self after the winter.
(*) MEDICATION
it is quite an arrangement to get ourselves to the doctor so we usually opt for that option when its really dire. most times the girls here depend on pure Yemeni honey and black seed in accordance to the sunnahs. us Singaporean girls though usually bring the entire pharmacy with us in the name of kiasu-ism *laughs*
Normal / Extra Panadols
Flu Meds i.e. anti-histamine
not only for colds but this is definitely good when you develop scary looking bumps i.e. allergic reaction due to the weirdest of insect bites. so far in my 3 years of stay here, 3 Singaporean girls had it. oh yes, me included. panic would be an understatement. thank God for seniors who'd know better.
Medicated Oil (Minyak Angin)
i have never used this in Singapore but here.. anything for relief.
Vicks VapoRub
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kao (Chinese Herbal Cough Relief - Ubat Batok Cap Ibu dan Anak)
we are such fans of this miracle. really really.
Medicated Plasters (Koyok)
cuz we sit on the floor alot (we have no chairs and desks for school) and it is very common to experience back pain during the 1st few months.
Diarrhoea cum Re-Hydration Solution Packets
our pampered stomachs takes a while to get used to the food here. this ailment is very common. we don't take any medication for this. basically as my seniors would put, whatever bacteria that is inside you will need to come out upwardly (vomiting) or well, southwards. if medication is taken, the tummy will hurt bad and post that, it will be hard to resume normal bathroom "regulations".
Multi-Vitamins (if you like)
Fever / Cooling Forehead Patch
these would be handy cuz it takes a while to get used to the Summer dessert heat so this eases your dehydration related migranes and headaches. i rarely have fever back in Singapore but i had frequent feverish days in my 1st year here. its the change in climate i guess.
Hot Pack / Rubber Bottle
to ease menstruation cramps or for days you are shivering during winter nights.
Insect Repellent & Cream i.e. Mopiko
get those Peel-Stick-Patch insect repellent cuz during winter especially them mosquitoes come out to play in gangs, buzzing among your ears. it mostly due to the fact we don't have the fans blasting in our rooms during winter thus they just hand around our sleepy thoroughly exasperated heads.
IMPORTANTLY if you are chronically ill, bring ample supple of your own medication i.e. Asthma inhalers (only Ventolin is available here but as usual quite a hassle to get it)
(*) FOODSTUFF AND RELATED
English/Western Dowra students would DEFINITELY NOT have to worry about food, we provide it well MashaAllah and you are welcome to use the equipped kitchen. Dowra students staying in Daruz Zahra itself or dorms under Daruz Zahra will need to consider bringing the ones below.
Small Electric Kettle
this is usually available in seniors dorm (cuz we know better what to pack post our 1st visit back home.. heh) however seniors dorm are quite a walk away from juniors' dorm so if you are like me always needing tea fix at odd hours of the day, please feel free to bring your own.
"Lunch-Box" Container (i love Smiggle ones)
if you are not up for eating meals during normal hours, you could pack it up to eat later.
Mug
for times when you need to fix your coffee/tea or instant soups.
Water Bottle
bring an extra one cuz the water in our drinking fountains is not your typical mineral water or water available in Singapore thus sendiments will be visible after a couple of months if you are those kind who don't bother washing your water bottles really well.
Bottle Flask
if you want to put hot water in.
from my experience do bring dry foodstuff i.e. serunding daging, ikan bilis/kacang goreng, sambal terasi, instant packet soups, Maggi (heh), your favourite biscuits (the only biscuits closest to home available here is Oreo), Nutella, Peanut Butter, Cereals, Milo (the last 4 are available here but really expensive by students' standards and only comes by Daruz Zahra's shop once in a blue moon).
TYPICAL MEALS IN DARUZ ZAHRA
cooked by people of Darul Mustafa, our meals here are quite dry and simple thus it is very common to mix up with anything we could have our hands on. i began eating rice with yoghurt here. my friend finds the rice goes well with banana. don't ask. those on kitchen duty in Daruz Zahra usually will cook the side dishes i.e. sambal, stir fried vegetables, soup etc.
Breakfast
served at 7.00am (15mins before school) usually consists of tea, bread (its not your typical square bread - oh i miss Gardenia-) and beans gravy i.e. dhal.
Lunch
served at 2.30pm (after our post Dzuhur nap / before Asr) usually consists of Spiced Rice and Fried Fish (we will have chicken or lamb on Fridays). vegetables are limited here.
Dinner
served at 8.30pm; usually consists of tea with bread or Spiced Rice and Tuna or Boiled Eggs.
don't worry though cuz during school break time at 9am and after Asr around 5pm, the good people living outside brings in i.e. packet fried rice or rice with chicken, pizzas, samosas and loads of other knick knacks to sell. a shop in Daruz Zahra sells instant pratas, fried eggs and home-made fries too. sometimes the shop bring in fresh vegetables i.e. cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and fruits too.
its quite cheap but on a daily basis, you will definitely blow your student budget therefore balance between eating what the school serves and what your taste buds want to eat.
so far that is what is on top of me head. inshaAllah the above will aid your packing.
16 comments:
Salam sister , Alhamdoulilah my extensive research on the internet has landed me here.
First off I'm a Canadian Male looking to gain entrance in to Darul Mustafa.
I've so far tried contacting them threw email but got no reply. So i was wondering seeing that your active on your blog , you might be able to help me out .
I need contacts with reliable email's and or Phone numbers to further my application into the dar.
Also I had a few question regarding the program
Are you able to do hifz while studying the other sciences.
Can you learn Arabic while doing hifdh or do you do assasi awwal and assasi thani before going into the hifdh program.
As you can see me and my brother are willing to go for 2 yrs of our lives minimun in order to learn the Quran and Arabic ..
and last thing do you know any students coming from djibouti thats my native country .. yemen is a boat ride away from djibouti .. i was thinking of travelling from there.. If you know anyone please late me know..
jazakallah sister .. If your able to help me out just by pointing me to the right direction then allah will grant you abundant reward.
Assalamualaikum wrm wbrkth,
Dear Sister, I came across ur blog while searching for information on Study at Dar Zahra. Actually, my daughter has arrived in Tarim & will soon register into the Rabiul Awal school term. Masya Allah, I find your posting very informative. Will it be possible if my daughter contact u personally in Tarim? I don't have her contact no at Tarim but you can contact me at my FB address. Jazakillah for any help that you can give in this matter :) https://www.facebook.com/ahliasaifullah.zulkifli
And also , does one need to know arabic in order to do the hifdh program. Or can both be taught simultaneously.
Durying the 1 year Asasi program ... which books of fiqh , nawh , aqida etc.. are covered ?
brother ali ibrahim, inshaAllah you can contact Ustadh Ismaeil Al-Khatib at his mobile no. +967-735-206-086 (watsapp preferable). he is the go-to person in Tareem for Singaporeans students here, however you could contact him first to ask for a specific brother who is in charge of arrangements from your place of origin.
the program i wrote about are specifically for Daruz Zahra (women's wing). i am not versed to advice on matters pertaining to Darul Mustafa (men's wing). inshaAllah Ustadh Ismaeil could advice you further.
we have a good number of family and students from the African region either already here or coming. mention to Ustadh Ismaeil if you would rather someone from Canada or Djibouti to help with your arrangements.may Allah make Ease for you and your brother. amin.
dearest sister, it will be hard to contact me as i am a hostel bound student. i only get to use internet once a month and my phone use is limited to every Thursday. she could come by Daruz Zahra and look for me though. i will help to my best of abilities. i am known as Dura Sangafura (means Dora Singapore in Arabic) in Daruz Zahra. i will then provide her more information inshaAllah. may i know which country your daughter hails from? i don't have a FB account (i know, i think im weird too) but inshaAllah i'll try to use a friend's account.
yes, you would need to know Arabic to be in the intensive Hifz programme but just to note, the normal madrasah does have hifz of Al-Quran in the curriculum.. its just not that heavy. for one semester (about 5-6mths), normal curriculum students would need to memorize just 1 new juz' (about 20pages worth) about the other subjects they are taking.
Asasi Fiqh books are Risalah Jamiah (matan & syarah.. meaning both the actually text and along with in-depth explanatories), Aqidah is Adzakirah Musharafah and Nahu books are Madinah Language texts 1-2. i hope the information helps.
Few more questions , jazakallah for taking the4 time to anwser my questions in detail.
Like I said before , I will only be able to sacrifice 2yrs of my time inshallah so I want to derive maximum benefit in the field of arabic and quran.
1. What is your level of spoken , reading and understand , after a year of study are you well versed in speaking , are you able to hold up a conversation.
2. What other books are taught during the assasi.
3. Am I able to take private lessons on top of the regular classes or is that too much work load, my intention is too complete my hifdh and be well verses in the arabic sciences . (Nawh, sarf , balagha) is there teachers readily available. .
4. Finally , how much funds do I need for 2 full years . Without the return flight.
my options are dar al mustafa or studying in egypt whats your opinion in this regard based on your knowledge?
brother mourad ali,
it differs individually. after a year i was able to help out new students in registering in our school's office.. basic translation etc. but i must stress that my Arabic is still very basic as in i could understand my own teachers and friends.. well mostly but i.e. im not able to understand general classes by i.e. Habib Umar (still need translation for that). it really differs individually.
for books, are those i mentioned above. on matters of Darul Mustafa, my apologies im not versed to explain as im speaking with regards to Daruz Zahra. i should think its easier to take lessons outside of Darul Mustafa as male students are not restricted on their whereabouts unlike us girls. we are strictly indoors for those of us boarding students.
best you contact the no. i mentioned above (Ustadh Ismaeil). inshaAllah he would be of better help. funds wise will also differ.
with regards to comparison, i'v only studied Arabic here. im not able to comment on other institutions. hope my reply helps. may Allah make ease in your arrangements.
Salam sis Dora,
may I know if the boarding fees are considered school fees?
I truly appreciate your kind thoughts for future students of Dar az Zahra. Your blog has truly helped me alot in prepping for my future studies there. I am planning to study there next year. InsyaAllah.
May Allah s.w.t bless you and your fellow friends in Tareem who are seeking ilm of the deen, and continue to give you strength and beneficial knowlegde.
Sincerely,
A fellow singaporean :)
salaam dear sister, may Allah provide you Ease in your steps towards seeking and attaining scared knowledge to please solely Him.
boarding fees are accommodation fees.. it basically pays for the food that the school provides us with (breakfast, lunch & dinner).
school fees are FREE mashaAllah. Habib Umar, may Allah be pleased with my teacher, Amin... has never imposed school fees on his students, even Dowra students. our school, the teachers fee, tutorials etc. all are funded by mighty generous people. it is by Allah's will that you will be accepted here.. henceforth you just need to strive to study well and thus carry on the work of Habib Umar.
I look forward to meeting you in Daruz Zahra in the near future. may Allah provide you rizq and aid even before you thought you needed or wanted it. Amin Ya Rabb.
Asalaamu alaikum sister,
May Allah increase you in ilm. MashaAllah. The experience at dar al zahra sounds beautiful.
If you don't mind me asking a few questions, that will be most appreciated. I would like to know if there are older students in dar al zahra? Also, what is the daily schedule for the Arabic program?
Another question, would you know of any information or contacts about children between 9-11 memorising Qur'an in Tarim.
Jazakhillah for your effort and time!
Wasalaam, Mona
wa'alaikum slm Mona.. may this Ramadhan be the Ramadhan where Allah expiates all of your sins.. past, present and future. Amin.
im the older student! *laughs* where boarding students (who live in the hostel) minimum age preferred is 18yrs and I think im the oldest (im 35 this year, enrolled at 32). there is no age maximum per se if you are staying outside of the DZ compunds.
daily schedule: school starts (Sat-Thurs) at 7.15am and ends at 11.30am. we have 4 periods altogether with a 20mins break after 2periods for dhuha n snack time! usually 1st period is Al-Quran and the other periods is genres of Arabic i.e. Grammar, Conversation & Reading, Vocab etc. Every week there are at least 3 periods of Khat (Writing - Calligraphy), Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and Adab (Etiquette) lessons.
yes, there are AQ memorisation classes/schools for toddlers to tweens in Tareem.
may Allah make Ease you and your family's journey towards seeking and attaining sacred knowledge.
dora
Assalamu'alaykum ukht.
I came accross your blog and Masya'Allah, it amazes me. Can you tell us what is your experience living in Tareem and Singapore? Is it so much difference? May Allāh SWT bless you always :)
wa'alaikumussalaam
may Allah bestow you rizq of His Pleasure always. Ameeen.
3years already and all I can say is Tareem is to be experienced, nothing can justify it in words.
what I realized is, there is much truth in;
more dunya = less akhirah
less dunya = MORE akhirah
Tareem is one of the choosen tools to "get to Allah" and up till now, I have yet to find another place like it.
our teachers always say things to pacify those leaving Tareem.... "TAREEM IS IN YOUR HEART, YOU CARRY IT WHEREVER YOU GO"... as much as I love my own country Singapore (and I really do), I can't deny these convenient comforts, materials & and basically everything good of dunya here (mashaAllah!)makes this heart feel not as closely immersed as it was when in Tareem.
it is through hardships that one raises his trembling hands in surrendering du'a.. that one is immersed in Allah.. that one pleads with Allah.. and that is when the heart is given softness and Nur through his tears of rememberance.
this is a practice towards humility.. the goal of seeking knowledge. cuz from humility, one seeks knowledge not for showing off or the sake of fulfillment of his wants & desire to understand... but solely becuz it pleases Allah. sincerity.
it is the ways of the blessed people of khidmah there that leaves one speechless. the Tarimis are people of zikr.. of soft hearts.. and practicers of knowledge... in the knowledge, they believe strongly in the baraqah of knowledge through presence in gatherings, through having good opinions, through having the best of etiquettes and especially through sincerity & secrecy of good deeds.
I digress. my apologies for I rambled too much.. my heart goes mush when someone asks about Tareem.
may Allah be pleased with you for reminding me of moments of memories of Tareem. you made my day. may Allah fulfill your du'a & hajat and raise you in the ranks by His side.. and release you of accountability of your sins in dunya and akhirah and allow you Jannah without Hisab. Ameen Ya Rabbal Alamin.
dora
السلام عليكم
Why do western students not need flip flops?
alaikum slm wr.w. Salina,
during my time, the WesternDowra house provides flip flops for bathroom use and since WesternDowra students were housed in a proper house, there was not a need to use own flip flops around the house.
Is Tarim safe to travel these days? It seems like you've been there at the height of the war. So from your experiences, what was it like?
safety is something nobody can guarantee.. honestly who could.
i assure you, though in literal words it seemed the phrases such as, "war", "detained at Oman borders for 3days", "a night spent in orange hued skyline of sandstorm & whatever burning that is seemed", "histeria of buses arranged by concerned countries to get their citizens out", "detained at singapore airport for an hour just to wait for an officer to question what were you doing in Yemen"... i would still firmly say my journey was something i would treasure in the path of seeking sacred knowledge.
do note, amongst all the histeria, Tareem was still calm with nothingness.. and we still had exams going on.. my ustadha still waited for me to come up to her for my day's worth of Quran memorisation.. so much for "war" lah.
i was safe, always fed well and taken care of no matter what situation i might have been in.. do note i have asthma and even when i got sick.. medical attention was always around alongside pure Yemen honey and doses of habbatusSauda'.
i have never known what a privilege it was being a woman in Islam until i set my path to Tareem and i never knew the beauty of a muslim man's heart that exudes in character until i set foot in the land and got to know Tarimis. sincerity is an understatment.
yes life was hard there in comparison to norms and conveniences of the western world but nowhere else have i ever witnessed pure hearts so attached to the deen. i make du'a everyone of us will get to witness it so much so we get to a point of clarity and go, "huh? what do you mean war?"
these are my personal experiences. it may sound airy fairy or downright delusional to most (i assure you i am the last person to be airy fairy about the deen.. im too practical of a person to ever be that).. but i assure you it is the best decision i made to "halt my normal life" for 3years in pursuit of the gems in Tareem. istikharah.. istisharah (where i got my parents' -read, MOM- blessings).. and tawakkal.
honestly when i got back to Singapore i jumped right back to where i was before.. only much more fulfilled as a human being (and weirdly albeit my absence, i was given a better position and better pay upon my return). i went Tareem not concerning myself of the validity -of a certificate from the "not-recognised-by-Singapore-standards school" so i was not expecting any "returns" career wise upon my return.
much to my amazement mashaAllah, Allah gave me much more.. not only the sacred knowledge i thirst for but in my career as well. Allah is THAT generous YaKareem.
i finally knew my purpose.. i finally knew Allah has always been the one taking care of me.. of everything.. and that my dear enquirer.. is an assurance that everything can go wrong.. but it is actually just about right. go figure.
Allah make ease for you.
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