Ramadan Starts Tomorrow In Saudi Arabia.
JEDDAH, 14 October 2004 — The holy month of Ramadan, when
Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, begins in the Kingdom
tomorrow, the Supreme Judiciary Council announced
yesterday.

“As nobody sighted the Ramadan crescent on Wednesday
evening, Thursday is the last day of Shaaban and Friday is
the first day of Ramadan,” the council said.

Mosques Get Ready for Ramadan Rush
Mohammed Rasooldeen.

RIYADH, 14 October 2004 — On a directive issued by the
Ministry of Islamic Affairs,elaborate arrangements are
being made in all the mosques to accommodate the additional
rush of worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.

The first day of Ramadan tomorrow will also coincide with
the grand opening of a mosque, named after the mother of
Prince Saud ibn Naif in the north of Riyadh. Located on
Exit 7, the mosque can accommodate more than 3,000
worshippers. Designed according to Islamic architecture,
the mosque is equipped with a modern library and a Qur’an
teaching school.

Imams and muezzins of all the mosques in the Kingdom have
been instructed to keep the place tidy and ensure adequate
supply of power and water during the holy month to meet the
requirements of the increased number of Muslims who go for
taraweeh which follows the regular Isha prayers. Midnight
prayers (Qiyamul Layl) will be conducted from 1 a.m. from
the 20th day of Ramadan till the end of the blessed month.

Private establishments contracted for mosque maintenance
works have been asked to be on duty at nights to guarantee
continuous water and power supply. The department of
mosques, which functions under the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs, maintains 876 mosques in Riyadh alone. Some
mosques in remote areas have been built and maintained by
philanthropists in the Kingdom.

Improvised partitions for women are being built in mosques
that do not have separate prayer halls for women. Some of
the mosques are busy replacing their old carpets with new
ones and others are being washed to give them a facelift
during the holy month.

“Everyone likes to come to the mosques for prayers during
the holy month. Therefore, we expect a larger congregation
for taraweeh,” Abdul Aziz, an imam in Nasseriyah Mosque,
said. He said the holy month affords a good opportunity for
Muslims to do good deeds since Almighty Allah would richly
reward pious Muslims who adhere to Islamic principles and
follow the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him).

“We are making every effort to give the worshippers a
conducive environment to offer their prayers at the mosque
with serenity and sanctity,” the imam said.

Tents are being constructed adjacent to the mosques to
enable the worshippers to break their fast during the
month. Arrangements have been made for all those who come
for Maghrib during Ramadan to have their breakfast in these
cosy tents. Refreshments for iftar are provided either by
the mosques or by generous Saudis living in the
neighborhood.

A maintenance contractor who looks after mosques in
Aziziyah district told this reporter that his company has
instructed its labor force to work in the mosques till late
at night during the month.

Ramadan Working Hours Spell Lethargy, Laziness, Say Many
Somayya Jabarti.

JEDDAH,14 October 2004 — The changing working hours in
Ramadan spread laziness and lessen productivity. A large
number of employees, teachers, employers, students and
parents are asking that working hours begin in the early
morning and end at noon instead of beginning at 10 and
ending in the afternoon.

A survey conducted by Al-Madinah daily showed that most
people believed that moving working hours to begin at 10
a.m. and the practice of staying up all night made both
students and employees inefficient and lazy. The survey
also showed that most people preferred to go to work early
morning so that they could finish work earlier.

“Starting earlier would mean sleeping earlier and not
staying up all night,” said Nada Faris, a schoolteacher and
mother of two. “With the way the Ramadan working hours are,
things are frantic for me. I’m always running and racing to
get things done after work. I’m barely able to get iftar
ready for my family. If work were earlier, I’d be able to
get much more done in plenty of time.”

“This is a special month,” said Ali Sulaiman, an employee
at a local Jeddah advertising agency. “It’s supposed to be
a month for reflection and not one for sleeping. If we look
back at Islamic history, we’d find that many battles and
achievements occurred during Ramadan. So Muslims were up on
their feet, not just working but in the battlefield, while
they were fasting. To use fasting as an excuse for sleeping
and eating more and doing less is unacceptable.”

Abdul Aziz Muhammad, a teacher in a public school, said:
“The time between fajr (dawn) and 10 a.m. is wasted. We
just sit around not letting ourselves fall asleep, waiting
for the time to go to work. And even if some of us fall
asleep, we wake up in a much worse state than if we don’t
sleep. You should see the shape the students come to class
in. More asleep then awake.”

Different people commented on abusing time during Ramadan.
“I disagree with the way night and day trade places in
Ramadan. Everyone sleeps most of the day since most can get
away with it and then they’re awake all night. It’s
unhealthy,” said Dr. Noura, a professor and administrator
at King Abdul Aziz University. “The effect is very bad. It
wears us and the students out.”

Abdulilah Zaid, a salesman in a jewelry shop, was in full
support of beginning the working day at 7 instead of 10.
“Making sure that we’re up, awake and active should be
something we aim for, even more in Ramadan because it’s
supposed to be a month of worship and spiritual reflection.
And being half-asleep on the job contradicts all this.”

Dr. Ahmad, who works in a government clinic, differed with
those who want to advance Ramadan working hours. “It isn’t
convenient for patients to come in very early because of
the fasting. Most patients come in starting about 9 p.m.
So, as far as medical establishments are concerned, the
present Ramadan working hours are fine.”

Muhammad Raid, a sports teacher in a private boys’ school,
said: “I don’t think that changing the working hours in
Ramadan would be suitable because everyone, including
students, stays up all night. How could they go to work or
school early in the morning? The timing for everything
should change and not just the working hours.”

Mariam Nasser, who lived in the UK a few years ago, said:
“I don’t understand the big fuss about changing working
hours because of Ramadan. Sure, there is the weather factor
but we used to break our fast about 9 p.m. and then we’d
start fasting again about 3 a.m. And yet whether we were
students or employees, our working hours stayed the same.”

Nizar Abdul Aziz said: “Sleeping through the fast and
staying up all night eating and having a good time
contradicts the purpose of Ramadan. Plus during the early
hours, we tend to be more active and can be more
productive. I find the times to be unfair to working women
responsible for families. Between working and coming home
and managing the family and food affairs, how can the month
not end up in a mess?”

Abu Fahd, a senior businessman, said: “It’s unfortunate but
I can’t deny that Ramadan is known to be a slow and
unproductive month because people are either sleep-walking
or eating. It’s like the month has become an excuse to be
inattentive and not on the job. May God forgive us; this is
such an important month but look at how we spend it.”







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