​We are at a loss of words about the passing of Shaikh #MuhammadAlShareef, who left a legacy for generations to come. He was one of a kind, intelligent, funny, business minded and a smart man like no other. #AlmaghribInstitute, was founded by him, and I was fortunate enough that I got to take his class. I took, Tafseer of Surat AlBaqarah, about 19 years ago at Qabeelat Durbah in NJ, which was a nick name given to the location of classes in the Western world. He left us yesterday at the age of 47 in Dubai and created a legacy in such a short amount of time on Earth. He was humble, generous, and an intellectual that never asked for anything in return except to understand the deen (religion of Islam) in its original form. This eloquent man hails from Winipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Read on to know more about the memories he has given me and to many others.
 
Have you ever heard of the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, he was that one person that you should not judge if you have never met him. Over the years, some people would often mistake his humbleness and kindness as a form of weak intellect, but honestly, after spending so much time intensely studying a subject matter on back to back weekends, we learned that his passion for the deen and the true version of Islam was apparent and it was clear that it was necessary for the Muslims of the West to grasp that knowledge in a way that was understandable and relatable. He always had a smiling face and never got tired after teaching for hours upon hours. At least, that was the effect he showed his students. Yes, we are at a loss that he is no longer with us.
 
Unlike other #IslamicScholars and teachers of the West, he was able to tie the Muslim youth globally in ways that no one has ever done before. For example, in the classes that I had taken with Almaghrib Institute, I had students from Indonesia who were international students of New York University. We also met British students of Almahrigb Institute who would send us, Qabeelat #Durbah, presents of candies and sweets as a gesture of good will, which encompassed acts of the sunnah. These bonding initiatives and the relationships built were long lasting. For example, I am still friends with the people that I had met at my very first Almaghrib class. Thus, the quality of students that took the classes are of high caliber – none the less, the instructor was of immense caliber.
 
Now, for behind-the-scenes stories on the women’s side, I can tell you this. There were women who wanted to be his cowife. Although it would not really happen since he loved his wife dearly, but the fact that such a charismatic man can evoke this passion and choice defying the normalities of marriage in the Western world is worthy of praise. Most women are not OK with having or being a co-wife, but he was that type of man that women were like, ‘I’ll make an exception!’. If women of the modern Western world can be bold enough to think like that, then certainly, for people who didn’t know Muhamad Alshareef, what you should know is that he was the man of the century and if you didn’t get to meet him, you lost your chance.
 
He was known for a beautiful recitation and people would ask him if he would ever record his recitation of the whole Quran on CD. These were the days before YouTube or I-phones. If you wanted to listen to something, then you would go to a real store and purchase a CD or cassette of a lecture or song and put that CD into your CD player or computer. There was thing called a Walkman in which you could listen to your audio while you walked with headphones. Thus, that was one way we listened to lectures in those days. I called it the 90s golden era. Those were the days of cassettes, CDs, and socializing. Anyways, back to the story, his reply was, “I’m not gonna do that because there are already so many audio Qurans on CD. I will focus on what is lacking.” That is how he thought as a leader. He saw a problem in the Ummah and he would try and solve it.
 
On another note, he told us that by the time he was 13/14 years old while in Winnipeg, that he could not even read the Quran properly coming from an Arab background. He inspired us that it was never too late to start trying. Eventually, he became a Hafiz of the Quran (one who memorizes the whole Quran verbatim) in Canada and then later graduated from Madinah University with a lot more qualifications in the Islamic sciences.
For our generation of Muslim youth and #Islam, this is a great loss and his legacy will surely continue. He was such an asset to the English-speaking world of Islam and new reverts. My duas are with him and his family and I encourage everyone to listen to his lectures and learn from him, especially if you are #GenZ, and after. If you genuinely want to understand the correct version of Islam from learned scholars with esteemed qualifications of Islam, then you can visit the following links below which were his creations, projects and vision. If you are in academics and want to understand Shariah law, then it would be in your best interest to take Almaghrib classes taught by the globally esteemed instructors of the #Muslim world in English.
 
#NationBuilder https://www.instagram.com/nationbuilder/?hl=en
#VisionaireRamadan https://www.visionaireramadan.com/subtle-art
#DiscoverU https://discoveru.online/
#AlmaghribInstitute https://www.almaghrib.org/
#DreamWalker https://www.dreamwalkeronline.com/welcome
FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhMuhammadAlshareef
DiscoverU Life Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIS9eLOZQmA
 
Shaikh Dr. #YasirQadhi on Ustadh Muhammad Alshareef https://youtu.be/RpPV-ZyDYDI
 

          I am telling you the story of a blind person and what they can do while being blind. It’s as though they have better vision than people who can actually see. I am just going to describe what it was like living in his neighborhood and being around this Shaikh’s Masjid. Therefore, if you would like to take any quotes, please site properly from my blog and ask me any questions before formulating your own opinion for your research or journalism. You can use this website which will do all the work for you for accurate citations. https://www.citethisforme.com/us/citation-generator  

           Usually, as an expat, when you get your housing allowances, it’s very late. Therefore, you must have your money bag for rent ready to be able to move in. I used to live in an incredibly old neighborhood near IKEA in Riyadh. To our surprise, we discovered that we were neighbors with a prominent sheikh whose name is Shaikh Barraq. Now, I am not that religious. But living in that neighborhood for 3 years was a wonderful experience noting how different, peaceful, and diverse the perspectives of life are.

          He has a masjid there and my house was closer to his masjid than his house. He is an old man in his late 80s and he is blind. But let me tell you, of the 3 years that I have been there, there was not a single prayer in the mosque that he did not pray! He leads the prayers himself. Everything is in Arabic, and no one speaks English. His sons may know a little and the surrounding neighbors may know some (none) but not enough to have a basic conversation in English.

        The houses there have an old theme and element to it. It is super old and so is the architecture. It reminded me of Rahfa where layers of history lie in between the cracked walls of the homes but the designs and paint are still intact. Even the culture and vibes of the local workers and people living there are conversative. But what does conservative mean? Does it means following Islam? Please note that people who are ‘conservative’ do not consider themselves to be conservative. It is a term defined by a foreign group of people to label ‘people who actually follow Islam’ as such. But if you ask these same people if they view themselves as being conservative, they will say no. They will say that they are freely choosing what they want to do and that is following the rules of Islam. Their idea of what conservative is, is something so different and contrary to what mainstream western popular belief is when defining conservatism. For example, my ‘conservative’ landlord who lived below, who was the daughter of a scholar herself, had wonderful vibrant parties for her daughter’s graduation. These parties are filled with music that conforms to Islam and with dance. I learned new moves. They are not breaking the laws of Islam. This is all within the bounds of Islam. Since their society is segregated by gender like only people who are your immediate sibling, uncle, aunt, parents, spouse etc. can sit together and anyone else who is not, will sit with their own gender. In these parties and gatherings, the ladies are dressed head on with bullet proof makeup, high heels, and gorgeous dresses. When they exit the premises, they put on their full black Abaya which goes from the head to the toes and doesn’t define the shoulders. All of this is Islamic. The point is that no man should see the beauty of a woman who is not his. Therefore, in its most literal sense, her husband will be the first man to ever see her face and beauty with or without makeup. That’s why gender segregation exists in Islam and KSA. It has nothing to do with ‘women’s rights’ or ‘one gender being preferred over the other’. It is a logistical and practical approach to day-to-day activities. Fun is allowed in Islam incase anyone didn’t know. And in its most literal sense, not a single man would have seen any of the ladies. Like that’s so hard to do coming from a western or even a south Asian lifestyle but here, they do it perfectly with respect. They understand it and its their culture to not see anyone else’s wife or daughter…like everyone knows what to do and what the behaviors are. If you are coming to Saudi, you should see this magnificent piece of sociological aspect of Saudi culture and society.
 
Going Back to Shaikh Barraq
 
Shaikh Barraq used to give the Khatiras or short lectures and lead all the prayers including Tarawih, Eclipse  and occasional Tahhujud prayers. We have had more eclipses in KSA than in the east coast of USA. Pretty cool! SB never misses any prayers, and he walks to and from his house to the masjid. His house is farther from the masjid than my house. Sometimes he uses a cane and sometimes he does not. Sometimes the garbage trucks move the dumpster in different directions and areas. Whenever my husband sees, him, he offers him a hand for help. But he is usually confident and fine on his own. Like people who have all senses can’t even pray all 5 prayers on time but people who have a disability are more alive and with it than those without. When I see him, it is like I am seeing a panoramic view of 1000 years ago. It’s just that vibe. This neighborhood is so old and from a distant, you can see the Olaya skyline. These two put together are tourist attractions, one that can’t be found on a traditional tourist savvy website or book. 

Driving back from a weekend trip, we found a place where there were #camel, #pony, #horse rides and carriages for all ages. It's not like the zoo where there are so many restrictions, the animals are caged and you know you are super safe. We stopped to gives our kids a thrill but what I found was a thrill for myself. So let me tell you how it went...

When we pulled over, a whole bunch of animals from camels to ponies and horses, came closer to our vehicle all wanting some business. Bless them, since I have many kids, it was 'their day' =). My kid's chose their animals (3 small ponies and 1 large tall camel) and it was all so quick. The intensity of the animals surrounding the car and all sellers speaking at the same time telling their price made us sit on an animal for all 4 of my kids within like 20 seconds! I didn't even have the time to find my phone, get the camera ready to get stellar pics because they had already started. Anyways, I love camels and so it was exciting!

This place is right next to the high way and there were adults riding the horses as well. They were riding so fast as if they were training for a real competition. The most exciting part was when I got out of the car to look for my kids to take pics of them, I realized that they were far away. So, I had to walk to them which meant walking through all the animals and everyone else getting their rides from horses, ponies and camels and there is no one telling you that you can't be here or to get out of the way. Like in its most literal sense, horses are running as fast as the cars and they were like 15 ft away from me. Some ponies and camels were following me and were like 5 feet away and it was totally a normal thing. No one seems like its a concern and that was the coolest thrill of it all! This place isn't just for kids as it also has mini-quad bikes but its for adults as well if you want to just try out fast horse riding. It was one of the most exciting experiences just as equal to Riyadh Blvd. =) Being amongst those animals gave a sense of serenity that perhaps pet owners get when they talk about their #cat or pet #bird. It was lovely, I definitely want to do it again! I recommend!

​One of the most amazing things of #KSA is how well kept the #Kaaba and the Prophet's mosque are. These structures are so old and #historical that the number of visitors has grown significantly and maintenance is rightfully needed. How awesome is it to know that you were able to visit the Prophet's mosque or were able to make tawaf? Times are not like before during the pandemic era where an easy #Hajj and #Umrah were possible. There are soo many visitors MashaAllah that getting through the crowds is another mission. Think about it - this is where the actual footprint of Prophet Abraham is. This has has so much history beyond #Makkah and #Madinah. Very well worth the visit!

Did you know that coconut trees actually grow in #Saudi Arabia? In this hot dessert, there are beaches at the coast, one of which is Yanbu in Saudi Arabia. The water was clear green. There were jellyfish and seashells and it was clean with huts. It had everything for a perfect relaxing vacay at the beach. The scenic beauty captures the depth of this vast land. You can also go boating and off to another island and swimming is allowed in the swim zones. Do not swim where it's restricted as it is deep in those areas. The best part is that it is not crowded and you will have your fair share of privacy. Enjoy!

​Limo at Riyadh Front
​
The #RiyadhFront is this new place that opened up with fancy fountains, 20 star restaurants and a dinosaur exhibition. It is one of the coolest places to visit with friends, family or alone. There are many sitting areas, and you can relax to the sounds of the fountain. Of the restaurants, there are Tori Burke, Outback, Steakhouse, and every type of cuisine with a 5-star touch. If you are there with kids, make sure you try the dinosaur exhibition. It is worth it for small kids which takes you back in time and gives some history about dinosaurs with respect to the land here in KSA. So I thought it was pretty cool. You might too! And of course, what better way to enter this fancy place than with a limo! Check it out! Even though the limo was not for me, it was a present for someone special, being in it was a wonderful experience that can happen in Riyadh during #RiyadhSeason. 

The Red Sand Dunes are one of the finest lushest most peaceful places you to escape to. People actually do live near there. imagine waking up to such peaceful beauty to surround every part of your eye! This is a place where you can quad bikes for 30 - 50 rials for 15 min to 30 min. If you are really good at bargaining, then maybe even an hour. they have quad bikes for kids and adults. People picnic and and can camp there over night. Be sure to check it out even if its just a few hours but there are no taxis that you can get from there or bathrooms or restaurants fyi. 

​I was just updating my blog and I saw that I posted about Hajj in May. Now as I read it (scroll down, you will see it) I’m like OMG OMG OMG!!! =)  I got to go and I wanna go every year. I can’t describe how blessed that place is and how one has the opportunity to disconnect with the worldly affairs to focus on their own spiritual path! Check out my YouTube Channel here with videos and my Hajj Story Told =). I went without a mahram and camped with some of the best ladies Riyadh has. 

One of the hardest things about moving to another country where your native language is not common is the language itself. While I now know intermediate Arabic, it was not always the case. I had several barriers in communication because I didn't know the particular lexis of vocabulary needed either in the cab or super market. Those can be one of the challenges. Although, you don't need to know the language of the land to have a good time, its really all about you and what you make of your time. In Saudi Arabia, English is taught at all levels to all age groups. Tele-communications companies teach their employees English. The Saudi Royal Airforce hires teachers from abroad to teach their pilots and soldiers English. So really, you can be an English Language teacher and experience an array of beautiful professional dynamics. If you want to learn another language quickly and in your privacy and time then I would recommend purchasing a language software. Click here for for the Rosetta Stone  ---->>>>  amzn.to/3p48aJ2

We used Rosetta Stone  when I was working in Rafha and I saw it first hand. The university had a massive subscription and it was  honestly breath taking to be able to see students who refuse to learn English because of their strong connection to their culture and tribalism. The Rosetta Stone made these students speak English like in 1 week. If they can do it, you can. The benefits are that there are many languages that you can learn so if you are planning on working, vacationing or studying in France, or Germany than you can also learn those different languages in a short amount of time. It is a good investment in language learning software and should your academic or professional goals change to another region, then this software will be useful for you. When you know the language of the land, you will have a better experience.