“Narrated Mu’awiya ibn Jaydah al-Qushayri: The Apostle of Allah (Peace Be upon Him) said: Woe to him who tells things, speaking falsely, to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him! Woe to him!” (Sunan Abu Dawood)
On April 1st every year all across the world, especially the West, All Fools’ Day is celebrated. People adopt a variety of ways to make fun of their acquaintances and to laugh out loud on their innocence or stupidity when they take it real or too serious, and quite easily some people become a prey to planned practical jokes. On the fool’s errand practices, such as playing pranks, creating fabricated situations and letting the particular person believe in them, are adopted. Though all such hoaxes aim to fool around yet several times the end receiver has to pay a heavy price and the cheers burst into tears.
The most authentic of all stories being associated with the origin of this tradition traces back to the 16th century in France, when the Julian Calendar (with the new year beginning in April) was replaced with the Gregorian Calendar (where the new year was decided to begin in January). Since the majority of the people were unaware of this change or not ready to accept it, they became a prey to April 1st jokes. Besides, sometimes All Fools’ Day or April Fool is linked with Hilaria, the Roman festival and the Medieval Feast of Fools, celebrated with much zeal and excitement in various Spanish speaking countries. There is another tradition being circulated about its inception, the European invasion of Muslim Spain. However, facts and figures deny this story and prove that it is totally illogical; baseless and propagation of hatred between Muslims and Christians.
It is not on the dubious grounds of the above cited illogical story but on the perfect grounds of humanity that demands Muslims to stay far away from April foolery. Lie is, in fact, a lie, no matter how much you fancy it. This is the same when it comes to April Fool. This logic is applicable on this “April Fool” theme which has now taken the shape of an international event. According to the Islamic perspective, the kind of entertainment made at the expense of someone’s physical or emotional loss is not allowed at all. This clearly reflects that Islam is strictly against the idea of April fool. Also, the observance of this event by Muslims as a token of inspiration from non Muslims reflects that they are following them instead of the glorious teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
Let us see in the light of Islamic teachings why Muslims should not indulge in this activity. Allah Almighty says,
“O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames” ( Surat Al-Hujraat 49:11)
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.’” (Sunan Abu Dawood).
Allah Almighty has invoked His curse on those who lie and there is not a tinge of lying allowed to us even in jokes. It doesn’t mean that Islam commands Muslims to be serious and stern all the time, it directs them to stay in limits while cracking jokes i.e., not a teasing or harming one. Our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) also advised us the same and His (PBUH)’s life history accounts various incidents where He (PBUH) used to bring smiles and cheers on the faces of companions.
A man came to the Prophet (SAW) and said: “Give me an animal to ride on” the Prophet (SAW) replied: “I will give you the son of a female camel”. The man said with astonishment: “What could I do with the son of a female camel?” (Thinking that he would be given a camel too small to ride). Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) replied: “What do female camels deliver except camels?”. (Sunan Abu Dawood, Jamia Tirmidhi).
Too much of everything is bad, and it implies to laughing too.
‘Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattaab (Radi Allahu Anho) said: “Whoever laughs too much or jokes too much loses respect.”
Let’s ponder and reflect how Islam draws a line between a joke and a tease. We should say no to April fool since it is the tradition of the ignorant and an imprudent way of behaving in the society. Let your friends know this message and “Don’t Fool on April Fool.”
Muslim Academy would like to congratulate Ehab, an Egyptian architect who happens to be Christian and Muslim Academy podcaster/blogger, who took place in a Norweigan radio show. The topic of the show was misconceptions between Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Ehab cleared some very strange misconceptions, including Mexicans living in cacti and Egyptians living in Pyramids.
Recently, Hurricane Sandy bashed through the East Coast of the United States, flooding areas like New York City, and causing fallen trees and other debris to block a few roadways around my apartment in Washington D.C. Even though the storm was light in comparison to, say, Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out the beautiful city of New Orleans in 2005, it was still severe enough for my mother to call me every 10 minutes, anxiously checking-in on my well-being and offering kindly advice like, “make sure to have a flashlight, extra batteries, and bottles of water for when the power goes out.” It didn’t.
But, interestingly enough, when my mother and I discussed the contrast between inland and coastal areas, and she asked me which bodies of water were near D.C., I paused, thought hard, and had absolutely no idea. For Americans, this is normal. When it comes to geography, we’re clueless.
Americans’ poor knowledge of geography is a leading cause of our absence in knowledge about global affairs, and, in that sense, it is inexcusable, especially given the enormous size and omnipresence of the U.S. military. But, what exactly are the causes of this ignorance? With this article, my hopeful achievement is to explain these causes. My intention being that a global understanding of America’s misunderstandings of geography and global affairs will offer some much needed elucidation to our behavior here and abroad, which should also lead to the exchange of a few antipathies for emphathies abroad, inshallah.
The first step in understanding our lack of geographical insight is to look inside our own geography. Americans are cut off from everyone else. To the east, the Atlantic Ocean keeps Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at bay. To the west, the Pacific does likewise for all of Asia. To the south, we are discouraged both by a tangible metal wall guarded meticulously by xenophobic minutemen and an intangible wall of traumatic news coverage and other horror stories. While to the north, Canada, though with colder temperatures measured in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, is not all that dissimilar culturally. Essentially, we our geographically isolated.
The theme of isolation also describes our culture. Few Americans could name a Japanese rockband. But, I’ll guarantee you Snookie and the Jersey Shore are known in Tokyo. True, we are a nation of immigrants, not discounting Native Americans, who have inhabited North America for a minimum of 12,000 years; Western Europeans, on the other hand, did not start settling until the late-16th century. Indeed, it has only been in the last 500 years that the majority of Americans arrived here, all coming from someplace else. As of late, however, there is a paradigm shift. Whereas Europe once dominated ethnically, as of this year the majority of babies born here have non-European origins.
We are taught in school that America is a melting pot, where different peoples all come together to form one unified entity. This is obviously a highly simplified rendering, but, for the most part, it’s true. We buy burritos, kabobs, and egg rolls all on the same street. America amalgamates cultures. But it doesn’t import them. Westernization has exported Levi’s to the furthest corners of the earth, but when it comes to popular culture, the current of globalization runs in one direction: downstream.
It’s important to understand that everything in America is commodified. Everything revolves around a capitalist lifestyle, where advertisements, endorsements, and sponsorships are pervasive. Holidays were once just that, holy days, and there were lots of them, mostly determined by seasonal agricultural cycles based on the lunar calendar. Now, we have condensed our holidays, spread them out strategically, and promoted them at every store. For Christian holidays, Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, as he exists in his modern form, was invented by an early-20th century advertising campaign from Coca Cola, while Saint Patrick brings charitable liquor sales. For Jewish holidays, Hanukkah has been given primacy by its close proximity to the Christmas buying season. The transformation of this minor Jewish holiday into the biggest of the year speaks to the power of commodification. Islamic holidays are also promoted similarly. For example, the U.S. Postal Service sells stamps that say Eid Mubarak during Ramadan. And just like Nike, Pepsi, and Levi’s, America has become a brandname; a product for sale. It is sold in the U.S. as nationalism and patriotism, while it is marketed abroad as modern progress.
Commodification is not all bad, though. It also drives innovation because companies are always in competition with one another, constantly vying to create a better technology, and ultimately a better-selling product. But, what does this do to news coverage in America? Well, news companies here are just that, companies. Journalism used to be a public service. Now, it is another commodity. So, as a commodity, it has to make money, and it does this through commercial advertisements. Whichever news company has the better news then makes the most money from advertisements. So, news coverage in America is determined by . . . ratings. The news company doesn’t broadcast what’s necessarily most important. Instead, it shows what people want to watch, in order to have the best possible ratings. And what’s most important, is not global affairs, but what’s happening at home, in America. The world’s worst conflict is not Israel-Palestine, but the Congo in Central Africa, where innocent people are suffering tremendously. And what about Darfur, where upwards of 3 million people have been displaced? Or Nigeria, where violence between Muslims and Christians frequently claims the lives of women and children? Or Western China, where the Uighurs, a Turkish-speaking Muslim minority, are persecuted by the Chinese authorities? We don’t see that. None of it.
Hence, the biggest problem: global affairs are deemphasized in American culture. In 2006, CNN polled college students about geography, and, after three years of war, 60% of them did NOT know where Iraq was located on a map. These were college students. Educated youth. Imagine what the majority of Americans, who don’t attend college, know about geography and world affairs. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that we’re conditioned not to look. We can go weeks at a time without hearing about the war in Afghanistan, even though lives are lost on all sides of that conflict everyday. And as far as showing the violence of war on television news, forget about it. It isn’t like Aljazeera, which broadcasts wounded bodies. We see images of someone shooting, but never the target that is hit. Thus, we are also desensitized, because the human elements of war are a mystery, unheard and unseen.
When it comes to not knowing geography, Americans are guilty as charged. But in some ways, we’re innocent too. Unlike in the newspapers, nothing in real life is black and white.
Don’t keep all valuables in one place .Tourists mine as well walk around with enormous red bulls-eyes on their faces; they are the easiest targets for practiced thieves and pickpocket experts. Leaving a passport, social security card, photo ID, and cash in one pocket, wallet, or purse (even if it zips) is tourist suicide. All it takes is one escalator ride, one sit-down lunch, one crowded metro exit, and before you realize what happened, it’s far too late.
Whenever possible, leave a passport and social security card locked in a secure place at home, whether that be in a hotel, a hostel, or an apartment. If you don’t have a safe and absolutely must carry those items, wear a money belt underneath your shirt, and zip the items in separate compartments. The key is to keep valuables out of site and in different places. Never leave a purse hanging over a chair during lunch, avoid placing cash in back pockets, and most-importantly, be aware of your surroundings.
Some of these lessons are ones that you can only truly learn (and appreciate) after going through certain experiences. But to err on the side of safety (and fun while abroad), it is important to keep a list of “To Don’t”
Stop talking about how “cheap” everything is.
For starters, things aren’t as cheap as you think they are, and most of you don’t really have a clue about currency conversion. Secondly, if it is cheap, it may not be cheap to the people who live there and have to listen to you talk like you’re King Midas. It’s rude, so keep your remarks to yourself until your back in your hotel room.
Stop talking so loud.
This is one of the most obnoxious things tourists do. If you’re in a bar where it’s loud and you have be loud to hear yourself, great, go for it. But if you’re in a nice restaurant, or club, or shop, etc. – try to be more quite, even whispering if that is possible.
Read something about the country you’re visiting before you get on the plane.
Did you know that most Americans think the Czech Republic is still Czechoslovakia? John McCain is one of them. And, did you know that most, who realize it isn’t, think only the name has changed? And that those who realize it’s now two separate countries, still don’t realize the Czechs and Slovaks are two different peoples who speak two different languages?
Do not assume people speak English.
Guess what? In the whole of Europe, the only place you’re guaranteed to hear English is in the UK. Do not wander in Germany or France and expect the locals to speak English with you, and don’t give them a dirty look if they can’t. How many do you speak?
Don’t assume people don’t speak English.
Even if they say they can’t speak English, most people do speak enough to understand whether or not you’re speaking rudely about them. Just because the waitress doesn’t know the name of that fancy drink you’re asking for, doesn’t mean she won’t spit in your food while you snub her to your friends. Get some manners, or order room service.
Don’t get into pointless political arguments.
Whether you agree or disagree with Country politics, don’t get into it with the locals. Even if you agree with them, you’re bound to make a fool of yourself, as most of them know more about your country’s leaders and policies than you do. If you insist on debating anyway, please do it quietly.
Don’t “educate” people.
Don’t try to explain life and other complexities to the locals; they’re often quite educated and they tend to take school pretty seriously, even at a young age.
Don’t talk about how much better something is in your home country.
It’s obnoxious to do so. That and it’s something you’re unqualified to comment on unless you’ve actually lived in both. Yes, some things are better in your country, and, believe it or not, some things are better in their country.
Please feel free to add your own “To Don’t” suggestions!
Cash Cards – Sometimes the schemes look attractive when we are buying a currency card that can be used in the destination country. It is often observed that there are transactional charges on such cards. This is like paying a charge for using your own cash when in a country other than your home country. Cash cards are best if avoided for this reason and also because if a cash card is lost, most companies do not protect or cover them with insurance. Also, there are card companies that may penalize for not using cash cards for a prolonged period and others that necessitate their usage for a fixed number of times a month. Avoid such well-planned and laid out traps.
Local Swindling – Frequent travelers and co-passengers will often give you tips that you will not find in the usual travel books. Each tourist destination will have some unfortunate practices that will dupe an innocent tourist. The flower sellers in Spain or the Taxi drivers in India and Italy are all infamous for either overcharging or pick pocketing or misleading the tourist.
Some well-known fraud trades run around the world are listed below.
In Spain, if a kind-looking lady or child offers you flowers and you, as a Good Samaritan, would look for some change in your pockets and then realize that the wallet is missing.
A common roadside trick is rampant on the roads of New York. You watch three cards get shuffled around face down and all you have to do is pick out the Queen of Spades. With absolutely no intention, you take a gamble and before you realize you’ve gotten carried away and lost a lot of money.
The Thai gem scam - Taxi drivers in Thailand are often commission agents for gems and jewelry outlets. They would promise you a huge re-sale value for the gems at home. Do not get enthusiastic. Buy what you must but not as an investment option.
To avoid these things happening to you, make informed decisions and travel in a group preferably with your appointed travel agent or guide.
The travel and hospitality industry is based on making travel experience comfortable and enjoyable. However, for benefits to be felt and obtained a traveler must be informed and prepared for any eventuality.
Don’t fall in love while abroad. Dating can be fun – but trying to maintain an intercontinental relationship would be super difficult. More so if you actually intend on getting married, as you then run into issues of where will you live – as someone would have to sacrifice their home country in order for the couple to move forward.
Don’t give away your real address. Always tell people, especially those of the opposite gender, to meet you someplace neutral. As an aside from this, don’t let people you trust into your personal room or living space. While nothing happened to me, I had heard of stories where girls had guy friends over that they thought they could trust and they learned the hard way that they couldn’t trust them as much
Don’t always be talking to people back home. Your friends and family back home will still be there when you return. Yes, you want to share your stories and adventures while they are occurring but what you don’t want to do is be spending all of your time abroad thinking and pretending you are back home. Even my friends who complained while abroad look back on their experiences and miss them. So put down your phone and computer and go out and make memories of new friends and adventures while you can.
Don’t bring expensive or flashy items. Your grandmother’s ring? Leave it at home. Your new expensive camera? Maybe a pocket one will be better. Remember, you will already stand out as a non-native – so don’t stand out even more and become an easy target for petty theft or more.
Don’t throw away your class syllabi. Disposing of your notes while abroad may or may not be a good choice but when trying to get credit at your home institution, it is important to have a syllabus to show them what was being discussed – even if the course was already approved
Charges – While traveling abroad, most card companies will levy additional charges for simple transactions like ATM cash withdrawals and currency conversions etc. There will be foreign loading fees, additional merchant fees, etc. By an estimate, it can easily be said that a £1000 spent charge on ATM or Outlets for cash can cost another £58 in fees alone. Many of these top 10 rip offs are noticed only when we check our card statement after returning from our holiday.
Credit Cards – Most card companies sell credit cards as a major benefit while travel. The benefit exists more to the card company than the card owner because any purchases on credit cards, when made outside the home country, attract levies, foreign landing fees, and many surcharges too. Also, any cash advance will start attracting immediate interest and the free interest period of nearly 45-56 days is forfeited. The simple lesson learnt here is that one should minimize their card usage while abroad.
Airport Currency Change – Foreign Exchange Bureaus at the airports are very expensive when it comes to currency conversions. They give a poor exchange rate and may charge high commissions. Always be prepared with a few bills of your arrival and departure countries to avoid problem. These exchange outlets are meant for the harried traveler who is traveling on an emergency or has to either pay the airline for excess baggage. Hence, airport exchange bureaus make money out of opportunistic circumstances.
Travel Insurance – Travel agents can and do sell insurance, but they may not have all the options available. Research on the best available options on the Internet and align them to your needs. Check your existing insurance cover; see if it will it hold the overseas travel in case of exigencies? If you are planning on participating in adventure sports, you need to ensure that your insurance policy covers these damages also. Some countries require travel insurance as a mandatory document. So, read up on these rules and regulations and prepare for your trip abroad accordingly. Insurance is a complicated product and it is natural to feel cheated after buying it, because most of the time you never get to use it. This is, however, an essential safety net and one must not overlook this expense as you can never say when it may be required. You do not want to be stuck in an unknown country with any medical emergency in your hands.
Dynamic Currency Conversion – Some retailers, restaurants and shopping outlets offer to charge in Pound sterling or US dollars instead of the home currency. Avoid this trap, as most often this will not be to your advantage. Keep a currency calculator handy and do the math yourself as you will be better off paying from the home country cash you have.
Car Rent - If you know that you will need a car then book one in advance. There are a host of car rental companies available that will give you schemes and choices. It is often tough to make the right decision on the spot when you do not even get enough time to consider the choices. When a line is waiting behind you at the counter, you may accidentally choice a rip off scheme and miss out on a good scheme. Whereas, on the internet you can always make an informed decision regarding the best car, insurance and road worthiness of the vehicle.
Airport Parking – If you have decided to leave your car at the airport then plan ahead again, because the airport will keep your car at a prohibitive cost that could at times be between £40 and £45 per day. It is best to hire a cab or get an airport drop from your airline, share cabs or if possible use local public transport if your time and convenience permits.
Theft of ID and card frauds – When people go on vacations they have one of two things on their minds – to relax and have fun and shopping. There are not as guarded as they should be in an unknown country.
Although UK banks have introduced chip and PIN technology in their cards, not all countries have updated their technology. So, be careful with your card wherever you travel. Also do not allow restaurant staff to take away your card while making payments as they may be making a clone of it. You must also keep all your documents, licenses, passports, insurance numbers, birth certificates and bank cards in your hotel safe. But if you ever need to carry any of these documents, make sure you have stored them in a hidden money belt.
