What is a qibla you may ask? Another game played by Harry Potter at Hogwarts? Actually, qibla means "direction" and it indicates which way Mecca is. The qibla is used for prayer of course, but also for islamic burials and the slaughter of animals. In all these instances, the head must face Mecca (Saudi Arabia). In Abu Dhabi, we are so far east, that our qibla faces west towards Mecca. I can't see Mecca from here so it looks like the qibla is just pointing to IKEA. To make it easy everyone just just face the Swedish superstore, it is so big it cannot be missed.
You will find qiblas everywhere. On walls, in drawers, on floors and even on the movie screens of airplanes. You know you are a flight to the Middle East when the guy in the seat next to you is praying in a different direction every time the plane banks right or left.
This wraps up our discussion of Islamic Pillar #2 - prayer. We still have 3 more pillars to go, but I will save those for later in the summer when I have more time to do all the extensive research that this blog demands of me.
Coming up next....a camel beauty pagent
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