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Memories of Kuwait Al-Hur


Image credit here.

Dust and sand... Dust and sand... Dust and sand... Thus the gathering 'toos' (sandstorm) swirls in the wind gathering unbridled momentum, angry and pulsing with life. It was as if the sandstorm had become a living entity, an embodiment of the life-force of the desert sands - harsh, unrelenting, and totally out of man's control... I stared unblinking as the fury of nature unleashed wave upon wave of unnerving howls, each wail seeming like a call from souls lost in the vast expanse of the unforgiving desert...

I thanked the Lord above that I was safe indoors, in the sanctuary of the room I shared with two others in the student hostel, our 'sakan'. It was a paradox of states, as if two forces were struggling to collide and merge with one another, one the peace and serenity of the sanctuary found indoors, and the other the pure untamed wilderness of Nature. I stared on, eyes wide with the fear of a man who is confronted with a new element in his world that he does not understand - terrified, yet somehow fascinated by the display of pure energy...

Until at last, the howling subsides.

As the swirling dust begins to settle I mentally prepare myself for a visual aftermath of the carnage.

Instead, what confronts me is something totally unexpected.

It is dusk, a time when the sun would be shining her (in Arabic, the sun is referred to as a she, and the moon a he) last rays. In front of me is a sight too beautiful to behold. It was as if the whole world had turned a deep magenta hue, purplish red, from the sky to the very ground. And if I thought it could not become any more beautiful, the streetlights suddenly flickered to life, and I gasped in awe... The landscape suddenly became dotted with tiny lights, like stars in a red sky, except this glorious display was coming from the ground...

So utterly beautiful...

I asked myself how it was possible, and slowly it dawned on me. The explanation was as clear as the morning sky - the dust and sand that was brought about by the storm was still lingering in the air, and the red rays of the setting sun reflected off every single particle...

A marvel of God for those who had endured endured the trials of His making...

Only then did I comprehend that the sandstorm was a living embodiment of the desert - harsh, wild and totally untamable. And yet, for those brave enough to face its might, the sandstorm brought with it a calm and beauty that was difficult to surpass.

Such was the revelation of my first sandstorm, in a land whose sands had caressed the faces of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and his companions in a time almost forgotten.

Such was Kuwait Al-Hur...

Kuwait the Free.

Image credit here

Comments

Cat-from-Sydney said…
This reminds us of the dust storm we had last September. We woke up to a beautiful orange sunrise. However, the consequences were dire. The summer fruits crop suffered as they were flowering then, pollination went haywire. And yo get sick if you inhale any of those dust...for weeks, like what happened to my Mama. purrr....meow!
They're beautiful things, sandstorms are aren't they? Just don't really fancy the aftereffects...
Razee Salleh said…
Hiya Abdullah,

Wonderful read this update. Love the bit about the feminine sun vs masculine moon. Such a romantic notions.

And when I thought it couldnt get better, the mental image of your description of the lingering effects of the sand nearly took my breath away. I wish I was there to be able to see it for myself.

Blessed be those who see beauty and are reminded of the greatness of God.
Razee - thanks bro...
You would have to be there yourself to experience its full splendour.
But after that the aftermath is usually quite bad. Usually schools and unis are closed down after a bad snowstorm. But that's the way the world works eh? :)
Unknown said…
Salaam bro, amazing tale! I lived thru many of these as U remember but looking at it thru yr eyes brought a whole new experience afore. Ever thought of writing/publishing books? I was captivated by how U wrote, bringing the whole experience to life n I could truly picture it as if I'm there. Awesome! Brings back some harsh, some beautiful memories from that country that I share a bond with. Allah Yuj'zik ya akhi! Msonie here!
hala akhi Msonie.. shoukh baarek enta?... How are my brother? It has been a long time since Kuwait has it not? It took me a long time before the ache of missing Kuwait left me..

I'm glad to hear from someone who can relate to this post, as we went through the same experience together eh?

Hope to see you here more often my friend!
Unknown said…
Alhamdulillah Zainin, Allah Yatika-l'afiyah. Time moves but the memories stick in there to pull U every now n then. I'll be sure to visitthat place ASAP. Glad to share a piece of Q8 with U, it was a nice place/environment but lacked other aspects of life. I'll be here as much as I can bro.
Anonymous said…
What were you doing in Kuwait and how long were you there?
CC - Oh.. I didn't know that u didn't know that.. Yeah.. It's where I picked up my Arabic...
I was actually there after the first Gulf War in 1993. Stayed and studied for a year, but found that it didn't really suit the direction i wanted to take with regards to my studies and my future career... So I went back to Malaysia :)

But within that amount of time I gained a lot, and would never trade that experience for anything in the world.
syhcool said…
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