Arabic culture

• Why is the left hand considered unclean?

  23 May 2007, 06:47 Liam

Replies

• Left hand

  Sorry i dont know

  Jimmy 25 Jun 2007, 12:07 - Report

• left hand

  The left hand is concidered unclean because its used for the bathroom.

  bob 28 Jun 2007, 08:39 - Report

• unclean...

  what about the left handed people..?

  sam 29 Jun 2007, 07:29 - Report

• re laft handed people

  im left handed and i tryed it once its just like using your right hand

  prettyprinces 25 Jul 2007, 04:59 - Report

• why the left hand is unclean

  The left hand is considered unclean because in all Arab cultures, the left hand is used for cleaning oneself after going to the bathroom. Culturally speaking, the left hand is unclean. If you are left handed, I recommend you learn to become ambidextrous.
  
  As a side note, McDonald's learned this lesson the hard way. A few years ago they launched a new advertising campaign in the Middle East featuring someone holding a Big Mac with both hands. They couldn't figure out why their sales dropped off so quickly until a Muslim employee explained what the deal was.
  
  

  Student of Cultures 13 Nov 2007, 04:16 - Report

• left hand

  Muslims do not use the left hand as the right hand and the right side of the body is prfered over the left. It can be to do with clean and unclean but that is not the whole reason. Muslims do not clean them selves with a hand they use water to wash. In Quran the right hand is prefered also the Profect pbuh also prefered the right hand. Left handed Muslims obviously must use the left hand but would try to eat with the right hand.

  umm-maryam 16 Nov 2007, 11:39 - Report

• ambidextrous

  I'd give my left arm to be ambidextrous!

  Righty 14 Dec 2007, 03:49 - Report

• answer

  cuz u clean ur bum wid it

  rge 18 Jan 2008, 01:21 - Report

• left hand

  why would you want to eat with the same hand you clean your bum with

  shamz 06 Mar 2008, 10:26 - Report

• Lefty

  Haven't these people ever heard of using soap? Sorry had to put that out there

  robotica 12 Mar 2008, 09:47 - Report

• come on

  I am a muslim arab, we are not like that. left hand is not considered unclen and we have alot of lefties in our midsts my brother happens to be one of them. We have heard of using soap people arabs are the ones who invented them and tought europe to use it in the first place. you dont believe me read the history of the crusades even the word soap is an arabic word taken from Saboon. it is sunnah not to eat with your left hand thats it

  answer 08 Apr 2008, 10:41 - Report

• And

  I was told many years ago by an educator, that in the primitive Arab Nomadic world that was no soap & water available readily in the middle of the desert. Therefore the method of toiletries was reserved for the left hand and the washing material was actually sand. That's right TP wasn't around yet. The Right hand was reserved for food preparation & such. I remember also being told that theives got their right hand cut off, thus forcing them to use the unclean hand for eating, yuk! I don't know if all this is true, maybe someone can either verify it or debunk it.

  findatruth 28 Apr 2008, 12:06 - Report

• Temporary move to Dubai

  My husband is considering a job offer in Dubai. Are there any dos and don'ts for an American non-working woman? I'm trying to get as much info as possible about the culture in Dubai with regards to married women and how they are treated. This would be a huge move on our part and I would like the transition to go as easy as possible for my husband in having his wife with him. Plus, I also don't want to offend anyone by my lack of knowledge in what is expected of me. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

  Dubai Bound??? 15 May 2008, 09:28 - Report

• heres how it is

  The right hand is used for eating and the left for wiping your bum, this is a traditional cultural code through out much of asia. Soap was discovered by the mespotamians then inroduced to celts, from them to the romans and so on. Its named soap from the italian mount sapo where villages washed clothes where the dirt was mixed with animal fat.

  ok heres how it is 02 Jun 2008, 10:09 - Report

• meh

  MAREN VAR HER 17.NOVEMBER

  Me is cool 17 Nov 2008, 09:14 - Report

• arab culture

  he if you dont respect the islamic and arabic culture so gob back to your home countries !!!!
  Stupied expats, they came here to get money becomes in there home countries there are no jobs and then thet start to joke about arabs .....think about it thats not your country , you are only guest. And guests they have to show respect to the guest country!!!

  emirati 17 Nov 2008, 05:04 - Report

• arab culture

  i dont see why people are so bothered about it so what if they have different beliefs to us.
  The only difference is they prefer to eat with the right hand instead of both hands.

  yeah 16 Dec 2008, 10:13 - Report

• indian/ sikkimess

  i also the left hand user and i used it to writing and eating , Yes we know that The left hand is concidered unclean because its used for the bathroom but i used in bathroom my right hand so that its our habit...................

  lalit gurung 24 Dec 2008, 08:19 - Report

• wash your behind...

  back in the days people used to squat and then wash their behinds with th left while the right provided the water. so think about eating with that same hand? dirty indeed isn't it....with time however less and less are thinking that way
  
  Sunil
  http://www.dubai-information-site.com

  sunil 19 Jan 2009, 01:45 - Report

• Left handed school teacher in Arab country

  I have an opportunity to teach English Second Language in Abu Dhabi. Will my students be insulted if I write with my left hand?

  Barbara 07 Jun 2009, 07:22 - Report