Article 2 of the Constitution states, "The religion of the State is Islam, and the Islamic Sharia shall be one of the main source of legislation." The vast majority of Kuwaitis are Muslim. Article 35 of the Constitution states that "Freedom of belief is absolute. The State protects the freedom of practicing religion in accordance with established customs, provided that it does not conflict with public policy or morals." The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has the responsibility of maintaining the spiritual and religious aspects and preserve the Islamic heritage.
Official Language Of Kuwait
Arabic Language and the Society
Islam is the official religion of the State of Kuwait. Since arabic is the language of the Holy Quran, "the Islamic Constitution", arabic is the official language of the State of Kuwait, as stated in Kuwait Constitution. This can be attributed to the fact that founders of the Kuwaiti Constitution realized the significance of the arabic language as a factor of the unity and coherence among Arab countries. Furthermore, arabic is a means for the emergence and spread of the Arab civilization.
Across Kuwait history, arabic language was influenced by other languages and societies in Kuwait. Kuwaitis, now, speak a nice of arabic dialect in their colloquial daily discourse. It is a popular language that has its own characteristics and qualities of a language. It comes close to the Classical arabic. The Arab Kuwaiti dialect combines the present time with the history via bonds of strong Arab and substantial linguistic ties.
Arabic Language and Culture
All the cultural activities and social interactions in Kuwait are based upon the arabic language. arabic is distinguished by its flexibility and richness. Its forms contain precise expressions and an extraordinary capability for differentiating between tangible and the intangible. arabic language certainly reflects the identity of the Kuwaiti society, as well as, Kuwait cultural, national existence.
Arabic Language as the Most Pillar Important of Unity
One of the most important pillars of unity is language. Using one language in communication strengthens the ties among members of the same society. This unity is reflected in the thought, creed and the conscience of the nation. The Kuwaiti Constitution aims at fostering strong ties that bond arabic language with the society. Kuwaiti community is filled with activities that use arabic language as a means of communication in all the cultural activities, industrial and social interactions.
Friday is the official weekly holiday. For Kuwait University, Public and Private schools and some major companies such as Kuwait Oil Company, the official weekend is Thursday, Friday; while Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, most of its affiliated companies and all the banks take Friday and Saturday off.
Public holiday include 1 January (New Year's Day), 25 February (Kuwait National Day) and 26 February (Kuwait Liberation Day). The dates of Islamic religious holidays change according to the Hijra Calendar and include the Prophet's Birthday, The Ascension the Prophet (PBUH) and the Hijra New Year. For Eid Al-Fitr, at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, there is usually a three day holiday. For Eid Al-Adha there is usually a four day holiday.
The four official holiday (Rass Al-Sana Al-Hijria, Mawlid Al-Nabi, Lailat al-Isra` wa al-Mir`aaj, and the New Year), if they happen to fall in the middle of the working week, will be moved to the following Saturday. However, if any of the above mentioned four official holiday fall on a Thursday, this Thursday will be considered the official holiday and will not be compensated.