Archive for 'Culture'
Arab Idol : Fayrouz فيروز Posted by Fisal on Aug 27, 2011
Nouhad Haddad نـُهاد حداد is the real name of the famously known Arab singer Fayrouz or Fairouz فيروز . She is a Lebanese singer and is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab World. Her songs are constantly heard throughout the region. Fayrouz is a legend أسطورة in her…
Zakat Al-Fitr زكاة الفطر Posted by Fisal on Aug 22, 2011
Zakat Al-Fitr زكاة الفطر or Sadaqat Al-fitr صدقة الفطر is a charity given to the poor at the end of the fasting in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The word Fitr فطر means the same as Iftaar إفطار (= breaking a fast) and Futoor فطور (= breakfast). The root verb for all these…
Zakah الزكاة (Almsgiving) Posted by Fisal on Aug 20, 2011
Zakah or Zakat الزكاة is the third pillar of Islam, so it is a religious duty (Fard فرض ) that often follows Salah الصلاة in Qura’an. Zakat is the financial obligation upon Muslims. The word itself means “that which purifies” or “alms“. It means both “purification تطهير and growth نُموّ “. Our wealth and…
Egyptian Proverbs (2) أمثال مصرية Posted by Fisal on Aug 19, 2011
Arabic proverbs reflect the beauty of the Arabic Language and the wisdom of the Arabs and the richness of their culture. In Egypt, these proverbs are part of everyone’s daily routine. There is no one single situation that would not have the perfect proverb tailored for it. Just for the sake of fun, I…
Ramadan and Fasting رمضان و الصوم Posted by Fisal on Aug 8, 2011
Today is the eighth day of the holy month of Ramadan which is the ninth month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar. For all Muslims all over the world, Ramadan is the special month when they fast. Fasting الصوم /As’sawm/ is the fourth of the five pillar of Islam. It is a duty for all…
Alexandria الإسكندرية /Al-iskandariya/ (Part 3) Posted by Fisal on Jul 30, 2011
Most of the citizens of Alexandria adhere to the religion of Islam and the most famous mosque there is the El-Morsi Abo El-Abbas Mosque in the Bahary neighborhood. There are Christians too. After Rome, Alexandria was considered the major seat of Christianity in the world. The Pope of Alexandria was the second among equals…
Alexandria الإسكندرية /Al-iskandariya/ (Part 2) Posted by Fisal on Jul 29, 2011
Alexandria passed formally under Roman jurisdiction in 80 BC and after it had been under Roman influence for more than a hundred years. It was captured by Julius Caesar in 47 BC during a Roman intervention in the domestic civil war حرب أهلية between king Ptolemy XIII and his advisers, and the fabled queen…