Archive for 'Uncategorized'
The Abbasid Caliphate Posted by aziza on Jul 13, 2009
The Abbasid Caliphate (الخلافة العباسية) was the third Islamic dynasty following the Umayyad Dynasty (الخلافة الأموية). The word Abbasid is derived from the name of prophet Muhammad’s uncle, Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The Abbasids opposed the Umayyads and tried to weaken their power by gaining the favor of groups who opposed them, especially the Shiites…
Islamic history – the Umayyad Caliphate Posted by aziza on Mar 23, 2009
The Umayyad Dynasty (الخلافةالأموية) is the second dynasty to rule the Islamic empire. The capital of the Umayyad caliphate was Damascus, and during the Umayyad rule, the Islamic state extended to include new territories in Asia, Africa, as well as Andalucía in Spain and Portugal. The Umayyad Caliphate (الخلافةالأموية) began 6 months after the death…
Early Islamic history – the Rightly-Guided Caliphs Posted by aziza on Feb 26, 2009
Arab history is often identified with the history of Islam. Before Islam, Arabs lived as nomads in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. They lived as tribes where water sources were found, and they often worked in trade with other tribes and nations of Yemen and the Levant. At times, stronger tribes raided and acquired…
Colloquial dialects in Arabic – Some features of Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Posted by aziza on Feb 17, 2009
Like most languages of the world, Arabic has many varieties. The most basic distinctions between different varieties of Arabic are based on medium, i.e. written or spoken, and geographical location. There is one main modern written variety of Arabic, namely Modern Standard Arabic or (MSA). This variety is used in writing and in formal talk…
Be My Friend! Posted by aziza on Feb 6, 2009
“Be My Friend!” (كن صديقى) is a beautiful poem by the famous Kuwaiti poet, critic and writer Suad al-Sabah. She was born in 1942 to the ruling family of Kuwait. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Cairo University in 1973, and a PhD also in economics from Sari Guilford University in the UK in 1981…
Learning Arabic … which variety? Posted by aziza on Jan 15, 2009
The Arabic language has many varieties, and many of those who start Arabic wonder which variety of Arabic they should learn. There are two main classifications of varieties of Arabic, and there are many sub classifications as well: The main classifications are Classical Arabic (/ العربية الفصحى al-‘arabeya al-fuSha), i.e. the written and formal varieties and Colloquial…