Arabic Culture

Abdullah Al-Baradouni: A Biography ٌعَبْدُ اللهِ الْبَرَدُونِي: سِيرَةٌ ذَاتِيَّة Born in 1929 in Baradoun village in Dhamar ذَمَار governorate (province), Abdullah Al-Baradouni عَبْدُ الله البَرَدُونِي is a renowned Yemeni poet شَاعِر and a literary critic نَاقِد. He lost his sight at the age of six due to smallpox which was widespread in Yemen at the time. His Educat…

Yemen: Customs, Traditions, and More When it comes to customs and traditions of the Arabs, Yemen, compared to other Arab countries, is the least affected by globalization. Therefore, if one seeks to experience genuine Arabic culture, Yemen can’t be beat linguistically, culturally, and religiously. Following is some essential information about Yemen customs and traditions. …

Kazim Al-Sahir كَاظِم السَّاهِر Born in Mosul, Iraq, in 1957, Kazim(*) Al-Sahir كَاظِم السَّاهِر is one of the most noted singers in the Arab World الوَطْنِ العَرَبِي. He is also a composer and a song writer. Living in reduced circumstances, his family had to move to Baghdad. His knack for music emerged when he was seven years old. This talent was a precursor to studying and …

What is Islam? What is Islam? Islam is the submission to Allah, that is to submit one’s soul, destiny, and all matters to Him. A man may feel that no one on earth or the heavens above has authority over him, and that he has the freedom to do whatever he desires without seeking permission from anyone. This attitude may be acceptable in determining the relationship between a man…

Ali Ahmed Bakathir عَلِي أَحْمَد بَاكَثِيْر Born in Surabaya Indonesia in 1910, Ali Ahmed Bakathir is a renowned and highly regarded Arab literary figure and playwright. As was the case with many Yemeni fathers in southeast Asia at the time, namely Indonesia and Malaysia, his father decided that the family go back to their homeland—Say’un سَيْئون city in Hadhramautحَضْرَمُو…

Shafoot شَفُوْت: A Starter Yemeni Dish saltah سَلْتَة, faHsah فَحْسَة, mandi مَنْدِي, fattah فَتَّة, sousi سُوْسِي, ‘aSiiT عَصِيْد, bint aS-SaHn بِنْت الصَّحْن and shafoot شَفُوت are very popular local dishes that are unique to Yemen. You might have tried or heard of mandi because it has found its way to neighboring gulf states and other Arab countries and will soon become int…

Pre-Islamic Beliefs of Arabs In the pre-Islamic period or Jahiliyyah الْجَاهِلِيَّة, Arabs were not all monotheists. Like many other nations at the time, they had more than one faith دَيَانَة. Quraish قُرِيْش and neighboring tribes were principally paganist وَثَنِي. Judaism was the main religion in Yemen. Across different tribal regions, Individuals and small groups practiced …

Sherine Abdel-Wahab شِرِين عِبْدَ الوَهَاب In this post, some differences between Egyptian dialect and MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) are highlighted through a song by a popular Egyptian singer, Sherine Abdel-Wahab. The song is called حُبُه جَنَّة ‘his love is heaven’, and it is taken from a recent album of hers entitled نَسَّاي ‘the one who forgets me.’ This album includes twel…