Across many cultures and religions around the world, water is seen as the element that sustains and purifies life, physically and spiritually.
This week’s Arabic word of the week, ma’a, which means water, is powerfully embedded in Islam and the culture of the region. In the Arab world and beyond, ma’a is perhaps the most versatile and positively connected element to the human experience.
The origin of the word ma’a is the verb moaha, derived from the three Arabic letters, Meem, Wow and Ha’a. Moaha is an interesting verb as it refers to any type of movement connected to any body of water. It can refer to a vessel being filled, the movement of water in a surging sea, or even ice melting back into water.
Officially, ma’a is defined as a transparent liquid with no colour, taste or scent that is the source of all life.
Despite water not being a solid, there are four Arabic words that are used to describe water in its plural form. These are meeyah, maa’an, maya’an and mawaan. These are used to reference two bodies of water such as a river and the sea, or two different types of water, such as salt and fresh water.
Ma’a and these other variations of the word are used only in classical Arabic. In colloquial Arabic, across dialects, two variations of ma’a are used – mai or maya.
However, ma’a as a word has informed many Arabic words that are associated with water both in classic and colloquial dialects.
For example, tayara maa’iya refers to a plane that can sail on water, soura al maa’iya refers to a watercolour painting and boukhar al ma’a, which translates to steam of water, refers to steam specifically from boiling water. Boukhour on its own refers to steam from other elements such as herbs and spices.
Other interesting examples include ma’a al ayoon which refers to spring water, ma’a al zahir which is orange blossom water, an ingredient used in many Arabic dishes and deserts, as is ma’a al ward which is rose water. Even the water that is in the womb of a pregnant woman has a name, ma’a al gineen.
In various narratives and places, ma’a is mentioned in the Quran and as an element has very strong significance in Islamic culture and practices.
The Quran mentions that ma’a is part of every living beings make up, emphasising it as an element crucial to our creation and survival. In the form of rain, matar in Arabi, is also described in the Quran as a form of mercy from God, as it feeds Earth and by extension all living creatures. The various types of water are also categorised in the Quran, from rainwater to spring water and saltwater.
Ma’a is also used as a form of physical and spiritual purification. The ritual of wudu involves washing specific parts of the body a number of times with water before certain acts of worship, such as the five daily prayers known as salat.
There is also ma’a Zamzam, also known as Zamzam water, which comes from a well in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Ma’a Zamzam is highly revered culturally and religiously and drinking it is an essential part of the pilgrimage to Makkah for Hajj.
There are slightly varying versions of the narrative within Islamic scholars around the story of ma'a Zamzam but the main events occurred when Hagar, the second wife of the Prophet Ibrahim, was left by him in the desert, at a spot now believed to be within the Masjid al-Haram or the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
She was with her infant son Ismaʿil who cried in thirst for water. Hagar placed him on the ground and ran between the two hills now known as Safa and Marwa seven times in search of water. However, on her return, she found that a spring of water had emerged where she had left Ismaʿil.
Ma'a Zamzam is considered blessed and holy in Islam and it is believed to contain spiritual and healing properties.
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
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Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
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Director: Remo D’Souza
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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Torque: 175Nm
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Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
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Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
