In his book The Hero's Journey, writer and professor of literature Joseph Campbell said: “Passion makes most psychiatrists nervous.” The Lebanese-American writer and poet Khalil Gibran also used the phrase “rest in reason; move in passion".
In both quotes and many others by writers and poets, this week’s Arabic word of the week, shaghaf is often described as a powerful and all-consuming feeling.
It is a noun that translates to passion.
It refers to a feeling of intense longing or desire that cannot be resisted toward a person, object or concept. It can also mean an obsessive interest or admiration for an idea, scenario or fantasy. Shaghaf can also mean having a pleasurable fixation on a specific person or activity that borders on obsession.
Shaghaf is derived from the verb shagheefa, made up of the three Arabic letters Sheen, Ghayn and Fah. Shagheefa is the act of being in love with someone or something and actively expressing that affection. However, it usually refers to a deep, passionate and obsessive love.
Pronounced slightly differently as shaghafa, the verb refers to the act of when an arid piece of land becomes green, fruitful and fertile.
Several words are derived from shaghaf and are connected to the idea of intense passion.
The outer skin of the human heart is referred to as sheghaf or sheghaf al qalib. For the name of this piece of anatomy to be derived from the Arabic word that denotes passion is a testament to the connection between the intensity of this type of love and how it metaphorically travels to and from the heart.
Inshaghafa is another word connected to shaghaf, which refers to the act of someone becoming passionate or obsessed with a hobby or activity. These hobbies can include the fine arts, sports or literature. Another word, tashaghafa, refers to when one's thoughts are completely occupied with a piece of news that they overthink and start to feel concerned and worried.
Shaghoof is someone who is very passionate and mashgoof is the one who the passion is directed towards.
Shaghaf and the idea of shaghaf is referenced in the Quran several times in the story of the Prophet Youssef, known as Joseph in English.
In aya (verse) 23, it describes the story of when the wife of an aziz, or minister, attempts to seduce the Prophet Youssef. There, she is referred to have shaghaf or strong and intense feelings of passion and desire for him. But the prophet isn’t interested and is unwilling to submit to it, due to his loyalty to her husband who has given him lodgings.
More on animal trafficking
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
