'Aya': The Arabic word for sign also points to faith and beauty

In his 1856 poem Miracles, American poet and essayist Walt Whitman writes: “To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle.” Throughout the poem, Whitman captures his observations and appreciation for the every day and signs of life.

This goes in hand with this week’s Arabic word of the week: aya. It is a word used to describe many facets of signs and miracles. Aya is a noun that, in classical Arabic and across colloquial dialects, has various meanings denoting the concept of otherworldly or faith-based signs, evidence or miracles.

There are at least four meanings, most of which are conceptually linked. The first is a sign from God or one of the many signs of the existence of God. It is, to some, the evidence of the presence of God in faith-based religions, signs that are often unexplainable by science or logic.

The second is a moral lesson. This is the message that one can learn from within a story in a religious text, such as any of the narratives of the prophets. This also extends to any lesson within a story from a novel, folklore, fable or any medium that has a narrative with a message.

The third is a miracle. This usually refers to miracles within a religious context, such as the Virgin Mary’s conception of Jesus.

Aya also has another meaning which connects directly to the Quran. Within each chapter, each verse in Arabic is referred to as an aya. In many ways, this meaning of the word relates to the three aforementioned meanings. For believers, each aya in the holy book is a sign of God’s existence, is part of a lesson to learn from and is considered a miracle to have been bestowed upon man.

Sometimes aya is also used as a phrase to describe someone or something as being completely perfect or having reached the highest form of beauty. For example, a person or a work of art could be described as an aya of beauty, which means this person or thing is considered physically, morally, emotionally and spiritually beautiful and just.

There are two plural variations of aya. They are ayaat and ayaee, which are used depending on grammar and context. Aya comes from the verb aweeya, which is derived from the three Arabic letters alif, wow and ya’aa. Aweeya has no direct link to the meaning of aya. It has several separate meanings including showing mercy or entering a physical space such as a home, and settling and feeling secure.

Aya is also a common feminine name in the Arab world. Ayaat is also a name, though not as popular. As both a name and a word, aya carries deep cultural and spiritual significance in the region for its connection to the concepts of signs and miracles within the context of religion and faith.