This week’s Arabic word of the week has a long history as a rich source of allegories, symbols and associations around the world.
Whether seen as opportunity for rest, merriment or danger, the night has always been a time that both entices and scares people.
Layl is the Arabic word for night. It’s a noun that refers to the period of time that follows the day, lasting from when the sun sets until it rises again at dawn.
It is derived from three Arabic letters, lam, yah and lam again. There are many variations of the word layl to refer to the night in both its singular and plural form.
Al layl means a night or the night. Al layalee is the plural version but can also refer to many nights as an abstract concept, meaning a very long period of time or a specific era of time. Layla can also mean one single night while layaalee and layaalin are also variations of the plural form of the word.
There are many phrases in classic Arabic that refer to the night.
Interestingly they paint the night in with negative and positive connotations. For example, “the son of the night” is a thief, while “the son of many nights” is the moon. “Daughters of the night” refer to worry and paranoia, while “the breast of the night” is used to reference the beginning of the night.
Laylee refers to something that is happening at night or every single night. For example, a night shift or night classes. Al laa'el is an adjective derived from the word layl, meaning the darkest of the dark.
In Islam, two of the five daily prayers are called salat al layl, which translate to the prayers of the night. They include the fourth and fifth prayers of the day, one at sunset and the other at night.
Surat Al Layl is the 92nd chapter in the Quran. It is one of the first 10 surats to be revealed in Makkah and delves into the importance of charity. It starts with a series of oaths, beginning with the night as an important sign and one of contrasting difference to the day.
Also in Islam, Laylat al Qadr, which translates to the night of destiny or the night of power, is the night when the Quran was first sent down to the world. It is the night when the first verses were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
The exact date of this night is not known except that it is one of the odd-numbered nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan.
The many variations of the word layl have also become names, mostly for women.
Layla as a name means the first night of an event. For example, an opening for a play or a performance. If spelt slightly differently in Arabic, it can also refer to the early stages of alcoholic intoxication, and the phrase Umm Layla (translated to Mother of Leila) is a reference to wine.
There are many well known and classic songs, shows and films that use the word and the theme of layl.
There is the renowned Lebanese singer Wadi Al-Safi’s classic song Al Laylu Ya Layla, (The Night, Oh Leila) and Lebanese pop singer Nawal Zoghbi’s early hit, the single Al Layaaly (The Nights).
One of the Arab world's most well-known works of fiction is Alfu Layla wa Layla (A Thousand and One Nights) also known as the Arabian Nights. The collection of fables and folk stories are structured under one narrative.
The tyrannical King Shahrayar murders all of his brides after their first night together as husband and wife. His newest bride, the intelligent Shahrazad tells him a story every night, only to stop at an integral part of the plot as the dawn breaks – thus extending her life for one more night. Shahrazad continues to tell the king stories for 1,001 nights, using the darkness the night provides as a way to bring her stories to life, while teaching him lessons and healing his warped mind.
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