A is for Allah is the name of a Muslim-themed double album for children by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) released on July 11, 2000 through Resurgence UK Records.The musician used the song as a vehicle to teach his daughter, Hasanah, the 28-letter Arabic alphabet. This kind of Islamic music is also known as nasheed.The album had been in the works since 1994, although the title track dates back to 1980, when it was written after the birth of his first child. (Wikiped

Song Lyrics:

A’ is for Allah, nothing but Allah;
Ba is the beginning of Bismillah;
Ta is for Taqwa, bewaring of Allah;
and Tha is for Thawab, a reward;
Ja is for Janna, the Garden of Paradise;
Ha is for Hajj, the blessed pilgrimage;
Kha is for Khaatem, the seal of the prophethood given to the Prophet, Muhammed (SAW);
Da is for Deen, Al-Islam, religion with Allah since time began;
Dha is for dhikr, remembering Allah;
and Ra is for the month of Ramadhan, ohh Ramadhan;
Za is for Zakat to pure our greed, when we give our money to those in need;
Sa is for Salamu alaikum, peace be with you wa’alaikum assalam;
Sha is for shams, the shining sun, which Allah placed for everyone;
and Sua is for salat, for when we pray facing him, everyday, facing him, till we meet our
lord;
Allah there’s only one God and Muhammed is his Messenger. Allah, La ilaha illa’allah;
Dua is for duha, the morning light, the sun has turned from red to white;
Tua is for tareeq, the path to walk upon;
and Dhua is for dhil, a shadow;
and Aa is for ilm, the thing to know, to make our knowledge grow, in Islam;
Gha is for ghaib, a world unseen and that we know is not a dream;
Fa is for, the Opening, Al-Fatiha;
and Qua for the Qur’an, the book of God;
and Ka is for kalima, a word we’re taught to teach us what is good and what is not;
and La is for the beginning of La ilaha illa’allah;
Ma is for the Messenger Muhammed-ur-Rasoolillah. La ilaha illa’allah, Muhammed-ur-
Rasulilllah;
Allah, there’s only one God and Muhammed is his Messenger. Allah, la ilaha illa’allah;
Na is for nawm, the sleep God gave to give us rest after the day;
Ha is for the Hijra, the journey that, the Prophet made;
and Wa for wudu before we pray to help us wash our sins away;

Source of Realia :

Youtube

Wikipedia

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers.

As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

Read the following article before listening to the podcast:

رواتب ربات البيوت – BBC Arabic – Learning English

Today Louay and Cath talk about housewives. According to a new survey in the UK, housewives would be paid more than the average worker, if they received the going rate for their household chores.
The average annual salary in the UK is £23,700.
An average mum apparently works for nearly nine hours a day, every day, which would mean that housewives could earn almost £30,000 a year.
4,000 housewives were involved in the survey and most of them agreed that successfully running the family home was a full-time job.
The way they worked this out was by comparing the various chores with actual jobs. So for child care they would look at what a nanny would earn; cleaning and tidying would be compared to what a cleaner would get. Other jobs in the calculation included being an accountant and a taxi driver.

Do you think housewives should be paid?

هل تعتقد انه يجب دفع رواتب لربات البيوت مقابل مجهوداتهم لقضاء في الاعمال المنزلية؟

Listen to the programme :

Key Vocabulary:

• housewives : ربات البيوت
• the going rate : المعدل السائر – المعدل السائد
•  household chores : الواجبات المنزلية
•  salary : راتب
•  full-time job : وظيفة بدوام كامل
•  child care: رعاية الطفل – العناية بالطفل
•  nanny :مربية اطفال
•  cleaning and tidying :التنظيف و الترتيب
•  accountant : محاسب
• taxi driver :سائق تاكسي – سائق سيارة أجرة

Further reading

Housewife ‘would be paid £30,000′ – BBC News

Source of Realia:

BBC Arabic – Learn English – تعليم الإنجليزية

Pre-Listening task:

To gain some understanding of this news read the following article:

The Calgary Sun newspaper in Alberta, Canada, chose Monday to publish no bad news and made the story of a found dog its front page banner piece.

The tabloid said it was filling the paper with “good news” on a gamble “the news gods would cooperate with us and not deal us any world catastrophes or local tragedies that would elbow for space on Page 1.”

None of the Sun newspapers in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto or Ottawa followed suit.

“It’s not something we would do every day and the nature of news being what it is, we can’t promise a sequel with any certainty,” the Calgary paper said. “But it was a relatively tranquil day yesterday in our (oil) boomtown …”

The front page story was about a dog that went missing on Christmas Eve and reunited with it owners on Jan. 27, while the other Sun papers fronted bombings in Afghanistan and local missing person reports.

Source of the article

Listening task:

The first half of the podcast contains the following:

1. Introduction – see transcript below
2. Mock news bulletin – Good news
3. Real news bulletin recording – Bad news
4. Interview with وائل الإبراشي , the editor of the Egyptian newspaper (صحيفة صوت الأمة)
5. Discussion and debate
6. Miscellaneous News

Listen to the Audio Podcast :

The following article is a transcript of the Podcast introduction:

كوارث وحروب.. اين هي الاخبار السعيدة؟

قررت الصحيفة الكندية الSun، عدم نشر أي أخبار سيئة أيام الاثنين من كل أسبوع، بهدف عدم تعكير مزاج القاريء وتشجيعه على اتخاذ موقف إيجابي ومتفائل من الحياة. قد يقول البعض ان هذا ممكن ربما في كندا. انما في العالم العربي؟ اخبار كاملة بدون اي خبر سيء؟ كيف؟

اردنا ان نعطيكم مثالا لكيف يمكن ان تكون نشرة اخبار طيبة. بحثنا جاهدين في ارشيفنا ولكننا لم نجد نشرة كاملة. فاضطررنا الى ابتكارها. للأسف.

ولكن نشرات الاخبار الحقيقية، للأسف، ليست كذلك. استمع الى كيف تكون عادة نشرات الاخبار الحقيقية

وائل الإبراشي رئيس تحرير صحيفة صوت الأمة، وهي صحيفة مصرية مستقلة تهتم بنشر التحقيقات، وتتحدث عادة عن قضايا كالفساد والرشوة، تحدث الى بي بي سي اكسترا

.

Find out more:

BBC Arabic Xtra Radio Programme

كوارث وحروب.. اين هي الاخبار السعيدة؟ – BBC Arabic Xtra

Canadian Newspaper bans bad news for one day – United Press International

]]> http://varabic.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/bbc-podcast-canadian-newspaper-bans-bad-news-for-one-day-%d8%b5%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%a9-%d9%83%d9%86%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b4%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%ae%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7/feed/ 1 MD http://varabic.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/arabic-podcasts-masculine-feminine-plural/ http://varabic.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/arabic-podcasts-masculine-feminine-plural/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:06:49 +0000 MD http://varabic.wordpress.com/?p=266 ]]>

Masculine Plural

In Arabic there are certain rules to follow when forming masculine plural.

Fortunately, you have ArabicPod to help explain these rules and make it simpler.

It’s not as easy as changing mu3alim (teacher) to mu3alims, but it’s not difficult either.

If you’re at an intermediate level then join the discussion.

Listen to the podcast – Masculine Plural (Arabic Pod)

Feminine Plural

In this intermediate lesson we teach you how to form feminine plural.

There is a lot of grammar in this lesson and we teach you the rules to follow when changing singular feminine to plural feminine, so tune in and learn how to make Sayara (car) plural.

Listen to the podcast – Feminine Plural (Arabic Pod)

Find out more

Arabic Pod

Adhan (Azaan) (آذان ) is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin (المؤذن).

The root of the word is ( أذن – adhana) i.e. “to permit”, and another derivative of this word is أذن (uḏun), meaning “ear.”

Adhan is called out by the muezzin from a minaret of a mosque five times a day summoning Muslims for fard (mandatory) salah (prayers).

There is a second call known as إقامة iqama that summons Muslims to line up for the beginning of the prayers.

Text of the Adhan

Video clip of the Adhan

Watch this video clip of the Adhan from Makkah (this is one of the most-known Adhan among Muslims in the Muslim world)

Adhan from Tureky

__
This video clip shows the transliteration and meaning of the Adhan

__

Amzing facts about the Adhan

• Wherever there are Muslims around the world, the Adhan is recited 5 times a day in the following times :
  • ِdawn الفجر
  • noon, الظهر
  • mid-afternoon, العصر
  • sunset, المغرب
  • night العشاء
• So, if you happen to travel to the Arab world, you will defenitely hear the Adhan throughout the day.
• One of the amazing facts that has been establised is that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muazzins (callers to prayer) around the world are not calling the Adhan on the surface of this earth. Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there are at least thousands of people who are hearing and reciting the Adhan! Read more

This video illustrates the continuity of the Adhan around the earth

Poster of the Adhan & Iqama transcript

The Adhan at the Dawn prayer is slightly different from the other Adhan.

What line is added to the Adhan at dawn time? (Look at the red arrow above)

What happens when the Adhan is announced?

• What do you understand from this TV advert?

Screenshot of an electronic Adhan software

The software allows you to hear automatic Athan at the right time five times a day. The most popular religious software according to download.com

Many Muslims (Arabs and non-Arabs) who live outside the Muslim world rely on electronic tools to remind them of the exact prayer times.

As a language learning exercise, compare the following screenshots:

Notice the prayer times, different types of Adhan, volume controls etc…

What new words did you learn?

Source of screenshot: IslamicFinder.org

_______________________________________________________________________________

Where is the Adhan called out from?

Minarets (manara (lighthouse) منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. Minarets are generally tall spires with onion-shaped crowns, usually either free standing or much taller than any surrounding support structure.

As well as providing a visual cue demarcating a Muslim community center and territory, the call to prayer is traditionally given from the top of the minaret.

In some of the oldest mosques, such as the Great Mosque of Damascus, minarets originally served as watchtowers illuminated by torches (hence the derivation of the word from the Arabic nur, meaning “light”).

In more recent times, the main function of the minaret was to provide a vantage point from which the muezzin can call out the adhan, calling the faithful to prayer.

In most modern Mosques, the adhan is called not in the minaret, but in the musallah, or prayer hall, via a microphone and speaker system.

In a practical sense, these are also used for natural air conditioning.

As the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows and up and out of the shaft, thereby causing a natural ventilation.

Minarets have been described as the “gate from heaven and earth”, and as the Arabic language letter alif (which is a straight vertical line).

The world’s tallest minaret (at 210 meters) is located at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.

The world’s tallest brick minaret is Qutub Minar located in Delhi, India.

There are two 230 meter tall minarets under construction in Tehran, Iran.

____________________________________________________________________

Find out more

Adhan – Wikipedia

Immerse yourself in Arabic/Egyptian language and culture by watching subtitled videos!

All videos are subtitled in three different texts:

This section can be a great resource to learn new words/idioms and develop your listening comprehension.

Enjoy!

Find out more

ArEg – Multimedia Music Video clips

Diaries available:

1. Nadia Abou-Al-Raghib : My (life) experience between Jordan and Britain نادية أبو الراغب: تجربتي بين الأردن وبريطانيا
2. Zakariah Isam between his brithplace and his ancestors’ land زكريا عصام بين مسقط الرأس وأرض الأجداد
   
3. Yasin Abdullah while he is away from his homeland ياسين عبد الله في غربته
4. Ahmad Al-Ghamdi – Achieving aspirations أحمد الغامدي: تحقيق الطموح
5. Helen Torrington: My experience with the Arabic lifestyle هيلين تورنجتون: تجربتي مع نمط الحياة العربية

Find out more :

BBC Arabic

Although this online Radio station is designed for a native-Arabic audience and Advanced Arabic Learners, there is a lot of useful and basic vocabulary and expressions you may be able to pick up, especially when they broadcast bilingual Arabic-English programmes. (e.g. Song Lines)

Song Lines is an Interactive Radio programme in Arabic where English Music is used as a teaching tool to teach English to Arabic speakers.

In Song Lines you can learn useful Arabic phrases with the stars of rock and pop music.

There is a nice collection of short audio clips with explanations in Arabic of the songs’ titles.

You may also request from BBC Xtra to broadcast your favourite song and expalain it in Arabic

Go to Song Lines page تعّلم الإنجليزية من خلال الأغانى (i.e. Learn English through Music)
Also, when they have English-speaking guests, the Radio host always makes sure to interpret in Arabic what the guest is saying.

To access the online Radio, click on

(i.e. Listen – Live)

………

Find out more :

BBC Arabic Radio Programmes

BBC Arabic News

SongLines Collection 1

SongLines Collection 2

Lesson #1 – Thank You!

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today’s Survival Phrase is شكرا, the most common way to say thank you in Arabic. To learn more about Moroccan culture and phrases be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip!

Duration: 6:55

Download the PDF Guide

Download the PDF Guide

Lesson #4 – Basic Greetings

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the North Africa.

Hello and السلام عليكم (Peace be Upon You). Today will be learning basic greetings in Arabic. For more information on Arabic language and culture, be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip!

Lesson #5 – Parting greetings (Goodbye)

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

Previously we covered basic greetings in Arabic, and today we’ll learn how to say goodbye. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip, and be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!

Lesson #6 – Where is the Bathroom?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Morocco.

Today we will be learning how to ask “Where is the bathroom?” in Arabic! Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip to Morocco, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #7 – I Don’t Understand.

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today we learn how to say “I don’t understand.”, a phrase that will certainly prove useful if you are a tourist in an Arabic speaking country. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip to the Arab world, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #8 – Can You Speak English?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

Today we learn how to ask “Can you speak English?”, a question that will certainly prove useful traveling through North Africa or the Middle East. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #9 – Can You Say It Again?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today we provide you with a linguistic tool to help take your Arabic language skills to the next level. Today we will be learning how to ask the speaking party to “say it again”. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!

Lesson #10 – Apologies(I’m Sorry)

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

As you are traveling and speaking a foreign language, you may need to ask forgiveness or apologise for something. For this reason and many more, today we’re learning apologizing in Arabic. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!

Find out more:

Survivalphrases.com/arabic