On Fri, 01 May 1998 11:32:38 GMT, Lynn Woods wrote:

>The root verb is presumably gharaba.   What does that mean?   

A admire your command,  Lynn!  You probably mean 'ghorba' but I expect
the Gulf pronunciation would be the one above.

'Ghorba' means 'being in a strange place' or 'exile'.  It's almost like
saying that to exile someone is to send them 'away' from the east (the
light)!

>You didn't have to understand all they said to appreciate the sheer
>artistry of the language.

The Arabic language is probably the richest on earth.  This is partly
due to it being derivative,  highly descriptive and very precise.  For
example,  there are about 30 differnet descriptions of the period from
sun set to dusk! It is said that all the major faiths had to manifest
itself in some miracle. 
Moses had his cane which turned into snake and he was able to cleavage
the Red Sea with it thus creating the land passage into Sinai.  Jesus
was able to raise the dead,  cure the blind,  feed the 5000 etc.

Islam's 'miracle',  the Qora'n,  is a linguistic one!  It was written
in such a language that it shook the entire Arabic literary society at
the time in its complexity and sheer beauty.  In fact,  the Qora'n
issues a direct challenge to the writers of the time to reproduce a
single single like it.  To date,  that challenge remains unmet!

Omar Ibn Al Khatab,  the great military leader and second Khalif after
Mohammed was renowned for his justice and military conquests that
expanded the empire from India to Spain.  Yet,  he commands of parents:
"teach your children swimming,  archery,  horsemanship and recite to
them all that is beautiful in poetry" (!).  I certainly teach mine
swimming and recite to them all that is beautiful in poetry,  and if I
had the time,  I would also teach them archery and horsemanship!

To me,  the Middle East is like Middle Earth.  A place of epic
happenings.  You only need to be in cities like Cairo,  Jerusalem, 
Damascuss or Baghdad to really feel the weight of history getting right
into every ounce of your being!


>And how about telling us what Ahmad means - and his cousins Mohammed,
>Hamed, Hamdan etc!!   Let me guess "bringer of many messages"!

Alas,  no ;-)

The Qora'n says: "Ahmad in Heaven,  Mohammed on Earth and Mahmoud in
the hearts of people".  These are different names of the prophet
Mohammed.

'Ahmad' means 'the most grateful or thankful'.  It comes from the 'verb
of preference' (better,  best etc.).  The root is 'Hamd (thankfulness
or gratefullness) as in 'Al hamd lil Lah' (thanks be to Allah).  The
word Ahmad is not in linguistic use anymore,  it's just a name.

'Mahmoud' is 'the subject of gratitude',  'Mohammed' is 'he who is
always being thanked (I think!).  Neither are in linguistic use.

All Arab children irrespective of gender take the first names of their
father,  grandfather then the family name.  This is a relatively modern
development since the tradition at the time before Mohammed and for a
while afterwards (c.1500 yrs ago) was to name children after their
mothers!  Despite what a lot of people think,  there is deep respect
for women in Islam.

As a result,  I'll let you on a secret.  My full name is actually Ahmad
Mahmoud (my father) Mohammed (my g/father) Risk,  in the days of old, 
it would have been written thus:

Ahmad ibn Mahmoud ibn Mohammed Aal Risk (ibn means 'son of' and Aal
means 'of the nation/tribe'.

Both of my grandfather and his father were Arabic Scholars and
academics.

Enough for now :-)

Ahmad
________________________________________

Dr Ahmad Risk
http://mednetics.org
home: +44 1273 724866
work:  +44 1737 240022
fax:     +44 1737 244660







________________________________________

Dr Ahmad Risk
http://mednetics.org
home: +44 1273 724866
work:  +44 1737 240022
fax:     +44 1737 244660




%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%