About My Mother

Glossary

adul

A religious man certified by the government to draw up marriage certificates

Al-Fatiha

The opening surah of the Qur’an

babouches

Leather slippers

cherbil

Fine slippers worn by a bride

Cherif (pl. Chorfa)

Descendant(s) of the Prophet Muhammad

dakhchoucha

Bridal chamber

djabador

Tunic

djellaba

Long, hooded cloak often made of wool

Eid al-Adha

The Festival of Sacrifice, also known as the Greater Eid, the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar. This festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

Eid al-Fitr

Festival of Breaking of the Fast: this marks the end of Ramadan

Fassi

From Fez

fouta

Towel

gazelle

Used in Morocco to mean a woman who is sublimely beautiful and gentle, and hence for any beautiful woman

Haj/Hajja

Precedes the name of someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca

hajama

Barber who acts as a waiter at the wedding feast

hammam

Turkish bath

h’boura

Unsold, unwanted goods

Hizb al-islah al-watani

Party of National Reform

Istiqlal

Freedom (a political party)

kanoun

Potbellied terracotta barbecue

khli

Dried meat

kissaria

Covered market in the heart of the medina

Lalla

A title of respect when addressing a woman

mansouria

Long dress

mellah

Jewish quarter

mrouzia

A sweet and spicy lamb tagine traditionally prepared in the days following Eid Al Adha

M’sid

Traditional Qu’ranic school

negafa (pl. negafates)

Woman who oversees wedding celebrations

pastilla

A sweet-and-sour pigeon pie, emblematic of Fassi cuisine and Moroccan cuisine in general.

polished stone

Dry ablutions may be performed in place of washing if no clean water is readily available or if a person is ill, according to the Qu’ran

rasul

A natural mineral clay, mined in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco since the eighth century. It is combined with water to form a sticky unguent for washing the body and has been used by Moroccan women for centuries in caring for their skin and hair.

Razzaq

The name Razzaq means ‘servant of the all-providing’

sadaquah

Alms is the concept of voluntary giving in Islam. The term stems from the Arabic root word sidq, which means sincerity. So giving sadaqah is considered a sign of sincere faith.

sbohi

After the wedding, the bride spends the night at her new husband’s for the first time. The next day, she has her first breakfast with her new family, and her own family joins them in the morning with traditional cakes for the festivities.

seroual

Baggy trousers, for man or woman

Sharia

Islamic law

Si/Sidi

Lord/master. Si is a variant.

surah

Chapter or section of the Qur’an

tagine

North African stew of meat and/or vegetables

taqbib

Washing with buckets

tarbouche

Man’s cap, typically of red felt, with a tassel at the top

tayaba (pl. tayabates)

Bath attendant / masseuse at the hammam

tbak

Decorated basket

tchamir

Long, thin chemise

tolba

Men learned in the Qur’an who chant Qur’anic passages at funerals.

Yemma

Mother in Kabyle

Zakat

Purifying alms. A certain amount of money or property is collected from those who are wealthy and given to the poor.