Heart of the Night

Glossary

Alamiya: diploma awarded by al-Azhar in Egypt at the end of the specified period of study.

awalim: traditional women singers.

fuul: cooked fava beans, usually eaten for breakfast.

gallabiya: long loose garment worn by men in Egypt.

gibba: long garment worn under the quftan by imams and students enrolled in al-Azhar, preparing them to assume the responsibility of imam.

kawari: a dish consisting of sheep trotters.

Laylat al-Qadr: the night that falls between the 26th and the 27th of Ramadan. It marks the night on which the Quran was revealed.

mahmal: the litter once sent to Mecca by the Egyptian government during the Hajj (pilgrimage) carrying the covering for the Kaaba. The name is derived from the verb hamala, ‘to carry.’

quftan: long outer coat worn by imams over the gibba.

Salafi: follower of a reform movement in Islam launched by Muhammad Abduh in Egypt.

salamlik: word of Turkish origin referring to a reception room.

Samadiya: derived from al-Samad, one of God’s attributes and meaning ‘the master obeyed by all.’ The Samadiya is the chapter in the Quran entitled ‘Surat al-Ikhlas.’

suradiq: a large tent erected to receive a large number of guests outside the house for either happy events or a death in the family.

tawashih: a form of Arabic poetry consisting of stanzas, often set to music and sung.

tuzz: expression used to mean ‘so what! I couldn’t care less.’

waqf: plural awqaf; consists in endowing private property for charitable purposes. The income generated by awqaf or the services they provide (hospitals, schools, libraries) are aimed at the needy. In Egypt, where this novel takes place, awqaf are run by the Ministry of Awqaf, a government agency. The concept of the waqf dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad and has undergone transformations throughout history. The waqf par excellence is the Kaaba in Mecca.