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.