Ghada World — Culture Quizzes EncyclopediaGhada World — Culture Quizzes Encyclopedia
Ghada World — A trusted Q&A encyclopedia · 300 questions
Q1: Match each book with its author:
Answer: The Book of Songs (Al-Aghani) ↔ Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, The Unique Necklace (Al-Iqd al-Farid) ↔ Ibn Abd Rabbih, Lisan al-Arab ↔ Ibn Manzur, The Muqaddimah ↔ Ibn Khaldun
💡 Al-Aghani is a literary encyclopedia by Abu al-Faraj, al-Iqd al-Farid is by Ibn Abd Rabbih al-Andalusi, Lisan al-Arab is by Ibn Manzur, and the Muqaddimah is by Ibn Khaldun.
Q2: Match each title with the poet who was known by it:
Answer: Prince of Poets ↔ Ahmed Shawqi, Poet of the Nile ↔ Hafez Ibrahim, Poet of the Two Countries ↔ Khalil Mutran, Prisoner of Two Prisons ↔ Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
💡 Shawqi was proclaimed Prince of Poets in 1927, Hafez was called the Poet of the Nile, Mutran the Poet of the Two Countries for his ties to Lebanon and Egypt, and al-Ma'arri the Prisoner of Two Prisons because of his blindness and staying in his home.
Q3: Order the following poets by year of birth, from earliest to latest:
Answer: Mahmoud Sami al-Baroudi then Ahmed Shawqi then Hafez Ibrahim then Badr Shakir al-Sayyab
💡 Al-Baroudi was born in 1839, Shawqi in 1868, Hafez Ibrahim in the early 1870s, and al-Sayyab in 1926.
Q4: Order the following masters of prose by year of death, from earliest to latest:
Answer: Ibn al-Muqaffa' then Al-Jahiz then Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani then Al-Hariri
💡 Ibn al-Muqaffa' died around 142 AH, al-Jahiz in 255 AH, Badi' al-Zaman in 398 AH, and al-Hariri in 516 AH.
Q5: Order the following poets from the earliest to the latest era:
Answer: Imru' al-Qais then Hassan ibn Thabit then Jarir then Al-Mutanabbi
💡 Imru' al-Qais is pre-Islamic, Hassan is a mukhadram who lived into Islam, Jarir is Umayyad, and al-Mutanabbi is Abbasid and died in 354 AH.
Q6: Select all the books that are Arabic dictionaries:
Answer: Lisan al-Arab, Al-Qamus al-Muhit, Al-Sihah
💡 Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur, al-Qamus al-Muhit by al-Fayruzabadi and al-Sihah by al-Jawhari are dictionaries, while The Days is Taha Hussein's autobiography and the Maqamat are a prose genre.
Q7: Choose all the mukhadram poets, who lived in both the pre-Islamic era and Islam:
Answer: Al-Khansa', Al-Hutay'a, Labid ibn Rabi'a
💡 A mukhadram is someone who lived in the pre-Islamic era and lived on into Islam, such as al-Khansa', al-Hutay'a and Labid, while Imru' al-Qais is pre-Islamic and al-Mutanabbi is Abbasid.
Q8: Select all the books written by al-Jahiz:
Answer: The Book of Misers (Al-Bukhala'), The Book of Animals (Al-Hayawan), Eloquence and Exposition (Al-Bayan wal-Tabyin)
💡 The Book of Misers, The Book of Animals and Eloquence and Exposition are among al-Jahiz's most famous books, while Kalila and Dimna is Ibn al-Muqaffa's translation and Enjoyment and Conviviality is by Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi.
Q9: Choose all the poets who are considered poets of the Mu'allaqat:
Answer: Al-Harith ibn Hilliza, Amr ibn Kulthum, Tarafa ibn al-Abd
💡 Al-Harith ibn Hilliza, Amr ibn Kulthum and Tarafa are pre-Islamic poets of the Mu'allaqat, while Abu Tammam is Abbasid and al-Farazdaq is Umayyad.
Q10: Antarah ibn Shaddad was a poet of the Abbasid era.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Antarah was a pre-Islamic poet, one of the poets of the Mu'allaqat; he lived before Islam and was the knight of Banu Abs.
Q11: Al-Khansa' was famous for mourning her brother Sakhr.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Al-Khansa' mourned her brothers Sakhr and Mu'awiya, with most of her poetry about Sakhr, and she became the most famous female elegy poet.
Q12: Muwashshahat are a poetic art that began in Iraq and then moved to al-Andalus.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Muwashshahat began in al-Andalus and were known for their variety of rhymes and meters, then they moved to the East.
Q13: Tawfiq al-Hakim was the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The first Arab to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was the novelist Naguib Mahfouz in 1988, while Tawfiq al-Hakim was the pioneer of intellectual drama.
Q14: Taha Hussein was nicknamed "the Dean of Arabic Literature," and he lost his sight in childhood.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Taha Hussein lost his sight as a child, then became one of the great figures of literature and criticism, and he told his life story in the book "The Days."
Q15: In the book "Kalila and Dimna," the philosopher Bidpai tells the stories to King Dabshalim.
Answer: True ✔
💡 The book is built on a dialogue between King Dabshalim and the philosopher Bidpai, with wisdom told through animals; Kalila and Dimna are two jackals.
Q16: The dictionary "Al-Ayn" is the first comprehensive Arabic dictionary, and its author is al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Al-Khalil arranged Al-Ayn phonetically according to where letters are pronounced in the mouth, and began it with the letter 'ayn, so it was named after it.
Q17: The line "Stand up for the teacher and give him full honor ... the teacher is almost a messenger" is by Hafez Ibrahim.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The line is by Ahmed Shawqi, the Prince of Poets, and it is one of the most famous things ever said in honor of the teacher.
Q18: Literary books tell that a red dome was set up at Souq Okaz for a poet who judged between the poets. Who was he?
Answer: Al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani
💡 Al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani was the judge of poets at Okaz; they presented their poems to him and he ranked them, and he was also famous for his poems of apology to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir.
Q19: What are the poems Abu Firas al-Hamdani composed while he was a captive of the Byzantines called?
Answer: Al-Rumiyyat
💡 They were named "al-Rumiyyat" because he composed them in captivity among the Byzantines (al-Rum); in them he longs for his mother and homeland and reproaches his cousin Sayf al-Dawla.
Q20: Which literary group in the northern diaspora (New York) did Gibran Khalil Gibran and Elia Abu Madi belong to?
Answer: The Pen League (al-Rabita al-Qalamiyya)
💡 The Pen League was founded in New York in 1920 with Gibran as its head, while the Andalusian League was in the southern diaspora in Brazil.
Q21: Which poet is considered the pioneer of the "Revival" school in modern Arabic poetry?
Answer: Mahmoud Sami al-Baroudi
💡 Al-Baroudi restored the strength and grandeur of Arabic poetry in the style of the great classical poets, so he was called the pioneer of the Revival, and Shawqi and Hafez followed his path.
Q22: Who, along with Nazik al-Mala'ika, was a pioneer of free verse (tafila poetry) in Iraq?
Answer: Badr Shakir al-Sayyab
💡 Badr Shakir al-Sayyab and Nazik al-Mala'ika are considered pioneers of tafila poetry in the late 1940s, while the other three are major figures of classical (vertical) poetry.
Q23: What is meant by the "talal" that the pre-Islamic poet stands at in the opening of his poem?
Answer: The visible remains of abandoned homes
💡 The talal is what remains of the traces of the loved ones' homes after they have left, and stopping at it is a traditional opening of the pre-Islamic poem.
Q24: Who is credited with inventing the maqama genre in Arabic prose?
Answer: Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani
💡 Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani invented the maqama and made Isa ibn Hisham its narrator; al-Hariri later followed his method and acknowledged that he came first.
Q25: Which Andalusian poet wrote the poem rhyming in nun that begins "Distance has come to replace our closeness"?
Answer: Ibn Zaydun
💡 The Nuniyya is by Ibn Zaydun, who composed it longing for Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, and it is one of the most famous poems of al-Andalus.
Q26: Who wrote "The Epistle of Forgiveness" (Risalat al-Ghufran), which depicts an imaginary journey to the afterlife?
Answer: Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
💡 "The Epistle of Forgiveness" is by Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri, written as a reply to a letter from Ibn al-Qarih; in it he imagined meeting poets in Paradise and Hell.
Q27: Which poet is the poem known as "Lamiyyat al-Arab" attributed to?
Answer: Al-Shanfara
💡 "Lamiyyat al-Arab" is attributed to al-Shanfara, one of the vagabond (su'luk) poets, and it begins "Raise up the chests of your mounts, O sons of my mother."
Q28: Who composed the poem "Banat Su'ad," which he recited before the Prophet ﷺ?
Answer: Ka'b ibn Zuhair
💡 Ka'b ibn Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma recited it as an apology after embracing Islam; it is known as al-Burda because the Prophet ﷺ placed his cloak (burda) on him, while al-Busiri's Burda came centuries later.
Q29: Which poet was nicknamed "the Poet of the Messenger ﷺ" for defending Islam with his poetry?
Answer: Hassan ibn Thabit
💡 Hassan ibn Thabit al-Ansari was the most famous of the Prophet's ﷺ poets; he answered the poets of Quraysh with his poetry, and Ka'b ibn Malik and Ibn Rawaha were also poets among the Companions.
Q30: What is the name of the poetic art exchanged by Jarir and al-Farazdaq, in which each answered the other's poem using the same meter and rhyme?
Answer: Naqa'id (polemic poems)
💡 Naqa'id are poems in which a poet answers his rival, overturning his meanings using the same meter and rhyme; the most famous were between Jarir, al-Farazdaq and al-Akhtal in the Umayyad era.
Q31: Which mukhadram poet (who lived in both the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras) was so famous for satire that he even satirized himself?
Answer: Al-Hutay'a
💡 Al-Hutay'a was famous for his sharp tongue; it is said that one day he found no one to satirize, so he satirized himself when he saw his face in the water.
Q32: Which poetic genre mourns the dead and lists their virtues?
Answer: Elegy (ritha')
💡 Ritha' (elegy) is weeping for the dead and mentioning their good qualities; one of its most famous poets is al-Khansa', who mourned her brothers Sakhr and Mu'awiya.
Q33: Whose line is this: "My homeland, even if I were kept busy from it by eternity ... my soul would pull me back to it, even in eternity"?
Answer: Ahmed Shawqi
💡 The line is by Ahmed Shawqi, from his poem rhyming in sin that he composed in exile in Andalusia, longing for Egypt.
Q34: Whose line is this, in which the Arabic language speaks about itself: "I am the sea, with pearls hidden in its depths ... so have they asked the diver about my shells?"
Answer: Hafez Ibrahim
💡 The line is from Hafez Ibrahim's poem "The Arabic Language Laments Its Fate Among Its People," in which he defended the ability and richness of Arabic.
Q35: Who wrote the verse play "The Death of Cleopatra"?
Answer: Ahmed Shawqi
💡 Ahmed Shawqi wrote several verse plays, including "The Death of Cleopatra" and "Majnun Layla," making him the pioneer of Arabic poetic theater.
Q36: Abu Tammam said "The sword is truer in its news than books" in praise of which caliph after the conquest of Amorium?
Answer: Al-Mu'tasim
💡 Abu Tammam said it in praise of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim after the conquest of Amorium in 223 AH, and it is one of the most famous poems of praise and pride.
Q37: Whose line is this: "The horses, the night and the desert know me ... and the sword, the spear, the paper and the pen"?
Answer: Al-Mutanabbi
💡 The line is by al-Mutanabbi, from his poem rhyming in mim in which he reproaches Sayf al-Dawla; in it he boasts of both his horsemanship and his poetry.
Q38: At which prince's court did al-Mutanabbi spend his finest years, praising him in his most famous poems?
Answer: Sayf al-Dawla al-Hamdani in Aleppo
💡 Al-Mutanabbi lived for about nine years at the court of Sayf al-Dawla al-Hamdani in Aleppo, and there he composed the "Sayfiyyat," considered some of his finest poetry.
Q39: What was the real name of the poet al-Mutanabbi?
Answer: Ahmad ibn al-Husayn
💡 Al-Mutanabbi is Abu al-Tayyib Ahmad ibn al-Husayn, while al-Hasan ibn Hani' is Abu Nuwas, Habib ibn Aws is Abu Tammam, and al-Walid ibn Ubayd is al-Buhturi.
Q40: Which tribe is the chaste love poetry called "Udhri love poetry" named after?
Answer: Banu Udhra
💡 Chaste love poetry was named after Banu Udhra because many of its poets came from them; one of the most famous was Jamil ibn Ma'mar, the beloved of Buthayna.
Q41: Whose Mu'allaqa begins with "Khawla has ruins at the stony plain of Thahmad"?
Answer: Tarafa ibn al-Abd
💡 This is the opening of the Mu'allaqa of Tarafa ibn al-Abd, the poet who was killed young; his Mu'allaqa is one of the longest.
Q42: Which knight-poet, author of a Mu'allaqa, was famous for his love of his cousin "Abla"?
Answer: Antarah ibn Shaddad
💡 Antarah ibn Shaddad al-Absi was the knight and poet of Banu Abs, and "Abla" appears often in his Mu'allaqa and his poems.
Q43: Whose line is this: "I have grown weary of life's burdens, and whoever lives ... eighty years, by your life, will grow weary"?
Answer: Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma
💡 The line is from the Mu'allaqa of Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma, the poet of wisdom in the pre-Islamic era, who said it when he had reached eighty.
Q44: Whose Mu'allaqa begins with "Stop, you two, and let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling"?
Answer: Imru' al-Qais
💡 This is the opening of the Mu'allaqa of Imru' al-Qais, the most famous pre-Islamic poet, in which he stands at the ruins and asks his two companions to stop and weep.
Q45: Where was Souq Okaz, the most famous Arab market of the pre-Islamic era, held?
Answer: Near Taif
💡 Souq Okaz was held near Taif, between Makkah and Taif, where Arabs gathered to trade, recite poetry and boast of their glories.
Q46: From which language did Ibn al-Muqaffa' translate "Kalila and Dimna" into Arabic?
Answer: Persian (Pahlavi)
💡 The book is originally Indian; it was translated into Middle Persian (Pahlavi), and from that Ibn al-Muqaffa' translated it into Arabic in a style that became a model of literary prose.
Q47: Match each character from "One Thousand and One Nights" with what they are famous for:
Answer: Ali Baba ↔ The forty thieves, Aladdin ↔ The magic lamp, Sinbad the Sailor ↔ Voyages across the seas, Shahryar ↔ The king to whom the stories were told
💡 These are some of the most famous characters from the tales, which have been translated into the world's languages and adapted into many films and plays.
Q48: Match each classic book with its author or the one who translated it into Arabic:
Answer: The Book of Misers (Al-Bukhala') ↔ Al-Jahiz, Hayy ibn Yaqzan ↔ Ibn Tufayl, The Epistle of Forgiveness (Risalat al-Ghufran) ↔ Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri, Kalila and Dimna ↔ Ibn al-Muqaffa'
💡 Al-Jahiz collected funny stories of misers, Ibn Tufayl wrote a philosophical story about a child who grew up on an island, al-Ma'arri imagined a journey to the afterlife, and Ibn al-Muqaffa' translated Kalila and Dimna into Arabic.
Q49: Match the beginning of each proverb with the figure it refers to:
Answer: "More loyal than ..." ↔ Al-Samaw'al, "More forbearing than ..." ↔ Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais, "Greedier than ..." ↔ Ash'ab, "More sharp-sighted than ..." ↔ Zarqa' al-Yamama
💡 The Arabs made proverbs of the most famous people for each trait: the loyalty of al-Samaw'al, the forbearance of al-Ahnaf, the greed of Ash'ab, and the sharp sight of Zarqa' al-Yamama, who could see a rider from a great distance.
Q50: Put the events of the funny story "Juha's Nail" in order:
Answer: Juha sold his house but kept ownership of one nail in its wall then He kept visiting the house often, claiming he was checking on his nail then The buyer grew fed up with his visits and left the house to Juha
💡 "Juha's nail" became a proverb for a flimsy excuse someone uses to meddle in other people's affairs.
Q51: Put the events of Scheherazade's story in "One Thousand and One Nights" in order:
Answer: Scheherazade married King Shahryar then She began telling him a story at night then She stopped at dawn before the story ended then The king spared her after a thousand and one nights
💡 Scheherazade would stop the story at its most exciting moment, so the king postponed killing her to hear the rest, until he finally spared her.
Q52: Order these figures from earliest to latest in time:
Answer: Quss ibn Sa'ida then Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais then Iyas ibn Mu'awiya then Al-Hariri then Ibn Battuta
💡 Quss lived before Islam, al-Ahnaf lived in early Islam and died around 67 AH, Iyas died in 122 AH, al-Hariri lived in the 6th century AH, and Ibn Battuta in the 8th century AH.
Q53: Choose everything that is true about "The Maqamat of al-Hariri":
Answer: Its hero is Abu Zayd al-Saruji, Its narrator is al-Harith ibn Hammam, It has 50 maqamas
💡 The Maqamat are fifty tales in rhymed prose mixed with poetry, narrated by al-Harith ibn Hammam about the eloquent trickster Abu Zayd al-Saruji.
Q54: Choose all the figures famous for jokes and funny stories in Arab heritage:
Answer: Juha, Ash'ab, Abu Dulama
💡 Juha, Ash'ab and Abu Dulama are heroes of funny stories, while Antarah is the symbol of chivalry and al-Samaw'al the symbol of loyalty.
Q55: Choose all the animals that appear as characters in the tales of "Kalila and Dimna":
Answer: The lion, The crow, The turtle
💡 The lion is the king of the tales, and the crow and the turtle are among the heroes of the chapter "The Ring-Necked Dove," while the penguin and the kangaroo do not appear in the book.
Q56: Select all the lands Ibn Battuta visited on his travels:
Answer: India, China, The Maldives
💡 Ibn Battuta reached India, the Maldives and China, while the Americas and Australia were not known to travelers in his time.
Q57: Choose all the poets who lived in the pre-Islamic era:
Answer: Imru' al-Qais, Antarah ibn Shaddad, Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma
💡 Imru' al-Qais, Antarah and Zuhair are poets of the Mu'allaqat before Islam, while al-Mutanabbi and Abu Tammam are poets of the Abbasid era.
Q58: Choose all the figures famous for generosity in Arab heritage:
Answer: Hatim al-Ta'i, Ka'b ibn Mama, Harim ibn Sinan
💡 Hatim is the symbol of generosity, Ka'b ibn Mama gave his companion the water until he himself died of thirst, and Harim ibn Sinan paid the blood money to make peace between Abs and Dhubyan, while Madir is the symbol of stinginess and Ash'ab the symbol of greed.
Q59: The founder of the maqama genre in Arabic literature is al-Hariri.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The founder of the maqama genre is Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani; al-Hariri came about a century after him and wrote his maqamas in the same style.
Q60: Ash'ab the Greedy lived in Madinah.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Ash'ab was from Madinah; he lived in the Umayyad era and into the beginning of the Abbasid era, and many funny stories about his greed have been told.
Q61: Sinbad the Sailor in "One Thousand and One Nights" is a merchant from Baghdad.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Sinbad was a Baghdadi merchant who went out to trade across the sea, and each voyage ended in an amazing adventure.
Q62: The book "Kalila and Dimna" is originally Arabic, and Ibn al-Muqaffa' wrote it from his own imagination.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The book is originally Indian; Ibn al-Muqaffa' translated it into Arabic from Persian, added to it and polished its style until it became one of the masterpieces of Arabic prose.
Q63: Antarah ibn Shaddad was a knight and a poet, one of the poets of the Mu'allaqat.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Antarah's Mu'allaqa, which begins "Have the poets left any spot unpatched?", is one of the most famous poems of pre-Islamic poetry.
Q64: Ibn Battuta wrote his travel account by hand, day by day, during his journeys.
Answer: False ✖
💡 After returning to Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated his memories to the writer Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, who recorded and composed them.
Q65: Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais is proverbial for being quick to anger.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The opposite is true: he is proverbial for forbearance and patience, and people say: "More forbearing than al-Ahnaf."
Q66: Al-Samaw'al refused to hand over the trust he was keeping, even after his son was killed.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Al-Samaw'al put loyalty above the most precious thing he had, and that is why he remains the Arab symbol of loyalty to this day.
Q67: The stories of "Aladdin" and "Ali Baba" do not appear in the oldest Arabic manuscripts of One Thousand and One Nights; they were first published in Antoine Galland's French translation.
Answer: True ✔
💡 The French translator Galland added them in the 18th century after hearing them from a storyteller from Aleppo named Hanna Diyab.
Q68: On his first voyage, Sinbad and his companions landed on an "island" and lit a fire on it. What did it turn out to be?
Answer: A huge whale
💡 When the whale felt the heat of the fire, it moved and dived into the sea; many passengers drowned, and Sinbad survived by clinging to a piece of wood.
Q69: What was the name of Hatim al-Ta'i's daughter, whom the Prophet ﷺ set free out of respect for her father's character?
Answer: Saffana
💡 Saffana was brought in with the captives of Tayy, and when she mentioned her father's generosity, the Prophet ﷺ set her free because her father had loved noble manners.
Q70: Which city is Abu Muhammad al-Qasim al-Hariri, author of the Maqamat, associated with?
Answer: Basra
💡 Al-Hariri lived in Basra, and there he wrote his fifty maqamas, which people memorized for the beauty of their language and rhymed prose.
Q71: What nickname was the poet Imru' al-Qais known by?
Answer: The Wandering King
💡 Imru' al-Qais was nicknamed the Wandering King because he was a king's son who lost his father's kingdom and wandered for a long time seeking revenge for him.
Q72: What nickname was Urwa ibn al-Ward known by, because he gathered the poor and looked after them?
Answer: Urwa of the Vagabonds
💡 Urwa shared what he earned with the poor and the weak, so he was nicknamed Urwa of the Vagabonds and became a symbol of generosity and chivalry.
Q73: What nickname was al-Zir Salim, brother of Kulayb Wa'il, famous for?
Answer: Al-Muhalhil
💡 He was nicknamed al-Muhalhil, said to be because he was the first to "halhala" poetry, meaning to make it delicate, and he led his tribe Taghlib in the War of Basus.
Q74: Between which two tribes did the famous War of Basus take place?
Answer: Bakr and Taghlib
💡 The War of Basus broke out after Kulayb Wa'il al-Taghlibi was killed by Jassas al-Bakri, and it lasted many years.
Q75: "Madir" is proverbial for stinginess. What is the famous saying?
Answer: Stingier than Madir
💡 Madir was a man from Banu Hilal known for his extreme stinginess, so he became the opposite of Hatim in proverbs.
Q76: In Arab heritage, what is "Habannaqa" proverbial for?
Answer: Foolishness
💡 People say: "More foolish than Habannaqa," and many funny stories of his absent-mindedness have been told.
Q77: Whom did the poet al-Khansa' mourn in her most famous poems?
Answer: Her brother Sakhr
💡 Al-Khansa' was famous for her elegies for her brother Sakhr, and she became the most famous female elegy poet in Arabic literature.
Q78: What position did Ibn Battuta hold in Delhi, India?
Answer: Judge
💡 The Sultan of Delhi appointed him as a judge because of his standing in Islamic law, and he also served as a judge in the Maldives.
Q79: What was Ibn Battuta's purpose when he first set out, before his travels grew long?
Answer: Performing Hajj
💡 Ibn Battuta set out in 1325 to perform Hajj, then kept on traveling for nearly 30 years.
Q80: What is the name of the book in which Ibn Battuta's travels were recorded?
Answer: A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travel (Tuhfat al-Nuzzar)
💡 The book is known in short as "The Travels of Ibn Battuta," and in it he describes the cities of the Muslim world and beyond, and the customs of their people.
Q81: What was the name of the bull that the lion befriended in the chapter "The Lion and the Bull" in "Kalila and Dimna"?
Answer: Shatraba
💡 The lion brought the bull Shatraba close to him until Dimna grew jealous and turned them against each other with slander, until the lion killed his friend.
Q82: Who is the philosopher who tells the stories of "Kalila and Dimna" to King Dabshalim?
Answer: Bidpai
💡 The book is a dialogue between King Dabshalim and the philosopher Bidpai; the king asks him a question and he answers with a story told through animals.
Q83: What are "Kalila" and "Dimna," after whom the famous book is named?
Answer: Two jackals
💡 Kalila and Dimna are two jackals: Kalila is wise and content, and Dimna is ambitious and cunning, and the stories of the first chapter revolve around them.
Q84: What was the name of the clever servant girl who saved Ali Baba from the thieves?
Answer: Marjana
💡 Marjana discovered the thieves hiding in the jars and foiled their plans more than once with her intelligence and courage.
Q85: What were the secret words that opened the treasure cave in the story of "Ali Baba"?
Answer: Open, Sesame
💡 Ali Baba heard the thieves say "Open, Sesame" and the rock opened, so he memorized it and went into the cave.
Q86: What is the name of the giant mythical bird that appears in Sinbad's voyages?
Answer: The roc
💡 The roc is a huge bird in the tales of Sinbad; Sinbad tied himself to its leg to escape from a remote island.
Q87: To whom did Sinbad the Sailor tell the stories of his voyages?
Answer: To Sinbad the Porter
💡 A poor porter, also named Sinbad, passed by Sinbad the Sailor's house and wished for his life, so the sailor invited him in and told him about his voyages so he would know the hardships he had faced.
Q88: How many sea voyages did Sinbad make in "One Thousand and One Nights"?
Answer: 7 voyages
💡 Sinbad the Sailor told of seven voyages, each full of terrors and wonders, then rescue and wealth.
Q89: Who was Scheherazade's father in the tales of "One Thousand and One Nights"?
Answer: King Shahryar's vizier
💡 Scheherazade was the vizier's daughter, and she volunteered to marry the king to save the young women of her people with her intelligence and her stories.
Q90: What was the name of Scheherazade's younger sister in the tales of "One Thousand and One Nights"?
Answer: Dunyazad
💡 Every night Dunyazad asked her sister Scheherazade to tell a story, and Scheherazade would begin her tale in front of King Shahryar.
Q91: Ash'ab got children to leave him alone by telling them there was a feast at a nearby house. What did he do after they ran there?
Answer: He followed them, thinking the feast might be real
💡 This funny story shows his great greed: he believed his own lie because he was so eager for food.
Q92: In the funny story of Juha dipping his sleeve into the food and saying "Eat, my sleeve," what did he want to tell people?
Answer: That they honored his new clothes, not him
💡 Juha came to the feast in shabby clothes and nobody honored him; then he came back in fine clothes and they gave him the best seat, so he taught them to honor the person, not the appearance.
Q93: Juha borrowed a pot from his neighbor, then returned it along with a small pot. How did he explain that?
Answer: He said the pot had given birth
💡 The neighbor was happy with the small pot; then Juha borrowed the pot again and did not return it, saying it had died, and when the neighbor objected he said: You believed it gave birth, but you don't believe it died?
Q94: In the funny story of Juha, his son and his donkey, people criticized every way they rode. What is the lesson of this story?
Answer: Pleasing all people is a goal that can never be reached
💡 Juha and his son tried riding and walking in every possible way, and each time people objected, so he learned that pleasing everyone is impossible.
Q95: What were "Dahis" and "al-Ghabra'," after which a famous war between Abs and Dhubyan was named?
Answer: Two horses
💡 The war began because of a race between the two horses Dahis and al-Ghabra', then it dragged on for years until a peace settlement between the two tribes ended it.
Q96: In the famous story, what made Shaddad acknowledge Antarah as his free son?
Answer: His defense of his tribe when it was raided
💡 When Abs was raided, his father told him: "Charge, and you are free," so he fought bravely and protected his people, earning his freedom and his standing.
Q97: Which tribe did the knight and poet Antarah ibn Shaddad belong to?
Answer: Abs
💡 Antarah was from Banu Abs and is named after them as Antarah al-Absi; he was famous for defending his people in their wars.
Q98: What was the name of Antarah ibn Shaddad's cousin, whom he praised in his poetry?
Answer: Abla
💡 Antarah loved Abla and mentioned her often in his poetry, while Layla is linked to Qais ibn al-Mulawwah, Buthayna to Jamil, and Azza to Kuthayyir.
Q99: What was Quss ibn Sa'ida al-Iyadi famous for?
Answer: Oratory and eloquence
💡 Quss ibn Sa'ida was one of the most famous Arab orators before Islam, and he used to give speeches to people at Souq Okaz.
Q100: Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais was a chief of which Arab tribe?
Answer: Tamim
💡 Al-Ahnaf ibn Qais was one of the chiefs of Banu Tamim; he lived in Basra and was so famous for his forbearance that he became proverbial for it.
Q101: Which poet said: "The boldness of Amr, with the generosity of Hatim ... with the forbearance of al-Ahnaf, with the intelligence of Iyas"?
Answer: Abu Tammam
💡 In his line, Abu Tammam brought together the most famous symbols of heritage: the courage of Amr ibn Ma'dikarib, the generosity of Hatim, the forbearance of al-Ahnaf and the intelligence of Iyas.
Q102: What position was Iyas ibn Mu'awiya al-Muzani famous for holding in Basra?
Answer: Judge
💡 Iyas served as judge of Basra in the Umayyad era and was famous for his intelligence and insight in uncovering the truth, so people said: "Smarter than Iyas."
Q103: What was the name of al-Samaw'al's fortress, which is linked to the story of his loyalty?
Answer: Al-Ablaq
💡 The fortress of al-Ablaq is in Tayma in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, while al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir are palaces in al-Hira, and Ghumdan is a palace in Yemen.
Q104: What trust did al-Samaw'al keep, so that he became proverbial for loyalty?
Answer: The armor of Imru' al-Qais
💡 Imru' al-Qais left his armor in al-Samaw'al's keeping, and when al-Samaw'al was pressured to hand it over, he refused to betray the trust, so people said: "More loyal than al-Samaw'al."
Q105: What was the name of Hatim al-Ta'i's son, who embraced Islam and became a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ?
Answer: Adi
💡 Adi ibn Hatim al-Ta'i came to the Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam, and like his father he was a chief among his tribe, Tayy.
Q106: Match each proverb with the situation it suits:
Answer: "Give the bow to its maker" ↔ Giving a task to the expert in it, "Better to hear of al-Mu'aydi than to see him" ↔ A person whose fame is bigger than their reality, "It is you I mean, but listen, O neighbor" ↔ Advice said to one person but meant for someone else, "Like one seeking refuge from the hot sand in the fire" ↔ Escaping one problem into a worse one
💡 The bow maker knows the bow best; the king heard much about al-Mu'aydi, but when he saw him he found him less than what he had heard; and ramda' is the hot sand, while fire is even hotter.
Q107: Put the events of the story "The reward of Sinnimar" in order:
Answer: Al-Nu'man asked for a magnificent palace to be built then Sinnimar built the palace of al-Khawarnaq then Al-Nu'man admired the palace after it was finished then Sinnimar was thrown from the top of the palace
💡 Sinnimar built so skillfully that al-Khawarnaq became legendary, but his reward was death, so his name became a proverb for repaying kindness with harm.
Q108: Put the events of the story behind the proverb "I was eaten the day the white bull was eaten" in order:
Answer: The lion could not overcome three united bulls then The other two bulls stayed silent, so the lion ate the white bull then The lion caught the second bull alone and ate it then The last bull said: I was eaten the day the white bull was eaten
💡 When the bulls abandoned their first companion, they all became weak, so the proverb warns against division and leaving a brother alone in the face of danger.
Q109: Choose all the sayings about suitable speech or the value of silence:
Answer: "Every occasion has its fitting words", "If speech is silver, then silence is golden"
💡 Every situation has words that suit it, and silence is sometimes more precious than speech, just as gold is more precious than silver.
Q110: Choose all the proverbs meaning it is too late and regret is useless:
Answer: "The sword came before the blame", "In the summer you wasted the milk"
💡 Al-'adhl means blame, and blame is useless after the sword has struck; and the woman with the milk wasted her chance when it was there.
Q111: Choose all the proverbs said of someone who brought harm upon themselves:
Answer: "Your hands tied it and your mouth blew it up", "Baraqish brought harm upon herself"
💡 "Awkata" means they tied the mouth of the water skin and "fuka" means your mouth blew it up, so you are the cause of what happened to you; and Baraqish brought harm on herself and her people by her own action.
Q112: Choose all the proverbs that encourage preparing before something happens:
Answer: "Before the shooting, the quivers are filled", "A dirham of prevention is better than a qintar of cure"
💡 Kana'in are quivers filled with arrows before shooting, and prevention stops illness before we need a lot of treatment.
Q113: Choose all the proverbs that mention an animal:
Answer: "I have neither a she-camel nor a camel in it", "I was eaten the day the white bull was eaten", "Every steed (jawad) stumbles"
💡 The she-camel, camel and bull are well known, and the jawad is a purebred horse, while the sword and contentment are not animals.
Q114: The proverb "The rope of lies is short" means that lies stay hidden for a long time.
Answer: False ✖
💡 It means lies are quickly exposed, like a short rope that cannot take its owner far.
Q115: The proverb "Returning is more praiseworthy" means that coming back to something good is commendable.
Answer: True ✔
💡 It is said to a returning traveler or to someone who comes back to useful work, meaning your return is even more praiseworthy than your start.
Q116: The proverb "The reward of Sinnimar" is said of someone whose kindness is repaid with harm.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Sinnimar built a magnificent palace for al-Nu'man, and his reward was being thrown from the top of it, so the proverb came to describe repaying a favor with harm.
Q117: The proverb "The last remedy is cauterization" means we should start with the hardest solution before the others.
Answer: False ✖
💡 It means the opposite: we try the easy solutions first and only turn to the harshest solution at the end.
Q118: The proverb "One who lacks something cannot give it" means that the poor are the most generous people.
Answer: False ✖
💡 It means that someone who does not have something cannot give it to others, like someone without knowledge cannot teach it.
Q119: The famous line "If you honor the noble, you win him over" was said by the poet Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi.
Answer: True ✔
💡 The full line is: "And if you honor the base, he becomes defiant," and it is one of al-Mutanabbi's most famous wise sayings.
Q120: The proverb "The scout does not lie to his people" is said of an honest adviser who brings his people accurate news.
Answer: True ✔
💡 The ra'id is the one his people send to look for water and pasture for them; he does not lie to them because his fate is tied to theirs.
Q121: The proverb "I hear the grinding noise but see no flour" is said of someone who does their work well in silence.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Ja'ja'a is the sound of the millstone, and the proverb is said of someone who talks and promises a lot but does nothing.
Q122: The proverb "He came back with Hunayn's two khuffs (shoes)" is said of someone who returned disappointed without getting what they wanted.
Answer: True ✔
💡 The man in the story came back from his trip carrying nothing but two shoes that were of no use to him, so the proverb came to be said of anyone who returns with nothing to show.
Q123: What does the proverb "The first of the rain is a drop" mean?
Answer: Big things start with small steps
💡 Ghaith means rain; it starts with drops and then pours, and success likewise starts small and then grows.
Q124: What does the proverb "Perhaps a harm is a benefit" mean?
Answer: Good can come from something we thought was bad
💡 A person may be sad about something and later discover that it held good and benefit for them.
Q125: Complete the proverb: "Not everything that glitters is ..."
Answer: Gold
💡 We should not judge things or people by their appearance alone, because a nice appearance can hide something else.
Q126: Complete the proverb: "Don't put off today's work until ..."
Answer: Tomorrow
💡 Putting off work makes it pile up, so it is best to finish each day's work on that day.
Q127: What are the "khuffs" in the proverb "He came back with Hunayn's two khuffs"?
Answer: A pair of shoes
💡 A khuff is a kind of shoe; the man in the story came back with only the pair of shoes after losing something far more valuable.
Q128: In the story of the proverb "In the summer you wasted the milk," what happened?
Answer: A woman left her rich husband in the summer, then asked him for milk in the winter
💡 The man refused her request and said this phrase to her, meaning she wasted the good thing when she could have had it and then came asking for it after it was gone.
Q129: What does the proverb "One hand cannot clap" encourage?
Answer: Cooperation and teamwork
💡 Clapping needs two hands, and in the same way, big tasks need people to work together.
Q130: Complete the proverb: "Necessity is the mother of ..."
Answer: Invention
💡 When people need something, they think and innovate until they reach new solutions.
Q131: Match each word from the vocabulary of the majlis and hospitality with its meaning:
Answer: Finjal ↔ The small coffee cup, Majlis ↔ The place for receiving guests, Ma'amil ↔ The tools for preparing and serving coffee, Wijar ↔ The fire hearth in the majlis
💡 In the majlis, the wijar is lit and the coffee tools (mihmas, najr and dallahs) are lined up, then coffee is poured into finjals for the guests.
Q132: Match each traditional tool with its use:
Answer: Mihmas ↔ Roasting coffee beans, Najr ↔ Pounding coffee beans, Mabkhara (incense burner) ↔ Burning oud and incense, Zeer ↔ Cooling drinking water
💡 The mihmas is a long-handled roasting pan, the najr is a mortar for pounding coffee beans, the mabkhara perfumes the majlis, and the zeer is a clay jar that cools water through evaporation.
Q133: Match each piece of traditional clothing with its description:
Answer: Shemagh ↔ A red-and-white checkered head covering, Ghutra ↔ A white head covering, Bisht ↔ A loose cloak worn over the thobe, Taqiyah ↔ A small cap worn under the head covering
💡 A man first puts on the taqiyah, then the shemagh or ghutra, held in place with the iqal, and he wears the bisht over the thobe on special occasions.
Q134: Order these occasions by when they fall in the Hijri year:
Answer: Fasting the month of Ramadan then Eid al-Fitr then The Day of Arafah then Eid al-Adha
💡 Ramadan is the ninth month, Eid al-Fitr is on the first of Shawwal, then comes the Day of Arafah on 9 Dhul-Hijjah, followed by Eid al-Adha on 10 Dhul-Hijjah.
Q135: Order these milestones in our nation's history from oldest to newest:
Answer: Founding of the First Saudi State then King Abdulaziz regains Riyadh then Unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia then Launch of Saudi Vision 2030
💡 The First State was founded in 1727, King Abdulaziz regained Riyadh in 1902, he unified the Kingdom in 1932, and Vision 2030 was launched in 2016.
Q136: Order the steps of making a clay pot the traditional way:
Answer: Collecting clay and cleaning out the pebbles then Kneading the clay with water then Shaping the pot by hand or on the wheel then Drying the pot and then firing it in the kiln
💡 The clay is cleaned and then kneaded until soft; after shaping, it is left to dry and then fired so it becomes hard and does not dissolve in water.
Q137: Choose everything that is part of the etiquette of receiving a guest in Arab tradition:
Answer: Welcoming them with a cheerful face, Serving them coffee, Honoring them with food
💡 Honoring the guest is one of the greatest Arab values; it begins with a welcome and coffee, then food.
Q138: Choose all the animals whose wool, fur or hair was used to weave sadu and goat-hair tents:
Answer: Goats, Camels, Sheep
💡 Wool comes from sheep, fur from camels and hair from goats; then it is spun, dyed and woven.
Q139: Choose all the folk arts of Saudi Arabia:
Answer: Ardah, Samri, Mizmar
💡 Ardah, samri and mizmar are among our folk arts, while ballet and opera are Western arts.
Q140: Choose all the traditional handicrafts:
Answer: Sadu weaving, Palm-leaf (khoos) weaving, Pottery making
💡 Sadu, palm-leaf weaving and pottery are crafts we inherited from our ancestors, while programming and 3D printing are modern skills.
Q141: Choose all the traditional dishes that have wheat as a main ingredient:
Answer: Jareesh, Harees, Margoog, Gursan
💡 Jareesh is cracked wheat, harees is mashed wheat, and margoog and gursan are made from wheat-flour dough, while kabsa is based on rice.
Q142: Choose everything that is usually added to Arabic coffee:
Answer: Cardamom, Saffron, Cloves
💡 Cardamom is the best-known addition to Arabic coffee, and some people add saffron and cloves for a nicer flavor and color, but vinegar and chocolate have no place in it.
Q143: Souq Okaz is a modern market that was held for the first time in the 21st century.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Souq Okaz near Taif dates back to before Islam and was a meeting place for poets and traders; it was revived in 2007.
Q144: Arabic coffee is usually drunk with lots of sugar and milk.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Arabic coffee is served without sugar or milk, and the sweetness comes from the dates served with it.
Q145: A camel stores water in its hump to drink when it is thirsty.
Answer: False ✖
💡 The hump stores fat, not water, and the camel uses it as food and energy when food is scarce.
Q146: The folk art of mizmar is performed with swords on horseback.
Answer: False ✖
💡 Mizmar is performed by men on the ground with sticks to the beat of drums, and UNESCO added it to the intangible heritage list in 2016.
Q147: Dibs, well known in the Arabian Peninsula, is a thick sweet syrup made from dates.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Dibs is extracted from dates by pressing or cooking, and it is eaten with bread, luqaimat and aseeda.
Q148: The historic houses of Jeddah are famous for projecting wooden windows and balconies called "rawashin."
Answer: True ✔
💡 Rawashin let in air and light while protecting the family's privacy, and they are among the most beautiful features of historic Jeddah.
Q149: The At-Turaif district in Diriyah is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Answer: True ✔
💡 At-Turaif was inscribed in 2010; it is one of the largest mud-brick cities in the world and was the seat of government of the First Saudi State.
Q150: The goat-hair tent is woven from goat hair, and when it gets wet in the rain its threads swell, so less water leaks inside.
Answer: True ✔
💡 This is part of the ancestors' wisdom in choosing goat hair: it keeps out rain in winter and lets air through in summer.
Q151: UNESCO added "Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity" to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Answer: True ✔
💡 Arabic coffee was inscribed in 2015 in a joint nomination submitted by Saudi Arabia together with the UAE, Oman and Qatar.
Q152: What was the "qirba" that travelers carried in the desert?
Answer: A leather container for holding water
💡 The qirba is made from goat or sheep skin, and it keeps water relatively cool because some of it seeps out and evaporates.
Q153: What was the "raha" in an old house?
Answer: Two round stones used to grind grain between them
💡 Grain is placed between the two stones of the raha, and the top stone is turned by hand, so the grain comes out as flour for making bread.
Q154: What is "huda'" among the Arabs?
Answer: Singing chanted to camels to make them walk with energy
💡 The camel driver sang to the camels during travel with a rhythm like their steps, so they became lively and walked faster.
Q155: What is the name of the singer who raised his voice in chants on pearl-diving ships to encourage the sailors while they worked?
Answer: The nahham
💡 The nahham was the voice of the diving ship; he sang sad or rousing tunes that eased the sailors' fatigue during long work.
Q156: What sea trade were the people of the Arabian Gulf famous for in the old days, collecting gems from oysters?
Answer: Pearl diving
💡 Divers went down to the seabed on a single breath to gather oysters, which were then opened in search of precious pearls.
Q157: What do you call a group of camels that carried traders and goods across the desert in the old days?
Answer: A caravan
💡 Caravans crossed the long trade routes of the Arabian Peninsula, carrying incense, spices and fabrics between cities.
Q158: What is the name of the folk poetry composed in the spoken dialect of the Arabian Peninsula?
Answer: Nabati poetry
💡 Nabati poetry is an old art in the Arabian Peninsula; it keeps meters and rhymes but is composed in people's everyday dialect.
Q159: Which plant is used to decorate hands with designs at Eid and celebrations?
Answer: Henna
💡 Henna leaves are ground and mixed with water into a paste, then used to draw designs on the hands that last for days in a reddish-brown color.
Q160: What is "aqit," which Bedouins could keep for a long time?
Answer: Dried yogurt in the form of hard disks
💡 Aqit is made by cooking yogurt and drying it in the sun, so it becomes a food that keeps for months and can be carried on journeys.
Q161: What is the name of the sharp, curved tool farmers used to harvest wheat?
Answer: Sickle (minjal)
💡 The sickle is an old harvesting tool with a crescent-shaped blade; the farmer holds the stalks in one hand and cuts them with the sickle in the other.
Q162: What is the hand tool women used to spin wool into thread?
Answer: Spindle (maghzal)
💡 The spindle is a wooden stick with a disk or weight that is spun quickly, so the wool twists around it and turns into thread used to weave sadu.
Q163: What is the name of the national heritage and culture festival that became famous for being held northeast of Riyadh?
Answer: The Janadriyah Festival
💡 The Janadriyah Festival brought together crafts, folk arts and traditional foods from every region of Saudi Arabia in one place.
Q164: Which animal was nicknamed the "ship of the desert"?
Answer: The camel
💡 The camel was called the ship of the desert because it carries people and goods across the vast sands and can endure thirst and long journeys.
Q165: What material were most traditional houses in Najd, like those in the At-Turaif district, built from?
Answer: Mud and mud bricks
💡 Najdi building relied on mud mixed with straw, which keeps the house cool in summer and warm in winter.
Q166: In tradition, what does serving Arabic coffee to a guest symbolize?
Answer: Generosity and welcome
💡 Coffee is the first thing Arabs serve a guest, and it is a sign of welcoming and honoring them.
Q167: What is the name of the big festival in Saudi Arabia where camels compete for beauty and purebred quality?
Answer: King Abdulaziz Camel Festival
💡 The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is held in Al-Sayahid, northeast of Riyadh, and celebrates the place of camels in the history of the Arabian Peninsula.
Q168: What is the traditional curved dagger worn on a belt at the middle of the waist called?
Answer: Janbiya
💡 The janbiya is a dagger with a curved blade and a decorated sheath; in some regions men wear it as an ornament with traditional clothing.
Q169: In the old days, what metal were dallahs (Arabic coffee pots) usually made of?
Answer: Copper
💡 Old dallahs were made of copper and brass because they can withstand the heat of the fire, and craftsmen decorated them with beautiful engravings.
Q170: Where does "dehn al-oud" (oud oil), famous among Arabian perfumes, come from?
Answer: From the wood of the agarwood (oud) tree
💡 Oud oil is a precious perfume oil extracted from the wood of agarwood trees, and it is one of the most expensive perfumes in the world.
Q171: What is the popular name for the person who walked through neighborhoods at night in Ramadan to wake people up for suhoor?
Answer: The musaharati
💡 The musaharati goes around the neighborhoods before dawn with his drum, calling people by name to wake up for suhoor; it is an old Ramadan custom in many Arab cities.
Q172: What charity does a Muslim give before the Eid al-Fitr prayer?
Answer: Zakat al-Fitr
💡 Zakat al-Fitr is food given to people in need before the Eid prayer, so that everyone can enjoy Eid.
Q173: How many Eids do Muslims have in a year?
Answer: Two Eids
💡 Muslims have two Eids: Eid al-Fitr after fasting Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha during the days of Hajj.
Q174: Which city was the capital of the First Saudi State?
Answer: Diriyah
💡 The First Saudi State was founded in Diriyah in 1727, and its At-Turaif district still bears witness to that history.
Q175: What is on the emblem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
Answer: A palm tree and two crossed swords
💡 The emblem is made up of a palm tree above two crossed Arabian swords; the palm stands for growth and prosperity, and the swords for strength and protection.
Q176: Why did the goat-hair tent (bait al-sha'ar) suit the life of the Bedouins?
Answer: Because it is easy to take down, fold and carry on camels when moving
💡 Bedouins moved around in search of water and pasture, so they needed a home that could be taken down and carried quickly, and the goat-hair tent was the answer.
Q177: What was made from khoos (dried palm leaves) in the old days?
Answer: Baskets, mats and hand fans
💡 Khoos are the leaflets of palm fronds; they are dried and braided by hand to make household items like baskets, mats and food mats.
Q178: What is "kleija"?
Answer: Cookies usually filled with dates and flavored with cardamom and spices
💡 Kleija is a round traditional pastry that is baked and filled with dates or with sugar and cardamom, and served with coffee and tea.
Q179: What is the main sweet ingredient in the winter dish "hunaini"?
Answer: Dates
💡 Hunaini is made from crumbled whole-wheat bread with dates and ghee; it is a warm dish people love on cold days.
Q180: What are "luqaimat"?
Answer: Small balls of dough that are fried and then drizzled with date syrup or honey
💡 Luqaimat are a traditional sweet, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, very common on Ramadan tables.
Q181: Which dish is made of rice cooked in broth and then in milk until it is soft and almost like porridge, and is served with chicken?
Answer: Saleeg
💡 Saleeg is rice cooked in chicken broth, then milk is added and it is stirred until creamy; it is served with chicken and ghee.
Q182: What is the well-known traditional way of cooking mandi?
Answer: In an underground pit heated with firewood and charcoal
💡 Mandi is cooked in a covered pit similar to a tandoor oven, so the meat cooks slowly over hot embers and takes on a smoky flavor.
Q183: Which dish is made by first baking very thin bread, then breaking it up and soaking it in a vegetable and meat stew?
Answer: Gursan
💡 Gursan bread is baked thin on a saj (griddle), then crumbled and soaked with meat and vegetable stew; this is what sets it apart from dishes where raw dough is cooked in the stew.
Q184: Which traditional dish is made by rolling out thin dough, cutting it, and cooking it in a meat and vegetable stew?
Answer: Margoog
💡 In margoog, sheets of raw dough are cooked right in the stew with vegetables like zucchini and squash, so they soak up its flavor.
Q185: Which dish is made by cooking wheat with meat for a long time and then beating it until it becomes smooth and thick?
Answer: Harees
💡 Harees is one of the oldest traditional dishes; it needs long, slow cooking and then mashing until the wheat and meat blend together.
Q186: Which traditional dish is made mainly of rice and meat or chicken cooked with spices?
Answer: Kabsa
💡 Kabsa is one of Saudi Arabia's most famous dishes; the rice is cooked in meat or chicken broth with spices until it soaks up the flavor.
Q187: What are the gold or silver threads used to embroider the edges of a bisht called?
Answer: Zari
💡 Zari is shiny thread sewn along the edges of the bisht and around its neck; the finer the embroidery, the more valuable the bisht.
Q188: What is the name of the long traditional garment worn by men that covers the body from the shoulders to the feet?
Answer: Thobe
💡 The thobe is men's everyday clothing in Saudi Arabia; it is usually white in summer and in darker colors in winter.
Q189: What is the opposite of the word "al-jahr" (openness)?
Answer: Secrecy
💡 "Al-jahr" means showing something openly and saying it aloud, and its opposite is secrecy and concealment. Publicness and announcement mean the same as al-jahr.
Q190: "Adim al-ard" means the face and surface of the earth.
Answer: True ✔
💡 "Al-adim" means skin, and "adim al-ard" is the surface of the earth and what can be seen of it; people also say "adim al-sama'," meaning what can be seen of the sky.
Q191: What is a synonym of the word "al-ghayth"?
Answer: Rain
💡 "Al-ghayth" means rain, especially rain that comes after a time of need and relieves people and the land; from it comes the saying: "The first of the rain is a drop."
Q192: What is the opposite of the word "al-wafa'" (loyalty)?
Answer: Betrayal
💡 "Al-wafa'" means keeping a promise and fulfilling it, and its opposite is "al-ghadr," meaning betrayal, breaking a promise. Honesty and trustworthiness are sisters of loyalty, not its opposites.
Q193: What is the opposite of the word "shahih" (stingy)?
Answer: Generous
💡 "Al-shahih" is a miser who clings to his money, and its opposite is "sakhi," the generous person. "Bakhil" (miserly) means the same as shahih.
Q194: What is the opposite of the word "al-dhamm" (dispraise)?
Answer: Praise
💡 "Al-dhamm" means mentioning faults, and its opposite is "al-madh," meaning praise and mentioning good qualities. "Al-hija'," on the other hand, is dispraise in poetry (satire).
Q195: What is a synonym of the word "al-wahn"?
Answer: Weakness
💡 "Al-wahn" means weakness in work or body; people say "wahana al-'azm," meaning the bones grew weak.
Q196: "Al-asil" means the early morning.
Answer: False ✖
💡 "Al-asil" is the time from after Asr until Maghrib (late afternoon), while early morning is called "al-bukrah" or "al-ghadah."
Q197: "Al-wabil" means light rain.
Answer: False ✖
💡 "Al-wabil" is heavy rain with big drops, while light rain is called "al-tall" or "al-radhadh" (drizzle).
Q198: What is the opposite of the verb "abrama" in the sentence: the man abrama the contract?
Answer: Annulled (naqada)
💡 "Abrama al-'aqd" means he made the contract firm and binding, and its opposite is "naqada," meaning he annulled and dissolved it.
Q199: Order the following stages of human life from youngest to oldest:
Answer: Childhood then Youth then Middle age then Old age
💡 A person goes through childhood, then youth, then middle age (kuhulah), which comes after youth and before being fully gray-haired, then old age.
Q200: What is the opposite of the word "yaqzan" (awake)?
Answer: Asleep
💡 "Al-yaqzan" means someone awake and alert, and its opposite is asleep. "Alert" and "aware" mean the same as yaqzan.
Q201: Select all the words that mean a vast desert:
Answer: Al-bayda', Al-falah, Al-qafr
💡 "Al-bayda'," "al-falah" and "al-qafr" are names for a vast, empty desert, while "al-rawdah" is land with grass and flowers, and "al-ghadir" is water that collects from rain.
Q202: "Al-banan" means the fingertips.
Answer: True ✔
💡 "Al-banan" means the fingertips, and a single one is "bananah"; people say "yusharu ilayhi bil-banan" (he is pointed at with the fingertips), meaning he is famous and well known.
Q203: What is the opposite of the verb "afala" in the sentence: the star afala?
Answer: Rose (bazagha)
💡 "Afala al-najm" means the star set (disappeared), and its opposite is "bazagha," meaning it rose and appeared. "Khaba," on the other hand, means its light dimmed.
Q204: What is the opposite of "al-iqdam" (boldly going forward)?
Answer: Holding back (al-ihjam)
💡 "Al-iqdam" means going toward something boldly, and its opposite is "al-ihjam," meaning holding back and refraining out of fear or hesitation.
Q205: What does the verb "hatala" mean in the sentence: the rain hatala?
Answer: Fell continuously and heavily
💡 "Hatala al-matar" means the rain fell continuously in large drops, and from it comes the phrase "amtar hatilah" (pouring rain).
Q206: "Al-qurr" means intense heat.
Answer: False ✖
💡 "Al-qurr" means intense cold, as in the phrase "yawm qarr," a cold day; intense heat has names such as al-qayz and al-hajir.
Q207: "Al-ghasaq" means the beginning of the day.
Answer: False ✖
💡 "Al-ghasaq" is the darkness at the beginning of the night, while the beginning of the day is called fajr (dawn) or bukur (early morning).
Q208: Order the following stages of the date palm's fruit from first to last:
Answer: Tal' (blossom) then Balah (unripe dates) then Rutab (fresh ripe dates) then Tamr (dried dates)
💡 Date palm fruit first comes out as tal' (spathe/blossom), then becomes balah (green unripe dates), then softens and ripens into rutab (fresh ripe dates), then dries into tamr (dried dates).
Q209: What is a synonym of the word "al-raghad" in the phrase: a life of raghad?
Answer: Plenty and ease
💡 A "raghad" life is broad, good and pleasant, and "al-raghad" means plenty and ease in living.
Q210: What is the opposite of "maysur" (well-off) in the phrase: a man who is well-off?
Answer: Hard-up (mu'sir)
💡 "Maysur al-hal" means someone with plenty and money, and its opposite is "mu'sir," meaning a poor person whose living has become tight.
Q211: What is the name for the sound of water flowing in a stream?
Answer: Babbling
💡 Babbling (khareer) is the sound of running water, while rustling (hafeef) is the sound of tree leaves moved by the wind, creaking (sareer) is the sound of a door or a pen, and croaking (naqeeq) is the sound of a frog.
Q212: What is a synonym of the verb "shara'a" in the sentence: The student shara'a writing?
Answer: Began
💡 "Shara'a fi al-amr" means he began it and started doing it.
Q213: What is the opposite of "recession" (al-kasad) in trade?
Answer: Brisk trade (al-rawaj)
💡 "Al-kasad" means few sales and goods going unsold, and its opposite is "al-rawaj," meaning high demand and many sales. "Stagnation" (al-rukud) is close in meaning to recession.
Q214: What is the opposite of the word "al-zam'an" (parched with thirst)?
Answer: Quenched (al-rayyan)
💡 "Al-zam'an" means thirsty, and its opposite is "al-rayyan," someone who has drunk until satisfied. "Al-sadi" also means thirsty.
Q215: What is the name for the sound a dove (pigeon) makes?
Answer: Cooing
💡 Cooing (hadil) is the sound of doves, while neighing (sahil) is the sound of a horse, cawing (na'iq) is the sound of a crow, and howling ('uwa') is the sound of a wolf.
Q216: What is the opposite of the word "harmony" (al-wi'am)?
Answer: Discord (al-shiqaq)
💡 "Al-wi'am" means agreement and affection between people, and its opposite is "al-shiqaq," meaning disagreement and conflict. "Concord" (al-wifaq) means the same as harmony.
Q217: What is the opposite of "al-ijab" (affirmative) in the phrase "he answered in the affirmative"?
Answer: The negative (al-salb)
💡 "Al-ijab" means affirming and agreeing, and its opposite is "al-salb," meaning negation and refusal.
Q218: What is the opposite of the word "extravagance" (al-israf)?
Answer: Moderation (al-iqtisad)
💡 "Al-israf" means going beyond the limit in spending, and its opposite is "al-iqtisad," meaning moderation and not wasting. "Wastefulness" is close in meaning to extravagance.
Q219: What is a synonym of the word "al-sana" (gleam)?
Answer: Light
💡 "Al-sana" (spelled with alif maqsurah) means light and brightness; people say "sana al-barq," meaning the light of the lightning.
Q220: What is the opposite of the word "ease" (al-yusr)?
Answer: Hardship (al-'usr)
💡 "Al-yusr" means ease, and its opposite is "al-'usr," meaning difficulty and hardship.
Q221: What is the opposite of "al-hadar" (settled townspeople)?
Answer: Desert dwellers (al-badiyah)
💡 "Al-hadar" are the settled people of cities and villages, and their opposite is "al-badiyah," the desert people who move around in search of water and pasture.
Q222: What is a synonym of the word "radiance" (al-diya')?
Answer: Light
💡 "Al-diya'" is bright light, while "dusk" (al-ghasaq) is the darkness at the start of the night.
Q223: What is the opposite of the word "trustworthiness"?
Answer: Betrayal
💡 "Betrayal" is the opposite of "trustworthiness"; "loyalty," "truthfulness" and "sincerity" are qualities close to it.
Q224: What is a synonym of the word "stillness"?
Answer: Quiet
💡 "Stillness" is quiet and the absence of movement, while "noise" and "uproar" are its opposites.
Q225: What is the opposite of the word "obedience"?
Answer: Disobedience
💡 "Disobedience" is the opposite of "obedience"; "compliance" and "submission" mean obedience itself.
Q226: What is a synonym of the word "smart"?
Answer: Sharp
💡 "Sharp" (fatin) describes someone smart and quick to understand, while "dull" and "inattentive" are the opposite.
Q227: What is a synonym of the word "generous" (karim)?
Answer: Bountiful
💡 "Bountiful" (jawad) describes a generous person who gives a lot; "stingy" and "miserly" are its opposites, and "wasteful" describes someone who spends beyond the limit.
Q228: What is a synonym of the word "brave"?
Answer: Valiant
💡 "Valiant" (basil) describes someone brave and bold, while "cowardly" and "timid" are its opposites.
Q229: What does "mada" mean in the sentence "the traveler mada on his way"?
Answer: Went and moved on
💡 "Mada" means went and proceeded on his way, and from it comes "al-zaman al-madi" (the past), meaning the time that has gone by.
Q230: What is the opposite of the word "full" (having eaten enough)?
Answer: Hungry
💡 "Hungry" is the opposite of "full"; "rayyan" describes someone whose thirst has been quenched.
Q231: Select all the words that mean "sorrow":
Answer: Grief, Distress, Gloom
💡 "Grief," "distress" and "gloom" are meanings of sorrow, while "joy" and "delight" are its opposite.
Q232: "The traveler took a long darb." What does the word "darb" mean?
Answer: A road
💡 "Al-darb" is the road or path, and its plural is "durub."
Q233: What is the opposite of the word "shiny"?
Answer: Dull
💡 "Dull" describes something that has lost its shine, and it is the opposite of "shiny"; "glittering" and "sparkling" mean the same as shiny.
Q234: What is the opposite of the word "calm"?
Answer: Noisy
💡 "Noisy" means full of clamor and sound, and it is the opposite of "calm"; "still" and "peaceful" mean the same as calm.
Q235: What does the word "hawl" mean in the sentence "a full hawl has passed since the matter"?
Answer: A year
💡 "Al-hawl" is a full year, and from it comes the saying "hala 'alayhi al-hawl," meaning a year has passed over it.
Q236: What is the opposite of the word "rafi'" (fine) in the phrase "a fine thread"?
Answer: Thick
💡 "Rafi'" here means thin and fine, and its opposite is "thick"; "rafi'" can also mean high, in which case its opposite is "lowly."
Q237: What is the opposite of the word "gathering" (ijtima')?
Answer: Separation
💡 "Separation" is the opposite of "gathering"; "meeting" and "reuniting" have the same meaning as gathering.
Q238: What is a synonym of the word "noble" (nabil)?
Answer: Honorable
💡 A "noble" person is honorable and of fine character; "lowly," "base" and "vile" are its opposites.
Q239: What is the opposite of the word "profit"?
Answer: Loss
💡 "Loss" is the opposite of "profit"; "gain" and "benefit" are close in meaning to it.
Q240: What is the opposite of the word "dangerous"?
Answer: Safe
💡 "Safe" means free of fear, and it is the opposite of "dangerous"; "deadly" and "frightening" are close in meaning to dangerous.
Q241: What is the opposite of the word "just" ('adil)?
Answer: Unjust
💡 "Unjust" (zalim) is the opposite of "just"; "fair" and "equitable" mean the same as just.
Q242: What does the word "al-yamm" mean in Allah's words: "...then cast him into al-yamm"?
Answer: The sea
💡 "Al-yamm" means a large body of water (literally "the sea"); the word appears in the story of the mother of Musa (Moses) (peace be upon him), and according to the Quran commentators it refers there to the Nile River.
Q243: What is the opposite of the word "fresh" ('adhb) when describing water?
Answer: Salty
💡 "'Adhb" is sweet, fresh water, and its opposite is "salty" (malih); "furat" and "zulal" are themselves descriptions of fresh water.
Q244: What is the opposite of the word "merciful" (rahim)?
Answer: Cruel
💡 "Cruel" (qasin) is the opposite of "merciful"; "kind," "compassionate" and "tender" mean the same as merciful.
Q245: What is the opposite of the word "spoiled" (fasid)?
Answer: Good (sound)
💡 "Good" (salih) is the opposite of "spoiled" (fasid); Arabic says a thing salaha (became good) or fasada (went bad). "Damaged" and "ruined" are close in meaning to spoiled.
Q246: Which question word fits: "... do you live? I live in Riyadh"?
Answer: Where
💡 "Where" asks about place, "when" about time, "how" about condition, and "how many" about number.
Q247: The opposite of the word "summer" is "spring."
Answer: False ✖
💡 False. The opposite of hot summer is cold "winter," while spring and fall come between the two seasons.
Q248: What is the opposite of the word "hardworking"?
Answer: Lazy
💡 A hardworking person puts effort into their work and studies, and a lazy person avoids work.
Q249: What is the opposite of the word "bitter"?
Answer: Sweet
💡 Bitter is an unpleasant taste, like some medicines, and its opposite is sweet, like honey. Sour and salty are other tastes, not opposites of bitter.
Q250: What is the opposite of the word "old"?
Answer: New
💡 Something old has been around for a long time, and something new was made or bought recently.
Q251: Choose every pair of opposite words:
Answer: Strong / weak, Few / many, Asleep / awake
💡 Strong and weak, few and many, and asleep and awake are opposites, while "big and huge" and "happy and glad" are synonyms with close meanings.
Q252: Order the following days of the week as they come, starting with Saturday:
Answer: Saturday then Sunday then Monday then Tuesday
💡 After Saturday comes Sunday, then Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Q253: What is the opposite of the word "going up"?
Answer: Going down
💡 We go up the stairs to the upper floor and down them to the lower one, so going down is the opposite of going up, while rising is close in meaning to going up.
Q254: Order the words from the smallest number to the largest:
Answer: Boy then Two boys then Boys
💡 "Walad" (boy) is singular and means one, "waladan" (two boys) is dual and means two, and "awlad" (boys) is plural and means three or more.
Q255: What is the feminine of the word "camel" (male camel)?
Answer: She-camel (naqah)
💡 A female camel is called a "naqah" (she-camel). "Jumlah," on the other hand, means a meaningful sentence, and "jimal" is the plural of camel.
Q256: What is the opposite of the word "joy"?
Answer: Sadness
💡 Joy is a lovely feeling of happiness, and its opposite is sadness.
Q257: Order the following prayer times as they come in the day:
Answer: Fajr then Dhuhr then Asr then Maghrib
💡 The first prayer of the day is Fajr, then Dhuhr after midday, then Asr, then Maghrib at sunset, and after it Isha.
Q258: What is the feminine of the word "king"?
Answer: Queen
💡 The feminine of "malik" (king) is "malikah" (queen), formed by adding ta' marbutah. "Mamlakah" (kingdom), on the other hand, is a country ruled by a king, and "muluk" (kings) is a plural.
Q259: What is the opposite of the word "illness"?
Answer: Health
💡 Illness weakens the body, and health means the body is sound and strong. Medicine and doctors help us recover.
Q260: What is the opposite of the word "left"?
Answer: Right
💡 Right and left are opposite directions: if your right hand is on one side, your left is on the other side.
Q261: What is the opposite of the word "beginning"?
Answer: End
💡 Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end; the end is the opposite of the beginning, while "introduction" and "first" mean the same as beginning.
Q262: The opposite of the word "open" is "closed."
Answer: True ✔
💡 True. We can go in through an open door, and we can't pass through a closed door until we open it.
Q263: The opposite of the word "happy" is "angry."
Answer: False ✖
💡 False. The opposite of happy is "sad," while the opposite of angry is content.
Q264: The plural of the word "woman" is "women."
Answer: True ✔
💡 True. In Arabic, "nisa'" (women) is the plural of "imra'ah" (woman) from a different word, just as "rijal" (men) is the plural of "rajul" (man).
Q265: Select all the words that indicate two (the dual):
Answer: Two doors, Two female students, Two stars
💡 In Arabic, the dual ends in alif and nun, as in baban (two doors), talibatan (two female students) and najmatan (two stars), while abwab (doors) and talibat (female students) are plurals.
Q266: The opposite of the word "generous" is "poor."
Answer: False ✖
💡 False. The opposite of generous is "stingy," someone who doesn't like to give, while the opposite of poor is rich.
Q267: What is the opposite of the word "heavy"?
Answer: Light
💡 A rock is heavy and tiring to carry, and a feather is light and easy to carry.
Q268: What is the opposite of the word "selling"?
Answer: Buying
💡 The seller gives the goods and takes the price, and the buyer pays the price and takes the goods, so buying is the opposite of selling.
Q269: What is the opposite of the word "failing"?
Answer: Success
💡 Failing means a student doesn't pass the test, and succeeding means passing it, and hard work is the path to success.
Q270: What is the opposite of the word "peace"?
Answer: War
💡 Peace means people live safely without fighting, and its opposite is war.
Q271: What is the opposite of the word "laughing"?
Answer: Crying
💡 We laugh when we are happy, and we cry when we are sad or in pain, so crying is the opposite of laughing.
Q272: What is the opposite of the word "before"?
Answer: After
💡 "Before" is for what came earlier and "after" is for what comes later, so we wash our hands before and after eating.
Q273: What is the opposite of the word "narrow"?
Answer: Wide
💡 Only one car can pass on a narrow road, while many cars can pass on a wide road.
Q274: What is the opposite of the word "empty"?
Answer: Full
💡 An empty cup has nothing in it, and a full cup is filled with water up to the brim.
Q275: What is the opposite of the word "inside"?
Answer: Outside
💡 Inside the house means within it, and outside means away from its walls, so they are opposites.
Q276: What is the opposite of the word "in front"?
Answer: Behind
💡 "In front" is what is before your face, and "behind" is what is at your back.
Q277: What is the opposite of the word "afraid"?
Answer: Brave
💡 A frightened person backs away from danger, and a brave person faces it with a steady heart.
Q278: What is the opposite of the word "poor"?
Answer: Rich
💡 A poor person doesn't have enough money, and a rich person has a lot of it.
Q279: What is the opposite of the word "dirty"?
Answer: Clean
💡 Something dirty has dirt on it, and something clean has none, which is why we wash dirty clothes to make them clean.
Q280: What is the opposite of the word "slow"?
Answer: Fast
💡 The turtle is slow and the cheetah is fast, so fast is the opposite of slow.
Q281: What is the opposite of the word "long"?
Answer: Short
💡 Something long stretches out in length, and its opposite is short, so we say a long rope and a short rope.
Q282: What is the opposite of the word "morning"?
Answer: Evening
💡 Morning is the beginning of the day and evening is its end, while dawn, mid-morning and noon are other times of the day, not opposites of morning.
Q283: Match each singular with its plural:
Answer: River ↔ Rivers, Mountain ↔ Mountains, Sea ↔ Seas, Dog ↔ Dogs
💡 We say river and rivers, mountain and mountains, sea and seas, and dog and dogs.
Q284: What is the opposite of the word "dry"?
Answer: Wet
💡 Something dry has no water in it, and something wet has gotten water on it, like a dry towel and a wet towel.
Q285: What is the opposite of the word "lying"?
Answer: Truthfulness
💡 Lying is saying something that goes against the truth, and its opposite is truthfulness, saying the truth as it is.
Q286: The opposite of the word "high" is "low."
Answer: True ✔
💡 True. A mountain is high and rises far up, and a valley is low, so they are opposites.
Q287: What is the opposite of the word "sunrise"?
Answer: Sunset
💡 The sun rises in the morning in the east and sets in the evening in the west, so the opposite of sunrise is sunset, and "rising" means the same as sunrise.
Q288: Match each masculine word with its feminine:
Answer: Boy ↔ Girl, Father ↔ Mother, Man ↔ Woman, Paternal uncle ↔ Paternal aunt
💡 Some words are made feminine with ta' marbutah, like 'amm and 'ammah (paternal uncle and aunt), and some have a feminine that is a different word, like boy and girl, father and mother, and man and woman.
Q289: What is the opposite of the word "light"?
Answer: Darkness
💡 Light lets us see things, and its opposite is darkness. "Radiance" means the same as light, so it is a synonym, not an opposite.
Q290: What is the opposite of the word "presence" (being present)?
Answer: Absence
💡 Being present means you are in the place, and being absent means you aren't there, which is why the teacher records attendance and absence every morning.
Q291: What is the feminine of the word "brother"?
Answer: Sister
💡 The feminine of "brother" is "sister." "Brothers" and "sisters" are plurals, and "two brothers" is a dual.
Q292: Match each word with its opposite:
Answer: Hot ↔ Cold, Above ↔ Below, White ↔ Black, Entering ↔ Leaving
💡 Every two words with opposite meanings are opposites: hot and cold, above and below, white and black, entering and leaving.
Q293: What is the feminine of the word "rooster"?
Answer: Hen
💡 The female of the rooster is the hen, so its feminine is a different word. "Roosters" is the plural of rooster, and "two roosters" is the dual.
Q294: What is the opposite of the word "difficult"?
Answer: Easy
💡 Something difficult takes a lot of effort, and its opposite is easy, something we do without getting tired.
Q295: What is the opposite of the word "smooth"?
Answer: Rough
💡 Something smooth feels nice to touch, like silk, and its opposite is rough, like a tree trunk or sandpaper.
Q296: What is the opposite of the word "far"?
Answer: Near
💡 An opposite is a word with the reverse meaning: something far away takes a long distance to reach, and something near is just a few steps away from us.
Q297: Match each word with its opposite:
Answer: Honor ↔ Humiliation, Closeness ↔ Estrangement, Ease ↔ Hardship, Approaching ↔ Turning away
💡 Some opposites: honor and humiliation, closeness (meeting and affection) and estrangement (cutting off), ease (comfortable living) and hardship, and approaching and turning away.
Q298: Order the following times of day from earliest to latest:
Answer: Fajr (dawn) then Duha (mid-morning) then Dhuhr (noon) then Asr (afternoon) then Maghrib (sunset)
💡 The day begins with Fajr (dawn), then Duha (mid-morning) after the sun has risen, then Dhuhr (noon) at midday, then Asr (afternoon), then Maghrib (sunset) when the sun goes down.
Q299: What is the opposite of the word "lowly" (al-wadi')?
Answer: Exalted
💡 "Al-wadi'" means someone of base, low standing, and its opposite is "al-rafi'," someone exalted and of high standing. "Base" and "contemptible" mean the same as lowly.
Q300: How many letters are there in the Arabic alphabet?
Answer: 28
💡 The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, beginning with alif and ending with ya', and some scholars count the hamzah as a separate letter, making it 29.