Common Arabic Phrases in Social and Religious Occasions

It is customary that Arabs use common Arabic phrases in social and religious occasions. These phrases are meant to congratulate, greet, or express good wishes. Below is a list of occasions and the common phrases people used in each.

Wedding Ceremony:

In Arabic culture, the traditional practice in most weddings is that wedding parties for women are separate from those of men. After a handshake and a kiss on the cheek, the invitees to a wedding party normally congratulate the pride or the groom using one of these phrases:

Engagement:

When an engagement party is held, only close friends and family members attend. By declaring the engagement, friends and acquaintances of the fiancé and fiancée congratulate them using these phrases:

Recovery from Sickness:

If one just recovered from a bad cold, was discharged from a hospital, or had an injury, his relatives, friends, and acquaintances say one of these phrases to him/her.

 Travel:

When a person travels to another place, people who know him/her wish him/her a safe trip using any of the phrases (1), (2), or (3). If the person just returned from the place to which he travelled, we express our delight to see him/her return safely using the phrase (4).

 Ramadhan:

Ramadhan رَمَضَان is the ninth month in the Hijri Calendar التَقْوِيم الْهِجْرِي. It is the month during which Muslims practice one of the pillars of Islam أَرْكَان الْإِسْلام, the fast الصِّيَام. Muslims around the world always await Ramadhan eagerly. To rejoice at this month, they congratulate each other using one of these phrases:

Eid:

Eid الْعِيد is a religious holiday. Muslims around the world celebrate two Eids—Eid al-Fitr عِيْد الْفِطْر and Eid al-Adha عِيْد الْأَضْحَى. Eid al-Fitr literally means celebrating of breaking the fast. It is the first day of Shawwal, a Hijri month that comes after Ramadhan. Eid al-Adha means the celebration of sacrifice, and it is on the tenth day of Dhu al-hijjah, the twelfth month in the Hijiri Calendar. On these days, Muslims normally congratulate each other using one of these phrases:

New Year:

Whether it is the beginning of the Hijri Calendar السَّنَة الْهِجْرِيَّة or the Gregorian Calendar السَّنَة الْمِيلَادِيَّة, Arabs wish each other well on the new year using this phrase:

 Friday:

Friday يَوْمُ الْجَمْعَة of every week, which is normally a holiday عُطْلَة in most Arab Countries, is a special day for most Arabs. People go to mosques for a sermon and a congregational prayer, the Friday Prayer صَلَاةُ الْجُمْعَة. Throughout the day, most people congratulate each other on this special day using this phrase:

 Birth:

Upon the birth of a newborn baby, Arabs congratulate the family of the new baby using one of the following phrases. When visiting and seeing the baby, most people use the phrase مَا شَاءَ الله which means ‘wow!’ ‘boy!’ and is used to express admiration.

Death:

If an elderly family member dies, the family of the deceased normally hold a condolence gathering. People come to the gathering to offer their condolences. They use one of these phrases:

Possession of Something New:

When one buys/acquires something new or special, we congratulate him/her using these phrases:

 Wishing Someone Success:  

When we want to wish someone success, we use one of the following phrases.

 Birthdays:

Celebrating birthdays is uncommon in Arabic culture. For the most part, it is celebrated by a few people in cities. Family members and/or close friends attend a birthday party حَفْلَة عِيد مِيلَاد. To congratulate a person on his/her birthday, they use one of these phrases.

 Entering a Place:

When entering a place where there is one or more persons, it is customary to greet them using one of the phrases below. صَبَاحُ الْخَيْر is a morning greeting; مَسَاءُ الْخَيْر is an evening/night greeting. Family members, friends, and acquaintances use them. During the day (i.e. 10 am to 4 pm), they use السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم. Also, السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم is used by people who don’t know each other very well. Besides, it is used in formal settings. In both cases, it is used as a morning, day, or evening/night greeting.

 Leaving a Place:

When a person leaves a place, he/she uses one of these farewell phrases.