https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsOrf7eq7PU

Have you ever noticed how the name Umar is written in Arabic as: عُمَر

While the name ‘Amr is written as: عَمْرُو

Have you ever wondered why ‘Amr has an extra و, whereas Umar does not?

Interestingly, both names are formed from the same three letters: ع م ر

In early Arabic script, diacritical marks like fatha ( َ ), kasra ( ِ ), and dhamma ( ُ ) were not used. This led to ambiguity because عمر could be read as either Umar or ‘Amr.

To resolve this confusion, an additional و was added to the name ‘Amr, turning it into عمرو. This modification made it easier to distinguish between the two names in writing.

https://youtu.be/6IyfJM0ubhM

أهلاً وسهلاً
is commonly translated as ‘welcome,’ but the literal meaning is ‘family and ease.’

When is this phrase used?

An example is when you arrive at the door of a friend, and he/she responds with أهلاً وسهلاً. Here, you are being told ‘[welcome home] family and take it easy [from now on!]’

أهلاً

Comes from the word ahl أهل, which means a person’s family or “people.” In the context of this greeting, it’s used to tell someone that they’re where they belong, that they’re a part of this place, and that they’re welcome here. You’re saying: “You’re with your people.”

سهلاً

Comes from the word sahl سهل, which means easy and simple. When you greet someone with ahlan wa sahlan, it means that their visit is simple and their presence is not a burden.

This is one example of how eloquent and prolific the Arabic language is.

تعلموا العربية فإنها من دينكم