Dawn : The First Appearance Of Light In The Sky Before Sunrise

When Hozier said

No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her

and Mahmoud Darwish said

speak of her over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life

Arabic dark academia

Having tea first thing in the morning, the afternoon, evening, night and whenever you have nothing to do and whenever you have everything to do

Practicing calligraphy, hoarding calligraphy pens and quills like a dragon hoards its jewels

Youre now a calligragon btw

Pretentious hand written letters

Fragments of poetry and prose on the wall

In Egypt you can buy a vintage gramophone (as far as I remember)

Wrinkling your nose at orientalists who have clearly never been anywhere near the culture they're trying to portray.

Appreciating the orientalists who have in fact been there and paint like it. (Sorry to disappoint but there were never sexy slave babes roaming the streets)

Mourning for the scholars of Al Andaluas and times when Arabic was the language of science

Arguing over e'arab (the value of a word with regard to others in the sentence) and balagha (it translates to "eloquence" but is more like a complex version of figures of speech) of words

Arabic being such a complex language you get carried away sometimes

Passing the allotted wordcount so you start going over your paper and compressing a whole sentence, consisting of a conjunction, a subject, a verb and two objects into a word in desperation

Words like فأسقيناكموه (faa'skainakumooh) meaning "and so we have let you drink it" being an example.

Tea over burning coal. Over logs (hatab) tea over bokhour/oud hits different and you know it.

Brewing coffee over low heat and humming to Layali Al Ouns

"No offense but I like real coffee" when someone mentions starbucks

Um Kulthoum and Asmahan are superior you cant change my mind.

NO I DID NOT FORGET ABDUL HALIM HAFEZ I WANTED HIM A BULLET OF HIS OWN.

Fareed al atrash concerts at 3 am.

Nothing you ever cook will be under seasoned.

Reciting poetry to yourself in the mirror

Big chunks of jewelry (usually gold) engraved or woven through with intricate patterns and swirls. Wearing four bracelets in one hand is absolutely fine and under dressing is a myth

Owning swords is not out of fashion (ancient arabs were well known for their swordsmanship) but using them is, unfortunately <3

Wondering how they won wars with these swords. I couldn't even lift it enough to stab myself if I wanted

Extra names. People called شهد honey (shahd), جمال beauty (jamal), زهرة flower (zahra), ليلى night (laila), سماء sky (samaa), مهند/سيف sword (mohanad/saif) and صفاء purity (safaa) like it's the most normal thing in the world (which it should be, along with names of ancient gods)

Poetry from the abbasid era describing palaces and fountains and music so eloquently your heart skips several beats and you wonder how it is still beating at all and if, after all, you have been born in the wrong era.

Classic poetry from the school of Apollo brimming with romance and yearning you have never seen matched.

Poems that tear at your heart and stitch it whole with every bayt (verse? The equivalent for it) and you keep coming back for more.

Stories so well told that you swear you can see the princes and charmers and musicians and dancers all flicker to life in the flames before you

Historical masjids and churches.

Going to the palaces and shrines and towers from the ancient days of yore

Not exclusively (as neither is anything on this list) arabic but BRAIDS and braid jewellery that clinks when you shake your head

The unwavering belief that poetry is meant to be sung.

Singing poetry because it is meant to be sung

Thick eyebrows

Lining already lash lined eyes with kohl.

Beautiful brown eyes. Honey eyes. Chocolate eyes. Freshly turned earth eyes. Eyes that hold all the ethereal beauty of the world.

Hair styled in dark, thick curls or braids

Savouring the way the words move around from your throat to your chest to the tip of your tongue, like liquid gold,

The sweet music from the strings of a qitharah (string instrument)

Scented candles are cute, but have you ever heard of oud (perfume infused wood)? Anyhow one of my Sudanese friends make it AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

Wanting to study with the scholars of baghdad and azhar so bad

Recognizing that for all your culture, some of it is inspired by others and that's okay.

Please add what you can to this list. It is far from complete.

Bro why they say "archivist" like a slur

Things That Make Me Feel Like I'm Living My Best Dark Academic Life:

- reading novels under candlelight all night simply because i can. feeling tired but satisfied the day after, mild dark circles under my eyes but head full of stories.

- wearing rings on any available finger, especially my silver snake ring or the gold ring with a green gemstone passed down from an older relative. Even typing on a computer becomes more DA when they reflect its light.

- the feeling of a warm mug of coffee in my cold hands on a rainy, dreary morning. Or a refreshing glass of chilled water when the sun has decided to pay a visit.

- writing letters and poetry for my boyfriend by hand, decorating them with pressed flowers and one spray of my signature perfume. Sealing the brown envelope with wax and then delivering them by hand, or by placing them in places he will surely find them.

- following on from the last point, the feeling of secrecy and pure romanticism when he does the same in return. the joys of seeing his words on paper or the paintings within those sealed envelopes, knowing that they are for my eyes only.

- sharing facts in conversation with friends when the topic calls for it, especially when i am able to reference my subject of study.

- the first breath of the outside when i open my window in the morning.

- stove kettles and perfectly brewed tea.

- late night debates and discussion about the meaning of it all.

- the euphoria of strangers complimenting my outfits.

- sitting in my local costa with my boyfriend and our best friend (when we could.)

- the knowledge of how old my university campus is, creating imaginary stories of all the people who, like me, have walked its corridors and marvelled at its beauty.

- the feeling of satisfaction after completing a wordsearch.

- warm baths lit only by candles, the floral smell of bath salts or bubble bath filling the air.

- the rush of adrenaline after finishing and handing in an assignment just in time.

- seeing my bookshelves overflowing with books, both new and old, unread and well loved.

- when i am able to casually quote poetry or literature flawlessly in conversation, the satisfaction when others notice, and the sense of mystery when they do not.

- long walks in autumn or the stereotypical english weather with my closest companions.

- staying up late, or all night, to write stories and poetry. reading out my words to the night sky in the privacy of my bedroom. the sense of pride in knowing that these words and moments are between myself, the moon and her stars. they are ours alone.

there are several more, but these are some of my favourite.

Quick time lapse of me studying the femoral triangle ^

Muslim Dark Academia Things:

Being torn between the black hijab and the slightly less black hijab

Islamic architecture being so beautiful it found its way unto western countries

Islamic. Art.

Learning arabic calligraphy.

Staying up late, hearing athan (call for prayer) and going "holy shit its already fajr (sunrise prayer) ?????"

Not being able to sleep after Fajr (sun rise prayer) and going into a wiki search rabbit hole

Wanting to sleep after fajr (sun rise prayer) but reading one chapter and then the suns already out there and the birds have the audacity to chirp chirp ughh

Not everyone gets an Assalamu Alaikum (peace and blessing be upon you) because some people just don't deserve wishing them peace

Everyone gets a hey tho

Petting kittens because its sunnah (the prophet used to do it, and its preferable that we do although not an obligation) and you get hasanat (at least you try to convince yourself that's why)

Always having pocket change for charity cause you never know

Tiny but elaborate copies of the qur'an in case you get five minutes of silence

Being at peace 24/7 because God's mercy is bestowed upon all

No more peace your paper is late

Reading nawader (little stories from the middle ages! Like Kaleela Wa Dimna)

Mourning the library of baghdad, that had so many books that when it was destroyed the river turned black with ink

mourning the library of Alexandria

Having a favourite mo'athen (one who calls for prayer) or quare'a (one who recites Quran)

Messy Arabic notes. Studying nahw (arabic grammar.) Arabic prose.

Khalil Jabran (mostly known as Khalil Gibran) and people who pronounce his name correctly (no problem of you cant tho!)

Arabic poetry

Arabic poetry

Arabic poetry

Reading Shakespeare critically

"With every hardship comes ease"

"The best amongst you are those who own knowledge and share it"

Kohl just because

Reading about the golden age of islam and wishing you lived there

Knowing that your race, gender, colour, language, religion wouldn't have stopped you from learning back then because islam is a religion of equality

Having so many badass women to look up to

That bellowing abaya/bisht/dishdasha/khimar (middle eastern clothing? It's real hard to explain/desctibe these guys but they're very very loose for dramatic effect and modesty) that is just sooo pretty and mysterious

Arriving at your masjid just on time for prayer

The imam (one who leads prayer) asking people to "fill the gaps and straighten the lones"

That one sheikh that gives beautiful lectures/sermons and makes you want to learn even more

That other sheikh that tells you stories so elaborately you forget who you are

THE SHEIKH THAT IS BOTH OF THESE BEAUTIFUL SOULS

Going to harems with your fellow sisters

Smiling at people and complimenting them because its sadakah (charity you get rewarded for) and because it low key makes you happy

Knowing every little thing is rewarded

Reading from all your copies of the qur'an so that none of them feels lonely

Buying a lavish prayer matt because why not

"The prophet had a cat, mom, its sunnah" (sunnah means things the prophet did that we get good deeds to do)

I'll post a part 2 when anything comes to mind <3

Feel free to add more! In fact I would be over the moon if you do!

fill your soul with stars

I'm overcome with nostalgia for a life that may or may not have been a dream.

Dark academia playlist

it has both lyrical and classical!

Gift ideas for arabic academia?

Thats really sweet of you!

Arabic calligraphy equipment

Silk/satin headscarves (esp for the curlyheads!)

Ornate silver rings

Their favourite diwan (poetry collection revolving around a certain topic/ aesthetic) for their favourite poet

Jewellery

Qahwa (or gahwa or ahwa) sets

Tea sets with arabic calligraphy decroations on them

A sword if youre rich (i demand one too, as it was i who guided you into buying one)

Pretty silk slippers

koḥl asmad and a pretty makḥala

Henna and equipment

Classics (the hardcovers with ornate gold shit we love them)

A tapestry

Nawader collection

Bake them something you know they love (not necessarily arabic da but you can make it so)

Oud/bokhour

Qithara/mizwad/any traditional instrument they prefer

Big earrings/bracelets/head jewllery thingy but i forgot its name

Dancing outfit ;)

Persian rugs/carpets

That's all i can think about atm! Feel free to add more <3