Salam A’Alaykom - Peace be upon you

The Arabic language is beautiful - but difficult. We've managed to get by on a handful of words and sayings - my favorite of which is Salam A'Alaykom - or Peace be upon you. It's the first thing out of someone's mouth when they pass you on the street and, often, the last thing said in a conversation between friends. It means "Peace be upon you," and in a way - I think it defines the culture here.

Back home, it's common for Southerners to speak to strangers - it's actually one of the things I love most about living in the south. Folks are friendly - whether they know you or not. That kind of warmth without expectation has always felt right to me - and to have found it here in Morocco feels pretty incredible.

Moroccans take that warmth a step further with their greeting - it isn't just a "Hey" or "Hello," but "Peace be upon you." Peace - what so many of us in America can't seem to hold on to in our lives - is bestowed here stranger to stranger, many times a day. I've said "Salam A'Alaykom" more than anything else - except maybe "Shukraan," which, of course - means thank you. That one has been all I am able to say at times - and not because of the language barrier. The generosity of our host, his wife and family - of the students and teachers we've met, even of strangers in the street - is immeasurable. The notion of "paying someone back" is American - it is not Moroccan. This country runs on kindness for the sake of kindness - because it is who and what they are. We can never repay the kindness we've been shown here. All we can do is say "Shukraan."

These two phrases express peace and gratitude and to everyone we meet - and while I am still working on my Arabic, I think I've already learned the two that matter most here. They don't just fulfill courtesy requirements as they do in the Southern US, either - they are genuine efforts of kindness and thankfulness to the people of Morocco. These phrases matter a great deal to them - and they matter a great deal to me, too.

This photo is from our hotel here in Taza - I've started saying "Salam A'Alaykom" to these mountains each morning - and "Shukraan" at night. It's just what you do here.


Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 22, 2018 at 1:25 PM

    What an amazing journey, and I mean physically, emotionally, and thoughtfully, about another place on our earth and how the culture compares. Thank you for sharing this. Beautiful sentiment.

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