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As Ramadan comes to a close and preparations for Eid begin, a rapidly growing trend is flooding our feeds. Hak Lmalh, a gift, preferably gold, is said to be given by the husband to his wife after a month spent extensively in the kitchen, cooking and preparing iftar delicacies while fasting. A bracelet, a necklace, or a ring are among the choices suggested online, with jewelry sellers even jumping on the trend.
On a broader scale, the tradition is described as Moroccan, or Maghrebian, with social media users from across the Arab world also curiously embracing it.
Gold on Eid
On the internet, Hak Lmalh is presented as an old Moroccan tradition, also present in neighboring Maghrebi countries, with many tracing it back centuries. Some even share a story behind it: while cooking meals for her family, the wife supposedly has to taste the food with the tip of her tongue, without swallowing, to check whether it is salted properly while fasting. For this sacrifice, she is rewarded on Eid day with gold.
Online, Hak Lmalh is often presented as an old Moroccan tradition, said to also exist across the Maghreb, with many claiming it dates back centuries. Some even share a story behind it: while preparing meals for her family during Ramadan, the wife supposedly tastes the food with the tip of her tongue, without swallowing, to check whether it is properly salted while fasting. For this sacrifice, she is said to be rewarded with gold on Eid day.
Some even claim that the custom is also called «Takbira», described as a traditional gesture in which a husband gives his wife a gift around Eid al-Fitr. The gift is often purchased during the last days of Ramadan, kept hidden until the morning of Eid, and then presented to the wife.
An undocuemented old tradition
Despite the many versions and names, and as admirable as it may be to receive a present at the end of Ramadan, few Moroccans seem to relate to this viral tradition. Social media users have flooded posts, news articles and videos about this supposed Moroccan tradition, insisting that «they have never heard about it».
Historical sources also provide little support for this tradition. Most online content about Hak Lmalh fails to document the practice among customs historically observed by Moroccans during Ramadan.
«To the best of my knowledge, few historical sources contain reference to such a practice», Mohamed Latif, researcher, and professor at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, specializing in family history in the Maghreb during the Middle Ages, told Yabiladi.
«The ‘salt’ custom is mainly associated with certain families in cities such as Fez and Rabat, and is likely of Andalusian origin. However, it does not exist in rural areas, whether in northern or southern Morocco», he insisted.
Salt represented differently in Moroccan history
However, for Latif, the term hak lmelh, or salt in general, resonates differently in Moroccan culture and history.
«al-malh is a phrase commonly used among Moroccans, but in a different context», he said. Its meaning, according to the historian, «historical references show that Moroccan tribes used to seal pacts with one another by sharing food. In this context, salt symbolically refers to the food (taam) that people share together».
One historical reference confirming this practice dates back to Almohad Morocco, Latif explained. He referred to a practice associated with Muhammad Ibn Tumert, the founder of the Almohad movement. During the period when the movement was gathering followers and tribes’ support in the Atlas Mountains near Taroudant, where the Almohad movement began, «Ibn Tumert sought to secure the allegiance of people and tribes through a tradition known in the Souss region as Assamass».
«Ibn Tumert would gather new followers and organize a feast known locally as maârouf. Before the participants began eating, he would sprinkle salt over the food», Latif said. This act symbolized that anyone who ate from the meal entered into a pact «a promise that should not be broken». Whoever violated that promise would face consequences, the historian added.
This tradition spread widely among Moroccans, Latif noted. One example is the common saying «tcharekna t3am ola lmelh», meaning «we shared food». The expression implies that a bond or promise exists between people who have eaten together.
«It is possible that this broader tradition eventually extended from relations between tribes and communities to the relationship between husband and wife», Latif suggested.
