| Allah |
The One
God |
| Abbas |
Abbas b.
Ali b. Abi Talib was the brother of Imam Hussein (A.S.).
His mother was Umm al-Banin. Abbas was killed at
Karbala.
|
| The Adhan |
The Call
to Prayer |
| Ashura |
In the
month of Muharram 61 AH (approx. 20 October 680
AD), an event took place in Iraq at a place known
as Kerbala on the bank of the river Euphrates.. It
appeared at that time that like hundreds of
similar events, this battle would be recorded in
history and forgotten in time. However, the events
that occurred on the 10th day of Muharram in
Kerbala were to become a beacon and an inspiration
for future generations.It appeared at that time
that like hundreds of similar events, this battle
would be recorded in history and forgotten in
time. However, the events that occurred on the
10th day of Muharram in Kerbala were to become a
beacon and an inspiration for future generations. |
| 'Asr |
'Asr is
the afternoon, and the prayer of the afternoon |
| A'maal |
A'maal is
an act of worship |
| Awra |
The part
of a person's body that must be covered before
everybody but a spouse; for men this is from navel
to knee, for women from upper chest to knee. It
may also be used to refer to what must be
concealed of a woman before non-related men |
| Aqidah |
In
Arabic, this is a creed or statement of faith or
beliefs. |
| Ayah |
Literally
means "sign"; used to refer to a verse
of the Quran, each of which is a sign of God.
Plural is "ayat" |
| Bid'a |
Literally
means "innovation"; it refers to adding
an obligation to the religion that God and the
Prophet Muhammad did not do. Some Muslims feel
that adding anything at all to the religion, even
if it's not an obligation, is a bid'a |
| Bilal |
Bilal was
a companion of the Prophet (S.A.W.) |
| Bismillah |
Bismillah
means In the Name of Allah or I begin in the Name
of Allah |
| Dalil |
Evidence
that is brought from Quran and Sunna to prove a
point. For instance, to make a claim about the
status of the face veil, one must present dalils |
| Da'wah |
The
"call" to Islam; inviting people to
learn more about Islam to encourage them to
convert |
| Deen |
Also
spelled "din". The Arabic word for
"religion". Carries the sense of a debt
that we owe God, and of a code for judging
peoples' actions. Thus it means religion as a
whole way of life not just as worship practices |
| Du'a |
Personal
prayer or supplication to God, contrasted with
salat (which see), the fixed-time ritual prayer.
The name means "calling on God" |
| Eid |
Eid is
an Islamic holiday. The four Eids are listed
below.
- Eid ul-Adha falls on the
tenth day of Dhul Hijjah.
- Eid ul-Fitr falls on the 1st
day of Shawwal.
- Eid-e Ghadeer
- Eid-e Mubahala
|
| Ehtiaat-Waajib |
Ehtiaat-Waajib
is an obligatory precaution which must be followed |
| Fajr |
Fajr is
dawn, and denotes Subhe-Sadiq, the prime time for
prayer |
| Foroo-e-Din |
Foroo-e-Din
are the branches of Islam |
| Fard |
Obligatory;
performance will be rewarded and neglect will be
punished (said of an action) |
| Fatima |
Fatima or
Fatema (A.S.), the Chief of the women of the
worlds, is the daughter of the Prophet (S.A.W.)
and the wife of Ali b. Abi Talib (A.S.), the
mother of Hasan and Hussein (A.S.) |
| Fatwa |
Contrary
to popular misconception, a fatwa is not a
"death sentence" but is simply an
official answer by a scholar to a legal question.
One can ask for a fatwa on the status of
pepperoni. Plural is "fatawa" |
| Fitrah |
Fitrah is
the charity due on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, on
the night after Ramadhan fitrah is also referred
to ( innate nature), |
| Fitnah |
trial,
temptation; tribulation, tumult. |
| Fiqh |
The
science of jurisprudence or interpreting the
Shari'a |
| Furu
al-din |
In Shi'a
Islam, the eleven Branches of Religion (Furū
al-Dīn) are the ten practices that Shi'a
Muslims must perform:1 Shahadah (Declaration)2 Salāt
(Prayer) 3 Sawm (Fast) 4 Hajj (Pilgrimage) 5 Zakāt
(Poor-rate) 6 Khums (One-fifth) 7 Jihād
(Struggle) 8 Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf (Enjoining what
is good) 9 Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid what is evil)
10 Tawalla (To love the Ahl al-Bayt and their
followers ) 11 Tabarra (To disassociate from the
enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt) |
| Ghadeer |
Ghadeer
is the name of a place near Mecca, and the great
holiday named after the event that occurred at
that place. |
| Ghusl |
Ghusl is
a spiritual bath required after sexual
intercourse, menstruation, seminal discharge, and
other conditions. |
| Hadith |
Hadeeth
is a narration/tradition reported from the Prophet
(S) and the Imams (a) |
| Hadhrat |
| , A courtesy
title used for a revered & righteous
person. |
|
| Hadith
Qudsi |
A special
kind of hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad
reports on what God said to him other than the
Quran; these are considered to be paraphrases
while the Quran is God's literal word |
| Hajarul
Aswad |
Hajarul
Aswad is the Black Stone. |
| Hajj |
The
pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the five pillars. It
is obligatory once in a Muslim's life, if he or
she is able to afford it |
| Halal |
Lawful;
something that is halal may be required,
recommended, neutral, or even detestable. It is
just that it is not forbidden |
| Hanafi |
One of
the four madhhabs (which see). Generally
considered the most liberal |
| Hanbali |
One of
the four madhhabs (which see). Generally
considered the most conservative |
| Haram |
Forbidden;
performance will be punished and neglect will be
rewarded (said of an action) |
| Hawza |
The word
Hawza refers to a traditional Islamic school of
higher learning. |
| Hijab |
The
modest dress of the Muslim woman; the word is
sometimes used to refer only to the headscarf. A
woman who wears hijab is a hijabi |
| Hidayah |
Guidance |
| Hijra |
Hijra is
the day the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) left Mecca for
Medina. In particular, it was the Prophet's (S.A.W.)
abandoning Mecca because of its mounting
hostility, and transferring himself and his
followers to Yathrib (200 miles north) whose peo
ple had invited him. He arrived on the 20th of
September 622 AD, and the city proudly changed its
name to Medinatu'l-Nabi (the Prophet's (S.A.W.)
city). On Imam Ali's (A.S.) advice, Omar,
reproached for not dating documents, took this
event as the start o f the Muslim era, dubbing the
year of the Hijrah year as Year 1 and starting it
on the Lunar New Year's Day, the 1st of Muharram
622 AD. |
| Ihram |
The
sacred state of the pilgrim on hajj; involves
certain restrictions on conduct and certain
changes in dress |
| Iman |
Faith |
| Imam |
Imam
means Leader in Arabic. The term is generally
applied to religious leaders. However, there are
12 infallible and noble Imams, the descendants of
Muhammad (S.A.W.). |
| Inshallah |
God
willing; if God wills (said when discussing the
future) |
| Iftar |
Iftar is
the breaking of the fast |
| Iqamah |
Iqamah is
the announcement of the beginning of prayer. |
| Istikhara |
A type of
salat; it is offered when a Muslim faces a
difficult decision, seeking God's aid |
| Islam |
Islam was
revealed to the Prophet (Sura III: Ali-Imran--The
Family of Imran, verse 19) "The Religion of
Allah is Al-Islam," and again (Sura V:
Ma'idah--The Table Spread, verse 3) "This day
I have approved al-Islam for you as a
religion." Islam is the verbal noun of "asalama"--to
submit oneself to God. |
| Janaabah |
the
major state of impurity, after having had sexual
relations or sexual discharge through whatever
means, i.e. a wet dream. In this state, ghusl is
obligatory, if unable to do so, then tayammum will
temporarily suffice.the major state of impurity,
after having had sexual relations or sexual
discharge through whatever means, i.e. a wet
dream. In this state, ghusl is obligatory, if
unable to do so, then tayammum will temporarily
suffice. |
| Jannah |
Paradise;
the abode of the righteous in the Hereafter. The
Arabic word "Jannah" means
"garden" |
| Jihad |
Contrary
to popular opinion in the West, this does not mean
"holy war". A literal translation is
"struggle". The struggle to establish
justice and righteousness may or may not involve
military action. Just as Westerners talk about
their "crusade against poverty", so
Muslims can use jihad in the same sense. There is
also the "greater jihad", which is
entirely against the caprices of the soul; the
jihad in the world is the "lesser jihad" |
| Jilbab |
A long
coat or cloak; more generally, any type of
outergarment that covers from the shoulders to the
ankles. Commanded in Quran Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 |
| Jinn |
One of
the created orders, made of smokeless fire. The
jinn according to the Quran may choose good or
evil. Those who choose evil are referred to as
"the satans". They seem to be similar to
the evil spirits mentioned in the Talmud and the
Gospels. The singular form is properly
"jinni" and the English word
"genie" seems to be a corruption of this |
| Jumua |
this
is prayer performed during the time of the noon
prayer on Friday. The time of the Eid
(religious festive days) prayers is some three
quarters after sunrise on Eid days. Their time
continues until the sun reaches its zenith.
|
| Ka'bah |
Ka'bah is
the cubic house built by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.)
and his son Ismaeel (A.S.) more than 3000 years
ago in Mecca, towards which all Muslims face for
their Salat. It contains the Hajarul Aswad or the
Black Stone. |
| Karbala |
Kerbala:
a city of central Iraq south of Baghdad; a holy
city for Shiite Muslims because it is the site of
the tomb of Mohammed's grandson who was killed
there in 680 |
| Kafa |
is the
shroud for the dead |
| Mabruk |
An Arabic
term meaning "Congratulations!" or
"May you be blessed" |
| Marja |
A marja,
or marja-e-taqleed literally "source of
imitation" or "source of
tradition", is the second highest authority
on religion and law in Shi'a Islam after the
prophet(pbuh) and (Shi'a) Imams. |
| Majalis |
a room
and assembly to commemorate religious events. |
| Makruh |
something
that Islam strongly discourages, but does not
forbid. |
| Madhhab |
A term
referring to a legal school in Islam. Each has a
slightly different way of engaging in fiqh (which
see) |
| Mahram |
Someone
with whom there can never be marriage because of
consanguinity or affinity. For example, a father
is a mahram relative for a woman |
| Maghsoub |
Usurped
or acquired by unlawful means. |
| Maghrib |
is
sun-down and the prayer associated with it |
| Maliki |
One of
the four madhhabs (which see). Generally
considered moderately liberal |
| Mashallah |
What God
has willed (said whenever something good or bad
happens) |
| Masjid |
The
Arabic word from which the English word
"mosque" is derived; it means
"place of prostration" or more broadly
"place of worship". The mosque is just
the Muslim place of worship |
| Mecca |
is a holy
city in Arabia |
| Momin |
The one
who believes in Islam |
| Mubah |
Neutral;
performance will not be rewarded and neglect will
not be punished (said of an action) |
| Muharram |
Muharram
is the first month of the Islamic calendar |
| Mu'min |
Mu'min is
a believer, one who has Iman (pl. Mu'mineen) |
| Muqallid |
Muqallid
is a follower of a qualified specialist on
religious matters. |
| Muslim |
Muslim is
one who believes in Allah, his Prophet (S.A.W.),
the day of Resurrection (Qiyamat), recites the
Kalemah, and accepts the commandments of Allah and
His Prophet (S.A.W.) as the Truth. |
| Mustahabb |
Recommended;
performance will be rewarded but neglect is not
punished (said of an action) |
| Naar |
Naar is
the fire of Hell |
| Najess |
Impure |
| Nabi |
Nabi is a
Prophet |
| Niqab |
The face
veil; styles of dress that involve veiling the
face. A woman who wears niqab is a niqabi |
| Non-mehram |
Non-mehram
is one with whom marriage is permitted |
| Nikah |
Nikah is
a pronouncement of marriage according to Shari'ah |
| Panjtan
Pak |
Muhammad(SA),
Ali(AS)
, Fatimah(AS), Hassan(AS), Hussain(AS)panj tan
paak
panj= five
tan = body/entity
paak=pure/cllean
This is a term used by Persian,
Urdu, Hindi speakers
|
| Pak |
is
something that is clean, not najis |
| Qiyamah,
Day of |
The Day
of Resurrection; Judgement Day. The Arabic word
"qiyamah" carries a sense of it being
the day on which everybody is called to stand
(before God) |
| Qiblah |
is the
direction of Salat (towards the Ka'bah). |
| Quran |
The
revealed Scripture of Islam; transmitted
word-for-word from God to the Prophet Muhammad via
the angel Gabriel |
| (rAa) |
An
abbreviation for "radi Allahu anhu";
used after the names of the first few generations
of Muslims, it means "May God be satisfied
with him/her" |
| Rajab |
is the
seventh month of the Islamic calendar |
| Ramadan |
The month
of fasting; one of the five pillars. The fast is
from dawn to sunset and involves abstaining from
food, drink, and sexual relations (if married) |
| Revert |
A person
who returns to a religion they previously had;
Muslim custom is to apply this term to converts to
Islam as well, on the grounds that Islam is the
religion that every person was born into, but
their parents made them another religion |
| Riba |
The
practice of charging interest on loans; sometimes
translated as "usury". Riba is forbidden
under Islamic law, which makes the modern finance
system challenging for Muslims |
| Ruku' |
is the
act of bowing in the Salat |
| (s.a.w) |
An
abbreviation for "salli Allahu alayhi wa
sallam"; used after the name of the Prophet
Muhammad, it means "may the blessings of God
and peace be upon him" |
| Sabr |
An Arabic
word meaning "perseverance" or
"patience". The quality of continuing to
trust in God even when everything seems to be
going wrong. Sabr is one of the qualities that can
lead to Paradise. Quran 33:35 mentions "the
men who persevere and the women who
persevere" as among those who will receive a
great reward from God |
| Sahaba |
The
Companions of the Prophet Muhammad; the singular
is "sahabi" and the feminine plural is
"sahabiyat" |
| Saheeh |
"correct";
an authentic narration. |
| Salaf |
A general
term for the early generations of Muslims |
| Salam |
is a
salutation. It is also the last recitation at the
end of Salat. |
| Salat |
The
fixed-time ritual prayer of Islam and one of the
five pillars. It is offered five times a day: at
dawn, mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset, and
nightfall |
| Salawat |
are
invocation of blessings, specifically the
recitation of Allahumma Sali 'Ala Muhammadin Wa
Aali Muhammad, meaning O Allah, bless Muhammad and
the family of Muhammad. |
| Shafi'i |
One of
the four madhhabs (which see). Generally
considered relatively conservative |
| Shahadah |
The
testimony of faith "Laa ilaha ill'Allah.
Muhammadan rasul Allah" that makes a person a
Muslim under the law |
| Shari'a |
Islamic
law; the two sources are the Quran and the Sunna |
| Shaytan |
The satan.
The English word "satan" is actually
adapted from a Hebrew word which means
"adversary". The Arabic word "shaytan"
is a cognate to this. Satan in Islamic teaching
(where he is also named Iblis) is from the race of
the jinn (which see) rather than being a fallen
angel as in Christian teaching |
| Shirk |
The
associating of partners with God; usually
translated as "polytheism" or
"idolatry" |
| Surah |
Refers to
the "chapters" of the Quran; there are
114 surahs |
| Sajdah |
Sajdah is
the act of prostration in the Salat, when seven
portions of the body touch the earth: the forehead
on pure ground, two palms, two knees, and the two
big toes. The two Sajdahs together are called
sajdatain. |
| Sawm |
Sawm is
the act of fasting |
| Sayyid |
Sayyid is
a descendant of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) |
| Shawwal |
Shawwal
is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar |
| Supplication |
invocation:
a prayer asking God's help (also D'ua) |
| Shi'a |
Shi'a is
a follower of the twelve Imams (A.S.). |
| Tabi'un |
The
Successors; this refers to the second generation
of Muslims, who were succcessors to the Sahaba |
| Taqleed |
The acceptance of a statement of another without demanding proof or evidence on the belief that the statement is being made in accordance with fact and proof, is called Taqleed, or, for the purist, Taqleed-ush-shakhsi.
"And, ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know." |
| Takbir |
Praise
or glorification of God (as in Q 74:3, etc.). The
declaration of the formula Allahu Akbar (God is
Most Great). |
| Taqiyyah |
Taqiyyah,
or the practice of hiding one's belief under
duress, is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in three
places. These three verses clearly point to the
permissibility of concealing one's ideology and
opinion whenever in danger. |
| Tafsir |
Tafseer
is a term used for a commentary of any book,
specifically the Holy Qur'an. |
| Taharat |
Taharat
is the state of being clean and not impure |
| Tahir |
ritually
pure; not equivalent to hygienic or clean. |
| Tawalla |
Tawalla -
to love the Ahl
al-Bayt (family of the Prophet (saw) ) |
| Tasawwuf |
Islamic
mysticism; the English term is Sufism |
| Tawaf |
Tawaf is
part of the worship of Hajj and Umrah |
| Tawhid |
Islamic
monotheism |
| Tayammum |
Tayammum
means spiritual cleansing which is sometimes a
substitute for wudhu and ghusl |
| Tayyib |
All that
is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs,
persons, foods, etc. |
| Thawab |
Thawab is
a Divine blessing |
| Turbah |
Turbah is
earth, especially from the shrines of the Holy
Imams (A.S.), on which Muslims place their heads
during Sajdah |
| Ulama |
The
religious scholars of Islam. The singular is
"alim" and the term "mullah"
is synonymous. The place of ulama in Islam is
similar in many ways to that of rabbis in Judaism |
| Umma |
An Arabic
word meaning "community" or
"nation"; specifically used to refer to
the worldwide community of Muslims, as united by
faith |
| Ummahat
al-Muminin |
An Arabic
phrase meaning "mothers of the
faithful". It is a title given to the wives
of the Prophet Muhammad, based on Surah al-Ahzab
verse 6 which says "The Prophet is nearer to
the faithful than their own souls, and his wives
are their mothers" |
| Usuli |
a
religious movement by Persian Shiite Muslims in
17th century Iran |
| Wajib |
Wajib is
obligatory (pl. Wajibat). An act which must be
performed. |
| Walî |
Protector,
Guardian, Supporter, Helper, Friend etc |
| Wudhu |
Wudhu is
a spiritual wash of the face and hands before
Salat |
| Zamzam |
Zamzam is
the name of a well at Makkah |
| Zaynab |
Zaynab
(Umm Kulthum) was the younger daughter of Ali and
Fatima (A.S.). |
| Ziyarat |
Ziyarat is to visit and/or to recite special
salutations for the Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.) and
his household (A.S.). |
| Zamzam |
is the
name of a well at Makkah |
| Zeenah |
charm |
| Zakat |
One of
the five pillars, it involves giving 2.5% of
surplus wealth to help the needy |
|
|
