Glossary Of Terms
Adhan (أذان) The Muslim call to prayer. Ahadith (أحاديث) [sing. Hadith (حديث)] The sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad of Isl...
- Adhan (أذان) The Muslim call to prayer.
- Ahadith (أحاديث) [sing. Hadith (حديث)] The sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad of Islam, God's peace and blessings be upon him.
- Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله) “Praise be to God!”
- Allah (الله) God; the only One worthy of worship.
- Amana (أمانة) Trust. The concept of fulfilling a trust or obligation.
- Ayah (آية) [pl. Ayaat (آيات)] Literally means “a sign.” A verse of the Qur'an. For Muslims, everything is a sign of God's existence.
- Da`wah (دعوة) The call to monotheism.
- Deen (دين) Path; Religion; the lifestyle you choose, whether a green Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu et al.
- Du`a’ (دعاء) A personal prayer and supplication; invoking God for whatever one wants.
- Dunya (دنيا) The physical and temporal Universe, as opposed to the everlasting lush Hereafter.
- Eco-Jihad (جهاد) An ethical and environmentally conscious striving in the way of God to preserve His creation. See Jihad
- Eco-Muslim: A person who believes in God and respects His creation by living a greener journey
- `Eid ul-Adha (عيد الأضحى) “The Festival of Sacrifice.” The four day celebration starting on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijja. This feast commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God by being prepared to sacrifice his only son Ismail.
- `Eid ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر) “The Festival of Breaking Fast.” This celebration marks the end of Ramadan, a holy month in which Muslims are required to fast from food, drink and bad habits from dawn until sunset for 30 days.
- Ethics: Moral principles that, when implemented, create equilibrium and fairness between groups of people.
- Fitrah (فطرة) An innate disposition towards nature, simplicity, virtue, knowledge, and the oneness of God. Muslims believe every child is born with fitrah.
- Fatwa (فتوى) A legal verdict given by an authority on a religious basis.
- Hajj (حجّ) The pilgrimage to Makkah and it is the fifth Pillar of Islam.
- Halal (حلال) Lawful; Permitted, good, and praiseworthy. [Antonym: Haram]
- Haram (حرام) Unlawful, forbidden. An individual is rewarded for keeping away from haram done out of obedience. [Antonym: Halal]
- Hijab (حجاب) Literally means “cover”; barrier; a headscarf.
- Imam (إمام) Literally means “leader.” Often used to address the man leading prayer or a religious leader.
- Imaan (إيمان) Faith.
- Insha-Allah (إن شاء الله) God willing.
- Jannah (جنة) Paradise, Heaven, the Garden.
- Jihad (جهاد) Literally means “struggle.” Any earnest striving in the way of God, involving personal, physical, for righteousness and against wrong-doing. There are different forms of jihad.
- Ka`bah (الكعبة) The cube-shaped building in Mecca toward which Muslims pray.
- Khutbah (خطبة) The sermon at (Friday) Jumu’ah prayer or a general Islamic lecture on looking after the world.
- Makruh (مكروه) Means “detested” but not haram; something that is disliked. [Antonym: Mustahab: recommended]
- Masha-Allah (ما شاء الله) Literally means “God has willed it”
- Masjid (مسجد) [pl. masajid (مساجد)] The place of prayer; mosque
- Mizaan (ميزان) The balance in creation (meaning "harmony" or "scales")
- Mubah (مباح) Literally means “permissible;” neither forbidden or recommended. Neutral.
- Mufti (مفتى) An Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law (Shari`ah), capable of issuing a fatwa.
- Mustahab (مستحبّ) Commendable or recommended. [Antonym: Makruh]
- Qur’an (القرآن) The literal word of God and the culmination of God’s revelation to mankind, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
- Ramadan (رمضان) The holy month of fasting when the Qur’an was first revealed. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset from food, drink, sexual relations, and bad habits.
- Sadaqah (صدقة) Charity; voluntary alms above the amount for zakat.
- Sahabah (الصحابه) [sing. Sahabi (صحابي)] A Companion of Prophet Muhammad.
- Salah (صلاة) Prayer. This is the second Pillar of Islam and there are five mandatory daily prayers. Their timings are fajr (dawn), duhr (noon), ‘asr (afternoon), maghrib (sunset) and `isha (late evening).
- Shaykh (شيخ) A spiritual leader or Muslim clergy.
- Shari`ah (الشريعة) The Islamic system of law and the totality of the Islamic way of life based on the Qur’an and Sunnah.
- Shaytan (شيطان) Satan, the Devil.
- Shirk (شرك) Polytheism; the sin of believing in any divinity except God an associating anything or anyone with God. [Antonym: Tawheed]
- Solar Power: Deriving heat and electrical energy from sunlight
- Subhan’Allah (سبحان الله) “Glory to God.” This phrase is often used when praising God or exclaiming awe at His attributes, bounties, or creation.
- Takabur (تکبر) Arrogance or superiority that people have over nature; this must be rejected; everything comes from God and it returns to Him.
- Wudu (الوضوء) Ablution for ritual purification from impurities before prayer.
- Zakat (زكاة) A tax that is the duty and social obligation of every Muslim. This as the fourth Pillar of Islam.
