| Arabic term |
Definition |
| ‘Abd |
Slave, servant |
| Adab |
Manners, etiquette |
| Adhan |
Call to come to prayer |
| Alhamdu lillah |
“Praise be to Allah” |
| Allahu Akbar |
“Allah is All-Great” |
| ‘Alayhis salam [Abbrev. as] |
“Peace be upon the Prophets or angels” |
| ‘Alim |
Scholar |
| Ansar |
Muslim residents of Madinah who helped the Messenger of Allah [saws] and those who emigrated from Makkah |
| ‘Aqeedah |
Islamic doctrine |
| ‘Ashura |
Tenth day of Islamic month of Muharram |
| ‘Asr |
Obligatory afternoon prayer |
| Astaghfirullah |
“I seek Allah’s forgiveness” |
| Awqaf |
Islamic charitable trust |
| ‘Awrah |
Private parts that must be covered |
| Ayah |
Verse of the Qur’an |
| Bay’ah |
Oath of allegiance to Prophet [saws] |
| Bid’ah |
Innovation in religion |
| Birr |
Righteousness |
| Da’i |
A person calls people to Islam |
| Dajjal |
Anti-Christ |
| Da’wah |
Calling people to Islam |
| Deen |
Religion of Islam |
| Dhikr |
Remembrance of Allah [swt] |
| Dhuhr |
Obligatory noon prayer |
| Dinar |
Gold currency |
| Dirham |
Silver currency |
| Du’a |
Supplication to Allah [swt] |
| Duha |
Forenoon prayer |
| Dunya |
This world |
| Fajr |
Obligatory dawn prayer |
| Fard |
Obligatory |
| Fard kifayah |
Communal obligation |
| Fard ‘ayn |
Individual obligation |
| Fatwa |
Religious verdict |
| Fiqh |
Islamic jurisprudence |
| Fitnah |
Trial |
| Fitrah |
Nature of man |
| Ghayb |
Knowledge of the unseen |
| Ghusl |
Ritual bath after sexual intercourse and menstruation |
| Hadith |
Sayings, actions and approvals of the Messenger of Allah [saws] as narrated by his Companions |
| Hadith Qudsi |
Allah’s speech, other than the Qur’an, as narrated by the Prophet [saws] |
| Hajj |
Obligatory once-in-a-lifetime major pilgrimage to Makkah for Muslims with means |
| Halal |
Permissible |
| Halqah |
Study circle |
| Haram |
Prohibited |
| Hasan |
Acceptable hadith |
| Haya’ |
Shyness |
| Hilal |
Crescent |
| Hijab |
Muslim woman’s clothing |
| Hijrah |
Migration of Prophet [saws] and his Companions from Makkah to Medina |
| ‘Eid |
Muslim festival to commemorate end of Hajj or fasting in Ramadan |
| ‘Iddah |
Waiting period to be observed by divorced woman before she can marry |
| ‘Ijma |
Consensus of the scholars |
| ‘Ijtihad |
Judgement based on Qur’an and Sunnah |
| Imam |
Leader of community or prayer |
| Iman |
Faith, belief |
| Iqamah |
Call to commence prayer |
| ‘Isha’ |
Obligatory night prayer |
| Isnad |
Chain of narration of hadith |
| I’tikaf |
Spiritual retreat in mosque in last ten days of Ramadan |
| Jahili |
Relating to the period of ignorance before Islam |
| Jahiliyyah |
Period of ignorance before Islam |
| Jama’ah |
Muslim congregation or community |
| Janazah |
Funeral prayer |
| Jannah |
Paradise |
| Jibreel |
Angel Gabriel |
| Jihad |
Striving for Allah’s Cause |
| Jilbab |
Muslim woman’s loose outer clothing |
| Jinn |
Allah’s creation of beings from fire and smoke with Satan as their most famous member |
| Jumu’ah |
Friday congregational prayer |
| Kafir |
Disbeliever of Islam |
| Khalifah |
Muslim rulers who succeeded Prophet [saws] |
| Khamr |
Alcoholic drink |
| Khilafah |
Khalifah’s period of leadership |
| Khutbah |
Sermon given in Friday congregational prayer, ‘Eid prayer and on marriage |
| Kufr |
Disbelief of Islam |
| La ilaha illa Allah |
“There is no god worthy of worship except Allah” |
| Laylat al Qadar |
One of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the Islamic month of Ramadan |
| Maghrib |
Sunset prayer |
| Makruh |
Disliked but permissible |
| Mahram |
Man prohibited to marry a woman and therefore allowed to be in her presence alone |
| Masjid |
Mosque |
| Madhhab |
School of Islamic thought |
| Minbar |
Steps mounted by Imam when delivering sermon in Friday congregational prayer |
| Mufassir |
Scholar who interprets the Qur’an |
| Muhajir |
Muslims who migrated to Medina with Prophet [saws] |
| Mujahid |
A person who exercises judgement based on Qur’an and Sunnah |
| Mujahid |
A person who strives in Allah’s Cause |
| Muharram |
First Islamic month |
| Munafiq |
Overtly Muslim person who does not believe in Islam |
| Munkar |
Rejected |
| Musalla |
Prayer place |
| Mushrik |
A person who associates partners with Allah [swt] |
| Nafl |
Voluntary Islamic acts or worship |
| Qadar |
Allah’s Decree |
| Qadi |
Judge in Islamic court |
| Qawwam |
Protector and maintainer |
| Qiblah |
Prayer direction towards to Al-Ka’bah in Makkah |
| Qiyam al layl |
Standing in voluntary night prayer |
| Radiy Allahu ‘anhu/’anha/’anhuma/’anhum [Abbrev. ra] |
“May Allah [swt] be pleased with him/her/two of them/more than two of them” |
| Rak’ah |
Unit of prayer |
| Ruku’ |
Bowing in prayer |
| Sadaqah |
Voluntary charity |
| Sahabah |
Companions of Prophet [saws] |
| Sahih |
Authentic hadith |
| Sahur |
Pre-dawn meal consumed before fasting next day |
| Salaf |
Companions of Prophet [saws] |
| Salah |
Islamic prayer |
| Salam |
Islamic greeting of peace |
| Sall Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam [Abbrev. saws] |
“May Allah’s peace and praise be upon the Prophet” |
| Sanad |
Chain of narration |
| Shahadah |
Testimony of Islamic faith or martyrdom in Allah’s Cause |
| Shahid |
Martyr in Allah’s Cause |
| Sham |
Middle-East region including Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon |
| Shari’ah |
Primary Islamic law of Qur’an and Sunnah |
| Shawwal |
Tenth Islamic month |
| Shaytan |
Satan |
| Shirk |
Association of partners with Allah [swt] |
| Sirah |
Biography of Prophet [saws] |
| Siyam |
Fasting |
| Subh |
Obligatory dawn prayer |
| Subhanahu wa ta’ala [Abbrev. swt] |
Exalted is Allah above weakness and indignity |
| Sujud |
Prostration in prayer |
| Sunnah |
Teaching, guidance and way of the Prophet [saws] |
| Surah |
Chapter of the Qur’an |
| Tabi’i |
Student of Companions of the Prophet [saws] |
| Tafsir |
Interpretation of the Qur’an |
| Tahajjud |
Voluntary night prayer between ‘isha’ and fajr |
| Tahlil |
“There is no god worthy of worship except Allah” |
| Tajwid |
Phonetically correct recitation of Qur’an |
| Takbir |
“Allah is All-Great” |
| Taqlid |
Blind following of schools of Islamic thought |
| Taqwa |
Consciousness of Allah [swt] |
| Tasbih |
“Exalted is Allah” |
| Tashahhud |
Last part of the prayer in which the testimony of faith is recited |
| Tayammum |
Ritual ablution with clean earth for prayer |
| Taslim |
Saying Islamic greeting of peace to finish the prayer |
| Tawaf |
Circumambulation of the Ka’bah during pilgrimage to Makkah |
| Tawhid |
Belief in the oneness of Allah [swt] in His Essence and Attributes |
| ‘Ulama |
Islamic scholars |
| Ummah |
Nation of Islam |
| ‘Umrah |
Voluntary minor pilgrimage to Makkah |
| Wahy |
Revelation from Allah [swt] |
| Wajib |
Obligatory act of worship |
| Witr |
Voluntary night prayer with odd number of rak’ah |
| Wudu’ |
Ritual ablution with water for prayer |
| Yawm ‘Arafah |
Ninth day of twelfth Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah |
| Zakah |
Obligatory charity tax on wealth |
| Zalimun |
Wrongdoers |
| Zina |
Adultery |
