Islamic Dictionary
English Translation of Arabic words
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| Abrâr | Pious and righteous | 82:13 |
| Adab | Manners | |
| 'Adn | Paradise | 61:12, 98:8 |
| Ahkâm | "Orders". According to Islâmic law, there are
five kinds of orders:
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3:7 |
| 'Alamîn | Mankind, jinns and all that exists | 1:2, 81:29 |
| Ameen / Amîn | A supplication meaning, "O Allah, respond (to or answer what we have said)." | See Fiqh 1.136 |
| 'Aqeedah | The belief system that is based upon a firm conviction in
all the fundamentals of faith and of the Oneness of Allah, i.e. creed
It is derived from the verb aqada meaning to firmly bind and knot. Whatsoever settles in the heart in a firm and definitive manner is said to be that person's aqeedah. In the technical sense it refers to the definitive faith and certain ruling that is not open to any doubt. It is called aqeedah because the person binds his heart upon it. |
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| Auliyâ | Friends, protectors, helpers, etc. | 5:51 |
| Ayât | Proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc. | 5:10, 62:5 |
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| Bâtil | Falsehood | 34:49 |
| Bid'a | Innovation in ibaddah [worship], to be avoided! See article:
Bid'a
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| Bismillah | "In The Name of Allah", to be said by the Muslim before proceeding to do that which is halal (permissible). | |
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| Da'wah | Literally means "call", and in this sense it refers to calling to the Truth through preaching and propagation. | 2:136, 16:125, 12:108 |
| Dawat-us-salafiyyah
(also "Dawah Salafi", or "salafi dawah" although this is an english transposition of the two words- [say DOW-uh(t) uh sal-uh-FEE-uh]) |
Literally means call of the past, those who preceded us. This is the spreading of Islam in accordance with Qur'an and Sunnah, recognizing the understanding of the pious Salaf in this matter as being superior (more accurate) than modern ideas and inventions, with an intention to avoid innovation in ibaddah (an all encompassing word for worship, i.e. halal [permissible] acts of submission to Allah swt). | See article: Dawat- us-salafiy- yah. |
| Deen | The Way of Life for a Muslim, i.e. religion | 3:19, 5:3 |
| Dhu-Mahram | A male whom a woman can never marry because of close relationship (i.e. brother, father, uncle, etc.) or her own husband | |
| Du'a | Supplication and Invocation to Allah, subhana watala | |
| Dunya | This world or life, as opposed to the Hereafter | |
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| Fajarah | Wicked evil doers | 80:42 |
| Fajr | The obligatory (faard) salah (prayer) before sunrise | |
| Fara'id (Faard) | Obligatory duties | 3:7 |
| Fâsiqûn | Rebellious, the disobedient to Allah swt | |
| Fiqh | The meaning of the word fiqh is understanding, comprehension,
knowledge, and jurisprudence in Islam. A jurist is called a Faqih who is
an expert in matters of Islamic legal matters.
A Faqih is to pass verdicts within the rules of the Islamic Law namely Shariah. The most famous scholars of Fiqh in the history Muslims are the founders of the four schools of thought in Islam: Imam Malik, Imam Ash-Shafi'i, Imam Abu Hanifah, and Imam Ahmad. Anything or action in Islam falls within the following five categories of Fiqh:
"Fiqh literally means, the true understanding of what is intended. An example of this usage can be found in the Prophet Muhammad's [saaws] statement?: "To whosever Allah wished good, he gives the Fiqh (true understanding) of the deen". Technically, however, fiqh referes to the science of deducing Islamic Laws from evidence found in the sources of Islamic law. By extension it also means the body of Islamic laws so deduced." -Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips in: 'The Evolution of Fiqh' |
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| Fitnah | Polytheism and to disbelieve after one has believed in Allah, or a trial or a calamity, affliction or to set up rivals in worship with Allah, etc. | 2:193, 5:71 |
| Fitrah | Islamic scholar al-Sayyuti said: "The best explanation of fitrah is that it is the Sunnah (way) of all of the Prophets which is in agreement with (all of) the revealed Laws, indicating that it is a response to naturally created inclinations." | 30:30 |
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| Ghaib | Unseen | 2:3, 2:33, 72:26 |
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| Hadith / Hadeeth | Literally means "something new". In Islam, refers to that which is attributed to the Prophet (saaws) as regards words, actions or tacit approval, physical features and characteristics | |
| Halal | Permissible, lawful | |
| Haraam | Prohibited, illegal | |
| Hasan | Good or acceptable. Used to indicate authenticity of some reports | |
| Hijab | Literally means Concealing, screening, protecting and is used
to refer to the mandatory dress of the muslim,
male or female. (Plural
is hujub)
The root word of hijab is hajaba and that means: hajb (to veil), cover, screen, shelter, seclude (from), to hide, obscure (from sight), to make imperceptible, invisible, to conceal, to make or form a separation (a woman), to disguise, masked, to conceal, hide, to flee from sight, veil, to veil, conceal, to cover up, become hidden, to be obscured, to vanish, to become invisible, disappear from sight, to veil, to conceal, to withdraw, to elude perception.
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| Hijrah | Means migration. The Hijrah refers to the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Madinah. This journey took place in the twelfth year of his mission (622 C.E.). This is the beginning of the Muslim calendar. The word hijrah means to leave a place to seek sancturary or freedom from persecution or freedom of religion or any other purpose. Hijrah can also mean to leave a bad way of life for a good or more righteous way. | |
| Hudud | The limits ordained by Allah. This includes the punishment for crimes. | |
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| Iblîs | A jinn and shaytaan (satan) | 2:34 |
| Iftar | To break the fast | |
| Iqâmat-as-Salât | Offer prayers perfectly | 5:12, 35:29 |
| Ilâh | Deity, lord, god | 5:73, 114:3 |
| Imân (Eemân) | Faith | |
| Islam | Submission to Allah's Will | |
| Isnad | Has two meanings:
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| Istawa | Rose over - very important to understand in context of the ayat | 2:29 |
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| Jahiliyyah | Extreme ignorance (jahl) and disbelief. Often used to describe the era that preceeded the revelation of the Qur'an, and ignorance in general. | |
| Jihad | To fight and kill in the path of Allah, the enemies of Allah, for the cause of Allah. It can also be used to mean to strive in the path of Allah. | |
| Jilbaab | A loose-fitting garment covering the entire body, so that
the shape of the woman is not defined but hidden, including covering the
head, face, and hands. (Plural is Jalabib)
Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullah) relates: |
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| Jinn | A creation of Allah made from smokeless fire. They are also invited to accept Islam and will have to give account of their deeds on the Day of Judgement | Jinn |
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| Ka'ba | A square stone building in Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the well-known mosque at Makka) . Muslims line up in prayer facing towards this direction. | 5:97 |
| Kafarah | Disbelievers in Allah in His Oneness and in His Messenger
Muhammad
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81:42 |
| Kâfirûn | Disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, in Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments, good or bad), etc. | Surah 109 |
| Khabîth | evil | 5:100 |
| Khalafee | A person who chooses to follow the later generations of Muslims as opposed to the early ones | |
| Khutbah | A speech or sermon. It is sometimes used to refer to the sermon given during the Friday congregational prayer. | |
| Kuwwirat | Wound round and lost its light and is overthrown | 81:1 |
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| Laghw | Dirty, false, evil vain talk | 28:55 |
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| Madhdhab, Muthab | Way, school of thought, direction, manner, mode. A muslim should not follow a madhdhab when it contradicts clear proof in Quran and Sunnah. | |
| Maulâ | Lord, Helper, Protector, Supporter, Patron | 9:51, 2:286 |
| Mahram | A male, whom a woman can never marry because of close relationship (e.g. a brother, a father, an uncle etc.); or her own husband | |
| Masjid | A place designated for salah. Called "Mosque" in English. | |
| Minhaj | Methodology, e.g. methods, rules, system, procedures. | |
| Muhsin | Good-doer, i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allah's
sake only without any show off or to gain praise or fame etc., and in accordance
with the Sunna of Allah's Messenger Muhammed
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2:112 |
| Munkar | Wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc. | 5:79 |
| Mushrikûn | Polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the ONeness of Allah, those who worship others along with Allah, and also those who set up rivals with (or partners to) Allah, swt, etc. | 16:20, 61:9 |
| Mutaffifin | Those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others) | 83:1 |
| Mutawattir | Literally means "succession, consecutive." Islamically refers
to hadith which is narrated by such a large number of people that it is
impossible (Allahu Alim) that they have invented a lie. Its conditions :
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| Muttaqûn | Pious and righteous persons who fear Allah swt much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which Allah has ordained). | 2:2, 9:44, 11:49, 16:30, 16:31, 92:17 |
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| Nafs | Adam or a person or a soul etc. | 91:7 |
| Najaassa | Impurity | 9:28 |
| Nawâfil | Additional,optional practice of worshipprayers | 87:15 |
| Niqab | A face cover that is in an affixed position, i.e. a face veil. | |
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| Qabîluhu | Satan's soldiers from the jinns or his tribe | 7:27 |
| Qadar | Decree, Preordainment of Allah's Will. One of the five pillars of Islam. | |
| Qiblah | Prayer Direction (for Muslims, it is to face the Ka'ba) | 2:143-150 |
| Qudsi / Qudsee | That which is narrated to us from the Prophet (saaws) from
his Lord, the Exalted and Mighty.
The difference between it and the Qur’aan - The most obvious differences are:
Compilations of ahaadeeth qudseeyyah:
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| Sadaqa | Deeds of charity done in Allah's (swt) cause | |
| Sahabah | Companions of the Prophet
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| Saheeh / Sahih | Literally means "Sound, healthy." Islamically it refers to
the following:
The hadithwhose isnaad is connected through "just" (‘adl) and precise (daabit) narrators from beginning to end, not being shaadhdh or having a hidden defect (‘illah). The five conditions :
If any of these five conditions are not fulfilled then the isnaad will not be saheeh. The ruling regarding the saheeh hadeeth:
The most authentic isnaads:
The first book written to include only the saheeh:
Neither al-Bukhaari nor Muslim tried to gather all of the authentic ahaadeeth in their books:
Which of the hadeeth of al-Bukhaari and Muslim have the ruling of being definitely saheeh?:
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| Salaf | Literally means "those (from history) who precede, have gone before". | |
| Salaf as-Saalih | The people of the past, namely the
first three generations of pious muslims during and after the revelation
of the Qur'an, i.e.the Sahabah (companions) of the Prophet,
saaws
, the Taabi'een (followers) and the Taabi Taabi'een (followers
of the followers).
Islam teaches that As-Salaf as-Saalih (or "Salaf" as sometimes referred to in short), are superior in their understanding of the Revelation of Al-Qu'ran. Generally speaking, the people present during any event (such as the revelation of the Quran) will understand it better than those who read about it later.
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| Salafi | Means "of the salaf". The "i" (sounds like "ee") on the end of the word means "of the", "of" and/or "are". The word "salafi" can only be used in association with words that are of things that are truly from the far past, and in this case (when refering to Islamic matters) are truly from the first three generation of pious muslims, or those who came after them, but who are still in the far past to us today. | |
| Salafi dawah (Salafy dawah) |
An english transposition of "dawah salafi". In Arabic, the noun comes before the adjective; in English, the adjective comes first. See dawat-us-salafiyyah | |
| Salafi muslim | There is no such thing as a "salafi muslim" (muslim of the
salaf) in today's time. In order to be a salaf, you had to live during the
first 3 generations during and/or after the revelation of the
Qur'an. To make a sunnah out of calling yourself a salafi muslim
is to state that 1) you are of the first three generations of pious muslims
after the revelation of the Qur'an and 2) you have potential for division
into a sect. One may use the word "Salafi Muslim" but not make a sunnah/tradition
out of it, as though it is a required part of the religion.
Those who adhere to dawat-us-salafiyyah best describe themself as a "Muslim" whose minhaj (methodology/system) is Qur'an and Sunnah and madhdhab (way) is that of the salaf. Read more at article Dawat-us-salafiyyah. |
41:33 |
| Salâmu-'Alaikum | Peace be unto you. The greeting between Muslims. Not to be initiated to say to a non-Muslim. | 16:32 |
| Sheikh (Shaykh) | 1. A Muslim over 40 yrs old., or
2. A Muslim who is a student of knowledge. Even a new Muslim can be called a Sheikh if he is diligent in seeking the knowledge of Islam based upon Quran and authentic Sunnah. He is a Sheikh to those he can teach. Not to be confused with an Alim (person of knowledge). |
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| Shi'ah (Shi'ite) | Those misguided who call themselves muslims, yet who hate
and curse the Prophet's Companions and claim them to be apostates, claim
that the Qur'an has been altered, was incorrectly delivered to Muhammad
,
reject the authentic Sunnah and/or worship the Prophet's family, peace be
upon them. |
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| Shirk | To associate partners with Allah in all that is particular to Allah, from love, hope, fear, worship, and all other matters that are solely due to Allah, swt, alone. | |
| Sufi | A Muslim who has accepted misguidance by dividing into a
sect of people who worship graves and saints and claim Divine incarnation.
Tasawwuf (mystism) has come to be known as "Sufism" in the west.
SUFI, (The Persian form of the plural being Sufiyan). A man of the people called Sufiyah who profess the mystic principle of Tasawwuf. There is considerable discussion as to the origin of this word. It is said to be derived (1) from the Arabic Suf , "wool," on account of the woollen dress worn by Eastern ascetics; (2) or from the Arabic Safu, "purity," with reference to the effort to attain the metaphysical purity (which is scarcely probable); (3) or from the Greek, meaning "wisdom"; (4) or, according to the Ghiyasu'l-Lughat, it is derived from the Su fah, the name of the tribe of Arabs who in the "time of ignorance," separated themselves from the world, and engaged themselves exclusively in the service of the Makkah Temple. From the very days of Muhammad, saaws, there have been always those who, whilst they called themselves Muslims, set aside the literal meaning of the words of Muhammad, saaws, for a supposed mystic or spiritual interpretation, and it is generally admitted by Sufis that one of the great founders of their system, as found in Islam, was the adopted son (sic) and son-in-law of the Prophet, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. The Sufis themselves admit that their religious system has always existed in the world, prior to the mission of Muhammad, saaws, and the unprejudiced student of their system will observe that Tasawwuf, or Sufism, is but a Muslim adaptation of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophers (sic), and which also we find in the writings of old academics of Greece, and Sir William Jones thought Plato learned from the sages of the East. The Sufis are divided into innumerable sects, which find expression in the numerous religious orders of Darweshes or Faqirs; but although they differ in name and in some of their customs, as dress, meditations and recitations, they are all agreed in their principal tenets, particularly those which inculcate the absolute necessity of blind submission to a murshid, or inspired guide. It is generally admitted that, quite irrespective of minor sects, the Sufis are divided into those who claim to be only the Ilhamiyah, or inspired of God, and those who assert that they are Ittihadiyah, or unionist with God (sic).
Ibn Al-Jawzee (ra) said: "Then a group of people came – meaning from the Sufis – and they began to speak to them concerning hunger, poverty, fantasies and illusions. And they authored books on that, such as was done by Al-Haarith Al-Muhaasibee. Then other people came after them and they revised the way of Sufism and they characterized themselves with attributes by which they distinguished it from its (original) state. Such attributes include wearing tattered and old clothing, hearing (music), bursting out in passionate emotions, dancing and clapping. And they specified themselves by exceeding in cleanliness and purification. Then this matter did not cease to increase in the least, and their sheikhs began to fabricate many stories for them and speak about their mystical occurrences. And this asserted their remoteness from the scholars. Rather, this asserted for them, their belief that they possessed the most complete forms of knowledge, such that they named it the hidden knowledge (al-‘ilm-ul-baatin). And they placed knowledge of the Religion as being knowledge that is apparent (al-‘ilm-ud-dhaair). From them, were those whose severity in hunger brought them to fancy detestable illusions. Thus they claimed strong love and passion for the truth. So it is as if they imagined a figure with a beautiful appearance and thus fell madly in love with it. And these people were caught between disbelief and innovation. Then these people divided into various orders and their beliefs grew corrupt. So from them, were some who held the view that Allaah was incarnate in His creation (hulool) and there were some who held the view that the Creator and creation were in reality one existence (Ittihaad). And the Devil did not cease to speak to them about different types of innovations until they made them aspects of the Sunnah. And then there came Abu ‘Abd-ir-Rahmaan As-Sulamee, who wrote a book for them entitled As-Sunan, and who compiled for them Haqaa’iq-ut-Tafseer. He mentioned in it, amazing things about them (i.e. the Sufis) concerning their interpretation of the Qur’aan, based upon the mystical occurrences that befell them, without tracing that back to any of the sources where knowledge is derived from. And indeed, what brought them to take such things and place them as their views was their state of daze, due to their strict abstinence of food and their love for talking at great lengths of the Qur’aan. Abu Mansoor ‘Abd-ur-Rahmaan Al-Qazaaz related to us that: Abu Bakr Al-Khateeb informed us that: Muhammad Ibn Yoosuf Al-Qattaan An-Naisaburee said to me that: ‘Abu ‘Abd-ir-Rahmaan As-Sulamee is not reliable. And he did not used to hear anything except for a few sounds, due to deafness. So when the ruler Abu ‘Abdillaah Ibn Al-Bai’ died, he began to narrate hadeeth on the authority of Al-A’asam from Taareekh Yahyaa Ibn Ma’een as well as other similar things. And he used to fabricate ahaadeeth for the Sufis.’
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| Sunni | 1. A belief or action that is in accordance with the Sunnah
of the Prophet Muhammad
.
2. Literally "of the Sunnah". 3. A muslim who has Blind adherence to a single Imam for all Islamic rulings. A Muslim who has accepted misguidance by dividing into a sect which prescribes to only the madhdhab of a sole Imam and ignoring the consensus of the salaf when in contradiction to their chosen Imam (i.e. Madhdhab Hanafi, Madhdhab Maliki, Madhdhab Shaffii, Madhdhab Hanabali). The salaf have instructed Muslims to not pay heed to errors in their own teaching and the same should be done with any clear errors in the teaching of any Imam, past or present. |
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| Tâbi'een | Those who met the Companions of the Prophet
and learned from them. |
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| Tafseer | The explanation and understanding of the Qur'an or just a verse of the Qur'an | |
| Tâghût | Anything worshipped other than Allah, i.e. all the false deities. It may be shaytaan, jinn, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings e.g. Esau (Jesus), Messengers of Allah swt, who were falsely worshipped and taken as Tâghûts. Likewise saints, graves, rulers, leaders, etc., are falsely worshipped, and wrongly followed. | 2:256 |
| Taqleed | To blindly follow a person whose following is not based on proof and does not rely upon knowledge. Also used to refer to the acceptance of all sayings of a person without knowing the evidence for the fatwa (ruling). | |
| Taqwa | Ibn Abi Shaibah reports in 'Kitab ul Eman' that the tabi'ee Talq ibn Habeeb was asked to define taqwa, so he said, 'Taqwa is acting in obedience to Allah, hoping for His Mercy, upon light from Him, and taqwa is leaving acts of disobedience to Allah out of fear of Him, upon light from Him.' | |
| Târiq | Night-comer, i.e. the bright star | 86:1 |
| Tayyib | All that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc. | 5:100 |
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| Walî | Protector, Guardian, Supporter, Helper, Friend etc. [plural 'Auliyâ] | 33:17 |
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| Zakât | 2.5% of wealth given yearly; One of the five pillars (i.e. duties) of a muslim | 5:12, 98:5 |
| Zâlimûn | Polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust. | 5:51, 11:18, 16:113 |
Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah swt) That Every Muslim Should Know
La ilaha ilAllah - There is no deity (worthy of worship) but (the One) Allah
Alhamdulilah
- All praise is due to Allah. To be said when happy and at other times.
Is recommended to praise Allah (swt) before expressing gratitude to the people.
As sala'amu alaikum - Peace be upon you. The required greeting a muslim man should give to another muslim man and that a muslimah [female muslim] should give another muslimah [when not too shy to be heard in the presence of men who are not mahram to her]. It is a recommended sunnah to say this to a muslim, and fard (obligatory) to reply (i.e. to say "wa laikum as-sala'am").
Bismillah - In the name of Allah. [biss-mih-LAH] What Muslims say before engaging in most anything, especially before reading Qur'an, before eating, when entering a room [before entering toilet area, ask for protection from the male and female jinn], when leaving and entering the house, etc.
Insha'Allah - If Allah will, If Allah wills it, if it is Allah's will, Allah willing, in Allah's timing and choosing
said, "Solomon (the son of) David said, 'Tonight I will sleep with seventy
ladies each of whom will conceive a child who will be a knight fighting for
Allah's cause.' His companion said, 'If Allah will.' But Solomon did not
say so; therefore none of those women got pregnant except one who gave birth
to a half child.[i.e. a gay man]" The Prophet further said,
"If the Prophet Solomon had said it (i.e. 'If Allah
will') he would have begotten children who would have fought in Allah's
cause." Shuaib and Ibn Abi Az-Zinad said, "Ninety (women) is more
correct (than seventy)." [Bukhari 4:635, Narrated
Abu Huraira]
said: Do not say: What Allah wills and so and so wills,
but say: "What Allah wills", and then separately "What so and so wills".
[Tirmidhi, Narrated Hudhayfah, Transmitted by
AbuDawud.]
Subhana wa ta'ala - This means "Allah is exalted above weakness and indignity." Sometimes abbreviated as "swt". After saying "Allah" or "Allah's", etc, the Muslim should give praises to Allah swt with this phrase or one of many other phrases giving praise to Allah, swt.
Innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon - Means, "To Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return." Is said immediately upon hearing of the death of a Muslim.
or
- Salla 'Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam - This means
"May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him" and it should be said after
referring to Muhammad or other prophets. Sometimes abbreviated at "s.a.a.w.s."
or "saaws"
or
'Alayh
is'Salam - This means "Peace be upon him" and it should be said after
referring to prophets and angels. Sometimes abbreviated as "PBUH".
-
Radiya 'Llahu 'anhu - This means "May Allah be pleased with him" and
should be said after referring to a male companion.
- Radiya 'Llahu 'anha - This means "May Allah be pleased with her"
and should be said after referring to a female companion.
Radiya 'Llahu 'anhuma - This means "May Allah be pleased with them" and should be said after referring to two companions.
Radiya 'Llahu 'anhum - This means "May Allah be pleased with them" and should be said after referring to more than two companions.
Rahimahu 'Llah - (say rah-hee muh hoo-lah). This means "May Allah have mercy on him" and should be said after referring to a past scholar or righteous muslim.
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