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Islam - what the words mean

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A

AH After the Hijrah. These letters are placed after the number of a year in the Islamic calendar.
Akhirah Belief in life after death.
Allah The Arabic word for God. It is not God’s name.
Allahu Akbar God is the greatest.
Azan The Muslim call to prayer.

B

Bismillah In the name of God. The term is used by Muslims to ask for God’s blessing on any action and is found at the start of almost every surah of the Holy Qur’an.

C


D

Din (Deen) The religion and way of life of Islam.
Du’a A personal prayer to Allah, as opposed to the five daily prayer rituals. A du’a is not the same as a totally spontaneous personal prayer, because particular texts are laid down for various du’as.

E

F

Fard An obligation, something which must be done.
Five Pillars of Islam The duties carried out by a Muslim as part of their faith.

G

H

Hadith A saying, action or story of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Hafiz A person who has learned the Qur’an by heart.
Hajj The pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Halal Something a Muslim is permitted to do or eat.
Haram Something a Muslim must not do or eat.
Hegira (Hijrah) The migration of Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina).
Hijab Islamic clothing worn by women to protect their modesty. How much hijab covers is often a matter for local customs.

I

Iftar Breakfast.
Ihram The state of ritual purity required for undertaking the Hajj or Umra. The special garments worn in this state are also called Ihram.
Imam A teacher, or leader of the Muslim prayer. An imam is not a priest, but a learned and pious Muslim who is held in high respect by his community.
Islam The faith of Muslims. Its literal meaning is surrender or submission to Allah.

J

Jihad Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle: a believer’s internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible; the struggle to build a good Muslim society; and the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary (Holy War).

K

Ka’ba (Ka’bah) The cubic building at the centre of the Mosque at Mecca around which pilgrims process. It is the focal point of Muslim prayer.
Kitab Book.

L

M

Madrassa (Madrasah) Islamic school.
Makkah Alternative spelling of Mecca.
Masjid Another word for Mosque.
Mawlid an-Nabi The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Minaret The tower of a mosque from which the call to prayer is made.
Minbar The pulpit in a mosque.
Mihrab A niche in a mosque showing the direction of Mecca.
Mosque A building (or place) where Muslims worship together.
Muezzin The official who calls people to prayer.
Muslim A follower of the Islamic faith.

N

Niyya The declaration of one’s sincere intention to worship (this is usually made silently in one’s mind).

O

P

pbuh Peace be upon him. This abbreviation is used after the name of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to indicate one’s respect. It is also used after the names of other prophets.
pbut Peace be upon them – the plural of pbuh.

Q

Quiblah The direction of Mecca.
Qur’an The Holy Book of Islam.

R

Rak’ah A unit of set movements in the ritual prayer or salat.
Ramadan The month of fasting.
Ruku The bow made in salat.

S

Sadaquah Voluntary giving to charity, as opposed to the Zakat charity which is obligatory in Islam.
Salat (Salah) The obligatory ritual prayer carried out five times a day.
Salat-ul-Jum’a Friday prayer at a mosque.
Sawm Fasting during daylight.
Shahadah The Muslim declaration of faith: ‘There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’
Sharia Islamic law.
Shi’a The second largest group (10%) within Islam.
Sujud (Sajdah) The prostration position in prayer, with forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes all touching the ground.
Sufism The mystical movement in Islam. Its followers are known as Sufi.
Sunni The largest group within Islam, representing over 90% of Muslims.
Sura(h) A chapter of the Holy Qur’an.

T

Takbir The process of concentrating on prayer to the exclusion of everything else.
Tawaf Going round the Ka’ba seven times on Hajj or Umra.

U

V

W

Wudu Ritual washing before the daily prayers.

X

Y

Z

Zakat (Zakah) Compulsory donation of a set proportion of one’s savings.
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