‘A: An abbreviation of ‘alaihi/alayha as-salam’, that is “on him/her be the peace”.

Aj: An abbreviation of ‘ajjil allaahu ta’ala farajahu shareef’, that is “May Allah hasten his reappearance”.

Aali Muhammad: Progeny of Muhammad

A’amal: Rituals

Ababeel: Little birds that destroyed the army of the People of Elephants by dropping on them pebbles of baked clay they had carried in their beaks and claws.

Abjad: Numerical values of Arabic letters

Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jamat: Majority Muslims who believe Abu Bakr to be the first caliph

Ahl al-Bayt: People of the house. They are The Holy Prophet (S), Janabe Fatimah az-Zahra’ (‘a), ‘Ali (‘a) and his eleven successors.

Allamah: Learned scholar

Amir al-Mu’minin: Leader of the believers. Title of Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a)

Amr al-Taqwini: Things beyond the control of man. Natural factors etc.

Amr al-Tashri: Things under the control of man. Voluntary deeds etc.

Arsh: Throne or heavens

Ashura: 10th of Muharram, day of the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) and the tragedy of Karbala

Asr: Afternoon (prayer)

Ayat: Verse of the Holy Qur’an

Azaan: Call for prayer

Bada: Change in divine will

Baseer: All-seeing

Bismillah: In the Name of Allah

Dirham: Unit of currency

Du’a: Invocation

Daurah: Occasional revision of what one has memorized so far

Durood: See Salawaat

Fajr: Morning

Faqih: Jurisprudent

Fir’awn: Pharaoh

Ghusl: Ritual bath

Ghufaila: A two rakat Prayer between Maghrib and Isha

Hadith al-Nabawi: A statement of the Holy Prophet (S) or a Masoom (‘a)

Hadith al-Qudsi: A saying of Allah apart from the verses of Qur’an

Hafiz/Haafiz: One, who knows the Qur’an by heart

Hafiza/Haafiza: Feminine form of Hafiz

Hajar al-Aswad: The black stone in the Ka’ba

Hajj: Annual pilgrimage to Makkah during the month of Zilqad

Halaal: Permissible, legal

Haraam: Prohibited, illegal

Hasanah: Unit of heavenly rewards

Hauze Ilmiya: Islamic religious school

Hazrat: His or Her Eminence

Hifz: Learning the Qur’an by heart

Hijrat/Hijrah: Flight of the Holy Prophet (S) from Mecca to Medina. Beginning of the Islamic calendar

Hoor al-Eein: Black-eyed Hoories of Paradise

Huffaz/Huffaz: Plural of Hafiz

Hujjat: Proof

Huroof: (Singular=Harf) Arabic for letter/alphabet

Iblees: Satan

‘Iddah: Waiting period for women before they could remarry

Iftar: Breaking of the fast

Ijma: Consensus

‘Illiyyin: Heights of Paradise, a divine matter, from which all good is created

Insha-Allah: If Allah wills

Iqamah: Shorter form of the call for Prayer

‘Isha: Late evening

Istekhara: Seeking the advice of Allah

I’tikaf: A recommended ritual consisting of a continuous stay of at least three days in the mosque during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.

Janabat: A state of ritual impurity that can be removed by performing Ghusl (Bath)

Jannat al-Maawa: Paradise, Lit. Garden of perpetuity

Junub: the State of being ritually impure through sexual intercourse or discharge of semen.

Juz: Arabic word for part. 30th part of Qur’an

Ka’aba: The Holy House of Allah, the directions that Muslims face during prayers.

Kaffarah: Fine, penalty

Khariji: A group, which arose against ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) after the battle of Siffin. A heretic sect

Khilqat: Creation

Liaan: Sworn allegation of adultery committed by either husband or wife

Maghrebain: The two prayers of Maghrib (early evening) and Isha (late evening)

Maghrib: Evening prayer, time of sunset

Mahram (pl. Mahrams): Relatives between whom marriage is prohibited

Makrooh: Detestable, in the Islamic terminology it denotes an action, performing which does not incur sin, but refraining from which earns divine rewards

Makruh: variant spelling of above term

Maliki: Followers of the Sunnite Imam Malik

Maqaam: Lit. place, usually the Place of Ibrahim, a spot in the Ka’ba complex

Maraja’ Taqleed: The Mujtahid whom people follow in matters of practical law

Marwar: Repetition of latest lessons

Masjidul Haram: The sacred mosque in Mecca

Masoomeen: (Singular- Masoom): Infallible

Mawla: Master

Meeqaat: Specific places from where a Hajj pilgrim wears the Ihram.

Mahr: Dower

Mithqal: A measure of weight of about 4.6 grams.

Miswak: Brushing of teeth, especially with a twig

Mu’min: Believer

Mubah: Permitted. It denotes an action, performing of which, earns no rewards and refraining from it is not punishable

Mullahs: Muslim scholars/leaders

Mureed: The Restorer

Mus’haf: Scroll

Mustahab: Recommended. It is an action, performing which earns rewards and refraining from it is not punishable

Mutawatir: A tradition related through so many narrators that it is considered absolutely authentic

Najis: Unclean

Nasibi: A person who harbours malice against any one of the members of Holy Ahl al-Bayt (‘a)

Nafila: Recommended prayers

Nawafil: Plural of Nafila

Para: 30th part of Qur’an

q.s.: An abbreviation of ‘Quddasa Sirruhu’, which literally means: “May his resting place remain pure.”

Qa’im: One that would rise. A title of Imam al-Mahdi (‘a)

Qari: Reciter of Qur’an

Qibla: Prayer direction

Qiyam: Standing position in Ritual Prayer

Qunoot: Supplication recited in ritual prayers, usually in the second unit (rakat)

Quraish: the tribe of the Messenger of Allah (S)

Rajm: Stoning, punishment for adultery

Rakat: A unit of ritual prayer

Rizq: Sustenance

Ruhul Quds: An angel

Rukn: Lit. pillar usually a place in the Ka’ba complex

Ruku’: Bowing down or genuflection in the ritual prayers

S: An abbreviation of ‘sallallaahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam’, that is “Blessings be on him and his Progeny and peace”.

Sadaqah: Voluntary charity, alms

Safar: Second month of the Islamic calendar

Sajdah: Prostration

Salaam: Salute, Islamic greeting

Salaat: Ritual prayers

Salawaat: Allaahumma S’alle a’laa Muha’ammadinw wa aali Muh’ammad (O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad)

Samee’: All-hearing

Saqifah: The place where Abu Bakr took caliphate

Sayyid: Lit. chief. A term for descendants of Lady Fatimah through Imam al-Husayn (‘a)

Sayyid ash-Shuhada’: Chief of the Martyrs, a title of Imam al-Husayn (‘a)

Sha’baan: The eighth month of the Muslim (Lunar) calendar

Shab al-Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr): The Night of Power or 19th, 21st and 23rd nights of the month of Ramadan

Shaf’: Lit: Middle. It is a Two Rakat prayer and a part of Salaat of Shab (Midnight Prayer)

Shahadatain: the two testimonies of Islamic faith.

Shaytan: Satan

Shari’ah/ Shari’ah: Islamic law

Shaykh: Lit. elder. A genealogical division among Muslims

Sheb al-Abi Talib: Valley in Mecca where the Messenger of Allah (S) and the early Muslims took refuge for some time

Shukr: Thankfulness

Shura: Consultation committee formed by ‘Umar for selecting Uthman as the next caliph

Sirat: Path

Sujud: Plural of Sajdah, prostration

Sunnah: Practice (esp. of the Messenger of Allah)

Surahs: Chapter of Qur’an

t.s.: Abbreviation of Taaba Saraa. See the meaning of ‘q.s.’

Ta’qeebaat: Supplications and devotions recited after the ritual prayers

Tabi’in: Followers of the companions of the Prophet

Tahlilaat: Saying ‘Laa Ilaaha illallaah’

Tajweed: Intonation of Qur’an

Takbir: Saying ‘Allahu Akbar, God is the Greatest’

Takbiratul Ihram: Saying ‘Allahu Akbar’at the beginning of the ritual prayer

Talqeen: Recitations and Instructions to a dying person or the dead at the time of burial

Taqiyyah: Dissimulation

Taqleed: Emulation of a scholar in Islamic practical law

Taqwa: Piety

Tasbeehaat: Plural of Tasbih, glorification of Allah (esp. in bowing and prostrations in the ritual prayers)

Tasbih: Rosary

Tashahhud: Recitation in the sitting position in the second and the last unit of the ritual prayer

Tawakkul: Reliance

Tawfiq (pl. Tawfiqaat): Divine support in terms of opportunity, ability, and guidance

Tawhid: Belief in the absolute Oneness of Allah

Tayammum: Substitute of ablution/ritual bath when use of water is not possible or advisable

Taziyah: A replica of the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a)

Thawaab: Divine rewards

Thawr, cave of: The cave where the Messenger of Allah (S) hid on way to Medina

Tooba: It is a tree of Paradise, which can give whatever one wishes

Torah: The Old Testament

Two Shaykhs (Syaykhain): Abu Bakr and ‘Umar

Umrah: Optional pilgrimage to Mecca

Umratul Qaza: Lapsed Umrah

Wajib: Obligatory

Wajib al-Kifai: An obligatory duty, but if at least one person has fulfilled it, all the people are absolved from the obligation.

Wasilah: Mediation

Watr: Single Rak’at Prayer. A part of Midnight Prayer

Wilayat: Guardianship, belief in the guardianship of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and love towards them

Wudhu’: Ritual wash (ablution)

Zakat: Obligatory Islamic wealth tax

Zihar: Pre-Islamic form of divorce, consisting in the words of repudiation: You are to me like my mother’s back. (anti ‘alayya ka-zahri ummi).

Ziyarat: Visitation/ or recitation of salutation while facing the tomb of religious personalities

Zuhoor: Reappearance (of Imam al-Mahdi [a.t.f.s.]).

Zuhr: Noon prayers

Zuhrain: The two ritual prayers of Zuhr (noon) and Asr (afternoon)

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