Islamic Terminology Glossary

This Glossary contains most of the terms used in Islamic issues. Keep in mind that many words can be written in different ways but they should all sound like each other for example Wodo and Wodoo and Wodu are the same word pronounced the same way but when written by English alphabet can have different forms. Also, many letters in Arabic can not be found in English so for example translators may use D, th, or Z for the letter Zhad in some words. So dont give up very fast and try to find your words. Hope to be helpful in Sabillelah (Sabeelellah).

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O Q R S T W Y Z

A

Abadat-Worshiping, praising Allah

Ada-performance of what is due, when it is due

Adel-just

Adkar-plural of thikr

Ahd-type of vow to Allah,

Ahl-House, family

Aqd- contract, especially of marriage,

Asr- The afternoon, and the prayer of the afternoon.

Adan- the call for prayer

Ayah-sign, verse of quran

Ayat-plural of ayah,

B

Baen-type of divorce

Badarat-virginity

Batel-void

Byshart-type of transaction

D

Daem-permanent

Deen- religion

Diyah-compensation

Dua- supplication

E

Eed-holiday

Eed-e Fetr-Aholy day following the month of Ramadan

Eeman-deep belief

Ehtiyat-precaution

Ehtiyatan-precautionary

Ehram-State of worship, by the entering of which the worshipper makes

certain things haram for himself.

Eqamah-second call for prayer

Esha-the commencement of darkness, and the prayer of that time

Estebra-purification, especially of animals and of the male organ

Estehada-womans irregular bleeding

Estenja-cleaning after having passed faeces

F

Fajr-dawn

Fajr-e kadeb-the false dawn

Faqeer-someone without enough means to support himself and his family

Farsakh-distance of five and a half kilometers

Fatwa-verdict, especially of a mujtahed

Figh-science of religious jurisprudence

Fogha-a najas liquid made of barley

Forada-individual, especially of prayer

G

Gahdeer-name of a place near Mecca, and the great holiday named after the event that occurred at the place

Ghaeb-absent

Ghasb-usurption

Ghena-the vulgar party music which is haram, that changes a humans

natural state for the worse

Ghesh-adulteration

Ghullat- a sect whos beliefs contani gross exagerations regarding the position of Imam Ali

Ghusl-spiritual bath

H

Hadath-something that breaks wudoo or ghusl

Hadathe Asghar-a minor hadath that breaks the state of purity of wudoo

Haed-woman bleeding hayd

Hajj-form of worship performed in Mecca

Hakem-e shara- mujtahed

Halal-legal

Haram-illegal

Hawalah-Transference of debt

Hayd-menstruation

Hejab-the screening between non-mahram men and women

Honoot-a funeral rite

Hormat-illegality

I

Iddah-Womans waiting period

Iddah Wafat-widows waiting period

Iftar-the breaking of the Fast

Ijtehad- struggle to fathom divine law

Imam-Divine vicegerent

Imam-jamaat-leader of congregational prayer

Irtemasi-type of ghusl or wudoo

Istehalah-chemical change of purification

Istehab-desirability,lit.Wat of divine love

J

Jealah-type of hire

Jabeerah-ointment,bandage,etc.,put on wound

Jema-sexual intercourse,

Jamaat-group, congregation, and prayer of,

Jehad-struggle, holy war (ordered by Imam or Prophet)

Jenabat-state of impurity caused by sexual activity

jenn-a type of creature having like man, free-will

Jomah-Friday

Jonob-someone in the state of jenabat

K

Kaba-the Holy House in Mecca, the qibla of Muslims

Kafalat-system whereby one promises to produce for the creditor, the debtor

Kafarah-a fine

Kafeel-person who is liable in a kafalat

Kafer-non-Muslim

Kafan-shroud a corpse must be wrapped in

Kanz-buried treasure

Kadeb-false, see Fajr Katheb

Katheerah-major, especially of estehada

Khawarij- a group who rose against the government of Imam Ali

Khiyar-annulment of contract

Khole- a type of divorce

Khoms-a fifth,obligatory tax-like charity

Koffar-plural of Kafer

Kofr-rejection of religion

Kor-a specified quantity of water

M

Maad-the hereafter

Maghreb-sunset

Maghsoob-thing usurped

Mahram-haram to marry

Mamoom-person praying in group-prayer

Masajed-places where prostrations performed, Mosques, seven parts of body while sojdeh

Massemayyet-touch of a corpse

Masoom-person who is immaculate

Mady-type of male (clean) liquid

Mayyet-dead human

Mazalem-something which is in ones possession without it being ones lawful property

Mecca-holy city in Arabia

Mehrab-place in the mosque where the Imam jamaat stands to pray

Meskeen-someone in a worse financial condition than faqeer

Methqal-an Islamic unit of weight

Moadden-caller of the athan

Mobah-not usurped

Mobarat-type of divorce

Mobtel-thing that renders batel

Mobtelat-plural of mobtel

Mokallaf-person upon whom the laws of Islam are wajeb

Momen-person having iman

Momeneen-plural of momen

Moqalled-the person performing taqleed

Mostehadah-woman having estehada

Motah-temporary wife

Motaher-thing that renders taher

Motaherat-plural of motaher

Motanajjes-thing that is inherently clean but has been dirtied by najas

Motawassetah-mediumtype of estehada

Mowakkel-agent appointed to recite aqd

Mowalat-continuity

Mujtahed-person capable of acting according to his own knowledge

Makrooh-abominable

Makroohat-plural of makrooh

Musi-maker of a wasiyat

Musalah-person benefited by a wasiyat

Mustahab-thing done in desire of (divine) love

Mostahabbat-plural of mustahab

N

Naeb-deputy of Imam

Nafelah-defined desirable prayers

Najes-dirty and impure

Najasat-impuity

Najesolain-original najasat, or intrinsic najasat, such as pig, dog, kafer, alcohol,etc...

Nakhod-unit of weight

Nadr-one of the type of vows to Allah

Nawasib- a sect whose practices curses Imam Ali

Nefas-Womans bleeding after childbirth

Nesab- a specified amount, or a quota

Niyyat-intention

Nobuwat- Prophet hood

O

Olama- the learned men

Omrah- a worship performed in Mecca

Q

Qaleelah-minor, especially of estehada

Qada-performance of a duty that was not performed in its proper time

Qasr-four-rakat prayers which become two rakat prayer for those ruled as travelers

Qasam-type of vow to Allah

Qibla-direction faced in prayer

Qiraat-reading, of the prayer

Qiyam-standing, rise

Qonoot-part of the prayer

Qorban-aneed.10th of del-hajjah

Qorbat-the niyyat of nearness to Allah

Qowl-lit.word, what has been stated by ulema

R

Rahn-type of loan deposit

Rajab-7th month of Islamic Calendar

Rajee-a type of divorce

Rakat- a unit of prayer

Ramadan-the month of fasting

Reba-unlawful addition or gain

Rokn-pillar, a basis of the prayer

Roku-a bow; part of the prayer

S

Sabeelellah-for Allahs sake

Safeeh-person who spends money uselessly

Saheeh-valid

Sajea-prostration;part of the prayer

Sajda Sahw-two sajdas called for by the making of certain mistakes during the prayer

Sajda Talawat-sajda made wajeb by reading reciting or hearing certain ayat of the Quran

sajdatain-two sajdas (of one rakat of prayer)

Salaf-type of transaction

Salam-invocation and greeting, part of the prayer

Salawat-invocation of blessings

Sater-one who dresses

Sedr-powder ofthe lote tree

Seegha- awife who has been married for a defined period, also any binding recital, contract.

Setr-dress, clothes

Shahadat-declaration

Shahadatain-the two declarations

Shaheed-martyr

Shareeat- the Divine Law

Shaytan-the enemy of man, Satan

Shia-follower of the twelve Imams,

Shohada-plural of shaheed

Sojood-prostrating

Solh-reconciliation,type of transaction

Sonniy- type of Muslim

Sayyed- descendent of hte Holy Prophet

T

Taher-clean, not impure

Taharat- state of being taher

Tohr- period of cleanliness between perods of hayd

Takbeer- the saying of Allaho Akbar, (God is great)

Takbiratol-Ehram- the takbeer by the saying of which the worshipper enters the state of prayer and makes certain things haram for himself

Takfeer- the (non-shia) practice of folding hands in prayer

Takhalli- lit. evacuation; going to toilet

Taqeeb- the mustahab actions after the prayer

Taqiyah- hiding ones religion in times of danger

Taqleed- the imitation of a mujtahed

Tarakhos- point from where the houses of a town, or the sound of an athan from the town, are not discernable

Tarteeb- order, succession

Tarteebi- adj., in order, in succession

Tasbeehat-e Arbaah- the four tasbiyhat that can be recited joined together three times in all but the first two rakats of the prayer

Tashahhod- declaration recited in the second and last rakat of all prayers

Tawaf- part of the worship of Hajj and Umrah

Tawaf e Nessa- The tawaf after which and the prayer of which the relations with the opposite sex of the person performing hajj or umrah mofradah return to normal

Tayammom- spiritual cleansing which is sometimes a substitute for wudoo and ghusl

Tadeem- humility before Allahs Might and Grandeur

Thawab- a Divine blessing

Themmi- Kafer living within the frontiers of Islam, according to the laws that Islam accords him

thekr- Rememberances; wajeb part of roku, and sajda

Torbat- earth, especially from the shrines of Holy Imams

Tawheed- Divine Unity

W

Wady- a type of clean male liquid

Wafat- death

Wajeb- obligatory

Wajebat- plural of wajeb

Wakeel- agent appointed to recite the aqd

Waliy- Guardian

Waqf- endowment

Waqtiyah- type of habit of a haed, i.e. the time her periods of bleeding commence

Wasiy- person who is charged with a wasiyat

Wasiyat- Will and testament

Watr- an extremely emphasized optional prayer

Wojoob- being obligatory

Wudoo (wodo)- spiritual wash

Y

Yas- menopause

Yaesah- Woman having reached the age of menopause

Z

Zakat- an obligatory charity

Zalem- person who commmits Zulm

Zel Hejjah- the month in which Hajj is performed

Ziyarat- pilgrimage to the holy shrines

Zehar- aphrase by the uttering of which a man makes his wife haram for himself, (old practice)

Zohr- noon, the name of the first afternoon prayer

Zulm- injustice, oppression