The 40 Hadith of Al-Imam An-Nawawi

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Islamic terminology, theological concepts, and legal definitions found in Imam an-Nawawi's Forty Hadith.

Niyyah

Intention, which primarily resides in the heart and serves to define worship and distinguish act of habit from act of worship.

Islam

The execution of Allah's ordinances outwardly, including testifying faith, prayer, zakāh, fasting Ramadhān, and pilgrimage.

Īmān

Correct and complete inner belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and predestination.

Iḥsān

The highest degree of religion, defined as worshipping Allah as though you see Him; if you do not see Him, indeed, He sees you.

Shahādah

The testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muḥammad is His messenger.

Zakāh

The required yearly expenditure from excess wealth paid by Muslims.

Ḥajj

The pilgrimage to the House (Ka'bah) in Makkah, obligatory once in a lifetime for those with physical and financial ability.

Zygote

The first stage of human development in the womb, lasting forty days, followed by the clinging clot and the morsel of flesh.

Rizq

Provision, representing the extent of an individual's share of sustenance and blessings from Allah.

Ajal

Life span, or the fixed term of an individual's life on earth ending at the time of death.

Bidʽah

Innovation in religion; any newly devised matter in religious practice that has no basis in the Sharīʽah.

Taqwā

Inner piety, love and fear of Allah, and caution exercised to avoid displeasing Him.

Ḥalāl

That which is clearly lawful as mentioned by Allah in the Qur’ān or through His Messenger.

Ḥarām

That which is clearly unlawful and prohibited by Allah.

Shirk

The association of anything else with Allah in worship or divinity, described as the greatest injustice.

Hadith Qudsi

A sacred ḥadīth containing a revelation from Allah recounted in the words of the Prophet.

Al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūth

The 'Preserved Slate' with Allah in which all things and decrees are recorded.

Fardh Kifāyah

A collective duty in Islam; if a sufficient number of people perform it, the rest are absolved of the obligation.

Diyah

Financial compensation or 'blood money' paid to the heirs of a victim in cases of killing or injury.

Riddah

Apostasy; the reversion of a Muslim from Islam to disbelief of his own free will.

Zuhd

Indifference toward the world, characterized by considering worldly pleasures small or insignificant compared to the Hereafter.

Munkar

A wrong or evil act as determined by the standard of the Sharī`ah.

Hawā

The desire of the self or inclination toward what it likes, often used in the context of seeking immediate gratification.

Al-Arbaʽūn

The name for Imam an-Nawawi's famous collection of 'Forty Ḥadīth'.

Nisyān

A temporary state of forgetfulness; failing to remember something despite the intention to do so.