RS - Islam : Key Terms.

10 obligatory acts.

The ten obligatory acts of Shi'a Islam are know as Furu ad-Din. These are :
Salah, Sawm, Hajj, Zakah, Khums, Jihad, Amr-bil-Maroof, Nahil Anril Munkar, Tawalia and Tamara.

5 pillars of Sunni Islam.

Sunni Islam teaches that all Muslims have a duty to worship God by following the Five Pillars. These actions are all Ibadan, acts of worship carried out with the intention of obeying God. They are :
Shahadaj, Zakah, Salah, Sawm and Hajj.

6 articles of faith.

For Sunni Muslims, there are six central beliefs or articles of faith which define their understanding of God. This teaching can be found in their Hadith, and are :
Allah (Tawhid), Malaikah, Holy Books, Risalah, Akhirah and Al-Qadr.

99 names of God.

The Qur'an and Hadith have many different 'names' for God, not as a person, but using words that describe his qualities and attributes. In Islam, God is not to be confused with any living creature - he is beyond all things and cannot be pictured as a physical being. Examples include : Wise, King, Protector.

Abrogates.

Cancels or evokes.

Adam (Prophet).

Adam is said to be the father of the human race. According to the Qur'an, God formed Adam from a handful of soil of many colours - this represents the diversity of people on earth. Muslims believe that Adam was created as God's 'khalifah', and it was to be his job to rule in the place of God.

Adha (Sacrifice).

One of the five roots of religion according to Shi'a Islam. The justice of God : God is perfect justice, fairness and wisdom. He does not wrong anyone and he will not tolerate wrongdoing.

Adl/Adalah.

The justice of God : God is perfect justice, fairness and wisdom. He does not wrong anyone and he will not tolerate wrongdoing. He cannot abuse his power by performing acts that go against his own nature to be just and fair. Humans must be responsible for their own actions, good or bad.

Ah al-Bayt.

The family of Muhammad. For Shi'a Muslims this consists of twelve Imams and Fatima his daughter. Sunni Muslims include Muhammad's wider family.

Akhirah (Afterlife).

For Muslims, this world here on earth is not all there is. Our human existence will continue after death ; our earthly life is just a preparation for the eternal life to come (Akhirah). Our mortal lives are a test and we will be judged according to how we've lived.

Al-Fatihah.

Is the first surah (chapter) in the Qur'an. It means 'the opening', and many Muslims learn to recite it from memory in their daily prayers.

Alms.

Money or good, given to the poor.

Al-Qadr.

Predestination - Islam teaches that God is responsible for all things and that he has a divine plan for all of us (Al-Qadr). God has a master plan ; everything that happens is predestined to take place, it is all a part of his design.

Amr-bil-Maroof.

Encouraging others to do good - one of the 10 obligatory acts of Shi'a Islam. The central purpose of Islam is to create a society where people can live in peace and harmony.

Angel Jibril.

The angel of revelation. He is the archangel responsible for revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad and brings messages to God's chosen ones.

Ashura.

An important festival for all Muslims, but is has enormous significance in Shi'a Islam. It is commemorated on the tenth day of Muharram.

Azrail (Angel).

The archangel that takes souls at death.

Barzakh.

A place of waiting, after death until the Day of Judgement. Only God knows when the Day of Judgement will come.

Beget.

To bring a child into existence or to create offspring.

Caliph.

The deputy or successor of Muhammad in Sunni Islam.

Conversion/Reversion.

All one needs to do to become a Muslim is to recite the Shahadah - there are no ceremonies or rituals to welcome new believers to Islam.

Bismillah.

'In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful.' - Used in prayer and as a blessing.

Creator.

One who brings something into existence, in this case the world.

Creed.

A set statement of faith that all religious believers follow.

Dawud (Prophet).

(David) was Israel's greatest king, who made Jerusalem a holy place for Muslims. He received the word of God in the Zabur (Psalms).

Day of Judgement.

The day where the dead will be raised from their graves and all people will stand before God to be sentences according to the way they have lived their lives. A book represents everything an individual has done and is presented to each of them.

Devout.

Having deep religious feeling or commitment.

Divine.

Perfect of 'God-like.'

Festivals in Islam.

Id' is the Muslim word for festival. Examples include :
Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr.

Fitrah.

the natural instinct all humans have, from birth, to know and worship God.

Free Will.

God's gift to human beings of the freedom and ability to choose what to do. We will be held responsible for these thoughts/actions when God comes to judge us on the last day.

Furu-ad-Din.

10 obligatory acts of Shi'a Islam.

Ghusl.

A ritual wash of the whole body.

Greater Jihad.

The spiritual struggle with oneself. It is the desire and commitment to live the perfect Muslim life : to perform the five pillars with devotion, to practice the path set out by Prophet Muhammad (Sunnah), to seek justice and fairness for all, and to rise above one's own greed and selfishness.

Hadith.

Collections of thousands of Muhammad's sayings called hadiths, which form part of the Hadith. They have enormous significance to Muslims because Prophet Muhammad's whole life is to be considered a 'living Qur'an.'

Hajj (pilgrimage).

Fifth pillar of Islam, the pilgrimage to Makkah. It is compulsory for those who are able to go to make the journey, but the Qur'an only commands it as a duty for those who have enough money to leave their homes for a lengthy period of time and are physically and mentally fit enough to carry out this demanding ritual. It is a great honour.

Halal.

Actions or things that are permitted within Islam, such as eating permitted foods.

Hanifs.

A righteous person or a true believer.

Haram.

any actions or things which are forbidden within Islam, such as eating forbidden foods.

Hijrah.

Muhammad's migration from Makkah to the City of Yathrib (later known as Madinah).

Kutub (Holy Books).

The four other holy books, known in Arabic as Kutub. These are from the Jewish and Christian traditions and, according to Islam, in their original form, they were true revelations from God. These are the :
Sahifah, The Tawrat, Zabur and Injil.

Ibadah.

Acts of worship / any permissible action performed with the intention to obey God. For Muslims, actions speak louder than words and it is not enough just to have faith in God ; they believe it is necessary to show religious commitment though the way they live their entire lives.

Ibrahim (Prophet).

(Abraham) is regarded as a hanif. This means that he had an inner knowledge that there really is only one true God. For this reason, he is seen as the greatest of the prophets before Isa (Jesus).

Id Mubarak.

'Blessed festival' a greeting used by Muslims during d-ul-Adha and Id-Ul-Fitr.

Id-ul-Adha.

The festival of sacrifice that marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage and it is a chance for all Muslims, across the world, to worship and celebrate together.

Id-Ul-Fitr.

A joyful three day celebration which takes places at the end of Ramadan, on the start of the new month of Shawwal. A well deserved reward for the completion of a month of fasting, when Muslims thank God for giving them the strength and self control needed to give up food and water over so many days.

Iftar.

Breaking fast with a meal at sunset.

Ihram.

Clothing of seamless white cloth for men, or plain, modest veil for the head and body with uncivered face and hands for women.

Imam.

A leader, but Sunni and Shi'a Muslims understand the term differently. In Sunni Islam, an imam is the leader in a local mosque, where he has been chosen by the local Muslim community to lead worship. In Shi'a Islam there were only 12 imams, and they are seen as holy figures who were all divinely appointed members of Muhammad's descendants.

Imamate.

The Shi'a belief that all modern imams should be spiritual descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

Infallible.

Incapable of being wrong e.g. Allah's messengers were sent to carry his infallible guidance to humanity.

Insha' Allah.

"If God allows it." It comes for joining the Arabic words : 'Allah' and 'his will.'

Isa (Prophet).

The Islamic name for Jesus. The Qur'an recognises Isa as a prophet and as a successor to Moses. He was given the Injil (Gospel) and he performed miracles.

Islam

The actual word means 'submission' in the Arabic language.

Israfil (Angel).

The archangel who will blow the trumpet on the Day or judgement to announce the resurrection of all from the dead.

Jahannam.

Hell in Islam - a state of torment and suffering. The wicked, those whom God has damned, will fail to pass over the As-Sirat-Bridge. In trying to cross they will fall into hell. As well as experiencing the physical torment, those condemned to hell will suffer because they are separated from God, without hope of return.

Janna.

Heaven in Islam - A state of joy, happiness and peace.

Jibril.

The Angel of revelation -> he is the archangel who is responsible for revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad and brings messages to God's chosen ones.

Jihad.

Jihad actually means 'directed struggle' : greater jihad is the daily struggle and inner spiritual striving to live as a Muslim, and lesser jihad is a physical struggle or 'holy war' in defence of Islam.

Jihadist groups.

Self labelled as jihadists - prepared to use violence in order to create an Islam state that would be governed in accordance with the Shari'ah Law. Western governments regard these groups as terrorist organisations and moderate Muslims reject this form of extreme Islam.

Ka'ba.

Known as the house of God - the black covered, cube-shaped building at the centre of Islam's holiest mosque in Makkah.

Kalam.

The word of Allah in scripture.

Khalifahs.

God's representatives on Earth. We are stewards or trustees of the world ; we do not own it, we are looking after it in trust, for God, to hand it on to our children and future generations.

Khums.

One of the 10 obligatory acts of Shi'a Islam. In addition to Zakah, Shi'as are expected to pay Khums, a wealth tax of 20% of their savings. This money is paid to Muslim scholars and community leaders for the welfare of the community.

Kiswa.

Black cloth with gold Arabic writing that covers the Ka'ba.

Laylat-ul-Bara'at.

The night of the full moon in the month before Ramadan. This is the night on which Muhammad used to begin his preparations for Ramadan and many Muslims stay up all night reciting the Qur'an.

Laylat-ul-Miraj.

Night journey that remembers Prophet Muhammad's miraculous journey on a winged horse to Jerusalem and then up through the heavens into the presence of God. Muslims commemorate these events at the mosque by saying particular prayers and at home by telling the story to their children and reciting special night-time prayers.

Laylat-Ul-Qadr.

Night of power - one of the holiest days in the Muslim calendar marking the date when the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. This is often celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan, and during this time Muslims may stay up all night, reciting the Qur'an, praying and remembering God's mercy and forgiveness.

Lesser Jihad.

The outward struggle to defend one's faith, family and country from threat. The concept of lesser jihad arose during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, when he gave his faithful followers authorisation to fight.

Mahdi.

The long-awaited savior of the faith. Islam teaches that there will be many signs to mark the end of the world, but the most important event will be the appearance of the man called the Madhi.

Mahurram.

The first month of the Islamic calendar and it remembers the Hijrah, when Muhammad and his followers fled from Makkah, to establish the first Muslim community in Madinah.

Makkah (Mecca).

Considered by Muslims to be the holiest city on earth. As it is the city of God, it has immense spiritual significance in Islam.

Malaikah.

Islam teaches that angels are heavenly, immortal beings, God's first creation. According to the Qur'an, humans were formed out of clay, but angels were made out of light. They are God's messengers.

Masjid al-Haram.

The great mosque of Makkah.

Mawlid an-Nabi.

The celebration of the birth of prophet Muhammad. In Britain, Muslims celebrate this day with joyful processions through the streets, chanting stories in praise of his life.

Mika'il.

The archangel responsible for keeping the devil out of heaven and protecting faithful worshippers. He brings sustenance for the body and soul and rainfall for the earth to water the land.

Monotheism.

Belief in one God. This means Muslims reject belief in many gods (polytheism) and they also oppose the atheist concept of a world without God.

Mosque or Masjid.

A 'place of prostration' for Muslims, it is a communal place of worship for a Muslim community.

Muezzin.

The person appointed to recite and lead the call to prayer at a mosque.

Munkar and Nakir.

The two terrifying judging angles who will question each person, testing their faith. The three questions the angels Munkar and Nazir will ask are : 'Who is your Lord?', 'Who is your prophet?', 'What is your religion?'

Musa.

Moses is remembered by Muslims as one of the most significant prophets. Musa led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land.

Nahil Anril Munkar.

One of the ten obligatory acts of Shi'a Islam - it is the duty of all Muslims to forbid evil ; when someone sees a wrong, they should correct it. It is the duty of the whole Ummah to discourage others from harmful actions.

Nisab.

The threshold of wealth that a person can have before they must pay Zakah.

Niyyah.

Having the right intention to worship God.

Nubuwwah.

One of the five roots of religion according to Shi'a Islam - Prophethood : God has appointed prophets and messengers to guide human beings, showing them how to live in peace and submission to God.

Occultation.

The belief that the twelfth Imam did not die but will be hidden by Allah until the day of judgement is close.

Polygamy.

The practice of a man marrying more than one wife at a time.

Prayer aims.

The aims of prayer are : as a constant reminder of the presence of God, to show submission to the will of God, to cleanse away the corruption of the world, to untie all Muslims, to bring about peace in the world, to remove sins just as water removes dirt.

Du'a - Prayers.

Personal prayers which may be said at any time of the day.

Jumu'ah.

Congregational, all together, praying as a whole community. -> this emphasises the ummah.

Predestination.

Al-Qadr. > one of the sixth articles of faith in Sunni Islam. The belief that all actions are willed by Allah in advance and that he has already chosen some for Jannah and some for Jahannam.

Prophet Muhammad.

Founder of Islam. Muslims believe that God chose Muhammad as a prophet because he was humble, honest and a man he could trust with a special message. Muhammad is the greatest and last prophet. He is the seal of prophets because when you out a seal on something you close it up.

Qayamat.

One of the five roots of religion according to Shi'a Islam. Resurrection - the belief that on the day of judgement, there will be a resurrection when all human beings will be physically raised to life to be judged by God. He will reward the good and punish the evil.

Qibla.

The direction to face during prayer (towards Makkah).

Qur'an.

The holy book of islam. Muslims respect and honour the Qur'an and use it as a guide for their lives. It teaches them how to worship, how to treat others and joe to live good lives.

Qurbani.

The sacrifice of animals to Allah during Eid-ul-Adha.

Rak'ahs.

A sequence of movements following a set pattern, which make up the prayer routine. The different prayers during the day require different numbers of rak'ahs.

Ramadan.

The ninth month of the Islamic year that requires daily fasting from sunrise to sunset. The beginning of Ramadan is marked by the appearance of the new (crescent) moon in the sky, signalling the start of the new month.

Raqib and Atid.

The angels recorded in the Qur'an as the 'noble recorders.' They sit, one on each shoulder, noting down our good and bad deeds, to be read from the book on the last day.

Rasal.

A prophet.