Islam Vocab

Shahada

creed, declaration of God

4 Caliphs

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali

Caliphates

Umayyad, Abbasid, The Sultanates

Ulama

learned educated class, became religious authorities

Mawlid

Birthday celebrations of the Prophet

Salawat

praise of the prophet

Tariqahs

Formal Sufi orders

Zawiyas

centers of meeting and communal living

Maqamats (sufism)

physiological and ethical landmarks achieved through effort.

Iman

faith

Imam

Leader of prayer, perhaps a religious authority, but could simply be elected out of a group of worshippers

Tawhid

belief in god; “asserting oneness”

Sharik

god has no partners

Shirk

sin of idolatry

“Al-rahman al-rahim”

Most Gracious, most Merciful.

Jannah

heaven, gardens, 7 levels

Jahannam

Hell

Iblis

Satan, refused God’s command to bow to humans

Jiin

good or bad spirits, created from fire, but typically avoided

Nabi

generic word for prophet

Rasul

particular prophet with a certain message (Jesus, Moses, Mohammed)

Fitrah

disposition towards god (natural good), need to be maintained. observation of the pillars, good deeds

Predestination

predetermined destiny, Mutazillah- is god just if we have no free will?

Hudad

penalties

Sharia Law (Ibadat)

prayer, fasting, abulations; relationship between God and the individual

Sharia Law (Mu ‘amalat)

Civil disputes: marriage, trade, certain crimes, disputes

Wajib

required duties

Sunna

recommended duties

Haram

Forbidden actions

Fiqh

Jurisprudence, knowledge about the rules of Sharia,

Ra’y

legal opinions

Qias

analogy

Ijma

consensus of community

Itihad

Independent legal reasoning

Sharia schools

Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali, Ja’fari

Levels of Sharia Law

Hudad (fixed, major punishments), Qisas (retaliation law), Ta’zir (discretionary penalties, referral to civil courts)

5 pillars

Shahada (declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgramage).

The 5 prayers

Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Mahgrib, Isha

Adhan

call to prayer

Wudu

wash the feet, the arms up to the elbows, face, hair, ears

Kibla

prayer towards Mecca (originally Jerusalem)

Abraham

A patriarch in Islam, considered a prophet and messenger of God.

al furqan

The criterion or standard, often referring to the Qur'an as distinguishing between right and wrong.

al kitab

The Book, referring to revealed scriptures, primarily the Qur'an.

ansar

The helpers; residents of Medina who supported the Prophet Muhammad and fellow Muslims.

ayat

Verses in the Qur'an.

Term: Baraka

Spiritual blessing or divine favor.

Bid’a

Innovation in religious matters that departs from established beliefs or practices.

Dhikr

Remembrance of God, often through repetitive prayers or phrases.

Emir

A title of authority in Islamic countries, typically a commander or a ruler.

Fatima

The daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, significant in Islam.

Hadith

Reports of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Term: hijrah

The migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.

Ilm

Knowledge; a significant term in Islam that emphasizes the importance of seeking understanding.

Injil

The Gospel, specifically referring to the scriptures received by Jesus.

Islamism

A political ideology advocating for governance based on Islamic principles.

Jahaliyya

The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.

Jihad

Struggle or effort in the path of God; can refer to both spiritual and physical struggle.

Jizya

A tax levied on non-Muslims living under an Islamic state.

Ka'ba

The sacred cube-shaped structure in Mecca, regarded as the most holy site in Islam.

Karbala

The site of a significant battle where Husayn ibn Ali was martyred, deeply important in Shi'a Islam.

Khatam

Seal or signet; often refers to the 'Seal of Prophets' regarding Muhammad.

Madhab

A school of thought in Islamic jurisprudence.

Mawali

Clients or non-Arabs who embraced Islam and were often treated as a lower class.

Minaret

A tall tower from which the call to prayer is announced.

muhajirin

The immigrants; refers to those who followed Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.

Ottoman empire

A historical empire founded by Turkish tribes, known for its vast territorial expansion and cultural achievements.

Qadi

A judge in Islamic law.

Term: Quraysh

The tribe of Muhammad and the guardians of the Ka'ba.

Salafism

A movement within Sunni Islam that emphasizes returning to the practices of the earliest generations.

Satanic verses

A controversial episode in early Islamic history regarding verses said to be revealed to Muhammad.

Sayyid Qutb

A prominent Egyptian Islamist thinker and theorist associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Shafi’i school

One of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence, founded by Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i.

Shari’a

Islamic law derived from the Qur'an and Hadith.

Sheikh

A title of respect and authority in the Muslim community.

Shrine

A place regarded as holy for its association with a religious figure or event.

Silsila

Spiritual chain of Sufi orders.

Term: Tafsir

Exegesis or commentary on the Qur'an.

Term: Tasawwuf

The process of purifying the soul and seeking a direct experience of God.

Taurat

The Torah, the holy scripture given to Moses.

Tawhid

The concept of monotheism in Islam, emphasizing the oneness of God.

The Battle of Badr

The first major battle between Muslims and Quraysh, celebrated for its significance in Islamic history.

the Night Journey

The miraculous night journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and ascension to heaven.

Term: Wahhabism

A conservative Islamic reform movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

wahy

Divine revelation, particularly as received by prophets.

Walih

Term used to denote a saint or holy person

Waraqa

Waraqa ibn Nawfal, a relative of Khadija who recognized Muhammad's prophethood.

Yathrib

The original name of Medina before the arrival of Muhammad.

Zabur

The Psalms, revealed to David in Islamic belief.

Hanafi

Abu Hanafi (d. 767)

• Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India

Maliki

Malik ibn Anas (d. 795)

• Maghrib, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Kuwait

Shafi’i

Muhammed ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (d. 819)

• Egypt, Yemen, East Africa, Indonesia, Malasiya

Hanbali

Ahmed Hanbal (d. 855)

• Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait

Madhab

Legal Schools

570

The Birth of Muhammed

615

First hijra to axom/abyssinia

622

The Hijra (To Medina)

630

Conquest of Mecca

Ibadat

Devotional rules: prayer, fasting, ablutions

Mu’amalat

civil matters (marriage, trade, crimes)