Explanation of Important Lessons for Every Muslim - Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental terms, theological concepts, jurisprudence classifications, and etiquettes explained in Important Lessons for Every Muslim.

Shayṭān

Arrogant, rebellious, and immoral; one who seduces the slaves of Allāh and blocks people from the path of Allāh.

Ar-Raḥmān

A divine name of Allāh that serves as proof of His vast, comprehensive mercy which embraces all things.

Ar-Raḥīm

A divine name of Allāh that serves as proof of the specific mercy that Allāh specifies exclusively for His allies and the believers.

Ad-Dayyān

A name of the Lord meaning the Sovereign and Judge who will take the people to account and judge them.

Al-Qāri'ah

One of the names of the Day of Judgment, referring to that which strikes the hearts and the hearing with severe terror.

Hāwiyah

The Hellfire, which serves as the refuge and destination for one whose balance of good deeds is light, into which he is flung headfirst.

Al-Ḥuṭamah

The crushing Fire of Hell, so named because its extreme severity pulverizes and demolishes whatever is thrown into it.

Al-Hamz and Al-Lamz

Forms of slander and defamation; al-hamz (the scorner) defames people through statements, while al-lamz (the mocker) does so through gestures and actions.

Al-Kawthar

An abundant amount of good and virtue granted to the Prophet, which includes a river in Paradise and the Pond on the Day of Judgment.

Aṣ-Ṣamad

The Self-Sufficient Master who is complete in His names, attributes, greatness, and dominance; the One whom all creation depends upon and turns to for needs while He is free from needing any of them.

Pillar (Rukn)

The strongest flank or side of an act of worship or structure, without which it cannot stand and is invalidated if omitted.

The Ridges of the Key to Paradise

A metaphor used by Wahb bin Munabbih referring to the specific conditions, guidelines, and restrictions of the shahādah without which the key cannot open Paradise.

Conditions of Lā Ilāha Ill-Allāh

The eight requirements for the acceptance of the testimony of faith: knowledge, certainty, sincerity, truthfulness, love, compliance, acceptance, and disbelief in all that is worshipped besides Allāh.

Tawḥīd ar-Rubūbiyyah

The Tawḥīd of Lordship: the firm belief that Allāh alone is the Creator, Provider, Giver of Life, Causer of Death, and Ruler who controls and arranges all universal affairs without partners.

Tawḥīd al-Ulūhiyyah

The Tawḥīd of Worship: the belief that Allāh is the only true deity deserving of servitude, requiring that all devotional acts be directed purely and sincerely to Him alone.

Tawḥīd al-Asmā' waṣ-Ṣifāt

The Tawḥīd of Names and Attributes: affirming all the names and lofty attributes Allāh affirmed for Himself or His Messenger affirmed for Him, in a manner befitting His majesty without taḥrīf, ta'ṭīl, takyīf, or tamthīl.

Taḥrīf

Distortion of Allāh's divine names and attributes, either by altering their textual wording (adding, dropping, or shifting vowels) or twisting their true meanings to another meaning.

Ta'ṭīl

The total negation, denial, or stripping away of the divine names and attributes that Allāh affirmed for Himself.

Takyīf

Delving into or inquiring about the exact modality, manner, or 'how' of Allāh's divine attributes.

Tamthīl

Likening or comparing any of Allāh's divine attributes to the attributes or characteristics of His created beings.

Major Shirk

Equating any created being with Allāh in rights that belong exclusively to Him; it completely nullifies all good deeds, permanently forbids entry into Paradise, and condemns the person who dies upon it to Hell forever.

Minor Shirk

Actions and statements confirmed by revelation as shirk that do not reach the level of major shirk or expel a person from Islām (such as swearing by other than Allāh or minor riyā'), but which compromise the obligatory completeness of tawḥīd.

Hidden Shirk (Ash-Shirk al-Khafī)

Shirk that is subtle and concealed from outward sight and sound; it serves as a descriptor found in both major shirk (such as the disbelief of the hypocrites) and minor shirk (such as subtle showing off).

Iḥsān

The highest and loftiest level of the religion, defined by the Prophet as worshipping Allāh as if you see Him, and though you cannot see Him, knowing that He sees you.

Conditions of the Prayer (Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh)

Prerequisites that precede the prayer without which it is legally invalid, comprising nine matters: Islām, sound mind, discernment, purity from ritual impurity, removal of tangible impurity, covering the 'awrah, entrance of prayer time, facing the qiblah, and intention.

'Awrah

The specific parts of the body that are shameful to expose and mandatory to conceal during prayer and in front of non-mahram individuals.

Takbīrah al-Iḥrām

The opening takbīr ('Allāhu Akbar') that inaugurates the prayer, by which previously permissible actions become forbidden for the duration of the prayer.

Obligations of the Prayer (Wājibāt aṣ-Ṣalāh)

Mandatory statements and actions during the prayer that are less than pillars; if omitted out of forgetfulness they are compensated by the prostrations of forgetfulness, but if left intentionally the prayer is invalidated.

Muftarishan

A sitting posture prescribed in the first tashahhud and between the two prostrations where the worshipper sits upon the laid-down left foot while keeping the right foot upright.

Tawarruk

A sitting posture prescribed in the final tashahhud of prayers having three or four raka'āt, where the worshipper sits on the buttocks/hip with the left foot placed under the right leg and the right foot erect.

Istinjā'

Cleansing and removing tangible impurity from the private parts (front or back) using water after relieving oneself.

Istijmār

Cleansing the private parts (front or back) by wiping away impurity with stones or clean dry objects after answering the call of nature.

Al-Maḍmaḍah

An obligatory part of washing the face during wuḍū' consisting of taking water into the mouth and swishing it around to cleanse it.

Al-Istinshāq and Al-Istinthār

Al-istinshāq is inhaling water strongly into the nostrils; al-istinthār is blowing or expelling that water out to clean inside the nose.

The Seven Destructive Sins (Al-Mūbiqāt)

Seven sins that doom a perpetrator to ruin: associating partners with Allāh, magic, unjustly killing a sacred soul, consuming usury, consuming the wealth of orphans, fleeing the battlefield, and slandering chaste, believing women.

Ribā

Usury or interest; an unlawful method of consuming people's wealth with falsehood whose severe prohibition and curse cannot be changed by calling it profit or benefit.

'Uqūq al-Wālidayn

Disobedience or mistreatment of parents, derived from a root meaning to sever or cut off, which is coupled with shirk as one of the greatest major sins.

Ghībah

Backbiting, defined by the Prophet as mentioning something concerning your brother in his absence that he dislikes.

Namīmah

Tale carrying: the practice of transmitting remarks or information between people with the malicious goal of instigating enmity, division, and corruption.

Laḥd

A lateral niche dug into the bottom side of the grave in the direction of the qiblah, wherein the deceased is placed resting on his right side facing the qiblah.

Mourning ('Iḥdād)

A legally prescribed mourning state for women (restricted to three days for relatives, and four months and ten days for a deceased husband unless pregnant) requiring abstaining from leaving the marital home unnecessarily, perfumes, jewelry, adorned garments, henna, and kohl.