islam key vocab

wudu

ritual washing before prayer

adalat/justice

• part of nature of God in Shi’a Islam

• belief that God is fair

Adam

• Allah’s first prophet

• father of humankind

• built the Ka’aba

akhirah/life after death

belief in a new stage of life after death

malaikah/angels

• spiritual beings

• created from elements of light

• they gave God’s messages to the prophets

• and watch over humans

arafat

• part of the Hajj pilgrimage

• place where Prophet Muhammad preached his last sermon

• place where pilgrims gather to pray

ashura

• important festival in Shi’a Islam

• to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein (Muhammad’s grandson)

• Sunni Muslims observe ashura

• as a day of repentance for sins

• in the belief that they will be forgiven

authority

• having power and status

• the Qur’an has supreme authority as it’s the word of Allah

• meaning it must be believed and obeyed

beneficence

• 1/99 of Allah’s names

• demonstrates to Muslims

the Five Pillars

• important duties which support the main principles of Islam

• includes shahadah, salah, zakah, sawm and hajj

Five Roots of Usul ad-Din

• foundations of the faith in Shi’a Islam

• includes five key beliefs: tawhid, adalat, risalat, imamate and resurrection

Jummah

• Friday prayers in the Mosque

• where a khutbah is heard

giving alms

giving to those in need

Greater Jihad

personal struggle of every Muslim to live by the teachings of Islam

Hajj

• one of the Five Pillars/Ten Obligatory Acts

• pilgrimage to Makkah

• all Muslims must complete this at least once, unless there are extenuating circumstances

Heaven/Jannah

• Allah’s reward after death

• to those who have been faithful to Him

• or who have repented for their sins

Hell/Jahannam

• a place of great suffering after death

• for those who have rejected the Qur’an

• and have led a wicked life

• for non-Muslims it will last forever

Ibrahim

• one of Allah’s prophets

• rebuilt the Ka’aba

Id-ul-Adha

celebration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah

Id-ul-Fitr

• celebration that comes at the end of Ramadan

• marks the end of fasting

imamate

• one of the Five Roots of Usul-al-Din

• Shi’a believe that the 12 imams that succeeded Muhammad are the leaders of Islam

immanence

belief that God is close to humanity and involved in the world

Jibril

• angel who dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad

• on Judgement Day he will assist with the weighing of a person’s deeds

Jihad

personal/collective struggle against evil

Ka’aba

• part of the Hajj pilgrimage

• cube-shaped building the centre of the Grand Mosque in Makkah

• all Muslims face towards it when they pray

Khums

• One of the Ten Obligatory Acts in Shi’a Islam

• practice of alms giving

Lesser Jihad

• military struggle to defend Islam

• it is carried out according to strict and clear cut rules

Makkah

• place of pilgrimage during Hajj

• spiritual centre of Islam

Mika’il

• angel who gives spiritual and material help to humans

• on Judgement Day he will assist with the weighing of a person’s deeds

Mina

• site of pilgrimage during Hajj

• where pilgrims take part in the stoning of pillars

rak’ahs

• movements

• actions and ritual movements made during salah

• consists of recitations, standing bowing and prostation

Muzdalifah

• site of pilgrimage during Hajj

• where pilgrims hold a night prayer and rest after the Stand on Mount Arafat

Muhammad

• last and greatest of the Prophets

• only Prophet to come in God’s direct presence

• he received the Qur’an from angel Jibril

• his Sunnah and Hadiths are also important sources of authority

Night of Power

night on which Muhammad received the first revelations of the Qur’an from Jibril

predestination

• one of the Six Articles of the Faith in Sunni Islam

• belief that everything that happens has already been decided by Allah

Psalms

• holy book/source of authority

• sacred prayers and poems written by Kind Dawud/David

Ramadan

month during which Muslims fast (sawm) from dawn to sunset

recitations

• part of salah

• reciting of verses from the Qur’an

resurrection

• one of the Six Articles of Faith and the Five Roots of Usul-al-Din

• belief that after death, all people will be raised from the dead to face judgement

revelation

• when God is revealed to humans

• belief that Allah shows his nature and will through the words of the Qur’an

risalah/prophethood

• one of the Six Articles of Faith and the Five Roots of Usul-al-Din

• belief in the prophets as messengers sent by God to communicate to people

salah

• prayer

• one of the Five Pillars/Ten Obligatory Acts

Scrolls of Ibrahim

• holy book/source of authority

• individual revelations to Ibrahim that were written on parchment but have perished

Shahadah

• Muslim declaration of faith

• one of the Five Pillars in Sunni Islam

Shi’a Islam

• Muslims who believe in the Imamate

• believe the Imamate is the successorship of Ali

Six Articles of Faith

• foundation of the faith in Sunni Islam

• six key beliefs:

  • tawhid

  • angels

  • holy books

  • prophethood

  • akhirah

  • predestination

Sunni Islam

Muslims who believe in the successorship of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali

Tawhid

• one of the Six Articles of Faith and Five Roots of Usul-al-Din

• the oneness and unity of Allah

Ten Obligatory Acts

• requirements for Shi’a Muslims

• they include:

  • salah

  • sawm

  • zakah

  • hajj

  • jihad

• requirements for Sunni Muslims

  • salah

  • khums

  • encouraging good

  • discouraging wrong

  • showing love for God and people

  • disassociation with enemies of God

Torah

• holy book/source of authority

• given by God to the prophet Musa

• on Mount Sinai

Musa

Moses

Zakah

• one of the Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Act

• giving alms

al-kutab

other Holy Books - NOT Qur’an