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Islamic Terms

1. Adhan - The call to prayer.
2. Ahmad - Another name for Muhammad.
3. Allah - The Arabic word for "god."  It is often used as a name for God in Islam.
4. Badr - The place of the first significant battle between and the pagans of the Quraish.  It is located in Saudi Arabia.  
5. Caliph - A Muslim ruler.  
6. Dajjal - Antichrist.
7. Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.  
8. Din - Obedience to the revelation of Allah's Qur'an (Koran).  It involves total submission.
9. Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
10. Fiqh - Religious law.
11. Hadith - The sayings and deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers.  Considered authoritative and perfect.  A saying is called a Sunnah.
12. Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca.  Tradition states it fell from heaven.
13. Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar.  One of the five pillars of Islam.
14. Hawijah - The sixth level of hell which is the place for Christians.
15. Hegirah - Muhammad's immigration to Medina.  It begins the Muslim calendar.
16. Hijrah - Moving from a land where a Muslim cannot practice his faith to a land where he can.
17. Ibadah - All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
18. Iblis - Satan, a fallen Jinn.
19. Imam - The political head of an Islamic state.  
20. Injil - The inspired sayings of Jesus.  The message of Jesus.
21. Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
22. Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise.  The place of the faithful in the afterlife.
23. Jihad - Striving.  Fighting against one's own sinful self.  Also, a physical fight for the truth of Islam, not allowing anyone to steal the ability to worship.  It also can mean "holy war."
24. Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels.  They were made from fire and are capable of looking like humans or animals.  Some may dwell in rocks, trees, etc, and may possess black dogs, and black cats.  There are good and bad Jinn and all will be judged on Judgment Day.
25. Ka'aba - A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael.  All Muslims face this cube when praying.
26. Koran - Also spelled Qur'an.  The holy book of Islam given to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel.  Koran literally means "the recital."  It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad.  It has 114 surahs, or chapters.
27. Kufr - Disbelief
28. Khutbah  - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
29. Maksiat - Sinful act
30. Masjid - A center for Muslim activity.  It is like a local mosque.
31. Mecca - The Holy City of Islam.  It is the birthplace of Muhammad.
32. Medina - The city, then called Yathrib, that Muhammad fled to after announcing Islam.
33. Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.
34. Muhajir - Immigrant, one who leaves his home town to join a Muslim community.
35. Muhammad - the final messenger/prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations.  He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period.
36. Muhammad ibn Abd Allah - the full name of Muhammad.
37. Muslim - Someone who holds to the religion of Islam.
38. Nas - The multitude of people who are not dedicated to Allah and sway to and fro to various teachings.
39. Nasara - A word used in the Koran to designate those who are Christians.
40. P.B.U.H. - A shortened designation for "Peace be upon him" which is placed in writing or said after the word "Muhammad" is used.
41. Paradise - Another word for heaven.  A garden (79:41) of bliss and fruit (69:21-24), has rivers (3:198), with maidens pure and holy (4:57), and carpets and cushions, (88:8-16).  It is the hope of all Muslims.
42. Qadar - Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
43. Qatl - Murder
44. Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.
45. Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which Muhammad once belonged.
46. Rakat (rak'ah) - One complete cycle of sacred words and gestures during the ritual prayer.
47. Ramadhan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast.
48. Salat - Prayers
49. Sawm - Fasting
50. Shi'ites - A sect of Islam that teaches that leaders should be political rulers.  
51. Shirk - Associating another god with Allah.  Associating anything with Allah that is not true and revealed in the Koran.
52. Sirq - Theft
53. Sufi - A sect of Islam.  It is very mystical and teaches strong self denial with the hope of union with God.
54. Sunnah - The life, practices, and sayings of Muhammad recorded as examples of perfect conduct in society, religion, action, etc.  They contain the Hadith.
55. Sunnis - One of the sects of Islam
56. Surah - A chapter of the Koran.  
57. Taghut - Everything that is worshipped or followed other than Allah.
58. Taiyib - Pure, clean, wholesome.
59. Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah.  A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.
60. Tauhid - Monotheism in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship.
61. Tauhid-ar-Rububiyah - Declaring that God is one, the sovereign who performs all his will.
62. Tauhid-al-Uluhiyah - Declaring that God is the only one worthy of worship.
63. Ummah - A religious community, usually referring to an Islamic one.
64. Umrah - A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca.
65. Wa Alaikum Assalam - The Arabic way of saying "peace be upon him."
66. Zaboor - The Psalms
67. Zakat - The third pillar of Islam.  Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
68. Zinah - Fornication and adultery.

     These words were collected from numerous websites and books on Islam listed in the Bibliography and are words used in English writings by Muslims.

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