Glossary

Alim: A learned person.

Allah: The Arabic word for the One True God, Creator and Sustainer of everything. It is a unique word in that it can have no plural or gender connotation.

Asalamu'alaykum: The Islamic greeting meaning 'peace be upon you'.

Akhirah: The hereafter, life after death. Refers to another existence after the life of this world.

Bismillah: In the name of God. All chapters in the Qur'an begin with this. Muslims also try and say Bismillah before beginning any action to ensure good conduct.

Deen: Faith, religion, way of life, worldview. Deen has the primary sense of a “return to man's inherent nature”. Therefore, Islam is the Deen, or submission to God.

Eid: Celebration, festival. Eid al-Fitr – the festival of the breaking of the fast. Eid al-Adhaa – the festival of sacrifice, which commemorates the obedience of Prophet Abraham to God and the steadfastness of his son Ishmail. Occurs after the Hajj.

Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Hajj: Literally, effort. Pilgrimage to the House of God in Makkah, which is the fifth pillar of Islam.

Hijab: Literally, to cover, to conceal. Refers to the dress of a Muslim woman. It also refers to an attitude or behaviour toward the opposite sex.

Ka'bah: A cube shaped structure in Makkah which is described in the Qur'an as the first house of worship built for mankind. Muslims across the world align themselves in the direction of the Ka'bah for prayer. This is a sign of unity and solidarity. The Ka'bah itself is not worshipped or venerated; to do so would go against the basic element of the faith.

'Ibaadah: Worship. True worship is for God alone, and all actions of a person which are in accordance with God's will are seen as worship, e.g. earning a living, prayer, giving to charity is all seen as worship.

Jihad: Literally, striving. Any striving in the way of God, including personal effort, material resources or armed struggle for good and against evil and oppression.

Jumu'ah: Literally, Friday. Salat al-Jumu'ah – The Congregational prayer on a Friday which takes the place of the Zuhr [Midday] prayer. It is not a holy day as such or a day of rest.

Khatam: A gathering where Qur'anic reading takes place.

Lascar: Refers to Indian sailors, recruited primarily by the East India Company in the nineteenth century. From the Persian lashkar [army] from Arabic al-askar [the army].

Malai'kah: Angels.

Masjid: A place of prostration. According to a saying of the Prophet Muhammad the whole earth is a masjid, which it makes it natural to perform prayer at any time. A masjid is an institution that is central to the Muslim community as it fulfils social and economic needs as well as religious needs.

Qadr: Destiny.

Qur'an: The revealed word of God given to the Prophet Muhammad via the Angel Gabriel. It is considered to be a book of guidance and a manual for Islamic teaching.

Ramadhan:The ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The month of fasting and the month in which the Qur'an was revealed.

Rasullulah: Prophets or messengers sent from God to bear witness to the Oneness of God.

Sadaqah: Charity.

Salah: The second pillar of Islam. Prayer performed in the manner taught by the Prophet Muhammad, at particular times under particular conditions.

Sawm: Fasting.

Shahadah: Testimony, Witness, declaration of faith, martyrdom

Shari'ah: The moral and legal code of Islam. The two main sources of the Shari'ah are the Qur'an and the Sunnah [see below].

Sunnah: Literally, path or example. Refers particularly to the example of the Prophet Muhammad and includes what he said, what he did and what he agreed to.

Tawhid: Belief in and the affirmation of the Oneness of God.

Ummah: Community, nation. Specifically the community of believers or the universal Muslim community.

Urs: A gathering where Qur'anic reading takes place, and the Prophet Muhammad is praised. Very often, it is based on a belief that the Prophet Muhammad spiritually links with the gathering or linked to a certain holy person for the same purpose.

Wahi: Revelation.

Wudhu: Purification before prayer.

Zakah: Derived from the word meaning purification, growth and sweetening. The compulsory 'purifying' tax on wealth – one of the five pillars of Islam.