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a.s. :An abbreviation of ‘alaihis salaam’, that is “Peace be on him”.
a.t.f.s. :An abbreviation of ‘ajjil allaahu ta’ala farajahu shareef’, that is “May Allah hasten his reappearance”.
Aale Muhammad :Progeny of Muhammad
Aamal : Rituals
Ahle Sunnat wal Jamat : Majority Muslims who believe Abu Bakr to be the first caliph
Ahlul Bayt :People of the house. They are The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), Janabe Fatima Zahra (s.a.), Ali (s) and his eleven successors.
Allamahs :Plural of Allamah, a learned scholar
Amirul Momineen :Leader of the believers. Title of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (s)
Amr-e-Takveeni :Things beyond the control of man. Natural factors etc.
Amr-e-Tashri :Things under the control of man. Voluntary deeds etc.
Arsh :Throne or heavens
Ashura :10th of Mohurrum, day of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (s) and the tragedy of Kerbala
Asr :Afternoon (prayer)
Ayat :Verse of the Holy Quran
Azan :Call for prayer
Bada :Change in divine will
Baseer :All-seeing
Bismillah :In the Name of Allah

 

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Dirham :Unit of currency
Dua :Invocation
Fajr :Morning
Faqih :Jurisprudent
Firon :Pharaoh
Ghusl :Ritual bath
Hadith-e-Nabawi :A statement of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) or a Masoom (s)
Hadith-e-Qudsi :A saying of Allah apart from the verses of Quran
Hafiz :One who knows the Quran by heart
Hajj :Annual pilgrimage to Mecca during the month of Zilqad
Halaal :Permissible, legal
Haraam :Prohibited, illegal
Hasanah :Unit of heavenly rewards
Hijrat/Hijrah :Flight of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) from Mecca to Medina. Beginning of the Islamic calendar
Hourul Eein :Black eyed Houries of Paradise
Hujjat :Proof
Iblis :Satan
Iddah :Waiting period for women before they could remarry
Ijma :Consensus
Insha-Allah :If Allah wills
Iqamah :Shorter call for Prayer
Isha :Late evening
Janabat :A state of ritual impurity that can be removed by performing Ghusl (Bath)
Juz :Arabic word for part. 30th part of Quran
Ka’ba :The Holy House of Allah, the directions that Muslims face during prayers.
Kaffarah :Fine, penalty
Khariji :A group which arose against Ali bin Abi Talib (s) after the battle of Siffeen. A heretic sect
Khilqat :Creation

 

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Liaan: : Sworn allegation of adultery committed by either husband or wife
Maghrebain :The two prayers of Maghrib (early evening) and Isha (late evening)
Maghrib :Evening prayer, time of sunset
Mahram(pl. Mahrams) :Relatives between whom marriage is prohibited
Makrooh :Detestable, in the Islamic terminology it denotes an action performing which does not incur sin but refraining from which earns divine rewards
Makruh :variant spelling of above term
Maliki :Followers of the Sunnite Imam Malik
Maraja’ Taqleed :The Mujtahid whom people follow in matters of practical law
Masjidul Haram :The sacred mosque in Mecca
Masoomeen :(Singular- Masoom): Infallible
Mehr :Dower
Mithqal :A measure of weight of about 4.6 gms.
Momin :Believer
Mubah :Permitted. It denotes an action performing of which earns no rewards and refraining from it is not punishable
Mullahs :Muslim scholars/leaders
Mureed :The Restorer
Mus’haf :Scroll
Mustahab Recommended. It is an action performing which earns rewards and refraining from it is not punishable
Mutawatir :A tradition related through so many narrators that it is considered absolutely authentic
Najis :Unclean
Nawafil :Recommended prayers
Para :30th part of Quran

 

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q.s. :An abbreviation of ‘Quddasa Sirruhu’, which literally means: “May his resting place remain pure.”
Qaem :One would rise. A title of Imam Mahdi (s)
Qibla :Prayer direction
Qunut :Supplication recited in ritual prayers, usually in the second unit (rakat)
Quraish :the tribe of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.)
Rajm :Stoning, punishment for adultery
Rakat :A unit of ritual prayer
Ruku :Bowing down or genuflection in the ritual prayers
s.a. :An abbreviation of ‘sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam’, that is “Blessings be on him and peace”.
s.a.w.s. :An abbreviation of ‘sallallaahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam’, that is “Blessings be on him and his Progeny and peace”.
Sadaqah :Voluntary charity, alm
Safar :Second month of the Islamic calendar
Salaam :Salute, Islamic greeting
Salaat :Ritual prayers
Salawat :Allaahumma S’alle a’laa Muha’ammadinw wa aali Muh’ammad
Samee :All-hearing
Saqifah :The place where Abu Bakr took caliphate
Sayyid :Lit. chief. A term for descendants of Lady Fatima through Imam Husain (s)
Sayyidush Shohada :Chief of the Martyrs, a title of Imam Husain (s)
Shabaan :The eighth month of the Muslim (Lunar) calendar

 

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Shab-e-Qadr :The Night of Power or 19th, 21st and 23rd nights of the month of Ramadan
Shahadatain :the two testimonies of Islamic faith.
Shariat/ Shariah :Islamic law
Shaykh :Lit. elder. A genealogical division among Muslims
Sheb-e-Abi Talib :Valley in Mecca where the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) and the early Muslims took refuge for some time
Shura :Consultation committee formed by Umar for selecting Uthman as the next caliph
Siraat :Path
Sujud :Plural of Sajdah, prostration
Sunnah :Practice (esp. of the Messenger of Allah)
Surahs :Chapter of Quran
t.s. :Abbreviation of Taaba Saraa. See the meaning of ‘q.s.’
Tabi’in :Followers of the companions of the Prophet
Takbir :Allaho Akbar, God is the Greatest
Takbiratul Ihram :Saying Allaho Akbar at the beginning of the ritual prayer
Taqiyyah :Dissimulation
Taqleed :Emulation of a scholar in Islamic practical law
Taqwa :Piety
Tasbeehaat :Plural of Tasbih, glorification of Allah (esp. in bowing and prostrations in the ritual prayers)
Tasbih :Rosary
Tashahud :Recitation in the sitting position in the second and the last unit of the ritual prayer
Tawfeeq (pl. Tawfeeqaat) :Divine inspiration
Tawheed :Belief in the absolute Oneness of Allah

 

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Tayammum :Substitute of ablution/ritual bath when use of water is not possible or advisable
Taziyah :A replica of the tomb of Imam Husain (s)
Thawaab :Divine rewards
Thawr, cave of :The cave where the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) hid on way to Medina
Torah :The Old Testament
Two Shaykhs :Abu Bakr and Umar
Umrah :Optional pilgrimage to Mecca
Umratul Qaza :Lapsed Umrah
Wajib :Obligatory
Wilayat :Guardianship, belief in the guardianship of Ahle Bayt (s) and love towards them
Wudhu :Ritual ablution
Zakat :Obligatory Islamic wealth tax
Ziarat :Visitation/ or recitation of salutation while facing the tomb of religious personalities
Zihar : Pre-Islamic form of divorce, consisting in the words of repudiation: You are to me like my mother’s back. (anti a’layyah ka-zahri ummi).
Zinnoorain :Master of two lights. Uthman, the third caliph
Zuhoor :Reappearance (of Imam Mahdi [a.t.f.s.]).
Zuhr : Noon prayers
Zuhrain :The two ritual prayers of Zuhr (noon) and Asr (afternoon)