Adhaan Call to the daily waajib salawaat.
Ahl al-Bayt The Fourteen Macsoomeen, who are Rasoolollaah, Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-cAAlameen, and the twelve God-appointed successors of Rasoolollaah.
Ahl Bayt al-Nobowwah
Ahl al-Bayt, the Fourteen Macsoomeen.
Ahl al-Dhekr The Fourteen Macsoomeen.
cAlayhas Salaam (AaS)
Peace be upon her. Used after mentioning the name of a female descendant of Rasoolollaah.
cAlayhemos Salaam (AmS)
Peace be upon them. Used after mentioning the names of three or more descendants of Rasoolollaah.
cAlayhes Salaam (AS)
Peace be upon him. Used after mentioning the name of a male descendant of Rasoolollaah.
Ameer al-Mo’meneen
Commander of the Faithful, a title given exclusively to Imaam cAli by Allaah.
Ansaari A citizen of Madinah who converted to Islam before the liberation of Makkah. Plural Ansaar.
Aayah A verse from the Holy Qor’aan. Plural aayaat.
Bakri A follower of Aboo Bakr. Opposite Moslem, Sheecah, follower of Rasoolollaah. Some people unknowingly call the followers of Aboo Bakr “sonni”. Sonni means a follower of the tradition of Rasoolollaah; and since the followers of Aboo Bakr follow him and not Rasoolollaah, it is wrong to call them sonnis.
Dhawi al-Qorbaa
Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-cAAlameen, and the twelve God-appointed successors of Rasoolollaah.
Dhekr A word or a number of words which one is encouraged to repeat many times to be reminded of Allaah and His attributes, etc. There is a huge number of adhkaar (plural of dhekr) with different spiritual and material effects. Some adhkaar should only be repeated in specific times and/or places, whereas other adhkaar are not bound to any time or place restrictions.
Docaa’ Praying to Allaah, asking Him for something for oneself and/or for others… Docaa’ can be positive or negative, and has many forms and many uses and effects. Some adceyah (plural of docaa’) should only be recited in specific times and/or places, whereas other adceyah are not bound to any time or place restrictions. There is a huge number of set formal adceyah narrated from the Fourteen Macsoomeen, the recitation of which is highly recommended, but it is also possible for any Moslem to compose his own docaa’, in any language format, provided that he has a considerable knowledge of Islam.
cElm al-Ghayb Knowledge-of-the-Unseen. An all-encompassing knowledge granted by Allaah to a person without the usual methods of learning; a knowledge that covers everything and everyone, and is not limited by time or space, neither is it crippled by what plagues the knowledge gained through education, such as inaccuracy, forgetfulness, etc. cElm al-Ghayb includes the Unseen-World just as it includes the Seen-World; and it has various levels. Prophets and their awseyaa’ have cElm al-Ghayb.
cEsmah The state of immunity from committing sins, making mistakes, or any act of forgetfulness, etc. whilst the choice to commit sin remains open to the individual. Prophets and their awseyaa’ have this attribute and are called macsoom.
cEtrah Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-cAAlameen, and the twelve God-appointed successors of Rasoolollaah.
Fajr Fajr is one to two hours before sunrise, depending on the time of the year and geographical location.
Ghosl Islamic ritual washing of the body with plain water. It has two forms, and is performed for a number of reasons some of which are mandatory, whereas others are recommended.
Hadeeth A narration from one of the Fourteen Macsoomeen. Plural ahaadeeth.
Halaal Permissible actions, foods, etc.
Haraam Prohibited actions, foods, etc.
Hejrah Rasoolollaah’s migration from Makkah to Madinah in the thirteenth year of his mission.
Hejri calendar The Moslem lunar calendar. It has 12 months and 355 days in a year; it starts from the year of Rasoolollaah’s migration to Madinah. AH: after the Hejrah, BH: before the Hejrah.
Imaam Leader, good or bad, religious or otherwise. This title has been used for any person with a religious leading role, such as a public prayer leader or leader of a religious group or movement. But in this book it is only used as a title for one of the twelve God-appointed successors of the Prophet Mohammad. Plural a’emmah.
Imaamah Successorship of Rasoolollaah. Also imamate.
Jehaad Linguistically jehaad means struggle, religious or otherwise. But as an Islamic term, jehaad is only used for religious struggle. Religious struggle in Islam is unlimited, in the sense that it can be in the field of worship, education, economics, politics, society, self training, etc. Therefore the meaning of jehaad is determined by the context in which it is used. Here, martial jehaad is meant.
Karaamah A supernatural action, etc. performed by or for a Godly person, not as part of a challenge and not to prove that he or she is a Godly person. Plural karaamaat.
Khaleefah A God-appointed successor of Rasoolollaah. Also caliph. Bakris wrongfully use this title for the leaders of the Bakri party who usurped the Rightful Khelaafah from the a’emmah. Plural Kholafaa’.
Khelaafah Successorship of Rasoolollaah. Also caliphate.
Khoms An Islamic tax of 20% levied, among other things, on the annual superfluous income. Khoms is given to the Prophet or one of his kholafaa’ or one of the representatives of the final khaleefah—Maraajic[1], who then give it to its legal recipients accordingly. It could also be directly given to the legal recipients under the supervision or with the permission of the Maraaji`. Once Khoms is deducted from a certain amount, it will no longer be subject to Khoms in the coming years.
Lacnatollaah cAlayh (LA)
May Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy. Used after mentioning the name of a male enemy of the Fourteen Macsoomeen.
Lacnatollaah cAlayha (LAa)
May Allaah distance her from His Blessings and Mercy. Used after mentioning the name of a female enemy of the Fourteen Macsoomeen.
Lacnatollaah cAlayhem (LAm)
May Allaah distance them from His Blessings and Mercy. Used after mentioning the names of three or more enemies of the Fourteen Macsoomeen.
Maghreb Maghreb is ten to twenty minutes after sunset, depending on the time of the year and geographical location.
Marjec A highest religious authority.
Macsoom A person who does not commit sins, does not make mistakes, does not forget, etc. although he/she has the choice to commit sins. Prophets and their awseyaa’ are macsoom. Plural: macsoomeen. The Fourteen Macsoomeen are the Prophet Mohammad, his daughter Faatimah, and his twelve God-appointed successors.
Mehraab Place of worship, where a Moslem worships Allaah. Mehraab also means a place, especially in a mosque, where the public prayer leader performs the salaat.
Menbar A raised platform for a Moslem speaker in a mosque, Hosayneyyah, etc. where he/she would either stand or sit to give a speech.
Mohaajir A Moslem who migrated from Makkah to Madinah to escape Idolater suppression, before the liberation of Makkah. Plural Mohaajireen.
Mocjezah A supernatural action, etc. performed by or for a Godly person to show others the right path. Plural mocjezaat.
Mo’men Moslem, Sheecah, a follower of Rasoolollaah and Ameer al-Mo’meneen.
Monaafiq A person who shams Islam but in fact is not a Moslem.
Mostahab Recommended.
Qonoot A particular position in salaat in which the palms are brought up in line with the face, whilst the palms are placed adjacent side by side and facing upwards.
Rasoolollaah Messenger of Allaah, a title given exclusively to Prophet Mohammad by Allaah.
Rokooc A particular position in salaat in which a person bows down, placing the palms on the knees, whilst keeping the legs and the back in a straight position.
Sadaqah Charity, or helping those in need of anything, financial or otherwise; even giving directions can be a sadaqah, even removing rubbish, etc. from walkways can be a sadaqah. Sadaqah has different forms and different effects. Plural sadaqaat.
Sahaabi A companion of the Prophet Mohammad. Plural Sahaabah.
Salaat 1- Certain connected movements during which parts of the Holy Qor’aan, as well as several adhkaar (plural of dhekr) and adceyah (plural of docaa’) are recited. There are many different forms of salaat for different reasons and with different effects; some of which are waajib, whereas others are mostahab. Some of these salawaat (plural of salaat) should only be performed in specific times and/or places, whereas other salawaat are not bound to any time or place restrictions.
2- Salaat also means docaa’ for Allaah’s Blessings and Mercy for someone. There is a large number of set formal salawaat (plural of salaat) narrated from some of the Fourteen Macsoomeen to be recited for other macsoomeen; however any Moslem can compose his own salaat for one or more of the Fourteen Macsoomeen, in any language format, provided that he has a considerable knowledge of Islam.
Sallallaah cAlayh wa Aalih (SAA)
Allaah’s Blessings be upon him and his descendants. Used only after mentioning the name of Rasoolollaah.
Sawm Moslem fasting—refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, inhaling steam and thick vapor, sexual intercourse, etc. from fajr to maghreb.
Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-cAAlameen
Chief of the Women of the World, a title given exclusively to Faatimah, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah, by Allaah.
Sheecah Moslem: a follower of Rasoolollaah and Ameer al-Mo’meneen. Opposite Bakri: a follower of Aboo Bakr. Sheecah is used as singular and as plural.
Sojood A particular position in salaat in which the forehead, the palms, the knees and the toes of both feet are placed on the ground. Sojood is also performed on its own—not as part of a salaat—for a number of reasons, some of which are mandatory whereas others are recommended.
Soorah A chapter from the Holy Qor’aan. Plural sowar.
Tolaqaa’ Plural of Taleeq, a captive freed by the Moslems. This term is especially used to refer to the Idolater leaders in Makkah who were forgiven by Prophet Mohammad after the liberation of Makkah.
Waajib Mandatory acts of worship. Plural waajibaat.
Wasi A successor of a prophet, chosen by Allaah and appointed by that prophet. A wasi is not, himself, a prophet. Also khaleefah or caliph. Plural awseyaa’.
Zaahid A person who practices zohd.
Zakaat An Islamic tax of different rates levied on a number of items beyond a certain limit.
Zeyaarah Zeyaarah means visiting, but technically it means the collection of words and sentences which the zaa’er (visitor) recites when visiting the shrine of a prophet or a wasi or a Godly person. There is a large number of set formal zeyaaraat (plural of zeyaarah) narrated from the Fourteen Macsoomeen, the recitation of which is highly recommended. Some of these zeyaaraat should only be recited in specific times and/or places, whereas other zeyaaraat are not bound to any time or place restrictions.
Zohd Non-attachment to material things.