Words you will hear

The call to prayer, announcing that a prayer’s time has come.

Also: adhan, azan, athan, azaan, call to prayer. See iqāmah.

The Hereafter: the life after death and after the Day of Judgement.

Also: akhirah, akhira, akhirat, hereafter, afterlife. See Jannah, Jahannam.

“All praise is for Allah”: said in thanks, and when asked how you are.

Also: alhamdulillah, alhamdulilah, alhamdolillah, hamdulillah.

The Arabic name of God, the One who created everything. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use the same word for God.

Also: allah, allaah, god. See tawḥīd.

“Allah is greater”: said in prayer, in the call to prayer, and in remembrance.

Also: allahu akbar, allah hu akbar, allahuakbar. See takbīr.

Creed: the set of beliefs a Muslim holds, and the field of study that explains them.

Also: aqidah, aqeedah, aqida, creed. See īmān.

The afternoon prayer.

Also: asr, asar, afternoon prayer. See ṣalāh.

The parts of the body that are to be covered, for example in prayer.

Also: awrah, awra, aurat. See ḥijāb.

A verse of the Qurʾān. The word also means a sign. The plural is āyāt.

Also: ayah, aya, ayat, verse, sign. See sūrah.

Saying “Bismillāh ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm”: in the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

Also: basmalah, basmala, bismillah. See bismillāh.

“In the name of Allah”, said before eating, starting a task, and many other things.

Also: bismillah, bismilah. See basmalah.

Remembrance of Allah, often by repeating short phrases such as subḥān Allāh.

Also: dhikr, zikr, thikr, remembrance. See duʿāʾ.

Religion, or a whole way of life. Muslims often say “the dīn” to mean Islām. In the Qurʾān it can also mean judgement or repayment, as in “the Day of Judgement”.

Also: din, deen, religion. See Islām.

Calling on Allah: a personal prayer of asking, in any language and at any time.

Also: dua, duaa, du’a, supplication. See dhikr.

The dawn prayer, from first light until sunrise.

Also: fajr, fajar, subh, dawn prayer. See ṣalāh.

Obligatory: a word scholars use for an act Allah requires.

Also: fard, fardh, farz, obligatory. See wājib, mustaḥabb.

Islamic law as scholars understand and explain it, and the field that studies it.

Also: fiqh, fikh, islamic law, jurisprudence. See madhhab.

The full washing of the whole body with water, done in particular situations.

Also: ghusl, ghusal, ritual bath, full bath. See wuḍūʾ.

A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved. The plural is aḥādīth.

Also: hadith, hadeeth, hadis. See Sunnah.

Someone who has memorised the whole Qurʾān.

Also: hafiz, hafidh, hafith, hafidha, hafiza.

The pilgrimage to Makkah in the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. It is one of the five pillars of Islām.

Also: hajj, haj, hadj, pilgrimage. See ʿumrah, Kaʿbah.

Permitted. The word is used for anything allowed, and most often for food and drink.

Also: halal, halaal, permitted. See ḥarām.

A study circle: people sitting together to learn.

Also: halaqah, halaqa, halqa, study circle.

The school of law named after Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (d. 767 CE).

Also: hanafi, hanafee. See madhhab.

The school of law named after Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 855 CE).

Also: hanbali, hambali. See madhhab.

Forbidden. A related word, ḥaram (with a short a), means a sacred, protected place, as in the Ḥaram of Makkah.

Also: haram, haraam, forbidden. See ḥalāl.

A covering or screen. Today it most often means the headscarf many Muslim women wear, or modest dress in general.

Also: hijab, hejab, headscarf, veil. See ʿawrah.

Migration. Above all, the Prophet’s move from Makkah to Madīnah in 622 CE, which begins the Islamic calendar.

Also: hijrah, hijra, hegira, migration.

Worship: anything done for Allah’s sake that He loves, from prayer and fasting to kindness and honest work done with that intention.

Also: ibadah, ibada, ibadat, worship. See niyyah.

A festival. Muslims celebrate two: ʿĪd al-Fiṭr at the end of Ramaḍān and ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā during the days of Ḥajj.

Also: eid, id, eed, eid al-fitr, eid al-adha. See Ramaḍān, Ḥajj.

The meal that breaks the fast at sunset.

Also: iftar, iftaar, fitoor. See suḥūr.

The person who leads a prayer. It is also used for the religious leader of a masjid, and as a title for great scholars.

Also: imam, emam. See masjid, jamāʿah.

Faith: believing in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and His decree.

Also: iman, eeman, imaan, faith. See Islām, qadar.

“If Allah wills”: said about anything you plan to do in the future.

Also: inshallah, insha allah, inshaallah, inshaa allah.

The second, shorter call, said just before a congregational prayer starts.

Also: iqamah, iqama, ikama, iqamat. See adhān.

The night prayer, after twilight has gone.

Also: isha, ishaa, esha, night prayer. See ṣalāh, witr.

The religion of submitting yourself to Allah. The word comes from a root that means safety, peace and surrender.

Also: islam, deen, din. See Muslim, dīn.

Asking Allah for forgiveness, often by saying “astaghfirullāh”, I seek Allah’s forgiveness.

Also: istighfar, astaghfirullah, seeking forgiveness. See tawbah.

Hell.

Also: jahannam, jahanam, hell, hellfire. See ākhirah.

A congregation: people praying together behind one imam, or a community.

Also: jamaah, jamaat, jamat, congregation. See imām.

Paradise. The word means “garden”.

Also: jannah, janna, jannat, paradise, heaven. See ākhirah.

Beings created from fire, unseen by us, who like people are responsible for their choices.

Also: jinn, djinn, genie. See Shayṭān.

Friday, and the Friday congregational prayer held at midday with a sermon (khuṭbah).

Also: jumuah, jummah, jumah, juma, jumma, friday prayer. See khuṭbah, Ẓuhr.

The cube-shaped house of worship in Makkah that Muslims face in prayer.

Also: kaaba, kaba, kabah, kaabah. See qiblah.

Calm, humble focus in prayer: the heart present with Allah.

Also: khushu, khushoo, focus in prayer.

A sermon, especially the one given before the Friday prayer and at the two ʿĪds.

Also: khutbah, khutba, sermon. See Jumuʿah.

The Night of Decree, in the last ten nights of Ramaḍān, on which the Qurʾān began to be revealed.

Also: laylat al-qadr, lailatul qadr, night of power, night of decree. See Ramaḍān.

“What Allah has willed”: said when admiring something good.

Also: mashallah, masha allah, mashaallah.

A school of Islamic law: an established way of deriving and teaching fiqh. There are four main Sunni schools.

Also: madhhab, madhab, mazhab, school of law. See Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, Ḥanbalī.

The sunset prayer, just after the sun has set.

Also: maghrib, magrib, sunset prayer. See ṣalāh.

A close relative a person can never marry, such as a parent, child or sibling.

Also: mahram, mehram. See nikāḥ.

Disliked: an act it is better to avoid, though it is not forbidden.

Also: makruh, makrooh, disliked. See ḥarām.

The school of law named after Imam Mālik ibn Anas (d. 795 CE).

Also: maliki, malikee. See madhhab.

A mosque: a place of prayer. The word means “place of prostration”.

Also: masjid, mosque, musjid, masjed. See imām.

The niche in the front wall of a masjid that shows the qiblah, where the imam usually stands.

Also: mihrab, mehrab, prayer niche. See qiblah.

The raised steps in a masjid from which the sermon is given.

Also: minbar, mimbar, pulpit. See khuṭbah.

A natural tooth-cleaning stick, traditionally cut from the arāk tree.

Also: miswak, siwak, chewing stick.

Permissible: an act neither rewarded nor blamed in itself.

Also: mubah, permissible, allowed. See ḥalāl.

A printed or written copy of the Qurʾān.

Also: mushaf, mus-haf. See Qurʾān.

A person who follows Islām: someone who has submitted to Allah.

Also: muslim, moslem. See Islām, shahādah.

Recommended: an act that is rewarded but not required.

Also: mustahabb, mustahab, mandub, recommended. See Sunnah, farḍ.

A prophet: a person Allah chose to receive revelation.

Also: nabi, nabiy, prophet. See rasūl.

Marriage, and the marriage contract.

Also: nikah, nikkah, nikaah, marriage contract. See walī.

Intention: what you mean to do, held in the heart.

Also: niyyah, niyya, niyat, intention.

Allah’s decree: the belief that Allah knows and has measured out all that happens.

Also: qadar, qadr, decree, predestination, divine decree. See īmān.

The direction Muslims face to pray: towards the Kaʿbah in Makkah.

Also: qiblah, qibla, kibla, prayer direction. See Kaʿbah.

A supplication said standing in certain prayers, such as witr.

Also: qunut, qunoot, dua qunut. See witr, duʿāʾ.

The word of Allah revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, recited in Arabic and written in the muṣḥaf.

Also: quran, koran, quraan, qur’an. See sūrah, āyah, muṣḥaf.

One unit of the prayer, from standing through bowing and the two prostrations. Prayers have two, three or four. The plural is rakaʿāt.

Also: rakah, raka, rakat, rakaat, rak’ah, unit of prayer. See ṣalāh, rukūʿ, sujūd.

The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month of fasting.

Also: ramadan, ramadhan, ramzan, ramazan. See ṣawm, ʿĪd.

A messenger: a prophet sent with a message to deliver to people. Muḥammad ﷺ is called Rasūl Allāh, the Messenger of Allah.

Also: rasul, rasool, messenger. See nabī.

The bowing in prayer, with hands on the knees.

Also: ruku, rukoo, rukuh, bowing. See sujūd.

Voluntary charity: any gift or kindness given for Allah’s sake.

Also: sadaqah, sadaqa, sadqa, charity. See zakāh.

The Companions: the people who met the Prophet ﷺ as believers and died as Muslims.

Also: sahabah, sahaba, companions.

The prayer: standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting while reciting set words. Five prayers fall at set times each day.

Also: salah, salat, salaat, namaz, prayer. See rakʿah, Fajr, Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, Maghrib, ʿIshāʾ.

Peace. The Muslim greeting is “as-salāmu ʿalaykum”, peace be upon you; the reply is “wa ʿalaykum as-salām”, and upon you be peace.

Also: salam, salaam, assalamu alaikum, as-salamu alaykum, peace.

“May Allah bless him and grant him peace”: said after the Prophet’s name, and written ﷺ.

Also: pbuh, saw, saws, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, peace be upon him.

Fasting: not eating, drinking or having intimate relations from dawn until sunset.

Also: sawm, siyam, roza, fasting. See Ramaḍān, suḥūr, ifṭār.

The school of law named after Imam al-Shāfiʿī (d. 820 CE).

Also: shafii, shafi’i, shafi, shafee. See madhhab.

The testimony of faith: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is His Messenger. Saying it sincerely is how a person enters Islām.

Also: shahada, shahadah, shahadat, testimony of faith, kalima, kalimah. See Islām, tawḥīd.

A respectful title for a scholar or teacher. It also means an elder.

Also: shaykh, sheikh, sheik, shaikh.

Satan, and any devil who calls people to wrong.

Also: shaytan, shaitan, shaitaan, satan, devil. See jinn.

Associating partners with Allah: worshipping or treating anything else as divine alongside Him. It is the opposite of tawḥīd.

Also: shirk. See tawḥīd.

The life story of the Prophet ﷺ, and the books that tell it.

Also: sirah, seerah, sira. See ḥadīth.

“Glory be to Allah”: said in wonder and in remembrance.

Also: subhanallah, subhan allah. See dhikr.

The meal eaten before dawn on a day of fasting.

Also: suhur, sahur, sehri, sahoor, suhoor. See ifṭār.

Prostration: placing the forehead on the ground in prayer. A single prostration is a sajdah.

Also: sujud, sujood, sajdah, sajda, prostration. See rukūʿ.

The way of the Prophet ﷺ: his teaching and example. Scholars also use “sunnah” for an act that is recommended but not required.

Also: sunnah, sunna, sunnat. See ḥadīth, mustaḥabb.

A chapter of the Qurʾān. There are 114.

Also: surah, sura, surat, chapter. See āyah.

Explanation of the meaning of the Qurʾān, and the books of commentary that give it.

Also: tafsir, tafseer, exegesis, commentary.

The rules for pronouncing the Qurʾān correctly when reciting it.

Also: tajwid, tajweed.

Saying “Allāhu akbar”, Allah is greater. A takbīr opens the prayer and marks many of its movements.

Also: takbir, takbeer. See Allāhu akbar.

Mindfulness of Allah: being aware of Him in a way that keeps a person away from what displeases Him.

Also: taqwa, taqwah, god-consciousness, piety.

Night prayers prayed in Ramaḍān, often in congregation at the masjid.

Also: tarawih, taraweeh, taraweh. See Ramaḍān.

The words of testimony recited while sitting in the prayer, beginning “at-taḥiyyātu lillāh”.

Also: tashahhud, tashahud, attahiyat, at-tahiyyat. See ṣalāh.

Repentance: turning back to Allah after a wrong, with regret and the intention not to return to it.

Also: tawbah, tawba, tauba, repentance. See istighfār.

Affirming that Allah is One, with no partner, and that only He is to be worshipped. It is the centre of Islamic belief.

Also: tawhid, tawheed, tauhid, oneness of god. See shirk, Allah.

Purifying with clean earth or dust instead of water, used when water cannot be used.

Also: tayammum, tayamum, dry ablution. See wuḍūʾ.

A community or nation. Muslims use it for the worldwide community of Muslims.

Also: ummah, umma, community.

The lesser pilgrimage to Makkah, which can be made at any time of year.

Also: umrah, umra, lesser pilgrimage. See Ḥajj.

Required. Most scholars use it to mean the same as farḍ; the Ḥanafī school uses it for a separate, slightly lower category.

Also: wajib, waajib, required. See farḍ.

A guardian or protector. In marriage, the bride’s guardian, usually her father or another close male relative. The word also means a friend of Allah: a devout, beloved servant.

Also: wali, waliy, guardian. See nikāḥ.

An odd-numbered prayer prayed at night, after ʿIshāʾ.

Also: witr, vitr, witir. See ʿIshāʾ.

The washing before prayer: the face, the arms, wiping the head, and the feet, among other steps.

Also: wudu, wudhu, wuzu, wudoo, ablution. See ghusl, tayammum.

The annual charity due on certain kinds of wealth, given to people in need and others the Qurʾān names. It is one of the five pillars of Islām.

Also: zakah, zakat, zakaat, alms. See ṣadaqah.

A small charity given at the end of Ramaḍān, before the ʿĪd prayer, so that people in need can celebrate too.

Also: zakat al-fitr, zakat ul fitr, fitrana, sadaqat al-fitr. See zakāh, ʿĪd.

The midday prayer, after the sun passes its highest point.

Also: dhuhr, zuhr, duhr, thuhr, zohar, noon prayer. See ṣalāh, Jumuʿah.