Islamic glossary A to Z

The call to prayer, given before each of the five daily prayers.

اذانअज़ान

Those who follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the way of his Companions.

اہلِ سنتअहले सुन्नत

The hereafter: life after death, the Day of Judgement, Jannah and Jahannam.

آخرتआख़िरत

"All praise is for Allah." Said in thanks and after sneezing.

الحمدللہअल्हम्दुलिल्लाह

A scholar of Islam. The plural is 'ulama'.

عالمआलिम

"Allah is the Greatest." The takbir, said in salah and adhan.

اللہ اکبرअल्लाहु अकबर

A trust: anything placed in your care, from property to a secret to your own body.

امانتअमानत

"O Allah, accept." Said after Al-Fatihah and after a dua.

آمینआमीन

Belief: the core convictions of a Muslim about Allah, prophets and the unseen.

عقیدہअक़ीदा

The sacrifice made in thanks for a newborn child, usually on the seventh day.

عقیقہअक़ीक़ा

The afternoon prayer, the third of the five daily prayers.

عصرअस्र

The parts of the body that must be covered.

سترसतर

A verse of the Qur'an. The plural is ayat.

آیتआयत

An innovation in religion: a practice added to the deen with no basis in it.

بدعتबिदअत

"In the name of Allah." Said before eating, reading and starting any good act.

بسم اللہबिस्मिल्लाह

Sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, such as the Darud Ibrahimi recited in salah.

درود شریفदुरूद शरीफ़

Inviting people to Islam with wisdom and good manners.

دعوتदावत

Religion, and the whole way of life Allah has given.

دینदीन

Remembering Allah, especially by repeating His praise.

ذکرज़िक्र

The midday prayer, the second of the five daily prayers.

ظہرज़ुहर

Calling on Allah and asking Him for anything, in any language.

دعاदुआ

This world and its life, as opposed to the hereafter.

دنیاदुनिया

Festival. The two Eids are Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan and Eid al-Adha in Dhul Hijjah.

عیدईद

The dawn prayer, the first of the five daily prayers.

فجرफ़ज्र

Obligatory: an act that must be done, such as the five daily prayers.

فرضफ़र्ज़

A ruling given by a qualified mufti in answer to a question.

فتویٰफ़तवा

Islamic law and the understanding of rulings on worship and daily life.

فقہफ़िक़्ह

A trial or temptation; also discord and strife.

فتنہफ़ितना

The natural pure state in which every person is born.

فطرتफ़ितरत

The full ritual bath, washing the whole body.

غسلग़ुस्ल

A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved.

حدیثहदीस

Someone who has memorised the whole Qur'an. A woman is a hafizah.

حافظहाफ़िज़

The pilgrimage to Makkah in Dhul Hijjah, fard once in a lifetime on those able.

حجहज

Permitted.

حلالहलाल

Forbidden. Al-Haram also means the sacred mosque in Makkah.

حرامहराम

Memorising the Qur'an.

حفظहिफ़्ज़

Covering and modesty; often the head covering of Muslim women.

پردہपर्दा

Migration for the sake of Allah, especially the Prophet's migration to Madinah.

ہجرتहिजरत

The Islamic lunar calendar, counted from the Hijrah.

ہجریहिजरी

The sacred state, and the simple clothing, for Hajj or Umrah.

احرامएहराम

Excellence: to worship Allah as if you see Him.

احسانएहसान

Sincerity: doing a deed only for Allah.

اخلاصइख़्लास

One who leads the prayer; also a leading scholar.

امامइमाम

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

ایمانईमान

"If Allah wills." Said about anything planned for the future.

ان شاء اللہइन शा अल्लाह

The second call, given just before the congregational prayer begins.

اقامت / تکبیرइक़ामत / तकबीर

The night prayer, the last of the five daily prayers.

عشاءइशा

Seeking Allah's forgiveness, as in saying astaghfirullah.

استغفارइस्तिग़फ़ार

Staying in the masjid for worship, especially in the last ten days of Ramadan.

اعتکافएतिकाफ़

Hellfire.

جہنم / دوزخजहन्नम / दोज़ख़

Congregation: praying together behind an imam.

جماعتजमात

The funeral, and the funeral prayer.

جنازہजनाज़ा

Paradise.

جنتजन्नत

Beings created from smokeless fire, unseen by us, who are also tested.

جنजिन्न

Friday, and the Friday congregational prayer.

جمعہजुमा

The house of Allah in Makkah, which Muslims face in prayer.

کعبہकाबा

The declaration of faith: La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah.

کلمہकलमा

A successor or leader; also humanity's role as trustees on earth.

خلیفہख़लीफ़ा

The sermon, such as at Jumu'ah and Eid.

خطبہख़ुत्बा

Disbelief.

کفرकुफ़्र

The Night of Decree in the last ten nights of Ramadan, better than a thousand months.

شبِ قدرशबे क़द्र

A school of fiqh, such as the Hanafi school.

مسلک / مذہبमसलक / मज़हब

A school, especially one teaching the Qur'an and Islamic sciences.

مدرسہमदरसा

The sunset prayer, the fourth of the five daily prayers.

مغربमग़रिब

A close relative one can never marry, such as a father, brother or son.

محرمमहरम

Disliked: better avoided, though not haram.

مکروہमकरूह

The children's school for Qur'an reading and basic Islam.

مکتبमकतब

"What Allah has willed." Said when admiring something good.

ماشاءاللہमाशा अल्लाह

A mosque: a place of prostration and prayer.

مسجدमस्जिद

The gift the husband gives the wife at nikah, which is hers alone.

مہرमहर

A scholar qualified to give fatwas.

مفتیमुफ़्ती

A printed or written copy of the Qur'an.

قرآن مجید کا نسخہक़ुरआन का नुस्ख़ा

Recommended: rewarded if done, no sin if left.

مستحبमुस्तहब

Voluntary worship beyond what is required.

نفلनफ़्ल

The Islamic marriage contract.

نکاحनिकाह

Intention, made in the heart, behind every act of worship.

نیتनियत

Making up an act of worship that was missed, such as a prayer or fast.

قضاक़ज़ा

The direction of the Ka'bah, faced in salah.

قبلہक़िब्ला

The Day of Resurrection.

قیامتक़यामत

The word of Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

قرآنक़ुरआन

The sacrifice of an animal on the days of Eid al-Adha.

قربانیक़ुर्बानी

One unit of salah, with standing, bowing and two prostrations.

رکعتरकअत

The ninth Islamic month, the month of fasting.

رمضانरमज़ान

Bowing in salah.

رکوعरुकू

Patience and steadfastness.

صبرसब्र

Voluntary charity, of any amount, at any time.

صدقہ / خیراتसदक़ा / ख़ैरात

The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

صحابہसहाबा

The prayer, especially the five daily prayers.

نمازनमाज़

The greeting of peace: As-salamu 'alaykum.

سلامसलाम

Fasting from dawn to sunset.

روزہरोज़ा

The pre-dawn meal before a fast.

سحریसहरी

Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.

کلمۂ شہادتकलमा-ए-शहादत

The sacred law of Islam.

شریعتशरीअत

Associating partners with Allah, the gravest sin.

شرکशिर्क

Gratitude to Allah.

شکرशुक्र

"Glory be to Allah." Said in praise and wonder.

سبحان اللہसुब्हानअल्लाह

Prostration, with the forehead on the ground.

سجدہसजदा

The way of the Prophet ﷺ; also a recommended prayer or practice.

سنتसुन्नत

A chapter of the Qur'an. There are 114.

سورتसूरह

Explanation and commentary of the Qur'an.

تفسیرतफ़सीर

The rules for reciting the Qur'an correctly.

تجویدतजवीद

Mindfulness of Allah that keeps one from what He dislikes.

تقویٰतक़वा

The night prayers of Ramadan after 'Isha.

تراویحतरावीह

Walking seven times around the Ka'bah.

طوافतवाफ़

Repentance: turning back to Allah.

توبہतौबा

The oneness of Allah.

توحیدतौहीद

The worldwide community of Muslims.

امتउम्मत

The lesser pilgrimage to Makkah, done at any time of year.

عمرہउमरा

Necessary: in the Hanafi school, just below fard, such as Witr.

واجبवाजिब

The odd-numbered prayer after 'Isha, three rak'at in the Hanafi school.

وترवित्र

The washing before salah: hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head and feet.

وضوवुज़ू

The yearly obligatory charity on wealth above the nisab.

زکوٰۃज़कात

The blessed well beside the Ka'bah, and its water.

زمزمज़मज़म