Islamic Words

Alhamdu lillah	Praise be to Allah
Allah	God
Allahu Akbar	Allah is Most Great
Amanah	Trust
Assalamu Alaikum	Peace be upon you--the "official" Islamic greeting.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh	"Peace and the Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you" Extended form of the above.
Astaghfir Allah	I seek forgiveness from Allah (used when mentioning something that goes against the standards of Islam)
Ayah/Ayat	Qur'anic verse
Bid`ah	Innovation, addition to the religion's essentials
Bukhari	One of the most noted compilers of hadith. His collection is known as Sahih Bukhari
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim	In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Da'wa	Invitation (for humankind to Islam)
Du`aa	Supplication
Eid	Islamic holiday
Fatwa	Islamic legal ruling
Fiqh	Islamic law as interpreted by scholars
Fitnah	Corruption and disorder, also temptation
Hadith	A report of a saying or deed of the Prophet
Haj	Pilgrimage
Halal	Allowed (per Islamic law)
Haram	Forbidden (per Islamic law)
Hazrat/Hadrat	Honorable
Hijab	Modest way of behavior and dress (including head scarf for women)
Imam	Leader
Iman	Faith
In Shaa Allah	If God wills. (Used when talking about a future event)
Injeel	The scripture sent down to Prophet Issa (Jesus)
Isnad	Chain of transmitters, the list of people who successively narrated a given hadith
Jannah	Paradise
Jazakallah Khair	May God grant you what is good. (Often used instead of "Thank you")
Jihad	Striving for Islam, whether by peaceful or violent means (NOT holy war!)
Jinn	Unseen beings, who, like humans, are given the power to choose between right and wrong
Kafir	One who denies the truth. Literally, one who "covers" the truth (sometimes applied to non-Muslims).
Khalifah	Caliph: Leader of Muslim nation
Khilafah	Caliphate
Khutba	Sermon
Kufr	Denial of the Truth, rebellion against God
La Ilaha Illa Allah	There is no deity but God
Ma Shaa Allah	What God has willed! (Usually used to express wonder at Allah's creation)
Madhhab	School of jurisprudential thought
Makruh	Detested, but not forbidden (per Islamic law)
Mandoub	Recommended, but not required (per Islamic law)
Mubah	Neither forbidden nor commended. Neutral (per Islamic law)
Mushrik	One who commits Shirk
Muslim	One who submits to Allah and is a follower of Islam; also, name of one of the most notable hadith scholars. His collection is known as Sahih Muslim
Nabi	Prophet
Qur'an	The Words of Allah conveyed to us by the Prophet
PBUH	Peace Be Upon Him. Same as SAW
RAA	(Radia Allahu Anhu/Anha.) May Allah be please with him/her
Rasool	Messenger (Prophet to whom a scripture is revealed)
Rasool Allah	Messenger of God (used to refer to Prophet Muhammad)
Sahaba	Companions of Prophet. Singular is "Sahabi"
Sahih	"Sound in isnad." A technical attribute applied to the "isnad" of a hadith
Salaam	Peace. An abbreviated version of the Islamic greeting
Salaat	Prayer
SAW	(Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.) Peace Be Upon Him
Sawm/Siyam	Fasting
Seerah/Sirah	History of the Prophet's life
Shahadah	Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Shari'ah	Divine Law
Sheikh	Scholar (or any elder and/or respected man)
Shirk	Associating partners (e.g. helpers, other gods) with Allah
Shura	Consultation among Muslims
Subhan Allah	"Glory be to God"
Sunna/Sunnah	Tradition of the Prophet
Surah/Sura	A Chapter in the Qur'an
SWT	(SubHanahu Wa Ta`ala.) Glory be to Him. Used only in reference to Allah
Tafsir	Interpretation
Tawraat	The scripture sent down to Prophet Musa (Moses).
Ulama	Religious scholars
Umma	Nation, community.
Ustadh	Teacher
Wassalaam	And peace. It means "goodbye"
Zakat	Required charity

Return to Arshad's Web Page on Islam