Abi—“Father of.”
Abu—“Father of.”
’Ariba—Ancient Arabs.
Adhan—Call for prayers.
Ahadith—Plural of Hadith (sayings of Muhammad (sas)).
Al-Hijabah—The office of guardianship of Ka‘bah.
Allahu Akbar—Allah is Great.
‘Alaihis-salam—On whom be peace.
Ameen—So be it.
Ansar—Helpers. Ansar is the plural of Nasir. The citizens of Madinah were called Ansar as they helped the Emigrants who came there from Makkah and other places.
Ashabul-Fil—The People of the Elephant.
Auqiyya—An old Arabian currency which was equivalent to 40 dirhams.
Bai‘at—Oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a prophet or his caliph. Literally means “to be sold.”
Ba’idah—Perished or extinct Arabs.
Banat Su‘ad—A famous poem written by Ka‘b bin Zuhair in praise of Muhammad (sas).
Dhun-Nurain—Possessing two lights. A title of Uthman ibn ‘Affaan.
Dirham—Arabian currency.
Fadil—An educational degree.
Ghazwah—Expedition or battle participated by Muhammad (sas).
Hadith—A saying of Muhammad (sas).
Hajj—Pilgrimage to Ka‘bah in Makkah during the month of Dhul-Hajjah.
Hadith Qudsi—A Hadith that refers to a saying of God not included in the Qur’an.
Hajjatul-Wada‘—The last pilgrimage of Muhammad (sas).
Hilful-Fudul—A pledge participated by Muhammad (sas) in his youth to always support the victims in obtaining justice.
‘Idul-Fitr—The Islamic festival celebrated at the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan.
In sha’ Allah—God Willing.
Isha‘at—Publications.
Jami‘ah—Religious Seminary.
Jihad—Concerted effort.
Kauthar—Abundance of good.
Khatamun-Nabiyyin—Seal of the Prophets.
Khilafat—Caliphate.
Majusi—Fire worshippers/Zoroastrians.
Muthlah—Arab’s tradition of mutilating bodies during battles.
Maulawi Fadil—An advanced degree.
Miswak—A teeth cleaning twig made from a twig of the Salvadora persica tree.
Mubahalah—A prayer duel.
Muhajirun—Emigrants.
Musaddas—A genre of Urdu poetry in which each unit consists of 6 lines.
Musta‘ribah—Arabized Arabs.
Nazir—Director or head of a department.
Nikah—Formal declaration of marriage.
Purdah—Observation of modesty (in dress and otherwise). Also known as Hijab.
Qasidah—A poem in praise of someone.
Qasidah al-Burdah—A poem that was written in the praise of Muhammad (sas). Also known has Banat Su‘ad.
Radiallahu ‘anha—May Allah be pleased with her; a prayer for the believing ladies who accepted Islam during the time of Muhammad (sas).
Radiallahu ‘anhu—May Allah be pleased with him; a prayer for the believing men who accepted Islam during the time of Muhammad (sas).
Rifadah—An office for feeding of poor pilgrims.
Rukhsati—A ceremony when a bride leaves her parents’ house.
Sabians—Certain religious sects found in some parts of Arabia.
Salat—Formal Islamic prayers held 5 times a day.
Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam—May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Shaqqul-Qamar—Miracle of the splitting of the moon.
Shari’ah—Islamic laws and legal system.
Siqayah—The office to provide drinking water to the pilgrims.
Takbir—The proclamation of Allahu Akbar.
Talif-o-Tasnif—Publications.
Ummul-Mu’minin—Mother of the Believers; a title given to the wives of the Holy Prophet (sas).
‘Umrah—Pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah in Makkah performed on days other than the prescribed days in the month of Dhul-Hajjah when the Hajj is performed.
Wudu—Ablution performed before the 5 daily prayers.
Zakat—Obligatory alms instituted in Islam.