Ahad — Those ahadith that have a solitary chain of narration.
Ahadith — Plural of Hadith.
Ahl al-Bait — Members of the progeny of the Holy Prophet(sa).
Amin — A term which literally means, ‘so let it be’ and is used at the end of a supplication to pray that God may accept it. It is similar in meaning to ‘amen’.
Auliya’ — Literally means ‘Friends’ and is the plural of wali, which is generally used to refer to a saintly person. Shorter version of Auliya’ul-lah.
Bayyinat — Arabic word meaning ‘clear proofs’.
Dajjal — Lit. ‘the great deceiver’. In Islamic terminology, refers to those satanic forces that will be unleashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi(as).
Faij-e-A‘waj — Reference to a crooked group to rise during the period after the three blessed centuries after the Holy Prophet(sa).
Furqan — Literally, the ‘Discrimination’. Another name for the Holy Quran, meaning the discrimination between right and wrong.
Hadith — A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). The plural is ahadith.
Hazrat — A term of respect used to show honour and reverence for a person of established righteousness and piety. The literal meaning is: His/Her Holiness, Worship, Eminence, etc. It is also used for God in the superlative sense.
Hakam — Arbiter, Judge. A title given to the Imam Mahdi by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Holy Prophet(sa) — A title used exclusively for the Founder of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad(sa).
Holy Quran — The final and perfect Scripture revealed by Allah for the guidance of mankind for all times to come. It was revealed word by word to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) over a period of twenty-three years.
Imam Mahdi — A title meaning ‘Guided Leader’, given to the Reformer of the Latter Days prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa); see also About the Author.
Jinn — Derived from the root Janna, i.e., he concealed, the term describes a class of men, powerful people, who remain aloof or hidden from the common folk. It has been used to describe kings, and those who exploit the weak, as well as strangers, such as a tribe of Iraqi Jews that converted to Islam while visiting the Holy Prophet(sa). In its wider significance the term can extend to angels and other hidden creatures.
Kafir — Infidels, disbelievers; see also Kufr.
Khalifah — Literally means ‘Caliph or Successor’. Pl. Khulafa’. In many divine revelations someone commissioned by God Almighty is referred to as His Khalifah. In Islamic terminology, the title ‘Khalifa-e-Rashid’ [righteous Khalifah] is applied to each of the first four Khulafa’ who continued the mission of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). Ahmadi Muslims refer to each successor of the Promised Messiah(as) as Khalifatul Masih.
Khalifatul Masih — See Khalifah.
Khatamun-Nabiyyin — ‘The Seal of the Prophets’, a title exclusive to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Kufr — Disbelief. Describes any belief or act that is so contrary to Islamic teachings that it can cause its doer to fall outside the pale of Islam; see also Takfir.
Madinah — The ancient Arabian city to which the Holy Prophet(sa) emigrated from Makkah. Home to al-Masjid an-Nabawi and the tomb of the Holy Prophet(sa), the second holiest site in Islam.
Mahdi — Literally means ‘Guided One’. See Imam Mahdi.
Makkah — The ancient Arabian city of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s(sa) birth, settled by Prophet Abraham(as), and home to the Ka‘bah, the holiest site in Islam.
Maulawi — A Muslim religious cleric.
Muhaddath — A recipient of divine revelation. (Pl. Muhaddathin)
Muhammad(sa) — Founder of Islam. See Holy Prophet(sa).
Muhkamat — One of two categories into which the Holy Quran’s verses are divided. Refers to verses that are explicit and decisive. The majority of verses fall into this category.
Mujaddid — Reformer. Holy personages within Islam who appeared in every century.
Mutashabihat — One of two categories into which the Holy Quran’s verses are divided. Refers to verses that are susceptible to different interpretations.
Mu‘tazilah — A school of Islamic thought that dates back to the 8th century ce.
Muttasil — A hadith for which there is no interruption in the chain of reporters.
Qiblah — Direction of the Ka‘bah in Makkah, toward which Muslims face to offer formal prayers. The first Qiblah in Islam was Baitul-Muqaddas in Jerusalem.
Rabbul-‘alamin — An attribute of Allah, meaning ‘the Lord of the worlds.’
Sahib — A title of respect similar to diverse English terms like Mister, Honourable, and Reverend.
Sayyadul-Ka’inat — A title meaning ‘Noblest of the Universe’ used for the Holy Prophet(sa).
Shariah — Religious law of Islam. The term is also used in the general sense for any revealed law.
Shirk — The act of associating partners with God.
Surah — A chapter of the Holy Quran.
Suluk — A spiritual journey.
Takfir — The practice of adjudging Muslims as non-Muslims, used chiefly by Muslims.