Ahadith Plural of hadith, see Hadith.
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’.
Aryah Samaj A Hindu sect founded by Pundit Dayanand in 1875. Their first and foremost belief is that Parmeshwar [God] is not the Creator of matter and souls. Rather, that all of these things are eternal and self-subsisting like Parmeshwar.
Auliya’ A shorter version of auliya’-ullah, which means ‘friends of Allah’; plural of wali.
Bai‘at Oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a Prophet or his Khalifah.
Dajjal An Arabic word literally meaning ‘great deceiver’. In Islamic terminology dajjal refers to those satanic forces which would be unleashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi(as).
Hadith A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw). 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.
Hanafi A school of jurisprudence founded by Imam Abu Hanifah(rh).
Holy Prophet(saw) A title used exclusively for the Founder of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad(saw).
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(saw) over a period of twenty-three years.
Iftar Breaking of the fast.
Ijtihad Interpretation of religious matters.
Imam Mahdi A title meaning ‘Guided Leader’, given to the Reformer of the Latter Days prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw); see also About the Author.
Jama‘at ‘Community’. Refers here to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Khalifah Caliph is derived from the Arabic word khalifah, which means ‘successor’. In Islamic terminology, the word righteous khalifah is applied to one of the four khulafa’ who continued the mission of Hazrat Muhammad(saw), the Holy Prophet of Islam. Ahmadi Muslims refer to a successor of the Promised Messiah(as) as Khalifatul-Masih. Khulafa’ is the plural of khalifah.
Khalifatul-Masih see Khalifah.
Khatamul-Anbiya’ The Seal of the Prophets, a title accorded to the Holy Prophet(saw) in the Holy Quran.
Mahdi Literally means ‘Guided’. see Imam Mahdi.
Maulavi A Muslim religious cleric.
Muhammad(saw) Personal name of the Holy Prophet of Islam. see Holy Prophet(saw).
Mustafa The Chosen One, a title of honour used for the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw).
Nafs-e-’Ammarah A term in the Holy Quran that literally means ‘the self that incites to evil’.
Parmeshwar A term in Hinduism for God. Sometimes also written as Parmeshar.
Promised Messiah(as) A title given by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) to the Reformer prophesied to appear during the Latter Days; see also About the Author.
Sahib A title of respect similar to diverse English terms like Mister, Honourable, and Revered.
Sanatan Dharam A Sect of Hinduism.
Sahih Bukhari Collection of the hadith compiled by Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il Bukhari, considered to be most authentic.
Sahih Muslim Collection of hadith compiled by Hafiz Abu’l Husain Muslim ibn Hajjaj al-Qashiri, considered second in authenticity only to Sahih Bukhari.
Surah A chapter of the Holy Quran.
Vedas Name of the books that Hindus revere as the divinely revealed scripture. They are four in number—Rig, Yajur, Sham, and Atharvan—also known as Rich, Yajash, Saman, and Atharvana.
Wali Literally means ‘friend’. In Islamic terminology, it refers to a very pious person or a friend of Allah. The singular form is wali or waliyyullah [friend of Allah], the plural form is auliya’ullah which is sometimes abbreviated as auliya’.
Waliyyullah Friend of Allah, see Wali.
Waliyyur-Rahman Friend of the Gracious God, see Wali.