Abdal Literally means ‘Substitutes’. Saintly men who act on the behalf of the Prophets in their absence. Such men would always inhabit the world and defend the truth of Islam against its enemies through manifest Signs and arguments.
Abjad A numerological system that assigns a specific numerical value to each letter in the Arabic alphabet. (Also known as Hisabul-Jumal.)
Ahl-e-Kitab The People of the Book, namely, Jews and Christians, who hold a special status in Islam.
‘Ainul-Yaqin Certainty by sight. The second of three levels of certainty.
Amin Let it be so. Arabic equivalent to amen.
Aqtab Plural of qutb, which means the polar star. Metaphorically applied to a saintly leader who guides people out of darkness.
Aryah Samaj A Hindu sect founded by Pundit Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. Their first and foremost belief is that Parmeshwar [God] is not the Creator of matter and souls. Rather, all of these things are eternal and self-subsisting like Parmeshwar.
‘Asa-e-Musa The staff of Moses. Also the name of a book written by an opponent of the Promised Messiah(as).
‘Asr Late afternoon. One of the five times of the daily obligatory Prayers [i.e. Salat] in Islam.
Auliya’ Literally means ‘Friends’ and is the plural of wali, which is generally used to refer to a saintly person. Shorter version of auliya’ullah.
Auliya’ullah Literally means ‘friends of Allah’. Plural of waliyyullah.
Az-Zahir The Manifest. One of the attributes of God that expresses His manifestation to those who are worthy of Him, having lost themselves in His love.
Avatar A term in Hinduism referring to an incarnation of a deity upon earth.
Bahadur Literally, ‘brave’. An honour conferred by the British Indian Empire on important Muslims and Parsis.
Bai‘at Oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a Prophet or his Khalifah.
Baitud-Du‘a’ Literally means, ‘abode of prayer’. It is the name of a small chamber in the house of the Promised Messiah(as) where he would pray in seclusion.
Baitul-Muqaddas A title of the ancient Temple of Solomon, now the site of al-Aqsa Mosque. Third holiest site in Islam. Lit. the Sacred House.
Baqa Islam recognizes three stages in man’s spiritual journey towards God: The first stage is 
(fana—passing away), which is the total annihilation of one’s ego for the sake of God; the second stage is 
(baqa—subsistence), which denotes a new spiritual life; and the third stage is 
(liqa— meeting), which is the state of achieving union with God.
Barahin Convincing and conclusive arguments, evidence, and proof; the singular is burhan. Short name for Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, the five-part magnum opus of the Promised Messiah(as).
Brahmu Samaj A Hindu revival movement founded in India in 1861 by Pandit Nobin Chandra Roy. The group believes in the One God, but believes that reason alone is enough to guide mankind towards Him. They do not believe in divine revelation.
Buruz A spiritual manifestation or reflection. It is a term that signifies a spiritual recurrence of a holy person.
Dajjal A term in Arabic that literally means, ‘the great deceiver’. In Islamic terminology ‘Dajjal’ refers to those satanic forces that would be unleashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah(as) and al-Imam al-Mahdi. A similar prophecy in the Christian faith about the appearance of the Antichrist refers to the same approach phenomenon, and we have therefore used the terms ‘Dajjal’ and ‘Antichrist’ and synonyms.
Fajr Dawn. One of the five times of the daily obligatory Prayers [i.e. Salat] in Islam.
Fana see Baqa.
Fana Fillah A state of being lost in the love of Allah.
Fathah In Arabic script, the vowel mark for ‘a’ sound, appearing as a diagonal line placed above a letter and designating a short ‘a’: 
if the Arabic letter 
(alif ) immediately follows, it indicates a long ‘a’.
Fiqh Jurisprudence; refers to the study of Islamic law and its interpretation. There are many schools of jurisprudence in Islam.
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.
Hadithun-nafs Inspirations of the ego.
Hadrat 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).
Haqqul-yaqin True certainty. The highest level of knowledge which is through experience.
Hilal Crescent. A term to describe a nascent moon, usually for the first three days.
Hijrah Migration. Refers to the exodus from Makkah to Madinah by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) in the year 623 CE, which marks the beginning of the lunar calendar of Islam.
Holy Prophet(sa) A title used exclusively for the Founder of Islam, Hadrat 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.
Hudur see Hadrat
Iblis An attributive name meaning ‘he turned away’. The Holy Quran reports that Iblis, inflamed by his own arrogance, refused to submit to Hadrat Adam(as).
‘Id Literally, ‘Happiness that is often renewed.’ ‘Idul-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan. ‘Idul-Adha is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Hadrat Ibrahim(as) to sacrifice his son for God.
Ijma‘ Consensus. Refers to the agreement by all or the vast majority of Muslim scholars on a matter relating to Islamic belief etc.
Ilham Divine revelation from God, used interchangeably with wahi in Islamic terminology.
‘Ilmul-Yaqin Knowledge by inference. The weakest of three levels of certainty.
In‘am Reward. Refers to the recompense granted to those who perform true worship of God as taught in Islam.
Injil Originally refers to the revelations of Hadrat ‘Isa(as) (Prophet Jesus). (The present Gospels do indeed contain a part of that revelation, but divine words have become mixed up with the sayings of Hadrat ‘Isa(as) himself ).
Istighfar Seeking Allah’s forgiveness.
Jama‘at Community. Although the word Jama‘at may refer to any community, in this book Jama‘at generally refers to the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at.
Ka‘bah The first house built for the worship of God, located in Makkah. Muslims face Ka‘bah while performing their daily Prayers [i.e. Salat] and make circuits of it as a part of the pilgrimage and also as an act of devotion.
Kafir A person who is not a Muslim; disbeliever.
Kalimah The declaration of the Islamic faith: La ilaha illallah Muhammadur-Rasulullah, ‘There is no one worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’
Kalima-e-Tauhid Islamic proclamation of the Oneness of Allah: La ilaha illallah, ‘There is no one worthy of worship except Allah.’
Kadhdhab Great liar. A title of Musailimah, who claimed falsely to be a Prophet in Arabia in the 7th century CE.
Khalifah Caliph is derived from the Arabic word khalifah, which herein means ‘successor’. Khulafa’ is the plural of Khalifah. 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.
Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Seal of Prophethood. Refers to the highest rank among Prophets, accorded to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Khatamun-Nabiyyin The Seal of the Prophets. A title accorded by God to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) in the Holy Quran. A variant is Khatamul-Anbiya’.
Khatamul-Khulafa’ The Seal of the Successors. A title bestowed by God upon Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian.
Khatri A caste from northern India that includes Hindus and Sikhs, and many prominent leaders from the latter.
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. Often used by Muslims in the context of opining on the beliefs or actions of their co-religionists.
Langar Khanah Community Kitchen. The Promised Messiah(as) established a dining and hospitality centre that provided free meals to anyone in need, as well as those people who travelled to Qadian to visit him.
Lailatul-Qadr Literally, ‘Night of Destiny’. Generally understood to mean a blessed night during the last ten days of the Islamic month of Ramadan. It also denotes another time period, when the spread of darkness demands that a light should descend from heaven. Then God Almighty sends down to earth His angels of light and Ruhul-Qudus [the Holy Spirit] in a manner that befits the dignity of angels.
Liqa see Baqa.
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.
Makkah The ancient Arabian city of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s(sa) birth, settled by Prophet Ibrahim(as), and home to the Ka‘bah, the holiest site in Islam.
Marfu‘ A hadith for which the chain of narrators reaches all the way up to the Holy Prophet(sa).
Maulawi A Muslim religious cleric.
Mi‘raj The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) to Heaven, described in the Holy Quran and related in detail in hadith literature.
Mubahalah Prayer duel. As described in Surah Al-e-‘Imran, a contest between claimants to divine support wherein each party prays for God to curse the lying party.
Muhaddath A recipient of divine revelation. Plural is muhaddathin or muhaddathun.
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 categorical, clear, and explicit, comprising the majority of the Book.
Mujaddid Reformer. Holy personages within Islam who appeared in at the head of every century.
Mukallam One with whom God holds converse.
Mula‘anah Two or more persons invoking the curse of God upon one another.
Mulham Recipient of ilham, or divine revelation.
Mutashabihat One of two categories into which the Holy Quran’s verses are divided. Refers to verses that are susceptible to different interpretations.
Muni A Hindu sage or saint.
Mutawakkil The one who trusts in God.
Mu‘tazilah A school of Islamic thought that dates back to the 8th century.
Muttasil A hadith for which there is no interruption in the chain of reporters.
Muwahhidin Plural of muwahhid, literally meaning a believer in the Unity of God. All Muslims, by virtue of subscribing to the Kalima-e-Tauhid, are muwahhidin. However, the term muwahhidin has been adopted by some Muslims who consider the Quran and hadith to be sufficient sources of guidance and do not follow any Imam.
Nafs-e-ammarah The self that incites to evil. The lowest of three spiritual states; also an-nafsul-ammarah.
Nawab An honorific title ratified and bestowed by Mughal emperors to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. The female equivalent is ‘Begum’ or ‘Nawab Begum’.
Parmeshwar A term in Hinduism for God. Sometimes also written as Parmeshar.
Pir(s) Literally, ‘old’ (in Persian). Generally refers to a spiritual leader at whose hands students have taken an oath of allegiance. Title is commonly used for leaders of Sufi orders.
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.
Quran see Holy Quran.
Quraish The leading tribe in Makkah during the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). He himself was from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe.
Ra’is-e-A‘zam A great chieftain.
Rabb Lord, Master, Creator; One who sustains and develops; One who brings to perfection by degrees.
Rabbul-‘Alamin An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah. Meaning: ‘Lord of all the worlds’.
Radd-e-Bala A prayer or invocation to ward off evil or harm.
Rafa‘a Arabic term meaning to phys- ically raise or to spiritually exalt in rank. When the subject is Allah Ta'ala, the term invariably refers to spiritual exaltation.
Rahim Merciful. An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah and throughout the Holy Quran. The verbal noun of this attribute is Rahimiyyat.
Rahman Gracious. An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah and throughout the Holy Quran. The verbal noun of this attribute is Rahmaniyyat.
Ramadan The ninth month of the lu- nar calendar, in which fasting is prescribed for all adult, able-bodied Muslims, except those traveling, ill, pregnant, or nursing.
Rak‘at A unit of formal prayer (Salat). Pl. Raka‘at.
Rishi A Hindu saint or a spiritual scholar.
Rububiyyat Allah’s attribute of sustaining or nurturing.
Sattar Concealor; one of the attributes of God.
Sair fillah The sojourn in Allah.
Sanyas Relinquishment, resignation, abandonment; abandonment of the world, profession of asceticism.
Sha‘ban The eighth month in the lunar calendar, preceding Ramadan directly.
Shariah Religious law of Islam. The term is also used in the general sense of any revealed law.
Shirk Associating partners with Allah.
Sufi A muslim focusing on mystical and ascetic aspects of religious worship.
Surah A chapter of the Holy Quran.
Tahajjud Early morning supererogatory prayers.
Tehsil A sub-district administrative area in parts of India.
Tehsildar A sub-collector of revenue.
Taqwa Righteousness. Fear of God.
Takfir The practice of adjudging Muslims as non-Muslims, used chiefly by Muslims.
Tawaffi An Arabic term used in the Holy Quran to denote the taking by God of a soul in death, unless otherwise explicated (e.g. in a dream or sleep).
Tauhid The Oneness of God—the fun- damental Islamic belief that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.
Ummahatul-Mu’minin Mothers of the Faithful. Title accorded to the wives of the Prophets, chiefly for the wives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). Refers here to an inflammatory, anti-Islamic book written in the time of the Promised Messiah(as).
Ummati Follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Ummat-e-Muhammadiyyah The community or followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
Vedas The most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of the Vedic religion. There are four Vedas— Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda.
Wahi Divine revelation from God, used interchangeably with ilham in Islamic terminology.
Walayat The state of being a wali, or a friend of Allah. See Wali below.
Wali Literally, ‘friend’. In the terminology of Islamic mysticism, it refers to a very pious person or a friend of Allah. The singular form is wali [friend] or waliyyullah [friend of Allah], the plu- ral form is auliya’ullah which is sometimes abbreviated as auliya’.
Zamzam An underground spring in Makkah that appeared at the time of extreme restlesness and prayers of Hadrat Hajirah, the mother of Hadrat Isma‘il, when he was close to dying because of thirst.