Anna A former monetary unit of India and Pakistan, equal to one sixteenth of a rupee. Pl. annas.
Aryah Samaj A Hindu sect founded by Pundit Dayanand in 1875 whose adherents are referred to as Aryas. Their first and foremost belief is that Parmeshwar [God] is not the Creator of matter and souls, but rather, all of these things are eternal and self-subsisting like Parmeshwar.
‘Asr Late afternoon. One of the five times of the daily obligatory Prayers (i.e. Salat) in Islam.
Bai‘at An oath of allegiance to a religious leader; initiation at the hands of a Prophet or his Khalifah. Literally means ‘sale’.
Barahin Arguments or proofs; the singular is burhan. Used in reference to the book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, authored by the Promised Messiah(as).
Fiqh Jurisprudence; refers to the study of Islamic law and its interpretation. There are many schools of jurisprudence in Islam.
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 Venerable Presence. It is also used for God in the superlative sense.
Halal Lawful, permissible, or pure.
Haram Unlawful, forbidden, inviolable.
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.
‘Isha’ Lit. evening. Refers to the night Prayer before going to bed (one of the five daily Prayers in Islam).
Jama‘at Community.
Kalim See Kalimullah.
Kalimullah ‘One who converses with God’; Moses(as) was known as Kalimullah; used also in reference to the Holy Prophet(sa).
Khalifatullah Vicegerent of God.
Kufr Disbelief.
Kuffar Disbelievers; singular Kafir.
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.
Maghrib Refers to the evening Prayer, immediatley after sunset (one of the five daily Prayers in Islam).
Maulawi Literally, ‘my master’; used for Muslim religious clerics.
Mihrab The niche where the imam stands to lead congregational Prayer in a mosque.
Muhaddath A recipient of divine revelation. Plural is muhaddathin or muhaddathun.
Muhaddith A scholar of the Hadith.
Muhammad(sa) Founder of Islam. See Holy Prophet(sa).
Mujaddid A Reviver of the Religion; promised to be raised by God at the head of every Islamic century after the Holy Prophet(sa). Pl. Mujaddidun or Mujaddidin.
Mujaddidiyyat The office of a Mujaddid.
Mulham Recipient of ilham, or divine revelation.
Muslih A Reformer raised by God at a time of need.
Prayer When capitalized, refers to Salat, the formal, obligatory worship in Islam prescribed five times daily.
Quran See Holy Quran.
Shariah Religious Law of Islam. The term is also used in a general sense for any religion’s revealed legal code.
Siddiq Literally, ‘truthful’. A title of reverence applied to the Holy Prophet(sa) prior to his Prophethood and for Abu Bakr(ra) after the advent of Islam.
Sihah Plural of Sahih, meaning ‘authentic’. Refers to Sihah Sittah, six Hadith collections regarded as among the most authentic.
Silsilah A spiritual chain, Jama‘at, or movement.
Surah A chapter of the Holy Quran.
Tafsir Commentary of the Holy Quran.
Tajdid-e-Din Revival of the Faith. Carried out principally by Mujaddidin.
Tauhid The Oneness of God; the fundamental Islamic belief that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.
Zuhr Lit. midday, noon. Refers to the noon Prayer (one of the five daily Prayers in Islam).