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Updated 05-20-06
Allahu Akbar - "Allah is the greater"4; (Islam's) God is the Greatest Burqa - (also Jilbab) - (Arabic) a Muslim woman's loose outer garment which is designed to obscure the entire female form and cover all the body except the eyes. Worn by extremely religious Muslim women and considered by them to be more observant than the Hijab.7 Dar al-Islam - the world of the Believer (in Islam); "The house of Islam;" the part of the world subject to Islamic rule.7 Dar al-Harb - arena of battle - the world of the Infidel; "The house of war;" any part of the world at war with Islam.7 Dar-al-Kufr - (Arabic) "The house of Unbelief;" the part of the world not subject to Islamic rule. Dar-al-kufr is ruled by Satan and by definition is characterised by injustice and unrighteousness. It belongs to dar-al-harb. Dar-al-kufr must and shall submit to Islam and become dar-al-Islam.7 Da'wah (also Da'awah) - Literally means "call" or "invitation", and in this sense it refers to calling to the Truth through preaching and propagation.7 Dhimmi - "A non-Muslim living in and under the protection of a Muslim state"3; Christian, Jew or Zoroastrian living in a Muslim state. Dhimmi are supposed to wear special dress and pay the jizyah tax. They are exempt (or forbidden) from fighting and from paying the Muslim Zakah.7; a non-Muslim subject of a state where Islamic law is implemented. Dhimmis were officially allowed to practice their religion in return for accepting multiple legal disabilities as well as paying special taxes.5 Dhimmitude - (see Dhimmi) Fatwa - Islamic rulings; Islamic religious edict or proclamation.based on or concerning Islamic Law.7 Hadith - (Arabic) (a) Reported sayings or actions or traditions of Mohammad or his companions, together with the tradition of its chain of transmission that are not part of the Qur'an. (b) The collective body of these traditions.7; the sayings and the lifestyle of the Prophet Mohammad.4 Haram or Haraam - (Arabic) Not lawful therefore prohibited according to Islam. Engaging in an act that is Haram (i.e. eating food like pork, drinking alcohol, having sex outside of marriage) would lead to punishment in the Next Life, and maybe even in this.7; Prohibited, illegal.1; forbidden, not allowed (to be eaten).4 Harb - (Arabic) War. Hijab - (Arabic) Veil or Cover. This is the generic term for modest Islamic dress for Muslim women as prescribed by the Qur'an. Can refer to a Burqa or Jilbab (qv) but the word 'hijab' has come to mean the traditional headscarf part of the complete 'hijab.' The headscarf is wrapped around the head and allows only the face to be seen.7; Literally means Concealing, screening, protecting and is used to refer to the mandatory dress of the muslim, male or female. (Plural is hujub).1 Hudna - (Arabic) "cease fire". In practice, hudna is not a truce but is used to gain respite. Mohammad is often quoted as having said that when Muslim armies are weak, they should seek truces and then fight when they're strong again. When they are strong, they should conquer without mercy.7 Imam - (Arabic) leader of the congregational prayer, salat, which the Muslims offer five times a day. It is sometimes used to refer to the head of an Islamic State.7; leader in the prayer service4 Islam - (Arabic) Literally ' submission'. Not 'peace.'7; Submission to Allah's Will.1; submission to God, Peace.4 Izza - (Arabic) honour. Especially family honour, which is highly important in Islam. A girl becoming pregnant would bring dishonour on her family, and the traditional penalty would be death.7 Jihad - (n. Arabic, from Jaahada - to strive) Striving or a struggle. It can be any kind of striving in the way of God which involves either spiritual or personal effort, material resources, or arms. Jihad is said by some Muslims to be the 'Sixth Pillar of Islam', but in any case, all scholars agree it is obligatory for Muslims. It may refer to the inner battle for purity but is today usually applied to an Islamic war. The Ottoman Turks waged "Jihad" against Constantinople and other parts of Europe. According to Muslim sources Hussein Khalid al-Hussein and Ahmad Hussein Sakr, "Jihad is not a war to force the faith on others, as many people think of it. It should never be interpreted as a way of compulsion of the belief on others, since there is an explicit verse in the Qur'an that says: "There is no compulsion in religion" Al-Qur'an: Al-Baqarah (2:256). Jihad is not a defensive war only, but a war against any unjust regime. If such a regime exists, a war is to be waged against the leaders, but not against the people of that country. People should be freed from the unjust regimes and influences so that they can freely choose to believe in Allah." That's what they say. In practice, besieged cities usually had a choice: accept Islam or be put to the sword.7; "To fight and kill in the path of Allah, the enemies of Allah, for the cause of Allah. It can also be used to mean to strive in the path of Allah."1; " A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels."5 Jilbaab - A loose-fitting garment covering the entire body, so that the shape of the woman is not defined but hidden, including covering the head, face, and hands.1 Jizyah - (Arabic) a tax paid by non-Muslims living in a Muslim State. Since the non-Muslims are exempt from military service and taxes imposed on Muslims, they must pay this tax to compensate. It guarantees them security and protection. If the State cannot protect those who paid jizyah, then in theory the amount they paid is returned to them.7; special "poll-tax on non-Muslims which is the cornerstone of an entire system of humiliating regulations that institutionalize inferior status for non-Muslims in Islamic law".2 Kafir (also Kafarah, Kâfirûn, Kuffar) - (Arabic) a person who refuses to submit himself to Allah (God), a disbeliever in God.7; Infidel; Disbelievers in Allah in His Oneness and in His Messenger Muhammad.1 Kafiyeh - (Arabic) - Head-dress worn by Arabic men.7 Khalifah or Khalifar - (Arabic) 'a successor'. The nearest English word is 'Caliph', which meant the ruler of a Muslim state.7; (Arabic) 'leadership'. The English word is 'Caliphate.' In practice, Khilafar means the successful establishment of a world-wide Islamic state and the unity of the Ummah (qv).7 Kufr - (Arabic) to show ungratefulness to Allah and not to believe in Him and His religion.7 Laghw - Dirty, false, evil vain talk.1 Madrassah - Islamic school for teaching Islamic religion and law. From darasa "to study."7 Makrooh - reprehensible disliked4 Mufti (Arabic) A Muslim scholar who interprets the Sha'ria. One who gives legal opinions.7 Mujahid - (Arabic) someone who is active in jihad and fights for Islam. Any Muslim fighter.7 Mujahideen (also Mujahedeen or Mujahidin) - (Arabic or Persian - Mu-jahid-deen) Literally, one who follows the way of jihad, hence Muslim guerrilla warriors.7 Mullah - (Arabic) A Muslim scholar and teacher.7 Munkar - Wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.1 Mushrikûn - Polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the ONeness of Allah, those who worship others along with Allah, and also those who set up rivals with (or partners to) Allah, swt, etc.1 Naskh - (Arabic) abrogation - the rule (hukm) that one revelation to Muhammed is completely cancelled by another later revelation. Came about as a result of the Satanic Verses, the first version of which encouraged prayers to demonic goddesses and which was subsequently changed.7 Quran, Qu'ran (Arabic) ("Koran" in English). - (the) reading, recitation, from qara'a, to read, recite. Name given to the collection of Islamic scriptures, consisting of 114 suras (sections), believed to have been revealed verbatim orally to Mohammad over a period of time through the angel Gabriel.7; "recitation" Islamic scripture, revealed to Prophet Muhammed by the angel Gabriel.4 Qutb - (Arabic) Sayd Qutb. Influential Egyptian member of the Muslim Brotherhood whose book 'Milestone' made him the spiritual father of jihad in its modern, terrorist form. Influenced Bin Laden. Executed in Egypt in 1966.7 Shari'a - (Arabic also Sha'ria, Sha'aria, Sha'ariyeh, Sharia) Muslim religious jurisprudence and law.7; the way of Islam including law and governance4. 1) permits a man to complete a divorce by reciting "woman, I divorce you"
three times, but gives no such option -- in fact, hardly any option -- to the woman 2) gives women almost no say in who they marry, when they marry 3) makes such private, consensual acts as homosexuality, adultery, and fornication capital offenses 4) includes such penalties as physical maiming 5) requires an allegation of rape to be supported by at least two male witnesses 6) punishes women who claim to be raped, but does not provide those two witnesses, to have confessed to adultery or fornication and punishes them as above 7) values the rights and testimony of the adherents of one faith over others 8) mandates women to cover as much of themselves when in public 9) mandates women be accompanied at all times by a male relative 10) mandates adult women of any age need their male guardian's permission for ANYTHING 11) presumes that men are filled with uncontrollable lusts that can be unleashed by the slightest provocation by a woman 12) blames the woman for provoking those lusts in a man 13) is based purely on the tenets of a religion, and mandates that all must obey those tenets regardless of their beliefs 14) says men may marry outside the faith, but women cannot 15) tolerates "female circumcision" -- the removal of the clitoris and, occasionally, other tissue 16) makes apostasy -- leaving one's faith -- a crime and punishes it with death 17) punishes those who proselytize any faith besides Islam, and rewards those who promote it Shahadah - (Arabic) "Witnessing." Islamic declaration of belief, the formal content of which is: "I testify there is no deity but Allah, and Mohammad is the messenger of Allah." The kalima serves as a kind of minimal creed for Muslims and is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Arabic form is "La ila ha illa Allah, Mohammad rasul Allah." A person must recite the shahadah to convert to Islam.7 Shahid - (Arabic) A holy martyr. Used to refer to suicide bombers as well as saints.7 Sheikh (also Shaykh) - A Muslim who is a student of knowledge. Even a new Muslim can be called a Sheikh if he is diligent in seeking the knowledge of Islam based upon Quran and authentic Sunnah. He is a Sheikh to those he can teach.1 Shi'ite - (or Shi'a) - A sect or branch of the Muslim religion centred in Iran, with large followings in southern Iraq and sub-sects (Alawi, Ismaili) in Syria and Lebanon. Shi'ites believe Ali was the only true Kalifah or Caliph.7 Sunni - The mainstream Muslim religious sect. Sunnis accept the first four Kalifah as true caliphs. 90% of Muslims worldwide are Sunni and 10% Shi-ite.7 Sura - a chapter of the Qur'an.4 Tâghût - Anything worshipped other than Allah, i.e. all the false deities. It may be shaytaan, jinn, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings e.g. Esau (Jesus), Messengers of Allah swt, who were falsely worshipped and taken as Tâghûts. Likewise saints, graves, rulers, leaders, etc., are falsely worshipped, and wrongly followed.1 Tahzir - warning Takeyya - (also Taqiyya) (Arabic) Literally "to prevent," or guard against. The Islamic principle of lying for the sake of Allah. The practice of Al-Takeyya is commonly employed to declare a Hudna, qv.7; "seldom-discussed Islamic practice of lying to non-Muslims in order to win political battles and protect Islam" (Ilana Mercer).; Lying about religion to avoid persecution.8 Umma or Ummah - (Arabic) Followers. It is used to refer to the community of Muslim believers worldwide. See Khilafah.7; "community of belevers"4 Wahabbi - (also Wahhabi, Wahabi, Salafi) Muslim Sunni reform movement founded mid-eighteenth century by Abdul-Wahhab. Wahabi is the English name and the name used for them by other sects. They call themselves Muwahidun (unitarians) and believe in strict asceticism. Muwahidun are the dominant religion of Saudi Arabia.7 Waqf - territory once owned by Mulsims that must never be relinquished Zâlimûn - Polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust.1 Sources: (1) Islamic Dictionary (Online) (2) The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam by Robert Spencer (3) Al-Islam Islamic Dictionary (4) Arabic Dictionary (5) Answers.com (6) Wikipedia (7) Glossary of Islamic Terms (8) Paul Sperry Back to Home Page Feedback
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