Terms

CLASSIFICATION OF LEGAL RULINGS

Farḍ: An obligatory integral is that which an action is composed of and that which must be performed for the action to be complete and valid. It is a firm command established by decisively established text whose meaning is decisive and not open to the possibility of interpretation.

Wājib: A mandatory requisite is that which must also be performed; however, its omission does not entail invalidity, but does entail sin if intentional. It is a firm command supported by a text that allows for the possibility of interpretation.

Sunnah: Precedent and custom; the actions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. The second source of Islamic sacred knowledge called aḥādīth.

Sunnah Mu’akkadah: Emphasized practice; that which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, or his rightly guided successors after him, performed regularly and consistently. Leaving an emphasized sunnah is blameworthy but not sinful. Though it is important to note that leaving an emphasized sunnah habitually, however, is sinful. This is because it entails “running away” from the guidance of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, whom we have been commanded to follow.

Sunnah Mustaḥabb: Recommended practice; in which the Prophet ﷺ did sometimes or was of his worldly habits. Performing the recommended is rewarded, but leaving it is not sinful or blameworthy.

Mubāḥ: Permissible; it is in itself neither rewarded nor punished. Such acts are rewarded, however, if accompanied by a good intention.

Makrūh Tanzīhī: Somewhat disliked; it is that which we have been commanded to leave, even though it is not sinful. The one who leaves it is rewarded, and the one who does it acted sub optimally.

Makrūh Taḥrīmī: Prohibitively disliked; it is that which we have been firmly commanded to leave through a text open to the possibility of interpretation. Denying such a command is misguidance but not disbelief. Performing such an action is sinful.

Ḥarām: Forbidden, prohibited, unlawful. The status of something being completely unlawful under Islamic law and established through decisive proof and text.

PRAYERS

Fajr: Prayer performed between true dawn and sunrise

Ẓuhr: Noon prayer performed just after the sun has left its zenith

‘Aṣr: Late afternoon prayer, performed after an object’s shadow (minus the length of its shadow at the sun’s zenith) is twice as long as the object

Maghrib: Evening prayer performed after sunset

‘Īsha’: The night prayer, performed after the redness of sunset disappears

Witr: The odd-numbered night prayer, performed after ‘Īsha’ and before Fajr

Tahajjud: The night prayer

Jumu’ah: The Friday prayer

Ḍuḥā: The late morning prayer

Istikhārah: The prayer of making a decision

Janāzah: The funeral prayer

Tarawīḥ: Twenty rak’āt of sunnah prayer performed after the Farḍ of ‘Īsha’ during the month of Ramaḍān

Tahiyyatul Masjid: Greeting-the-masjid prayer, consisting of two rak’āt performed upon entry into the masjid prior to sitting down

Ḥājaḥ: The prayer of need

Istisqā’: The prayer for rain

Khawf: The prayer of fear

Kusūf: The prayer of solar eclipse

Khusūf: The prayer of lunar eclipse

PRAYER-RELATED

Adhān: The call to prayer

Du’ā: Supplication to Allāh

Iqāmah: The commencement of prayer

Imām: Derived from the Arabic word “to lead,” Imām is widely used for the leader of the prayer or the leader of a school of thought in Islamic law

Munfarid: Person performing prayer alone

Mu’adhin: Person making the adhān (call to prayer)

Mufsidāt: Invalidators of Ṣalāḥ

Muqtadī: Person performing prayer behind an imām in congregation

Musallī: Person performing prayer

Qaḍā’: Missed prayer that must be made up

Qiblah: The direction of the Ka’bah, in Makkah, toward which Muslims face in prayer

Qiyām: Standing posture of prayer

Qa’da: Sitting posture of prayer

Rak’ah: Unit of prayer consisting of a standing and bowing posture and prostrations

Rukū’: Bowing posture of prayer

Sajdah Al-Tilāwah: Prostration performed after reciting a verse of prostration

Sujūd: Prostrating posture of prayer

Sujūd Al-Sahw: Prostration of forgetfulness. Performance of two additional prostrations after completing the tashahhud in the final rak’ah, done to compensate for certain defects in the performance of prayer.

Sutrah: Stick or similar object placed in front of a person performing prayer, so that a passerby may pass outside the object and not directly in front of the worshipper

Takbīr Tahrīmah: Opening takbīr of prayer (“Allāhu Akbar”)

Tarwīha: Brief interval observed after every four rak’āt of tarawīḥ

Wuḍū’: Ritual ablution for prayer

ADDITIONAL

Adab: Etiquettes

Arkān: Integrals

Fiqh: Islamic law or jurisprudence

Ḥadīth: Literally, a piece of news, a story, or a report relating to a present or past event. In the technical sense, it refers to the reports or the words, deeds, and approvals or disapprovals of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.

Ijma’: Consensus. Often used to refer to the complete agreement among the Companions or the jurists regarding a particular juridical issue.

Ijtihād: An ability of the intellectual understanding by which the subtleties, implications, finer points, mysteries, wisdom, and causes of the laws of Islam are ascertained

‘Ilm: Sacred knowledge

Maḏhab: School of Islamic religious law

Madīnah: The illuminated city of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and the second holiest city in of Islam (located in Saudi Arabia)

Makkah: The holiest city of Islam and home to Masjid Al-Ḥaram and the Ka’bah (located in Saudi Arabia)

Nafl: Supererogatory practice

Niyyah: Intention

Qira’a: Recitation of the Holy Qur’ān

Sharā’it: Conditions

Sharī’ah: Islamic sacred law

Siwāk: Tooth stick from the branches or roots of shrubs having known anti-bacterial properties

Tafsīr: Explanation, commentary, or exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān

‘Ulamā’ (plural of ‘Ālim): Islamic scholar well-versed with Islamic sciences

Ummah: Community of the Prophet ﷺ

Usūl Al-Fiqh: Principles or roots of jurisprudence

Usūl Al-Ḥadīth: Principles or roots of hadīth