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Section 4

Basic Islamic Terms

Every way of life has its own vocabulary. This enables people to communicate about detailed topics using only a few key words. It is important that Muslims learn the vocabulary of Islam so that we all know what we're talking about. This unites us as Muslims and brings us closer to a sense of belonging to the same community.

Abdul: This means "Servant of." Many Muslims like to change their names from non-Muslim names to Muslim names. A favourite choice is Abdul. But whom is the person a servant of? You must always have something after "Abdul." The place to look is in the 99 Names of Allah. Allah has many names, such as Wadud (the Loving), Malik (the King), Rahman (The Merciful), Hakim (the Wise.) Just add one of those after Abdul and you become "The Servant of _______". (For example: Abdul Khaliq: The Servant of the Creator.) etc...

Adab: Manners.

Adhan: (Athzan) The call to prayer.

Ahl al Kitab: This means the "People of the Book." Allah uses this term in the Qur'an to refer to the Jews, Christians and any other people who received revelation from an authentic Prophet in the past. Because the Ahl al Kitab lost their revelations and twisted the teachings they had, Allah sent one last Messenger to the world, the Prophet Muhammad. He brought the Qur'an from Allah. The Ahl al Kitab is called to believe in Allah's last message. To repeat: their own message has been lost or changed so much that there is very little of Allah's truth left in it. The Bible is not the word of Allah. It is a book made up of people's writings that were put together by Europeans in the year 325 at Nicea. That's 300 years after the time of Prophet Jesus ('Esa).

Ahmadiyya: A dangerous movement that began in India over one hundred years ago. India used to ruled by the British for about two hundred years. They were more advanced than the native people of India so many Indians developed an inferiority complex. If the British said something was bad, many Indians automatically said it was bad as well. The only people who resisted the British taking over India were the Indian Muslims. The British came to hate Islam and its ideas about Jihad so much that many weak-minded Indians started to say Islam was only about peace and there was no fighting in self-defence (Jihad).

One of these weak-minded men with an inferiority complex was named Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. He used to be a Muslim and had studied quite a bit of Islamic theology. But he lived at a time when the white, European man ruled the world so he felt weak inside. He started talking against basic Islamic teachings and eventually declared he to be a new Prophet of Islam.  He also declared himself to be Jesus, a new Messenger, a reincarnated Muhammad, the Son of God, etc...  He couldn't make up his mind.  All these ideas are, of course, false teachings because the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said he was the last of the Prophets and no new ones would come after him. This is also mentioned in the Qur'an. But Ghulam Ahmad continued on changing Islamic teachings in his writings and speeches and he gained a few followers. The British were delighted that more cracks were appearing in the Muslim community. After Ghulam Ahmad's death, his followers quarrelled among themselves and split into two groups. One of those groups migrated to Europe and America and has been trying to pass itself off as a Muslim movement. But they twist the Qur'anic teachings, reject most of the Prophet's sayings and follow a new false Prophet from a village in India called Qadian. Beware because they are active everywhere and will try to get you to follow someone other than the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Akhee: My brother.

Akhirah: The next life.

Akhlaq: Your character and behaviour.

Alhumdu lillah: All Praise is for Allah.

'Alim: A scholar. The plural is 'Ulema.

Allah: The name for God in the Arabic language. (Literally: THE GOD). Muslims prefer to say "Allah" no matter what language they speak because in Arabic it is a stand-alone word. In other words, you can't make it masculine or feminine, plural or whatever. In English you can change "God" to Gods, Goddesses, Demi-God, etc... There is no way to do that in Arabic to the name, Allah.

Islam teaches that Allah is not not not not not a male or a female, nor is He black or white. He is not even a human like us. We only use the term "He" when we refer to Him because their is no "it" in Arabic and it seems disrespectful to call Allah an "it" in English. Allah sometimes refers to Himself as "We" or "Us" but don't be mislead. In many languages, (including English) a single being can call himself a "We" if he wants to so that it emphasizes his power. Allah is everywhere and nowhere. He is never tired and He never needs a "rest." He is Loving and the upholder of justice and He is the Source of Creation.

Allahu Akbar: "Allah is the Greatest." This is the universal catchall phrase of Muslims. When a Muslim shouts, "Takbeer" (Who's the Greatest!) everyone replies with "Allahu Akbar!"

Ameer: This means a leader. The Prophet said every group of Muslims must make a leader among them, even if they were only three in number. An Amir is not a dictator and can't just order people around, however. He must also be elected by the consent of the majority. Because Allah said believers consult each other in their affairs (shura), the Amir must listen to the opinions of the Muslim group and take them seriously. If an Ameer begins to clearly go against Islamic teachings, then the Muslims must elect a new one.

Angels: In Arabic they are called the Mala-ika. They are created from light energy. Their only purpose is to serve Allah. They are behind the forces of nature. Some Angels are given the job of watching humans and noting their deeds for judgment day. Angels can take on physical form, sort of like a hologram, and can appear as humans or whatever. They are all good and never disobey Allah. They are not male or female. Christianity teaches that some angels went bad and that's where Satan and the devils came from. Islam teaches that this is not true. Angels are also not people running around in white robes with halos over their head.

Ansar: The helpers. The basic reference is to the new Muslims of Medina who helped the Prophet and the Meccan Muslims after they fled Mecca.

Arabic: A language, which originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian Peninsula. It is the language Allah chose to reveal His last revelation to the world in.

Arkan al Islami: This means the Pillars of Islam. There are five main practices or "pillars" in the life of a Muslim.

Assalamu 'alaykum: "Peace be upon you." This is the universal Muslim greeting. The Prophet said that Muslims must use this greeting when they meet. There are also verses in the Qur'an about it. If a person approaches a group, the person should say it first. A younger person should greet an older person first. The reply is "Wa alaykum Assalamu." "And upon you be peace."

Ayah: A verse of the Qur'an. The word literally means a "sign." The plural is Ayat.

Barzakh: The time in between our death and the day we are raised up for judgment. Our souls will be in "storage" or Barzakh. The word literally means, "Partition" or "Dividing Line."

 

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