Page 10

 

Bid'a: This means "Innovation" or "Unauthorized Changes." (A new things in Islam, which contradict Islamic teachings) The Prophet forbade people from making any changes to the teachings or practices of Islam. He said such things and people would go to the Hell fire. But if there is some actions being perform to please Allah (s.w.t) and that is within Shariah limits, those are ok and called Bid’a hasana. 

Da'wah: This means calling people (to Islam). If you're talking to someone about Islam you're doing Da'wah. A Da'i is the person who does Da'wah.

Deen: Way of Life. Islam is not a religion, it's a way of life.

Dhikr (Thzikr): This means to remember Allah. When you repeat words or sentences over and over so you can meditate on Allah and cleanse your mind, you are doing or making dhikr. Common dhikr phrases are: "La ilaaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah.) "Subahanullah wa Bihumdeehee" (Glory to Allah and His is the Praise.)

Saying that last one 100 times gets all your sins forgiven according to the Blessed Prophet. There are many more. Many Muslims like to get those prayer beads to help them keep count but the Prophet said you get more reward if you do it on your fingers alone.

Du'a: This means to call on Allah. Whenever you ask Allah for something, whether out loud or inside, you are calling on Him. You can make du'a in any words, in any language and Allah has promised to respond, although in a way we might not expect. Many Muslims like to learn some of the du'as that the Prophet said, but you can use your own words to talk to your Maker.

Dunya: This world. "Hayatud Dunya": "The life of this world."

'Eid: (Or: 'Id.) The Muslim holiday. There are two Eid's. One at the end of fasting in Ramadan is called Eid ul Fitr. The other after the Hajj is over is called Eid ul Adh ha.

Fard: Something you must do in Islam. Something that is required by Allah for us to do.

Fatwa: A scholar's opinion or judgment on an issue related to Islam. It is not binding on a Muslim if there is doubt about it or it can be shown to be faulty. Only a recognized scholar, or 'Alim can issue Fatwas and other scholars must investigate the veracity of their basis.

Fiqh: The science of understanding the Shari'ah. In the past small groups of people with similar opinions about the Shari'ah joined together and formed intellectual clubs called a Math-hab. Today there are four big groupings of these Madh-habs. Shaf', Hanbali, Maliki and Hanafi. A Muslim must follow the any one of them unless he is mujtahid. Majority of the people in the world follow Hanafi Madh-hab. 

Ghusl: A full shower. A Ghusl is required after any sexual discharge or activity before prayers can be offered again. A Ghusl is highly recommended on Fridays before going to Jum'ah prayers.

Hadith: A saying or report by or about the Blessed Prophet (saw). The most reliable collections of Hadith are named after the scholars who collected them in the early days of Islam and checked on them for accuracy. They are: Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An Nisa'i, Ibn Majah. There are some good books that take Hadiths from the main six and group them by topic. Those good resource books are as follows: "Riyadh as Saliheen" "Mishkat ul Masabih" and "Al Muwatta."

Hafiz: (Hafithz) A memorizer or guardian of the entire Qur'an.

Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca.

Halal: Allowed for a Muslim.

Haram: Forbidden for a Muslim.

Hijab: The scarf a woman wears over her head. Some Muslims who like to compromise their beliefs say it's not required in Islam. It is, however, required and all women must wear it. The face-veil (niqab) it is optional, but some women like to wear it.

Hijra: To migrate. This term refers firstly to the great migration of the Muslims in the year 622 from the hostile city of Mecca, which was controlled by idol-worshippers, to the safer city of Medina (then called Yathrib) where Islam could exist freely. The Islamic calendar begins with the Hijra as the first year.

'Ibadah: This term is often translated as "worship" but it is not a correct translation. The word worship in English just means praying and bowing, like worshipping in a church. But the term 'Ibadah literally means "service" and it comes from the root word, "to serve." When we say that Islam considers all life to be 'Ibadah, we mean that our whole life should be lived in the service of Allah. We are here to serve Allah. In Islam, any good deed, action or thought, even just holding a steady job or smiling at someone is considered doing 'Ibadah for Allah.

Iftar: The meal you eat after sunset in Ramadan. Suhoor is the light breakfast before first light in the morning during Ramadan.

Imam: Literally: leader. Although most Muslims take this term in the sense of a leader of the prayers, it does apply to the group leader outside of prayer as well. An Imam must be elected by the Muslims or at least accepted by them if he is appointed from outside. If the community rejects him, then he cannot be the Imam.

Eman: (Eemaan) Belief or faith. The root word of Eman is Amuna. It imples three meanings: 1) to believe, 2) to confirm that belief in your heart, and 3) to feel safe. Iman is what makes a person a Muslim.  Often spelled "Iman".

Ihsaan:  Usually translated as "goodness".  The Prophet (saw) defined it as knowing that Allah is watching you even though you don't see Him.

Injeel: The Gospel of Prophet 'Esa (Jesus). The New Testament of the Bible is not the Gospel of Jesus. The New Testament was written by a lot of different authors and contains stories about Prophet 'Esa, but it is not 'Esa's message. The present New Testament was assembled three hundred years after the time of Prophet 'Esa by a group of white men on a Greek Island who voted on what their "holy" book should contain. Most of the votes were hotly debated! The Roman emperor who ordered them to do it then told all Christians to accept this new compilation of writings. All other Christian writings were ordered to be destroyed. The New Testament contains four books called Gospels: (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Hundreds more "Gospels" from other authors were burned. A few such as the Gospel of Barnabas and Thomas have survived. The Gospel of Jesus was never written down and is lost.

Insha'llah: If Allah wills.

Iqamah: The second call to prayer just before the actual prayer begins.

Islam: To surrender to Allah and find peace.

 

[ Previous Page ] [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]

[ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ Next Page ]