Prague Christian Library
March 2002
1. Ali - Son-in-law of the
Prophet Muhammad; married the prophet’s daughter Fatima; first imam of the Iranian Shiites; fourth
caliph in the Sunni tradition.
2. Allah - Arabic name for
God; means “the God.” (Allahu Akbaer means Greater is God.)
3. Aya - A verse of the
Quran; a chapter is sura.
4. Ayatollah - A religious
leader among the Shiites who is given high authority.
5. Bismalah - The general
Islamic invocation to God: “In the of the merciful Lord of mercy,” which prefaces every chapter (sura)
of the Quran except sura 9.
6. Dar al-Harb - “House of
War”; the areas of the world that are still ignorant and disobedient and
unsubdued by Islam.
7. Dar al-Islam - “House of
Islam”; the geographical realm of the world in which Islam is in full
devotional, political and legal actuality. In Islamic constitutional law, the
world is divided into Dar al-Harb (territory not under the rule of Islam) and
Dar al-Islam (territory under the rule of Islam); Dar al-Harb should be brought
under Islam either by surrender or warfare.
8. Dawah - “Call”; missionary
organization for the missionary activity of Islam.
9. Doa - Nonritual prayer as
distinct from salat, which is formal prayer.
10. Fatima - Daughter of the
prophet Muhammad; wife of Ali the first Imam.
11. Gabriel - The angel
through whom Allah revealed the Quran to Muhammad.
12. Hadith - “Tradition”;
reports of the words, actions and attitudes of the prophet Muhammad,
constituting a body of literature second only to the Quran in authority for
Muslims.
13. Haj - Pilgrimage to Mecca
and its environs; one of the pillars (required practices in the Quran) for
Muslims.
14. Hijra - Hegira; the
flight or emigration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622;
the Islamic lunar calendar begins with this date as A.H. l (After the Hegira).
15. Husain - Son of Ali;
grandson of prophet Muhammad; third Imam of the Shiites; Iranian Shiites revere
him with the narrative and drama of his death.
16. Id al-Fitr - The feast
and celebration of ending the fasting month of Ramadan which is required of
Muslims and is one of the pillars of Islam.
17. Id al-Adha - The feast that celebrates the
conclusion of the pilgrimage to Mecca; a lamb other
animal is sacrificed by the pilgrims in Mecca as well
as by Muslims world-wide.
18. Imam - A general term
among all Muslims for leader of the congregational prayer in the mosque; also among Sunni Muslims, it is
the Caliph; among Shiite Muslims, it is one of the descendants of Ali
recognized by Allah as supreme ruler of the world.
19. Injil - “Gospel”;
revelation or book given by Allah to Jesus (Isa); Muslims believe that since
Jesus the Gospel has been corrupted in its present form in the Bible.
20. Islam - The faith,
obedience and practice of peoples who follow the teachings of the Quran and the
traditions of prophet Muhammad; the final , perfect religion of Allah; “submission to Allah.”
21. Jihad - The concept of
extraordinary effort in the belief and practice of Islam; often understood as a
militancy in defending and/or extending the interests of Islam.
22. Jinn - Invisible spirits
referred to in the Quran.
23. Kaba - “Cube”; the
central sanctuary in the great house of pilgrimage in Mecca made of grey stone
and covered by a black curtain; pilgrims circumambulate it in the pilgrimage
rituals; Muslims are required all over the world to face Mecca and the kaba for
their daily prayers.
24. Kafir - Infidel;
unbeliever.
25. Khadija - A wealthy widow
who became the first wife of prophet Muhammad; great encourager and first
follower in establishment of Islam.
26. Khums - “1/5"; a
religious tax; 1/5 of actual income paid to religious authorities.
27. Madrasa - A school
designated for Islamic studies; generally associated with a mosque.
28. Mahdi - “The divinely
guided One”; often associated with the Twelfth and Hidden Imam of the Iranian
Shiites.
29. Masjid - “Place of
prostration”; a mosque, the building in which Muslims pray and gather for
religious and social occasions; its major features are the minaret, the mihrab
and the mimbar.
30. Mecca - The holy city of
Islam; birthplace of prophet Muhammad; Muslims face Mecca in daily prayers; the
city of the required pilgrimage.
31. Medina - The second holy
city of Islam; Muhammad fled to the city in 622; the city in which the Muslim
religious community (umma) was established; place of tomb of Muhammad.
32. Muhammad - Prophet of
Islam (570-632); born in Mecca; buried in Medina.
33. Mujahidun - Soldiers of
Allah.
34. Muslim - One who believes
in, belongs to and performs Islam; “one who submits.”
35. Quran - The holy book of
Islam; the revelation of Allah through angel Gabriel to prophet Muhammad; 114
chapters (suras); “recitation.”
36. Ramadan - The ninth month
of the Muslim calendar; the month obligatory fasting as required in the Quran;
the 27th of Ramadan concludes the fast.
37. Rasul - Messenger;
apostle; title of Muhammad.
38. Salam - Peace; the
greeting Muslims exchange with one another.
39. Salat - Ritual prayer
performed five times daily; one of the required pillars of Islam in the Quran;
different from doa prayer, which is voluntary and informal. Salat al Fajr (dawn
prayer); Salat al Zuhr (midday prayer); Salat al Asr (afternoon prayer); Salat
al Maghrib (evening prayer after sunset); Salat al Isha (late evening prayer).
40. Shahada - Witness or
confession; the first required pillar of Islam; “there is no god but God and
Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
41. Sharia - Sacred and canon
law based on the Quran (God’s revelation), Hadith (sayings and traditions of
prophet Muhammad), Ijma (consensus decision by the Muslim authorities), and
Qiyas (reasoning by analogy); the path of duty both ritual and general behavior for Muslims.
42. Shiite - “Partisan”;
follower of the branch of Islam that accepts Ali as the legitimate uccessor to
Muhammad; believe the descendants of Muhammad should rule the Islamic
community; Iran is the primary Shiite Muslim state.
43. Shirk - “Association”;
the act (sin) of regarding anything as equal with Allah; idolatry, polytheism
or attributing divinity to anyone; Muslims view Christianity as idolatrous for
equating Jesus (as Son of God and member of the Trinity) with God.
44. Sufi - A Muslim mystic;
Sufism is Islamic mysticism. It seeks direct experience with God; it has
leaders called Sheikhs and communities called brotherhoods.
45. Sunna - The path of
tradition or orthodoxy followed by Muslims.
46. Sunni - Term which means
those who follow tradition of reliance on the Quran and the Hadith and are
called Sunnis; approved leader to follow prophet Muhammad by consensus rather
than the Shiite idea of family successorship.
47. Sura - A chapter of the
Quran; the Quran has 114 chapters
48. Ulama - Scholars of
Islamic theology or law; singular is Alim.
49. Umma - The community of
Islam; the solidarity of faith and prayer; the political incorporation of the
Islamic religion.
50. Zakat - Almsgiving; a required pillar of Islam in
the Quran.
