As-Salaam Alaikum brothers and sisters, Jumat Mubarak… I write with a conscience void of offence towards God and Man.
Billions of people world over have heard Muslims say or mention some Islamic words but very few actually understand what they mean, Muslims are also guilty of this, many of them just recite the Koran without knowing the meaning of those words. Today we'll shed some light into it, in this session we’ll be introducing words or phrases in Arabic and their English meaning. Words posted here are factual and can be verified using any Arabic to English dictionary translation available.
Allah: God, Allah is not necessarily the same as the Christian and Jewish YHWH, though strikingly similar they are not essentially the same. Allah is deceitful, a schemer and a deceiver(Sura 3:54) while the Christian God is not.
Islam: the root word is still debatable, some posit “Salim” which means submission is the root word, while most Sunni scholars opine “Salaam” is the root word. Salaam translates to peace, hence the popular phrase “Islam is a religion of peace”. Sura 3:19. Islam is more than a religion, it's a combination of politics, law, punishment, nutrition, ethics, diplomatic relationship and religious belief.
Muslim: one who submits to the Will of Allah but has to confess the Shahada first(a convert or a returnee, but anyone born into an Islamic home is automatically a Muslim). Sura 2:128. It's generally believed that the patriarchs' of old(Moses, Isaac, Jacob etc) were Muslims(submitted to the will of Allah)but that's a false assertion because they would've had to confess Mohammad too(whose great grand parents weren't even existing then not to mention himself).
Koran/Quran: is the go-to religious text of Muslims, a book believed to be the very words of Allah given to Mohammed in the month of Ramadan over a 23yr span, and often touted to be Allah’s last and final revelation can also be called Al-Furqan(The Criterion). Sura 3:3, 7.
Sura: Chapters, there are 114 suras in the Koran.
Ayat: Verses, there are 6666 verses in the Koran.
Mohammed: The prophet of Islam born in 570 CE in Quraysh, believed to be Allah's last and final prophet, believed to have had divine revelations for 23yrs(609-632 CE) of his life, had between 9-13 wives after the death of Khadija(His first wife), the husband to Aisha(betrothed at 6yrs and married at 9yrs old), held in reverence by 1.6 billon Islamic faithful’s, and died of poison complications from an attempt on his life 3yrs earlier by a Jewish Woman whose family his army butchered.Called the Most Perfect Muslim who ever lived.
Rasoul-Allah: Allah’s Messenger OR Messenger of Allah, is generally believed to be Mohammed.
Abrogation: end of a commandment, often to be replaced with a new one. Peaceful Suras and Ayats were abrogated when Mohammed amassed a majority following in Medina/Mecca. Sura 2:106
Ahadith: information about the life, teachings, practices and times of Prophet Mohammed.
Ansar: The Helpers, a group of people in Medina who assisted the prophet when he escaped from Mecca under severe persecution.
Daawa: Invitation, could also be seen as preaching or winning converts to Islam. "Moderate" Islamic scholars often engage in this e.g. Dr Zaki Naik and Dr Sabbir Ally.
Evangel: the entire new testament(Gospels, Apostolic letters and The Apocalypse).
Hadith: a collection of ahadiths on the prophet. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are generally accepted to be the standard hadiths. Other commentaries carry some weights too. This is to be read alongside the Quran for proper understanding.
Hajj: religious pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Lesser Hajj(Umrah). Sura 2:196
Halal: acceptable, foods and meat prayed upon before slaughter or production e.g. mutton, milk etc. Sura 2:168, 172.
Haram: forbidden, not to be touched or eaten e.g. pork, alcohol, an unbetroth woman etc. Sura 2:173.
Hijri: the Islamic Lunar Calendar purported to have started in 622 CE(Common Era) when Muhammad and his followers commenced the Hijrah to Medina(Yathrib).
Hijrah: religious migration for purpose of spreading Islam often precedes Jihad. Sura 2:218; 8:72
Iblis: satan, devil.
Infidels: unbelievers(Pagans, Pantheist, atheists, agnostics, polytheists). Sura 9:73-74, 123; 8:55
Injil: the gospels(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Islamic scholars rarely take Paul’s letters seriously.
Isa: Arabic name of Jesus Christ.
Isra: Mohammed’s night Journey to mecca on a flying horse/donkey(Al- Buraq).
Jihad: Striving hard/Holy War. Contrary to commonly held beliefs Holy War refers to Physical NOT Spiritual wars. Sura 9:20; 8:38-39, 74.
Jizya: Islamic tributary tax levied on Jews and Christians as a form of humiliation and conquer. Sura 9:29
Kaba’ir: enormity, great in size or important.
Liwat: sexual intercourse between males or sodomy.Sura 7:80-84
Miraj: Muhammad's ascension to the seven levels of heaven on a flying steed.
Muhaddith: traditionist or scholar.
Muhajirun: The Emigrants or first converts to Islam.
Mujahideen: plural form of Mujahid, an Islamic fighter engaged in Jihad.
P.B.U.H: Peace Be Unto Him, applicable to all prophets, former caliphs, and imams' including Isa(Jesus).
Ramadan: A core tenet in Islam generally known as fasting, occurs once a year, for 30days and observed from dawn till dusk. It is believed the Quran was sent down to the prophet during the month of Ramadan. Sura 2:185.
Shahada: The most important tenet of Islam, often applicable to Returning Muslims and new converts, also known as The Confession of Islamic Faith(La ilaha illallah, Mohammad Rasul-Allah = There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is His Messenger).
Sahih: Accurate or Authentic.
Sharia: Islamic Legal System(Sira, Hadiths and Quran).
S.A.W.W: Sala Walekum Wasaalam: Peace be unto Him You. S.A.W.W is used for only Mohammed.
Sawm: daily prayers with faces directed towards the Sacred Mosque in Mecca(5 times a day{once at dawn, twice respectively for noon and evening}). Sura 2:110,149-150
Sihaq: Sexual intercourse between females or lesbianism. Sura 7:81
Sira: an Islamic text dealing mainly with the military conquest of Mohammed and diplomatic relations.
Tafsir: exegesis, or an explanation of a text after careful study.
Tahwid: the oneness of God as against the Triune God of Christians.
Taqiyya: an Islamic doctrine that advocates/permits deceit and lies for the furtherance of Islam especially if there's threat to life or persecution.Also known as Kitman(conceal). Sura 3:28; 16:106
Torah: 5 books of Moses(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).
Wisdom: the Proverbs of Solomon.
Zabor: the Psalms or book of David.
Zakat: alms giving, a core tenet of Islam. Sura 2:267,277
Zina: illegitimate heterosexual sexual intercourse.
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