Islam - Definitions
Allah: The name of God.
ayat: Translates directly to mean "signs," but means "verses," as in the Qur'an.
ghusl: Ritual cleansing of the entire body; an act of purification so that an individual can participate in prayer, attend the mosque, or touch the Qur'an.
Hadith: Traditions based on the teachings and sayings of the Prophet. They are the second source of law of Muslims; the Qur'an is the first source.
hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah; the fifth Pillar of the Islamic faith.
hijab: A headscarf worn by women as a sign of modesty.
hijrah: The migration of Muhammad from Makkah (Mecca is a city in the Hijaz.) to Madinah. The Islamic calendar begins from the date of the hijrah (622 CE).
idolatry: The worshipping of objects, usually sculptures or paintings, as gods.
imam: Muslim prayer leader.
Islam: Literally means "submission" or "surrender" to the will of God; a world religion that believes in one God and that the Word of God was sent via God's holy Messenger, Muhammad.
jihad: Literally means "striving;" striving to obey the commands of God; often translated by non-Muslims as "holy war."
Ka'bah: A cube-shaped building that Abraham built under divine inspiration and dedicated to the One God.
Mi'raj: The ascension of Muhammad into heaven.
mosque: Muslim place of worship.
Muslim: Literally means "one who submits" to the will of God; an adherent of the Islamic faith.
polygamy: The practice of having more than one wife at a time; under certain conditions, Islam allows for men to marry up to four wives.
polytheism: The belief in numerous gods.
Note: Monotheism > is the belief in the existence of one god or in the oneness of God. Monotheism is traditionally characteristic of Judaism, Christianity, Islam; while also being a recognizable component of numerous other religions.
Qur'an: The holy book of Islam, seen as God's word and not Muhammad's word even though Muhammad conveyed it.
revelation: A special infallible kind of inspiration (Arabic: wahi) reserved for only those who are appointed by God as Prophets (as distinct from a normal kind of inspiration experienced by other people).
salat: Ritual prayer (or service of worship) that takes place before dawn, early afternoon, late-afternoon, soon after sunset and then an hour and a half later in the evening; the second Pillar of the Islamic faith.
sawm: Mandatory fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month. Muslims may fast on several other occasions in addition to this; the fourth Pillar of the Islamic faith.
Shahadah: The Islamic creed or declaration of faith: There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God. It is the first Pillar of the Islamic faith.
Shari'ah: Islamic law; based on the Qur'an, the Sunnah. (i.e., the example set by the Prophet)
Sunnah: The practices, traditions, and example set by the Prophet.
surah: A chapter in the Qur'an.
wudu: Ablution; ritual cleansing of certain parts of the body and performed prior to salat prayers, other acts of worship, and other religious practices; literally and spiritually means "making pure or radiant."
