Glossary of Islam
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from both Islamic and Arab tradition, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Islam all in one place.
Separating concepts in Islam from concepts specific to Arab culture, or from the language itself, can be difficult. Many Arabic concepts have an Arabic secular meaning as well as an Islamic meaning. One example is the concept of dawah. Arabic, like all languages, contains words whose meanings differ across various contexts.
Arabic is written in its own alphabet, with letters, symbols, and orthographic conventions that do not have exact equivalents in the Latin alphabet. The following list contains transliterations of Arabic terms and phrases; variations exist, e.g. din instead of deen and aqidah instead of aqeedah. Most items in the list also contain their actual Arabic spelling.
A
; ʿAbd ʾAmah : Servant or worshipper. Muslims consider themselves servants and worshippers of God. Common Muslim names such as Abdullah, Abdul-Malik, Abdur-Rahmān, Abdus-Salām, Abdur-Rahîm, all refer to names of Allah.; ʾAdab : Traditionally describes good manners, as in etiquette. For example, being courteous is good ʾadab. However, the term can be used very broadly, and the proper translation would be "the proper way to go about something," as in the example, ʾĀdāb al Qitāl, or, "The Proper Ways of Fighting in War," in which the word "etiquette" does not befit the context. A secondary meaning of ʾAdab is "literature".
; ʾAdhān : call to salat, sometimes alternatively spelled and pronounced Azan, Athan and Adhan.
; ʿAdl : justice, especially distributive justice: social, economic, political, proprietary.
; AH : Anno Hegirae The Islamic calendar starts counting years starting from the time when Muhammad had to leave Mecca and go to Medina, an event known as the Hijra. The first day of the first Islamic year is 1 Muḥarram 1 and corresponds to 16 July 622.
; ʾAḥad : literally "one." Islamically, ahad means One Alone, unique, none like God. Al-Ahad is one of the names of God.
; ʾAḥkām : These are rulings and orders of the Qu'ran and Sunnah. A single ruling is called a Ḥukm. Five kinds of orders: Wajib or Fard, Mustahab, Halal or Mubah, Makruh, and Haram
; ʾAhl al-Bayt : members of Muhammad's Household. Also known among Shia as the Maʿṣūmūn .
; ʾAhl al-Fatrah : people who live in ignorance of the teachings of a revealed religion, but according to the "Fitra", the "Natural Religion" innate to human nature as created by God.
; ʾAhl al-Kitāb : "People of the Book", or followers of pre-Islamic monotheistic religions with some form of scripture believed to be of divine origin which were mentioned in Quran: Jews, Christians.
; ʾĀkhirah : hereafter or eternal life
; ʾAkhlāq : The practice of virtue. Morals.
; Al-ʾIkhlāṣ : Sincerity and genuineness in religious beliefs.
; Al-Bir : Piety and righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah.
; ʿĀlamīn : Literally "worlds", humankind, jinn, angels and all that exists.
; Al Hijr : A semi-circular wall north-west of Kaaba.
; ʿalayhi -s-salām : "Peace be upon him" This expression normally follows after naming a prophet, or one of the noble Angels, Meekaal
; al-ḥamdu li-llāh : "Praise be to God!" Qur'anic exclamation and also same meaning as hallelujah.
; Allāh : The name of God according to Islam. Also used as the Arabic word for God in general.
; Allāhumma :"O Allah, my Lord" - used in a phrase or salutation, invocations or supplications.
; Allāhu ʾAkbar : "Allah is greatest". Greater than anything or anyone, imaginable or unimaginable.
; ʿĀlim : lit. One who knows. A scholar ; a jurist or scientist or a theologian ; similar to Japanese sensei, "teacher".
; ʾAmānah : the trust. Of all creation, only human beings & jinns carry the "trust", which is free will.
; ʾĀmīn : Amen.
; ʾAmīr ul-Muʾminīn : "Commander of the Faithful" Historically the title of the Caliph. In some modern countries like Morocco, a ʾAmīr ul-Muʾminīn or Commander of the faithful is the religious chief.
; ʾĀminah : Muhammad's mother. Aminah fell sick and died in Abwa, near Madina when Muhammad was six years old.
; Al-ʾAmr Bi'l Maʿrūf : Islamic doctrine of enjoining right. There exists in Islam the principle of encouraging other people to do the right thing.
; ʾAnfāl : Spoils of war.
; ʾAnṣār : "Helpers." The Muslim converts at Medina who helped the Muslims from Mecca after the Hijrah.
; ʿAqīdah : Article of faith, tenet, creed, or dogma.
; ʿAqīqah : Islamic practice of shaving the head of the newborn male and contributing the weight in silver for charity as well as 2 lambs.
; ʿAql : Intelligence, intellect, mind, understanding
; ʾArkān singular rukn : The five rukn "pillars" of Islam.
; A.S. : This acronym evokes a blessing and is appended to the names of the prophets who came before Muhammad. It will also be applied to the mothers of those prophets. When following a woman's name, the feminine form is ʿAlayha s-salām.
; aṣaḥḥ: Arabic elative term, “more correct.” Used by muslim scholars to introduce their own view while not entirely dismissing that of others.
; ʾAṣl : Root, origin, source; principle.
; ʾaslim taslam : "Submit to Islam"
; ʾAsmāʾ Allāh al-Ḥusnā : List of God's 99 names. According to a hadith, the one who enumerates them all will enter Paradise.
; ʿAṣr : The third salat prayer. The time of the day before sunset and after noon. Also means "era".
; Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ : The bridge by crossing which it is determined whether a person would go to heaven or hell. How a person crosses the Sirat depends on what they have done in their life and what they have believed in.
; al-ʿAsharatu Mubashsharun bil-Jannah or just ʿAsharatu Mubashsharah : The ten companions of Muhammad who were promised paradise
; ʿĀshūrāʾ : Tenth day of the month of Muharram. It is the day God saved Moses and the children of Israel from the Pharaoh. The grandson of Muhammad, Imam Hussayn sacrificed his life along with 72 of his companions on the sand dunes of Karbala. Sunni Scholars recommended to fast during this day. To the Shias, it is also a day on which they mourn the death of the third Shia Imam, Husayn ibn Ali, along with his family and companions, who were killed in the famous battle in Karbala. They cry and weep and organize lamentating programmes where they not only learn how to live a proper Islamic life and improve their Spiritual Self but also cry at the end of the ritual to show their true love and faith towards imam Hussayn.
; As-Salāmu ʿAlaykum : The Islamic greeting; literally "Peace be upon you"; In addition, wa-Raḥmatullāhi wa-Barakātuhu means "and the Mercy of God and His blessing". The response to this greeting is wa-ʿAlaykum as-Salām wa-Raḥmatullāhi wa-Barakātuhu --"And on you be the Peace and Mercy of God and His Blessing".
; ʾAstaghfir allāh : "I seek forgiveness from God." Islamic expression.
; Aʿudhu billah : "I seek refuge in God". This is a paraphrase on the beginnings of the two last suras in the Qur'an.
; ʾAwliyāʾ : Friends, protectors, helpers, caretaker, maintainer.
; ʿAwrah : The parts of the body, male or female, must be covered in public but not between spouses, such as, body parts must be concealed of a woman before non-related men..
; ʾĀyah, plural ʾāyāt : A sign. More specifically, a verse in the Qur'an.
; Āyatullāh : Sign of God Title given to highly ranked religious scholars in Sh'ia sect.
B
; Baiʿa : See Bay'ah; Baatil : see Bāṭil
; Baitullāh : A mosque, literally "house of God". Specifically means the Ka'aba at Makkah.
; Bakka'in: a group known as the Weepers, who wept because they could not accompany Muhammad to Tabuk.
; Barakah : a form of blessing, thought derive from God and passed on others via prophets, angels and saints.
; Bārak Allāhu Fīkum : may Allah bless you; response to expression of thanks.
; Barzakh : Barrier. Used in the Qur'an to describe the barrier between sweet and salty water. In theology, the one-way barrier between the mortal realm and the spirit world which the deceased soul crosses and waits for qiyamah judgment.
; Bashar : humankind, mankind, man, human, etc.
; Baṣīrah : Insight, discernment, perceptivity, deep knowledge. Sometimes used by Sufis to denote the ability to directly perceive a transcendental Truth.
; Bāṭil : void
; Bāṯin : The interior or hidden meaning. A person who devotes himself to studying such hidden meanings is a ''batini.
; B.B.H.N. : Blessed be His Name – acronym for S.A.W.S. See P.B.U.H.
; Bidʿah : Innovation in religion, i.e. inventing new methods of worship. Bad Bidʿahs in Islam are considered a deviation and a serious sin by many Muslims.
; Bidʿah sayyiʾah : Inquiry prohibited in Islam.
; Bismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi : "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful".
; Burda : In general terms, it means a "cloak" or "outer garment". Specific reference is to the "burda" of Muḥammad.
; Bayʿah : an oath of allegiance to a leader, traditionally the Caliph, a Sheikh or an Imam.
C
; Caliph khalīfah : literally successor; refers to the successor of Muhammad, the ruler of an Islamic theocracy.D
; Dahri : atheist – from the root ad dahr meaning time. In Islam, atheists are seen as those who think that time only destroys, hence the term ad dahriyyah for the concept of atheism.; Dajjāl : The Islamic equivalent of the Antichrist; means "liar" or "deceiver".
; Ḍallāl : going astray.
; Dār al-ʿAhd : the Ottoman Empire's relationship with its Christian tributary states.
; Dār al-ʾAmn : means house of safety.
; Dār ad-daʿwa : a region where Islam has recently been introduced.
; Dār al-ḥarb :means house of war; refers to areas outside Muslim rule at war with The Muslim state.
; Dār al-Islām : the abode, or land, of Islam.
; Dār al-Kufr : means domain of disbelief; the term originally refers to the Quraish-dominated society of Mecca between Mohammed's flight to Medina and the city's conquest.
;Dār aṣ-Ṣulḥ : domain of agreement
; Dār ash-shahāda : See Dar al-Amn
; Darūd : blessing
; Daʿwah : the call to Islam, proselytizing.
; Darwīš : an initiate of the Sufi Path, one who practices Sufism
; Dhikr : A devotional practice whereby the name of God is repeated in a rhythmical manner. Remembrance of God; spiritual exercise; Muslims believe that the primary function of prophets is to remind people of God.
; Dhimmi : "protected person"; Jews and Christians, living in an Islamic state who must pay a separate tax instead of the zakah paid by Muslims and this exempts non-Muslims from military service under Islamic law.
; Dhuhr : the second obligatory daily prayer.
; Dīn : the way of life based on Islamic revelation; the sum total of a Muslim's faith and practice. Dīn is often used to mean the faith and religion of Islam.
; Diyyah : "blood money", recompense for loss of a life.
; Duʿāʾ : personal prayer, supplication
; Dunya : The physical Universe, as opposed to the Hereafter; sometimes spelled Dunia.
E
'''Eid al-FitrF
; Fadl: divine grace; Fajarah : Wicked evil doers. Plural of "fājir".
; fājir : dawn, early morning, and the morning prayer. The time of the day when there is light in the horizon before sunrise.
; Falāḥ : deliverance, salvation, well-being.
; Falsafah : "philosophy" The methods and content of Greek philosophy which were brought into Islam. A person who tries to interpret Islam through rationalist philosophy was called a faylasuf, "philosopher".
; Fanā' : Sufi term meaning extinction – a spiritual death of the lower self with associated bad characteristics. Having no existence outside of God.
; Faqīh : One who has a deep understanding of Islam, its laws, and jurisprudence.
; Al-Faraj : the return of the Shia Mahdi
; Farḍ, plural furūḍ : a religious duty, or an obligatory action: praying 5 times a day is fard Neglecting a fard will result in a punishment in the hereafter.
; Farḍ ʿain : obligatory on every individual Muslim to aid in any way he can.
; Farḍ kifāyah : an obligation on the Muslim community as a whole, from which some are freed if others take it up such as for jihad.
; Fāsid : corrupt, invalid/violable
; Fāsiq : anyone who has violated Islamic law; usually refers to one whose character has been corrupted.
; Fātiḥa : the short, opening sura of the Qur'an, which begins "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds..." These words hold an important place in Muslim liturgies and forms the core of the salat.
; Fatwā : a non-binding legal opinion of a scholar. However, binding on him for those who follow his taqlid
; Fī ʾAmān allāh : "In the protection of God". Said when a person departs.
; Fiqh : jurisprudence built around the shariah by custom. Literally means "deep understanding", refers to understanding the Islamic laws.
; Fī sabīl allāh : for the sake of Allah; common Islamic expression for performing acts such as charity or Jihad and for 'qatlu'
; Fitna : trial or tribulation; also refers to any period of disorder, such as a civil war, or the period of time before the end of the world or any civil strife.
; Fiṭrah : innate disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and beauty. Muslims believe every child is born with fitrah.
; Furqān : the criterion ; for example, the Qur'an as furqan.
; Fuwaysiqah : vermin, evil from the root fasaqa meaning to deviate from the right way
G
; Ghafara : to forgive, to cover up. A characteristic of God.; Ghaflah : heedlessness, forgetfulness of God, indifference
; Ghayb : the unseen, unknown.
; Ghanīmah : spoils of war, booty.
; Gharar : excessive uncertainty; also "the sale of what is not present" such as fish not yet caught, crops not yet harvested.
; Ghasbi : possessed unlawfully
; Ghāzi : roughly, "raider": used for whose who participated in jihad. Later a title for veterans.
; Ghusl : full ablution of the whole body. Ghusl janaba is the mandatory shower after having sexual discharge.
H
;Ḥadath akbar : major ritual impurity which requires Niyyat for cleaning.;Ḥadath aṣghar : minor ritual impurity
;Hādhā min faḍl rabbī : Qur'anic expression and phrase meaning This is by the Grace of my Lord.
;Hādī : a guide, one who guides; A Muslim name for God is The Guide, or Al-Hadi.
;Ḥadīth plural ahādīth : literally "speech"; recorded saying or tradition of Muhammad validated by isnad; with sira these comprise the sunnah and reveal shariah
;Ḥadīth mashhūr : Well-known hadith; a hadith which reported by one, two, or more Companions from Muhammad or from another Companion, but has later become well-known and transmitted by an indefinite number of people during the first and second generation of Muslims.
;Ḥāfiẓ : someone who knows the Qur'an by heart. Literal translation = memorizer or Protector.
; Ḥaiḍ : menstruation
;Ḥājj plural Ḥujjāj and Ḥajīj : Pilgrim, one who has made the Hajj.
;Ḥajj and Ḥijjah and Ḥijaj ): pilgrimage to Mecca. Sunnis regard this as the fifth Pillar of Islam. See Dhu al-Hijjah.
;Ḥajj at-Tamattuʿ : performing ʿUmrah during the Hajj season, and on the Day of Tarwiah a pilgrim gets into the state of Ihram for Hajj. Before making ʿUmrah, approach the Miqat and declare the intention. End by sacrificing an animal.
;Ḥajj al-Qirān : At Miqat, declare intention to perform both Hajj and 'Umrah together. After throwing the Jamrah of Al-'Aqabah, and getting hair shaved or cut that take off his Ihram garments and sacrifice animal.
;Ḥajj al-ʾIfrād : At Miqat, declare intention for Hajj only. Maintain Ihram garments up to the Day of Sacrifice. No offering is required from him.
;Ḥākim : a ruler's or governor's title; in some Muslim states, a judge. See Ahkam.
;Ḥākimīya : sovereignty, governance.
;Ḥalāl : lawful, permitted, good, beneficial, praiseworthy, honourable.
;Ḥalaqah : A gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about Islam.
;Ḥalq : Shaving of the head, particularly associated with pilgrimage to Mecca
;Ḥanīf : pre-Islamic non-Jewish or non-Christian monotheists. Plural: ḥunafā'.
;Ḥaqq : truth, reality, right, righteousness. Al-Haqq is one of 99 names of God.
;Ḥarām : sinful
;Ḥaram : sanctuary.
;Ḥasan : Good, beautiful, admirable. Also a categorization of a hadith's authenticity as "acceptable"..
; Hawa : Vain or egotistical desire; individual passion; impulsiveness.
;Hidāyah : guidance from God.
;Ḥijāb : literally "cover". It describes the covering of the body for the purposes of modesty and dignity; broadly, a prescribed system of attitudes and behaviour regarding modesty and dignity.
;Hijra : Muhammad and his followers' emigration from Mecca to Medina. Literally, "migration". This holiday marks the beginning of the Muslim New Year on the first day of the month of Muharram. See Rabi' al-awwal and abbreviation AH.
; Ḥikmah : Literally this means "wisdom" and refers to the highest possible level of understanding attainable by a Muslim. In particular, it refers to the illuminative, mystical sort of wisdom that a Gnostic or Sufi might attain.
;Hilāl : Crescent moon.
;Ḥima : wilderness reserve, protected forest, grazing commons; a concept of stewardship
;Ḥizb : One half of a juz', or roughly 1/60th of the Qur'an
;Hudā : Guidance.
;Hudna : Truce. Cease-fire
;Ḥudūd : Literally, limits or boundaries. Usually refers to limits placed by Allah on man; penalties of the Islamic law for particular crimes described in the Qur'an – intoxication, theft, rebellion, adultery and fornication, false accusation of adultery, and apostasy.
;Ḥukm : ruling in the Qur'an or Sunnah. Also spelled Hukum.
;Ḥūrī : beautiful and pure young men and women that Muslims believe inhabit Paradise, or Heaven.
I
;ʿIbādah : submission, worship, but not limited to ritual: all expressions of servitude to Allah, including the pursuit of knowledge, living a pious life, helping, charity, and humility, can be considered ibadah.;ʾIblīs : Devil banished to Hell for his arrogance and disobedience; aka Satan.
;ʿId : festival or celebration. Alternatively transliterated Eid.
;ʿId ul-Adha : "the Festival of Sacrifice." The four-day celebration starting on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijja.
;ʿId ul-Fitr : "the Festival of Fitr." A religious festival that marks the end of the fast of Ramadan.
;ʾIfṭār : a meal eaten by Muslims breaking their fast after sunset during the month of Ramadan.
;ʾIḥrām : state of consecration for hajj. Includes dress and or prayer.
;ʾIḥsān : perfection in worship, such that Muslims try to worship God as if they see Him, and although they cannot see Him, they undoubtedly believe He is constantly watching over them.
; ʾIḥtiyāṭ : Also Ahwat. A Precaution, either obligatory or optional.
; ʾIḥtiyāṭ mustaḥabb : A preferred precaution.
; ʾIḥtiyāṭ wājib: An obligatory precaution.
;ʾIʿjāz : miracle, the character of the Qur'an in both form and content.
;ʾIjāzah : a certificate authorizing one to transmit a subject or text of Islamic knowledge
;ʾIjmā' : the consensus of either the ummah – one of four bases of Islamic Law. More generally, political consensus itself. Shi'a substitute obedience to the Imam; opposite of ikhtilaf
;ʾIjtihād : During the early times of Islam, the possibility of finding a new solution to a juridical problem. Has not been allowed in conservative Islam since the Middle Ages. However, Liberal movements within Islam generally argue that any Muslim can perform ijtihad, given that Islam has no generally accepted clerical hierarchy or bureaucratic organization. The opposite of ijtihad is taqlid, Arabic for "imitation".
;ʾIkhtilāf : disagreement among the madhhabs of a religious principle; opposite of ijma.
;ʾIkrām : honouring, hospitality, generosity – Dhul jalaali wal ikraam is one of the 99 names of Allah.
;ʾIkrāh : mental or physical force.
;ʾIlāh : deity, a god; including gods worshiped by polytheists.
;ʿIlm : all varieties of knowledge, usually a synonym for science
;ʾImām : literally, leader; e.g. a man who leads a community or leads the prayer; the Shi'a sect use the term only as a title for one of the twelve Allah-appointed successors of Muhammad.
;ʾImāmah or imamate : successorship of Muhammad and the leadership of mankind.
;ʾImān : personal faith
;ʾInna lilāhi wa ʾinna ʾilaihi rājiʿūn : To Allah we belong and to Him is our return – said to mourners
;ʾInfāq : the habitual inclination to give rather than take in life; the basis for charity
;ʾInjīl : Arabic term for the holy book called The Gospel said to have been given to Jesus, who is known as Isa in Arabic; Muslims believe the holy book has been lost and the New Testament gospels are not the word of Allah, only Christian stories about Jesus.
;ʾIn shāʾa -llāh : "If God wills"; Inshallah is "resigned, accepting, neutral, passive. It is neither optimistic nor pessimistic."
;ʾIqāmah : the second call to prayer. Similar to the azhan.
;ʾIrtidād : apostasy. Also riddah ردة
;ʿĪsā : Jesus – 'Isa ibn Maryam,. The Qur'an asserts that Allah has no sons and therefore, 'Isa is not the son of Allah. Muslims honor 'Isa as a nabi and rasul.
;ʿIshā' : night; the fifth salat prayer
;ʾIṣlāḥ : "reform". This term may mean very different things, depending on the context. When used in reference to reform of Islam, it may mean modernism, such as that proposed by Muhammad Abduh; or Salafi literalism, such as that preached by Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani
;ʾIslām : "submission to God". The Arabic root word for Islam means submission, obedience, peace, and purity.
;ʾIsnād : chain of transmitters of any given hadith
;ʾIsrāʾ : the night journey during which Muhammad is said to have visited Heaven. See miraj.
;ʾIstighfār : requesting forgiveness
;ʾIstiḥādah : vaginal bleeding except Haid and Nifas
;ʾIstiṣlāḥ : public interest – a source of Islamic Law.
;ʾIstishhād : martyrdom.
;ʾIthm : Negative reward for bad deeds that is tallied on qiyamah Opposite of thawab.
;ʾIʿtikāf : seclusion in the masjid for the purpose of worship usually performed during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
;ʾItmām al-hujjah :clarification of truth in its ultimate form.
;Ittaqullah :command to fear God or to be pious to Allah.
J
; Jāʾiz : That which is allowed or permissible. As a rule, everything that is not prohibited is allowed.;Jahannam : the Hell-fire; Hell
;Jāhilīyyah : the time of ignorance before Islam was realized. Describes polytheistic religions.
;Jahl : ignorance, foolishness.
;Jalsa : sitting.
;Jāmiʿah : "gathering"; i.e. a university, a mosque, or more generally, a community or association.
;Janābah : A state of spiritual impurity that occur due to sexual intercourse or ejaculation and necessitates major ritual ablution,
; Janāzah : Funeral. Ṣalāt al-Janāzah is a funeral prayer.
;Jannah : Paradise, Heaven, the Garden
; Jazāka-llāhu khayran : "May God reward you with good." Islamic expression of gratitude.
;Jihād : struggle. Any earnest striving in the way of God, involving personal, physical, for righteousness and against wrongdoing;
;Jihād aṣ-ṣaghīr : Offensive jihad declared by caliph.
;Jihād aṭ-ṭalab : Offensive jihad.
;Jihād ad-dafʿa : Defensive jihad.
;Jihād bil-māl : Financial jihad.
;Jihād bis-saif : literally 'struggle by the sword'; holy war.
;Jilbāb : a long, flowing, garment worn by some as a more conservative means of fulfillment of sartorial hijab.
;Jinn : Term for invisible beings, considered to roam the earth.
;Jizya : A tax specified in the Koran to be paid by non-Muslim males living under Muslim political control.
;Juḥod : To deny. Jaahid. Disbelief out of rejection. When there comes to them that which they have recognized, they refuse to believe in it. Accordingly, juhud includes rejection and resistance
;Jumuʿah : Friday prayer or Sabbath.
;Juzʾ : one of thirty parts of the Qur'an.
K
;Kaʿbah : cube-house; the cube-shaped building, i.e., in Mecca toward which Muslims pray.;Kāfir : from the word kafara, "to hide." Those who deliberately hide the truth; non-Muslims in non-Islamic countries or states, unbelievers, truth-concealers; one who is ungrateful. Common derogatory term used by different Islamic factions such as sunni and shias to denounce each other as non-Muslims. Plural: Kāfirūn. Commonly used as an offensive term for black people by white South Africans.
;Kalām : Literally, "words" or "speech," and referring to oration. The name applied to the discipline of philosophy and theology concerned specifically with the nature of faith, determinism and freedom, and the nature of the divine attributes.
; Khair : Every kind of good
; Khalīfah : Caliph, more generally, one performing the duties of khilafa.
; Khalīl : devoted friend
; Khalq : Creation – the act of measuring; determining, estimating and calculating. Khalq is the noun form of the verb khalaqa.
; Al-khāliq : The Creator, Allah.
;Khamr : Intoxicant, wine.
;Khatīb : the speaker at the Friday Muslim prayer, or Jumu'ah prayer.
; Khatm : Complete recitation of the Qur'an.
;Kharāj : a land tax.
;Khayr : goodness. See birr See qist See 'adl See haqq See ma'ruf See taqwa
;khilāf : Controversy, dispute, discord.
;Khilāfah : Man's trusteeship and stewardship of Earth; Most basic theory of the Caliphate; Flora and fauna as sacred trust; Accountability to; God for harms to nature, failure to actively care and maintain. Three specific ways in which khalifa is manifested in Muslim practice are the creation of haram to protect water, hima to protect other species, and by resisting infidel domination over Muslim lands, in jihad.
;Khilwa, : An offense consisting of being caught alone in private with a member of the opposite sex who is not an immediate family member.
; al-khulafāʾ ar-rāshidūn : four first caliphs, believed by most Muslims to be most righteous rulers in history
;Khimār or ʾakhmirah ) : headcovering.
;Khitān : Male circumcision.
;Khuluq pl. ʾakhlāq : ethics
; Khushūʿ : humility, devotion, concentration.
;Khuṭbah : the sermon at Jumu'ah prayer.
; Kibr : pride, arrogance
; Kibar : old age
; Kitāb : book; The Qurʾān is often referred to as "Al-Kitāb".
;Kufr : Unbelief, infidelity, blasphemy; also hubris. See Kafir and Kuffar
; Kufr al-ḥukm : Disbelief from judgment.
; Kufr al-ʿInād : Disbelief out of stubbornness
; Kufr al-ʾInkār : Disbelief out of arrogance and pride.
; Kufr al-ʾIstibdāl : Disbelief because of trying to substitute Allah's Laws.
; Kufr al-ʾIstiḥlāl : Disbelief out of trying to make HARAM into HALAL.
; Kufrul-Istihzaha : Disbelief due to mockery and derision
; Kufr al-jahl : Disbelief from not being aware of or not understanding.
; Kufr al-juhud : Disbelief from obstinacy after being presented with truth.
; Kufr an-Nifāq : Disbelief out of hypocrisy.
; Kufr al-ʾIʿrāḍ : Disbelief due to avoidance.
;Kun : God's command to the universe, 'Be!' is sufficient to create it.
L
;Lā ilāha illā-llāh : "There is no god but God." The most important expression in Islam. It is part of the first pillar of Islam. According to Islam, this is the message of all the Prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.; Labbayka -llāhumma : God, I obey you
; Laghw : Dirty, false, evil vain talk
;Laʿnah : Curse, execration, or imprecation.
;Laylat al-Qadr : the Night of Power, towards the end of Ramadan, when Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur'an.
M
;Madhhab : pl. Madhāhib school of religious jurisprudence, school of thought. Also see fiqh.;Madrasah : school, university
;Maghrib : the fourth daily salat prayer
;Mahdi : "a guide". More specifically al-Mahdi is a figure who will appear with Prophet Jesus before the end of time, when God allows it, to bring world peace, order and justice, after it has been overcome with injustice and aggression.
;Mahdūr ad-damm : he whose blood must be wasted
;Maḥram : a relative of the opposite gender usually described as being "within the forbidden limits"; a better description is "within the protected limits". means relatives who one can appear before without observing hijab and who one cannot marry.
;Maisir : gambling, game of chance
;Makrūh : Means "detested", though not haraam ; something that is disliked or offensive. If a person commits the Makruh, he does not accumulate ithim but avoiding the Makhruh is rewarded with thawab.
;Malāʾikah : angels. Belief in angels is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and requiered for Muslims to believe in.
;Mā malakat ʾaymānukum : one's rightful spouse
;Manāsik : the rules specifying the requirements of a legally valid hajj
;Mandūb : commendable or recommended. Failure to do it would not be a sin.
;Manhaj : the methodology by which truth is reached
;Mansūkh : That which is abrogated. The doctrine of al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh of certain parts of the Qur'anic revelation by others. The principle is mentioned in the Qur'an see naskh
;Manzil : one of seven equal parts of the Qur'an
;Maʿrūf : consensus of the community
;Maqāṣid sing. maqṣid : goals or purposes; such as the purposes of Islamic law
;Maṣāliḥ sing. maṣlaḥah : public interests
;Masbuq :A person who is late for salat and has not joined the imam in the first rak’at.
;Mā shāʾa -llāh : Allah has willed it
;Masīḥ : the Messiah, Jesus Christ
;Masjid pl. masājid, مساجد : place of prayer; mosque
;Masjid al-Ḥarām : the mosque surrounding the Kaʿbah in Mecca.
;Mawālī or mawālā : Non-Arab Muslims
;Mawlā : protector or master
;Mawlānā : an Arabic word literally meaning "our lord" or "our master". It is used mostly as a title preceding the name of a respected religious leader, in particular graduates of religious institutions. The term is sometimes used to refer to Rumi.
;Maulvi : an honorific Islamic religious title often, but not exclusively, given to Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names. Maulvi generally means any religious cleric or teacher
;Mecca : the holiest city in Islam
;Medina : "city"; Medinat-un-Nabi means "the City of the Prophet." See Hijra
;Mi'ād : the Resurrection; God will resurrect all of humankind to be judged. Shi'as regard this as the fifth Pillar of Islam.
;Miḥrāb : a niche in the wall of all mosques, indicating the direction of prayer
;Millah : In Arabic, millah means "religion," but it has only been used to refer to religions other than Islam, which is din.
;Millet: . In an Islamic state, "Ahl al Kitab" may continue to practice their former religion in a semi-autonomous community termed the millet.
;Minaret : a tower built onto a mosque from the top of which the call to prayer is made
;Minbar : a raised pulpit in the mosque where the Imam stands to deliver sermons
;Minhaj : methodology, e.g. methods, rules, system, procedures.
;Mīqāt : intended place
;Miʿrāj : the Ascension to the Seven Heavens during the Night Journey See also: isra
;Muʾadhdhin : a person who performs the call to prayer
;Muʿāhadāt : treaties
;Muʿawwidhatayn : suras Al-Falaq and an-Nas, the "Surahs of refuge", should be said to relieve suffering
;Mubāḥ : literally permissible; neither forbidden nor commended. Neutral.
;Mubaligh : person who recites Qur'an
;Muftī : an Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law, capable of issuing fatawa.
;Muḥajjabah : woman who wears hijab.
;Muḥkamāt : unequivocal verses of Qur'an.
;Muḥāribah : a person who wages war against God
;Muḥammadun rasūl allāh : "Muhammad is the messenger of God." This statement is the second part of the first pillar of Islam. This is the second most important statement in Islam.
;Mufsid : evil-doer a person who wages jihad not in accordance with the Qur'an. Plural mufsideen.
;Muḥsin : a person who performs good deed. Plural muhsineen. Opposite of Mufsidun.
;Muhājirūn : The first Muslims that accompanied Muhammad when he traveled to Medina.
;Muharṭiq : heretic.
;Mujāhid : a fighter for Islam. Plural Mujāhidūn.
;Mujtahid : a scholar who uses reason for the purpose of forming an opinion or making a ruling on a religious issue. Plural: Mujtahidun.
;Mullah : are Islamic clergy. Ideally, they should have studied the Qur'an, Islamic traditions, and Islamic law.
;Muʾmin : A Muslim who observes the commandments of the Qur'an.
;Munāfiq : hypocrite. Plural: Munafiqun
;Muntaiabah pl. muntaqibāt : woman who wears niqab
;Murābaḥah : a type of sharia-compliant mortgage
;Murshid : a Sufi teacher
;Murtadd female apostate is Murtaddah: apostate
;Muṣḥaf : a copy, codex or redaction of the Qur'an.
;Mushrik : One who associates others in worship with God; a polytheist.
;Muslim : a follower of the religion of Islam. One who submits their will to God
;Mustaḥabb : commendable or recommended.
;Mutʿah : literally enjoyment; compensation paid to a divorced woman; when used in the phrase nikāḥ al-mutʿah it refers to temporary marriage that is practiced in Twelver Shia Islam.
;Mutashābihāt : equivocal verses of Qur'an.
;Mutaʿaṣṣibūn : fanatics
;Muṭawwaʿ plural muṭawwaʿūn : religious man in certain regions, a volunteer teacher
;Muṭawwaʿūn : Religious police.
;Mutawātir : "agreed upon"—used to describe hadith that were narrated by many witnesses through different narration chains leading back to Muhammad
N
;Nabī : literally, prophets. In the Islamic context, a Nabi is a man sent by God to give guidance to man, but not given scripture. The Prophet Abraham was a Nabi. This is in contrast to Rasul, or Messenger. Plural: Anbiya. See: Rasul.;Nafs : soul, the lower self, the ego/id
;Nāfilah : An optional, supererogatory practice of worship, in contrast to farida
;Najāsah : Impurity
; Nājis : impure
;Nakīr and Munkar : two angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves
;Namaz: Ritual Prayer in Turkish and Persian language.
;Naṣīḥa : advice
;Naskh : The doctrine of al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh of certain parts of the Qur'anic revelation by others. The principle is mentioned in the Qur'an see mansukh.
;Naṣṣ : a known, clear legal injunction
; Nifās : the bleeding after childbirth
;Nifāq : falsehood; dishonesty; hypocrisy
;Nihāļ : Nihal is an Arabic name meaning "joyful."
;Nikāḥ : the matrimonial contract between a bride and bridegroom within Islamic marriage
;Niqāb : veil covering the face
;Niyyah : intention
;Nubūwwah : prophethood. Shi'a regard this as the third Pillar of Islam.
; Nukrah: a great munkar – prohibited, evil, dreadful thing.
; Nūr : Light, more theological connoted than daw', the proper term for light in Arabic. Nur is often associated with benevolence, as Light of Muhammad and angels of mercy as created from nur. The term is closely associated with nar, which denotes the burning light of fire, often associated with fierce forces, like angels of punishment, demons and hell.
P
; P.B.U.H. : an acronym that stands for "peace be upon him" a blessing which is affixed to Muhammad's name whenever it is written. In some circles and English writings, Sufis regard PBUH to signify "Peace and Blessings Upon Him". These are the primary English explications of the P.B.U.H. acronym. The Arabic version is S.A.W.Q
;Qadhf : false imputation of unchastity specifically punished by sharia.;Qadar : predestination.
;Qāḍī : judge of Islamic Law
;Qalb : Heart, considered th center of the self in Islamic anthropology
;Qiblah : the direction Muslims face during prayer
; Qitāl fī sabīl allāh : fight in the cause of Allah.
;Qiyāmah : resurrection; return of the dead for the Day of Judgment
;Qiṣāṣ : equitable retribution – a fine for murder if the heirs forgive the perpetrator.
;Qiyām : to stand, a position of salat prayer
;Qiyās : analogy – foundation of legal reasoning and thus fiqh
;Qudsī : classification of a hadith that are believed to be narrated by Muhammad from God.
;Qurbah : closeness to God. Term is associated with Sufism.
;Qurʾān : The word Qur'an means recitation. Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the literal word of God and the culmination of God's revelation to mankind, revealed to Muhammad in the year AD 610 in the cave Hira by the angel Jibril.
R
;Rabb : Lord, Sustainer, Cherisher, Master.;R. A., raḍiya -llāhu ʿanhu : May Allah be pleased with him. Variants are ʿanhā and ʿanhum.
;Raḥmān : Merciful; Ar-Rahman means "The Most Merciful"
;Raḥīm : compassionate; Ar-Rahim means "The Most Compassionate" as in the Basmala
;Raḥimaḥullāh : May Allah have mercy on him. Usually used after mentioning the companions of Muhammad
;Raḥmatullāh : Mercy of Allah. Sometimes used as an alternative to Rahimahullah after mentioning a righteous person by saying, rahmatullahi ʿilayh : Mercy of Allah be upon him/her
;Rajm : lit. stoning, refers to capital punishment by stoning in parts of Islamic law, but also takes the meaning of "accursed" in a metaphorical way. Also used as an epithet for the devil in some Islamic prayers.
;Rakʿah : one unit of Islamic prayer, or Salat. Each daily prayer is made up of a different number of raka'ah.
;Ramaḍān : month of fasting when the Qur'an was first revealed
; Rāshidūn : Sunnis consider the first four caliphs as the "orthodox" or "rightly guided" caliphs. They were Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali.
;Rasūl : messenger; Unlike prophets, messengers are given scripture. Moses, David, Jesus and Mohammed are considered messengers. All messengers are considered prophets, but not all prophets are given scripture. See: Nabi.
;Riba : interest, the charging and paying of which is forbidden by the Qur'an
;Ribat : Guarding Muslims from infidels
;Riddah : apostasy, in which a person abandons Islam for another faith or no faith at all.
;Risālah : literally, message or letter. Used both in common parlance for mail correspondences, and in religious context as divine message.
;Rūḥ : spirit; the divine breath which God blew into the clay of Adam. Sometimes used interchangeable with nafs; otherwise distinguished and identified with the sublime parts of human's soul.
;Rukn plural ʾArkān : means what is inevitable. One of the five pillars of Islam.
;Rukūʿ : the bowing performed during salat.
S
;Sabb : blasphemy: insulting God or Muhammad.;Ṣabr : patience, endurance, self-restraint
;Ṣadaqah : charity; voluntary alms above the amount for zakat.
;Ṣaḥābah : companions of Muhammad. A list of the best-known Companions can be found at List of companions of Muhammad.
;Ṣāḥīḥ : "Sound in isnad." A technical attribute applied to the "isnad" of a hadith.
;Sakīnah : divine "tranquility" or "peace" which descends upon a person when the Qur'an is recited.
;Salaf : predecessors/ancestors. In Islam, Salaf is generally used to refer to the first three generations of Muslims. Anyone who died after this is one of the khalaf or "latter-day Muslims".
;Salafism: a reform movement, basing Islamic teachings on Quran and Sunnah alone. Contrary to Classical Sunnism, it disregards former established consensus and the opinions of the Sahaba.
;Ṣalāt sala: any one of the daily five obligatory prayers. Sunnis regard this as the second Pillar of Islam
; Salaat al-Istikharah: Prayer for guidance is done in conjunction with two rakaahs of supererogatory prayer.
;Salām : peace
;Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam : "May Allah bless him and grant him peace." The expression should be used after stating Muhammad's name. See abbreviation: S.A.W. or S.A.W.S. also P.B.U.H.
;Ṣamad : eternal, absolute; Muslims believe Allah is "The Eternal."
;Salsabīl : a river in heaven
; Sawa : awakening, revival
; S.A.W. : Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. See P.B.U.H.
;Ṣawm : fasting during the month of Ramadhan. The word sawm is derived from Syriac sawmo.
;Sayyid : a descendant of a relative of Muhammad, usually via Husayn.
;Sema : refer to some of the ceremonies used by various sufi orders
;Shahādah : The testimony of faith: La ilaha illa Allah. Muhammadun rasulullah.. Sunnis regard this as the first Pillar of Islam. Also may be used as a synonym for the term Istish'hād meaning martyrdom.
;Shahīd pl. shuhadāʾ : witness, martyr. Usually refers to a person killed whilst fighting in "jihād fī sabīl Allāh". Often used in modern times for deaths in a political cause which are viewed by some Muslims as a spiritual cause not just a political cause. But the real meaning of Jihad is to defend Islam in any way; thus, it could be in an economic way or could refer to fighting for the rights of the oppressed or the believers; most often it refers to mastering one's own inclination for evil and shirk.
;Shaykh : a spiritual master, Muslim clergy
;Sharīʿah : "the path to a watering hole"; Islamic law; the eternal ethical code and moral code based on the Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma, and Qiyas; basis of Islamic jurisprudence
;Sharīf : a title bestowed upon the descendants of Muhammad through Hasan, son of his daughter Fatima Zahra and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib
;Shayṭān : Evil being; a devil. With the articleAl- it designates the Devil in particular. In plural, it designates a host of evil spirits; demons. Also applied to evil humans and evil jinn.
;Shīʿah :A branch of Islam who believe in Imam Ali and his sons as custodians of Islam by the will of Mohammed.
;Shirk : idolatry; polytheism; the sin of believing in any divinity except God and of associating other gods with God.
;Shūrā : consultation
;Sidrat al-Muntaha : a lotus tree that marks the end of the seventh heaven, the boundary where no creation can pass.
; Sīrah : life or biography of Muhammad; his moral example – with hadith this comprises the sunnah
;aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm : the Straight Path
;Subah Sadiq : true dawn
; Subḥānahu wa taʿāla : expression used following written name or vocalization of Allah in Arabic meaning highly praised and glorified is He.
; Subḥān allāh : "Glory to God" – this phrase is often used when praising God or exclaiming awe at His attributes, bounties, or creation.
;Ṣūfī : a Muslim mystic; See: Sufism.
;Suḥūr : the meal eaten by fasting Muslims just before dawn.
;Sujūd: kneeling down, a position of salat.
;Ṣukūk : bond that generates revenue from sales, profits, or leases rather than interest.
;Ṣulḥ : A condition of peace, an armistice, or treaty. It is related to the word muṣālaḥah which means peace, conciliation, or compromise.
;Sunnah or sunnat an-Nabī : the "path" or "example" of Muhammad, i.e., what he did or said or agreed to during his life. He is considered by Muslims to be the best human moral example. Also referring to optional good deeds, such as pious deeds and voluntary ritual prayers.
;Sunni : the largest denomination of Islam. The word Sunni comes from the word Sunnah, which means the words and actions or example of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
;Sūrah : chapter; the Qur'an is composed of 114 suras
T
;Taʿāla : Almighty;Tābiʿīn : followers of the Ṣaḥābah
;Tafsīr : exegesis, particularly such commentary on the Qur'an
;Ṭāghūt : originally Aramaic, meaning "false god"; also tyranny.
;Tahajjud : optional, late-night prayer
;Ṭahārah : purification from ritual impurities by means of wudu or ghusl
;Ṭāhir : pure, ritually clean
;Tahlīl : Uttering the formula of faith: "Lā ilāha illā -llāh", ;Tahmid :Tahmid means to praise Allah or saying "Alhamdillah".It derives from the same root ase Muhammad, mahmud and hamid which means praise in Arabic.
;Taḥnīk : 'Tahnik' is an Islamic ceremony of touching the lips of a newborn baby with honey, sweet juice or pressed dates.
;Taḥrīf : corruption, forgery. Muslims believe the Bible Scriptures were corrupted but the Qur'an is in its original form.
;Tajdīd : to purify and reform society in order to move it toward greater equity and justice, literally meaning to make new in present tense
;Tajdīf : blasphemy
;Tajwīd : a special manner of reciting the Qur'an according to prescribed rules of pronunciation and intonation.
;Takāful : Based on sharia Islamic law, it is a form of mutual insurance. See retakaful.
;Takbīr : a proclamation of the greatness of Allah; a Muslim invocation.
;takhsis : in fiqh, a qualification of a general ruling so that it only applies in certain cases.
;Takfīr : declaration of individual or group of previously considered Muslim as kaffir.
;Takhrīj : The science of hadith extraction and authentication, including validation of chains of transmitters of a hadith by this science's scholars and grading hadith validity.
;Takweeni : Ontological
;Ṭalāq : divorce
;Taqalan: accountable ones; those who are responsible for their deeds. Among them are the human and the jinn.
;Taqdīr : fate, predestination
;Taqlīd : to follow the scholarly opinion of one of the four Imams of Islamic Jurisprudence.
;Taqīyyah : 'precaution', that one is allowed to hide his true beliefs in certain circumstances or to lie to save himself of being killed or harmed.
;Taqwa : righteousness; goodness; Piety: Taqwa is taken from the verbe Ittaqua, which means Avoiding, Fearing the punishment from Allah for committing sins. It is piety obtained by fearing the punishment of Allah.
;Tarāwīḥ : extra prayers in Ramadan after the Isha prayer.
;Tarkīb : the study of Arabic grammar issued from the Qur'an
;Ṭarīqah : a Muslim religious order, particularly a Sufi order
;Tartīl : slow, meditative recitation of the Qur'an
;Taṣawwuf or Sufism
;Tasbīḥ : Uttering the formula: "Subhan Allah", i.e.
;Tashkīl : vocalization of Arabic text by means of diacritical marks. An integral part of the Arabic writing system. Literally meaning to form or arrange
;Taslīm : salutation at the end of prayer
;Taṭbīr : Shia Ashura ceremony of self-flagellation by hitting head with sword.
;Tawafuq : God-conscious understanding of a phenomenon.
;Tawakkul : total reliance on Allah.
;Tawassul : asking Allah Almighty through the medium and intercession of another person.
;Ṭawāf : circumambulating the Ka'bah during Hajj.
;Tawfiq : Divine help in getting to the purpose to one who deserves.
;Tawbah : repentance
;Tawḥīd : monotheism; affirmation of the Oneness of Allah. Muslims regard this as the first part of the Pillar of Islam, the second part is accepting Muhammad as rasoul. The opposite of Tawheed is shirk
;Ta'weel : explanation and elucidation, how something will occur and its result, or figurative interpretation.
;Tawrāh : the Torah as revealed to Musa
;Ṭayyib : all that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc. Means "pure." The Shahaddath is tayyib.
; Taʿzīr : Discretionary punishment – a sentence or punishment whose measure is not fixed by the Shari'ah.
;Tazkīyah : Purification of the Soul.
; Thawāb : Reward for good deeds that is tallied on qiyamah Opposite of ithim.
; Tilāwah : ritual recitation of passages of the Qur'an.
; Ṭumaʾnīnah : state of motionlessness, calm
U
;ʿUbūdīyah : worship;ʾUḍḥīyah : sacrifice
;ʿUlamāʾ or ulema: the leaders of Islamic society, including teachers, Imams and judges. Singular alim.
;ʾUmmah or umma: the global community of all Muslim believers
;ʿUmrah : the lesser pilgrimage performed in Mecca. Unlike hajj, ʿumrah can be performed throughout the year.
; ʿUqūbah : the branch of sharia that deals with punishment.
;ʿUrf : custom of a given society, leading to change in the fiqh
; ʾUṣūl : Principles, origins.
;ʾUṣūl al-Fiqh : the study of the origins and practice of Islamic jurisprudence
W
; Wa ʿalaykum as-salām : Wa 'Alaykum as-Salaam!, meaning "and upon you be peace".; Wafāt : death. Muhammad was born on the twelfth day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Muslim year. His death anniversary also falls on the same day, the word 'barah' standing for the twelve days of Muhammad's sickness.
;Waḥdat al-wujūd : "unity of being". Philosophical term used by some Sufis. Related to fanaa
;Waḥy : revelation or inspiration of God to His prophets for all humankind
;Wahn : literal meaning is "weakness" or "feebleness". According to one hadith, Muhammad explained it as "love of the world and dislike of death"
;Wājib : obligatory or mandatory see fard
;Walī : friend, protector, guardian, supporter, helper
; Waqf : An endowment of money or property: the return or yield is typically dedicated toward a certain end, for example, to the maintenance of the poor, a family, a village, or a mosque. Plural: awqaf
;Warrāq : traditional scribe, publisher, printer, notary and book copier
;Wasaṭ : the middle way, justly balanced, avoiding extremes, moderation
; Wasīlah : the means by which one achieves nearness to Allah
;Witr : a voluntary, optional night prayer of odd numbers rakaats.
;Wuḍūʾ : ablution for ritual purification from minor impurities before salat
Y
;Yā Allāh : O, God!;Ya Rasūl Allāh : O, Messenger of God!. Term used by companions when interacting with Muhammad.
;Yaʾjūj wa-Maʾjūj : Ya'jūj wa-Ma'jūj is the Islamic counterpart of Gog and Magog
;Yaqīn : certainty, that which is certain
; Yarḥamuk-Allāh : "May God have mercy on you", said when someone sneezes; the same as " bless you" in English
; Allāh Yarḥamuhu, fem. yarḥamuhā'': "May God have mercy of his/her soul",
; Yawm ad-Dīn : Day of Reckoning, Awe
; Yawm al-Ghaḍab : Day of Rage, Wrath
;Yawm al-Qiyāmah : "Day of the Resurrection"; Day of Judgement
Z
;Zabūr : the Psalms revealed to King Daoud عليه السلام; Zabīḥa see dhabiha : Islamic method of slaughtering an animal. Using a sharp knife the animal's windpipe, throat and blood vessels of the neck are severed without cutting the spinal cord to ensure that the blood is thoroughly drained before removing the head. See halal
;Ẓāhir : Exterior meaning
;Zaidi : Islamic sub-sect of Shi'ah, popularly found in Yemen, with similarities to Sunni
;Zakāt, Al-Māl : tax, alms, tithe as a Muslim duty; Sunnis regard this as the fourth Pillar of Islam. Neither charity nor derived from Islamic economics, but a religious duty and social obligation.
;Zakāt al-Fiṭr : Charity given at the end of Ramadan.
;Ẓālimūn : polytheists, wrong-doers, and unjust.
;Zandaqa : heresy
;Zināʾ : sexual activity outside of marriage
;Zindīq : heretic, atheist
;Zulfiqar : Sword of Ali, presented to him by Muhammad