Terms and abbreviations used
Muslims use some Islamic terms and phrases when talking and certain abbreviations when writing. Here I will list some of the most commonly used.
(saw) or
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam 'may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him', and is
used after mentioning the name of Muhammad as a
sign of respect.
(swt) or
short for 'sub'hana Wa'ta'ala', translated as 'Glory
be to Allah'. Used after mentioning the name of
Allah (swt) as a way of glorifying him.
Adhan call to prayer, this is always done by human voice
and not by bell, horn or other instrument.
Ahadeeth
sayings and traditions of prophet Muhammad .
Alhamdulillah 'praise be to Allah (swt)'. This Muslims say after
they sneeze. Also they say it when hearing
something nice.
Allahu Akbar Allah is the greatest.
(as) short for
1) Alaika salaam - peace be upon him
2) alaiki salaam - peace be upon her and
3) alaikum salaam - peace be upon them
Assalaamu alaikum 'peace be upon you'. this is the greeting of the
Muslims. the reply to this greeting is 'wa alaikum
assalaam' meaning 'and on you be peace'.
You can extend this greeting to 'Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh' (peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you) and replying 'wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh' (and may the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you).
Bismillah In the name of Allah. A Muslim says bismillah
before beginning any lawful action.
Eid ul Fitr the festival celebrating the end of the month of
Ramadan, which is the month of fasting for all
Muslims.
Eid ul Adha the festival of the sacrifice. commemorating
prophet Ibrahim (as) and his obedience to Allah
(swt) by being prepared to sacrifice his only son
Ismail (as).
Dua supplication
Figh Islamic law
Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. This is obligatory on every
Muslim at least once in their lifetime, if they can
afford it and have the means to do this.
Halal something which is lawful and permitted in Islam
Haram something which is unlawful and prohibited in Islam.
Hijab the required Islamic dress code for Muslim women.
Imam Leader of the prayer. Also used to refer to the
head of an Islamic state.
Iman Faith and trust in Allah (swt).
Insha Allah If Allah wills. when making plans for something a
Muslim must say Insha Allah, as nothing happens
without the will of Allah (swt).
Ka'bah A cube shaped building in Mecca to which Muslims
face when praying no matter where in the world
they are. It is the first house of worship built for
mankind for worshipping Allah (swt). It was
originally built by Adam (as) and later rebuilt by
Ibrahim (as) and his son Ismail (as).
Masha Allah praise be to Allah (swt)
Masjid mosque
Qiblah the direction Muslims face when praying, which is
the direction of the ka'bah in Mecca.
Quran the holy book of Islam. Literally it means 'that which
is often recited'.
(ra) short for
1) Radi'Allah'Anha - may Allah (swt) be pleased
with him
2) Radi'Allah'Anhi - may Allah (swt) be pleased
with her and
3) Radi'Allah'Anhum - May Allah (swt) be pleased
with them.
Sadaqah charity
Shahada declaration of faith. when a person reverts to Islam
the shahada is recited, the wording is 'I testify that
there is no God but Allah (swt) and I testify that
Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah (swt).
Subhan Allah glory be to Allah (swt)
Sunnah recorded accounts of what the prophet Muhammad
said and did.
Sunan plural of Sunnah.
Surah chapter of the holy Quran. there are 114 surahs in
the Quran.
Wudhu the purification with water done before each prayer.
also called ablution.
Zakat charity tax. this charity is 2½ % of wealth, given every
year to the needy. Charity is very important in
Islam.
Zamzam the name of the sacred well in Mecca.
page updated 20/03/08