‘adl justice
‘alim (pl. ‘ulema) Islamic scholar
amir leader of a politicized and often militant Islamic group
‘aqida doctrine; the Arabic word connotes that which is held onto, binds, knots, fixes firmly
‘aql mind
asabiyya high energy and group cohesiveness
Ashura day of mourning in Shi’i Islam for the martyrdom of Hussein, the Prophet’s grandson
ayah sign from God; verse of the Qur’an
Dar al Islam the Islamic world
da’wah the call to Islam
faqih (pl. faqihs) an Islamic scholar, specially trained and recognized by peers as qualified to contribute to fiqh; commonly but misleading translated as “jurisprudent”
fatwa (pl. fatwas) religious opinion by an Islamic scholar
fiqh Islamic legal reasoning, based on interpretation of Qur’an and Sunnah; the work of trained specialists known as faqihs (q.v.); subject to challenge and correction as a fully human endeavor. In Western scholarship, this is commonly translated as “Islamic law”; however, centrist Islamic scholars would likely regard this translation as misleading and an understatement of its scope.
gallabeyya a traditional long and loose garment, native to the Nile Valley
gariya (pl. gawari) bonded female servant who could be bought and sold
ghulam bonded male servant who could be bought and sold
gizya the tax on non-Muslims, provided for by a contract according to which they were exempted from military service and received protection and legal rights
hadith (pl. hadiths) sayings of the Prophet that illuminate his thoughts and actions, accompanied by their sources; term is interchangeable with Sunnah, although some scholars argue there are fine distinctions in usage
hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, held annually and prescribed for all Muslims once in their lifetime
hakemeyya or hakemeyyet Allah God’s rule
halal religiously permitted
haraba war against civilization
haram religiously forbidden
hegab headscarf
hikma wisdom
hudud punishments provided for in Shari’ah
iftar (pl. iftars) ‘breakfast’ meal to break Ramadan fast
ijtihad interpretation (i.e., an effort of interpretation of the sacred texts)
islah reform
istikhlaf the divine call to humanity to act as God’s regent on Earth
ittisalat connectedness
jahilliyya the pre-Islamic age of ignorance
jihad struggle for the faith in both spiritual and physical senses
al jihad al kabir the great jihad or personal struggle to be a better person
al jihad al sughayir the lesser struggle to defend the community
khalifa man as God’s regent on Earth
khawaga foreigner in long-term residence
khums payment of one fifth of acquired wealth
ma’asum infallible
marja’ (pl. maraji’) the highest rank of authority among Shi’a religious scholars
marja’ al-taqlid the “source of emulation” to which the faithful turn for guidance on religious and other matters
marja‘iyya collective of maraji
maslaha ‘amma the common good
mufti an Islamic scholar qualified to issue a religious opinion or fatwa
mugadid an Islamic scholar who is thought to appear every century to renew Islam
al mujta’a al ahaly communal society
mustakhlifun those charged to act as God’s regent on Earth
naqba presence
al Nas humanity, the common people
niqab face veil
qadi judge who decides cases in accord with Shari’ah
rahal (pl. rahala) traveler
riba usury
sadaqa divine reward
shaikh a trained religious teacher or guide; entitled, for example, to give the Friday sermon
Shari’ah the provisions from Qur’an and Sunnah to regulate human behavior. In Western scholarship, this is commonly translated as “Islamic law,” but midstream Islamic scholars would likely regard this translation as misleading.
sherif (pl. sherifs) descendant of the Prophet Muhammad
shumeleyya comprehensiveness
shura consultation
sillat connectedness
Sunnah all the deeds and words of the Prophet; the second source of Islam after the Qur’an; term is interchangeable with hadiths, although some scholars argue there are fine distinctions in usage
surah (pl. surahs) chapter of the Qur’an
al Tagdid al Islami the Islamic Renewal
takfir declaring Muslims to be unbelievers
takhlif the divine trust to humanity to live life in accordance with God’s laws, calling for righteous deeds and action against evil
talab al ‘ilm travel in search of knowledge
ta’lim formal schooling
taqiyya dissimulation
tarbeyya proper upbringing
tariqa (pl. turuq) a school or order of Sufism
tarshid guidance
tawhid the Islamic belief in the oneness of God
ummah Islamic community
‘umra recommended but not prescribed pilgrimage to Mecca at times other than the hajj
waqf (pl. awqaf) Islamic endowment
Wassatteyya the centrist Islamic midstream
wilaya a historical and therefore not binding concept of rule that precludes the rule of women and non-Muslims
wilayet al faqih rule of the faqih; the Iranian system of government in which a leading Shi’i religious leader exercises absolute authority
wusuli opportunistic
zakat religious obligation owed to support those in need
zawiya a small, informal mosque
zhikr Sufi ritual of remembrance of God, marked by collective chanting and swaying body movements
zimmi “protected” non-Muslim people subject to a covenant according to which they were exempted from military service and received protection and legal rights, in return for which they paid a special tax called the gizya