A 

Abd : servant, worshipper, slave. Muslims consider themselves servants and slaves of God. Common Muslim names such as Abdullah (Servant of God), Abdur-Rahmān (Slave of the Most Beneficent), all refer to names of Allah.

Adab :Traditionally describes good manners, as in etiquette.

Adhan :Adhan is an Islamic way of calling Muslims to the five obligatory Prayers. The Adhan is announced daily from the Mosques.

A.H.(After Hijrah) :Hijrah means emigration. The Islamic calendar starts from the year Prophet Muhammad emigrated from the city of Makkah to Madinah, in 622 C.E.

Ahl al-Dimmah (or Dhimmis): are the non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state who have been guaranteed protection of their rights- life, property and practice of their religion, etc.

Ahl al-Kitab :literally 'People of the Book,' refers to non-Muslim peoples who, according to the Qur'an, received scriptures which were revealed to them by God before the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), most notably Christians and Jews.

Ahmad bin Hanbal: 780 - 855 CE (164 - 241 AH) was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). His full name was Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani.

Akhlaq: The practice of virtue. Morals.

Al-Akhirah :(After-Life, Hereafter, Next World).

Alim (pl. Ulamah) :An Islamic religious scholar.

Amin : Amen, a supplication meaning, "O God, accept our invocation!"

Alhamdulilah: praise due to God.

Allah : the greatest and most inclusive of the names of God

Allahu Akbar :God is the Greatest.

Amir-ul- Mumineen :Commander of the faithful. Title of the leader of the Islamic dominion after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Aqeedah :Literally means belief. In Islamic terms, it means the following six articles of faith:

1. Belief in One God.

2. Belief in God's angels.

3. Belief in His revealed Books.

4. Belief in His messengers.

5. Belief in the Day of Judgment.

6. Belief in Fate and the Divine Decree.

Asr :'Asr is the late afternoon Prayer, the third compulsory Prayer of the day. It can be prayed between mid-afternoon and a little before sunset.

Assalamu 'Alaikum :means 'Peace be on you.' Greeting of the Muslims. The response to this greeting is 'Wa 'Alaikum Assalam,' and on you be the Peace.
 

Ayah (pl. ayat) :Ayah means a sign (or 'token') which directs one to something important. In the Quran the word has been used in four  different senses: (1) sign or indication; (2) the phenomena of the universe (called ayat of God for the reality to which the phenomena point is hidden behind the veil of appearances); (3) miracles performed by the Prophets; and (4) individual units (i.e. verses) of the Book of God.

B

Baitul Mal :An Islamic treasury intended for the benefit of the Muslims and the Islamic state and not for the leaders or the wealthy.

Baitul Maqdis :Al-Aqsa Mosque, the famous Masjid in Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Bid'ah :Any innovated practice introduced in the religion.

Bismillah Hir Rehman Nir Rahim :"In the name of God, the Most Kind, the Most Mericful."

Bukhari:  Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, popularly known as Al-Bukhari or Imam Bukhari (810-870), was a famous Sunni Islamic scholar, most known for authoring the hadith collection named Sahih Bukhari, a collection which Sunnis regard as the most authentic of all hadith compilations and it is a most authentic book after the Qur'an.

C

Caliph :literally means successor; refers to the successor of the Prophet Muhammad, the ruler of an Islamic nation.

D

Dajjal: Anti-Christ. Also known as Maseeh ad-Dajjal.

Dar al-Harb: Dar al-Harb (Domain of War) refers to the territory under the hegemony of unbelievers, which is on terms of active or potential belligerency with the Domain of Islam, and presumably hostile to the Muslims living in its domain.

Dawah :Propagation of Islam through word and action, calling the people to follow the commandments of God and His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Dhikir: Remembrance

Din :The core meaning of din is obedience. As a Quranic technical term, din refers to the way of life and the system of conduct based on recognizing God as one's sovereign and committing oneself to obey Him.

Du'a :Supplication: invoking God for whatever one desires.
 

Duhr : Noon. The second obligatory prayer of the day. It can be prayed at any time between noon and mid-afternoon.

E

Eid Al-Adha :Literally means "the feast of the sacrifice." This feast commemorates Prophet Abraham's obedience to God by being prepared to sacrifice his only son Ishmael, peace be on both of them.

Eid Al-Fitr : festival marking the end of Ramadan. It takes place on the 1^st of Shawal, the 10^th month of the Islamic calendar.
   

F 

Fajr :"The Dawn". The time of the first obligatory prayer It can be prayed at any time between the first light of dawn and just before sunrise.

Fard: an Obligation

Fatwa :A legal verdict given on a religious basis. The sources on which a fatwa is based are the Holy Qur'an, and the traditional of the Prophet.

Fiqh :Islamic jurisprudence.

G