Term

Sounds Like

Brief Definition

Comments

Da’wah

da-wuh

Proselytizing – Evangelism

This is the Islamic missions program. In both houses, they work to convert unbelievers, but in the House of War they don’t have power to kill those who don’t convert.

Dhimmi

de-me

2^nd Class – Sub Classed people.  Technically, the “protected one”

This is where Islam allows a non-Muslim to live in subjection to Islam as long as they pay a protection tax. It is not quite slavery, but it is just a step away.

EID al Ftir

eed-a-fit-ur

Feast – Celebrating the end of Ramadan.

These next two are the most important holidays for Muslims.

EID al Adha

eed-a-aduh

Feast – Celebrating Abraham’s faith to sacrifice his son Ishmael

In the Bible, Abraham sacrificed Isaac. In the Qur’an it was Ishmael who was sacrificed. In the Kaaba, in Mecca, there is a black rock that is supposed to be the rock where Abraham made the sacrifice.

Fatwa

fot-wah

A legal binding opinion from an Islamic scholar

This is a legal and binding ruling from an Islamic scholar. Some of them are death sentences on unbelievers.

Fiqh

fik

Legal Jurisprudence in Shariah law

This term refers to one who is considered a legal scholar.

Hadith

ha-deeth

Traditions of Mohammad.  Things his companions witnessed the prophet say or do.

This is a record of what Muhammad did. When a Muslim has a question about the interpretation of the Qur’an, he looks to the Hadith to see how Muhammad practiced it.

Hafiz

Ha-fez

Guardian of the recitings (Qur’an)

Qur’an means the recitings, and the Hafiz is one who has memorized and guards the Qur’an. There was a debate in early Islam as to whether or not the Qur’an should be written down. It was not written down until some 20 years after Muhammad’s death. Uthman commanded that it be written down because, in one battle, 40 of the Hafiz were killed and he feared that the Qur’an would be lost.

Hajj

hawj

Pillar of Islam – Pilgrimage to Mecca

One of the 5 pillars of Islam is that once in a lifetime each Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca. While there they circumambulate the Kaaba, spend an evening in the wilderness in meditation, pick up 21 stones and cast them at the Devil, etc.

Halal

ha-lowl

Permitted or Approved (food)

This is Islamically approved food. It is similar to the Jewish kosher food. The difference is that halal food has been sacrificed to Allah according to Islamic rules. This is becoming an issue in our jails, in grocery outlets like Costco, and it some schools.

Haram

hh-rom

Forbidden

This is the opposite of halal.

Hijab

hh-jab

Head covering like a scarf but does not veil the face.

This is not to be confused with the berqa, it is the head covering. There are different types depending on what part of the world they come from.

Imam

e-mom

Mosque leader (preacher / teacher)

The imam is similar to the Christian pastor.

Injil

in-jeel

The four Gospels

The Injil of the Qur’an is a corrupted form of the Gospels. .

Isa

e-sa

The Muslim Jesus

This is a corruption of the biblical Jesus.

Jihad

jee-hod

Struggle against evil the Kufar (Legal definition is War to establish Islam)

The greater jihad is the personal struggle against evil. It is greater because everyone deals with it.

The lesser jihad is limited in time and space. It is actual warfare to advance Islam. It is called lesser because it is smaller in scope, it is not global all the time. It is defined as waring against the non-Muslim.

Jinn

jin

Spirit.  Could be a demon or an angel.

The Qur’an teaches that Muhammad received his revelations from a jinn. Muslims believe it was the angel Gabriel, but it could also mean an evil spirit. It is from this word that we get our word “genie.”