Due to the confusion concerning Islam that abounds today, I think understanding Islamic terms will be very helpful. A lot of apologists are saying these terms mean something different from what is the official Islamic understanding.
It is our hope that understanding these words will help you better understand Islam and the problems we face in dealing with the issues involved. It is also our hope that this understanding will help you in your efforts to reach the Muslims God brings across your path for Christ. As you know, reaching Muslims for Christ is one of the major goals of our ministry here at Fortress of Faith.
Term |
Sounds Like |
Brief Definition |
Comments |
Jizya |
jis-yuh |
Protection tax or Poll tax. Extorted from Non-Muslims. |
This is mention in Surah 9:29, one of the most famous verses in the Qur’an. This goes with the word “dhimmi” above. When a person is in dhimmitude, he is subject to Islam and pays the jizya, which is a protection tax. The tax can be 50% of what they own and 50% of what they earn. ISIS is receiving this from the Christians they allow to live. The best way to describe it is like the Mafia protection money. |
Ka’aba |
kaw-bah |
Cube shape Temple in Mecca |
It is adorned with a black cloth with gold writing in it. It has gold doors and writings inside. It has the black rock mentioned above. Before Islam, this rock was tied to moon worship. When you see the hoards of people in Mecca going around a black building, it is the Kaaba. |
Kafr |
ka-fur |
Vile word for unbeliever. The filth or excrement. The word used in the Qur’an to describe the infidel, the unbeliever. |
This is really a bad term, it means excrement. This is the word for the unbeliever in the Qur’an. The only thing worse than a kafr is an apostate, someone who was a Muslim and has left Islam. |
Khums |
Cooms |
Tax. Literally a fifth. War booty tax |
This is a one fifth tax. Muhammad would get one fifth of the war booty, and his fighters would get the 95% to divide among themselves. They would then pay the khums to Muhammad. |
Kufr |
coo-far |
Singlur of Kafr. |
|
Madhhab |
mud-hob |
Type of doctrine of Islamic law. School of thought or interpretation. |
It is the 5 schools, or divisions, within Islamic jurisprudence. |
Madrasah |
ma-dras-uh |
School |
This is a fundamentalist Islamic school. Obama went to one of these when he lived in Indonesia. |
Mahdi |
ma-h-dee |
Messiah – ‘a guide’ |
Islam has a messianic figure in their prophecy. He is going to guide them into an Islamic World Order. There is a division between the Sunni and the Shi’ite Muslims on this. Shi’ite Muslims believe he is the 12th imam. They believe he has already come and waiting to be revealed. The Sunnis believe he is yet to come and that he will come with Isa (Jesus) and rule the entire world. It is a mirror image of what the Bible teaches. They also believe that he will sign a 7 year covenant with Israel. |
Mecca |
meh-ka |
Holiest city in Islam. The birth place of Muhammad. |
This is the birthplace of Islam. |
Medina |
ma-dee-nuh |
City of the prophets. About 100 km North of Mecca in Arabia |
In Medina things changed. This is where new revelation abrogated, or superseded, older revelation. This is were Muhammad became a warlord. He was no longer just a prophet, he became an emperor. |
Minaret |
meen-a-ret |
Prayer tower at a mosque. |
|
Mufti |
muf-tee |
Scholar who can issue Fatwas. |
|
Mullah |
mu-la |
Scholar of the Qur’an,Hadith & Fiqh |
|
Muslim |
moos-lim |
The surrendered one |
This is someone who is surrendered to Allah. |
P.B.U.H. |
means Peace Be Upon Him |
This is usually referring to Muhammad. The reason they use this term is that in Islam there is no guarantee of salvation, and nothing in Islamic writing that says Muhammad went to Paradise. They are hoping that he is in a place of peace in submission to Allah. |
|
Qibla |
Kib-luh |
Direction of prayers |
The direction of Muslim prayers must be toward Mecca. It is interesting that Muhammad prayed toward Jerusalem when he was in Mecca, but when the Jews rejected him in Medina, he changed it to Mecca. |
Qur’an or Koran |
ko-ran or k’ran |
The recitations of Allah given to the prophet through the Angel Gabriel. |
The Qur’an is a compilation of those things recited to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. It was not written down until the 3rd caliph, and we do not have an original manuscript of it anywhere in the world. |
Our goal in giving you these terms is not to educate you in Islam, it is to help you understand what is being said when these words our used. Islam is an ideology that masquerades as a religion and understanding these terms will help you understand what we are dealing with. Our goal at Fortress of Faith is to reach Muslims for Christ, and these terms should also help you in your evangelistic efforts with Muslims.