Glossary of Islamic Terms

A

Amir: commander or prince, frequently used with reference to the person who leads the community.

Aya: verse of the Quran; also used in a general meaning of “sign” from God.

Ayatollah: In Shia Islam, a high-ranking title given to clerics recognized as experts in Islamic studies.

B

Basmala: the statement at the beginning of each sura of the Quran (except sura 9), “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”; also used by Muslims as an invocation.

Buraq: the winged horse which carried Muhammad on his “night journey” from Mecca to Jerusalem.

D

Dhimmi: a member of a protected community, especially referring to the Jews and Christians who live under Muslim rule. The right to practise their own religion was guaranteed by their payment of a special poll tax, the jizya.

F

Fatwa: a legal decision rendered by a mufti, who is a jurist qualified to make decisions of a general religious nature.

Fiqh: jurisprudence, the science of religious law, as described by the jurists known as the fuqaha (of which the singular is faqih).

H

Hadd: the restrictive ordinances of God as stated in the Quran, all of which have a specific penalty involved for their violation.

Hadith: a tradition or written report, being the source material for the sunna of Muhammad, gathered together in the six books of authoritative traditions in Sunni Islam.

Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the “five pillars” of Islam; a requirement for all Muslims, if they are able, once in a lifetime.

Hijab: the veil or partition which prevents men from gazing at the “charms of women.” A variety of styles exist but most emphasize covering the hair and hiding the shape of the body.

Hijaz: region in the west of central Arabia, the birthplace of Muhammad.

Hijra: Muhammad’s emigration from Mecca to Medina in the year 622 CE, understood as the date for the beginning of the Muslim hijra calendar (year 0 for the Muslim calendar).

I

Ijaz: doctrine which states that the Quran cannot be imitated; the “inimitability” of the Quran.

Ijma: “consensus,” one of the four sources of law in Sunni Islam, the others being Quran, sunna and qiyas.