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Islamic terms A–Z
83 everyday Islamic words explained simply — each with its Arabic and Urdu. Search or jump to a letter.
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83 terms · ABDEFGHIJKMNQRSTUWZ
A
- Adhan أذان · اذان
- The call to prayer announced before each of the five daily prayers.
- Akhirah آخرة · آخرت
- The Hereafter — life after death, judgement, Paradise and Hell.
- Alhamdulillah الحمد لله · الحمدللہ
- “All praise belongs to Allah.” Said in gratitude.
- Allahu Akbar الله أكبر · اللہ اکبر
- “Allah is the Greatest.” Opens the prayer and is used in dhikr.
- Aqiqah عقيقة · عقیقہ
- Sacrifice offered in gratitude for the birth of a child.
- ‘Asr العصر · عصر
- The afternoon prayer, the third of the five daily prayers.
- Ayah آية · آیت
- A verse of the Quran; also means a sign.
B
- Barakah بركة · برکت
- Blessing — goodness from Allah that makes a little go a long way.
- Bid‘ah بدعة · بدعت
- An innovation in religious practice without basis in the Quran and Sunnah.
- Bismillah بسم الله · بسم اللہ
- “In the name of Allah.” Said before eating, reading and starting any good act.
D
- Da‘wah دعوة · دعوت
- Inviting people to Islam with wisdom and good manners.
- Dhikr ذكر · ذکر
- Remembrance of Allah through phrases of praise and glorification.
- Dhuhr الظهر · ظہر
- The midday prayer, the second of the five daily prayers.
- Dua دعاء · دعا
- Personal supplication — asking Allah directly, in any language.
E
- Eid al-Adha عيد الأضحى · عید الاضحیٰ
- Festival of sacrifice on 10 Dhul Hijjah, during Hajj.
- Eid al-Fitr عيد الفطر · عید الفطر
- Festival marking the end of Ramadan on 1 Shawwal.
F
- Fajr الفجر · فجر
- The dawn prayer, the first of the five daily prayers.
- Fard فرض · فرض
- Obligatory — an act that must be done, such as the five prayers.
- Fatwa فتوى · فتویٰ
- A formal religious ruling given by a qualified scholar.
- Fiqh فقه · فقہ
- Islamic jurisprudence — the detailed rules of worship and daily life.
- Fitrah فطرة · فطرت
- The natural, pure disposition every human is born with.
G
- Ghusl غسل · غسل
- The full ritual bath required in certain situations before prayer.
H
- Hadith حديث · حدیث
- A report of the sayings, actions or approvals of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Hajj حج · حج
- Pilgrimage to Makkah in Dhul Hijjah, required once for those able.
- Halal حلال · حلال
- Permitted — lawful in Islam.
- Haram حرام · حرام
- Forbidden — unlawful in Islam.
- Hijab حجاب · حجاب
- Modest covering; commonly the headscarf worn by Muslim women.
- Hijrah هجرة · ہجرت
- The migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE; start of the Islamic calendar.
I
- Ihram إحرام · احرام
- The sacred state (and clothing) entered for Hajj or Umrah.
- Imam إمام · امام
- The person who leads the prayer; also a leading scholar.
- Iman إيمان · ایمان
- Faith — belief in the heart, affirmed by the tongue and shown in actions.
- In sha Allah إن شاء الله · ان شاء اللہ
- “If Allah wills.” Said about future plans.
- Iqamah إقامة · اقامت
- The second call made just before the congregational prayer begins.
- ‘Isha العشاء · عشاء
- The night prayer, the last of the five daily prayers.
- Istighfar استغفار · استغفار
- Seeking Allah's forgiveness, e.g. “Astaghfirullah”.
- I‘tikaf اعتكاف · اعتکاف
- Staying in the masjid for worship, especially the last ten nights of Ramadan.
J
- Janazah جنازة · جنازہ
- The funeral prayer offered for a deceased Muslim.
- Jannah جنة · جنت
- Paradise — the eternal garden promised to the believers.
- Jihad جهاد · جہاد
- Striving in the way of Allah — above all, the struggle against one's own ego.
- Jinn جن · جن
- Unseen beings created from smokeless fire, accountable like humans.
- Jumu‘ah الجمعة · جمعہ
- The Friday congregational prayer with a sermon (khutbah).
K
- Ka‘bah الكعبة · کعبہ
- The sacred House in Makkah that Muslims face in prayer.
- Khutbah خطبة · خطبہ
- A sermon, given before Jumu‘ah and after the Eid prayers.
M
- Maghrib المغرب · مغرب
- The sunset prayer, the fourth of the five daily prayers.
- Mahr مهر · مہر
- The marriage gift owed by the husband to the wife.
- Makruh مكروه · مکروہ
- Disliked — better avoided, though not sinful in itself.
- Masha Allah ما شاء الله · ماشاء اللہ
- “What Allah has willed.” Said when admiring something good.
- Masjid مسجد · مسجد
- A mosque — a place of prostration and prayer.
- Mihrab محراب · محراب
- The niche in a masjid wall showing the direction of the Qiblah.
- Minbar منبر · منبر
- The pulpit from which the khutbah is delivered.
- Mustahabb مستحب · مستحب
- Recommended — rewarded if done, not sinful if left.
N
- Nafl نفل · نفل
- Voluntary worship beyond what is obligatory.
- Nikah نكاح · نکاح
- The Islamic marriage contract.
- Nisab نصاب · نصاب
- The minimum wealth above which zakat becomes due.
- Niyyah نية · نیت
- Intention — the purpose in the heart behind an act.
Q
- Qadr القدر · تقدیر
- Divine decree — Allah's knowledge and will over all things.
- Qiblah القبلة · قبلہ
- The direction of the Ka‘bah, faced in prayer.
- Qurbani أضحية · قربانی
- The sacrifice of an animal for Eid al-Adha (Udhiyah).
R
- Rak‘ah ركعة · رکعت
- One unit of prayer: standing, bowing and two prostrations.
- Ramadan رمضان · رمضان
- The ninth Islamic month, the month of fasting.
S
- Sadaqah صدقة · صدقہ
- Voluntary charity, given at any time.
- Salah صلاة · نماز / صلوٰۃ
- The ritual prayer performed five times a day.
- Sawm صوم · روزہ
- Fasting from dawn to sunset.
- Shahadah الشهادة · شہادت
- The testimony of faith: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
- Shari‘ah الشريعة · شریعت
- The path of Islamic law drawn from the Quran and Sunnah.
- Shirk شرك · شرک
- Associating partners with Allah — the gravest sin.
- Subhan Allah سبحان الله · سبحان اللہ
- “Glory be to Allah.” An expression of praise and wonder.
- Sujud سجود · سجدہ
- Prostration — forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes on the ground.
- Sunnah سنة · سنت
- The way of the Prophet ﷺ — his words, actions and approvals.
- Surah سورة · سورت
- A chapter of the Quran; there are 114.
T
- Tafsir تفسير · تفسیر
- Explanation and commentary on the meaning of the Quran.
- Tajwid تجويد · تجوید
- The rules for reciting the Quran correctly.
- Taqwa تقوى · تقویٰ
- God-consciousness — mindfulness of Allah that guards from wrong.
- Tarawih تراويح · تراویح
- Night prayers offered in congregation during Ramadan.
- Tasbih تسبيح · تسبیح
- Glorifying Allah; also the prayer beads used to count dhikr.
- Tawaf طواف · طواف
- Circling the Ka‘bah seven times in worship.
- Tawbah توبة · توبہ
- Repentance — turning back to Allah with regret and resolve.
- Tawhid التوحيد · توحید
- The oneness of Allah — the core of Islamic belief.
U
- Ummah أمة · امت
- The worldwide community of Muslims.
- Umrah عمرة · عمرہ
- The lesser pilgrimage to Makkah, performed at any time of year.
W
- Wudu وضوء · وضو
- Ablution — washing specific body parts before prayer.
Z
- Zakat زكاة · زکوٰۃ
- Obligatory annual charity of 2.5% on qualifying wealth above the nisab.
- Zamzam زمزم · زمزم
- The blessed well in Makkah, near the Ka‘bah.
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Questions
Why are some words spelled differently elsewhere?
Arabic words are written in English in several ways — for example Salah, Salat and Namaz. We show the common English spelling with the Arabic and Urdu so you can recognise each one.