‘Adil: Just. A person who refrains from committing the major sins, and also does not persist in committing the minor sins.

Ahl al-Kitab: Literally the People of the Book. A term used in the Qur’an and Ahadith to denote the Jews and Christians.

‘Ayn-Najasat: Something that in itself is Najis, and no matter what is done to it, cannot be made Tahir, for example, urine, semen, dog and pig.

Baligh: The age at which a Muslim becomes responsible, meaning that certain acts such as Salat, Sawm, Hajj, etc... become Wajib upon him or her. It can be proven by certain ways, the most common is the completion of 15 lunar years for a boy and 9 lunar years for a girl.

Dafan: The actual burial of the dead body.

Fitrah: An Islamic tax that is payable on the first day of the month of Shawwal.

Hajj: The specific rites that are performed in and around Mecca, in the present day Saudi Arabia; that are obligatory on a Muslim at least once in his or her lifetime.

Haram: Forbidden, prohibited. It is necessary to abstain from the acts that are Haram. If one who performs a Haram act, such as eating pork, drinking alcohol, he will be punished.

Hunut: The application of Camphor on the deceased’s forehead, palms, both the knees and both the big toes of the feet.

‘Iddah: The waiting period after the death or divorce of a woman from her husband, in which certain things are prohibited for her to perform.

Ihtidhar: The time period while one is in the throngs of death.

Ihtiyat Mustahab: Recommended Precaution. Its significance is the same as that of Mustahab. When a Mujtahid uses this term, he means that there is no solid proof for that particular act being Mustahab, but his standards of precaution demand that it be considered as Mustahab.

Ihtiyat Wajib: Obligatory Precaution. Its significance is the same as that of Wajib with the difference that in the rules where a Mujtahid says it is “Obligatory precaution,” you have the option of leaving his taqlid (following) in that particular problem, and following the rulings of the second most knowledgeable Mujtahid in that problem (in order words, perform Ruju).

Ihram: The state one enters before performing the ‘Umrah or Hajj.

Ithna-‘Ashari: A Shi’a Muslim who believes in the succession of twelve Imams, one after the other, starting with ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) and ending with Imam Mahdi Sahib al-Zaman (‘a).

Irtimasi: A form of Ghusl/Wudhu in which the entire body is submerged under water at one time.

Jabirah: A bandage or covering over top of injury.

Janabah: The state a person enters due to sexual intercourse, or by the ejaculation of semen.

Kafan: The three pieces of cloth (for the man) and the four pieces of cloth (for the woman) used to cover a deceased Muslim.

Khums: Literally 1/5. An Islamic tax levied on cash and various goods, which must be paid every year.

Mahram: A person to whom marriage is forbidden.

Makruh: Reprehensible, disliked. The acts whose performance is not punished, but whose avoidance is rewarded, e.g., eating in the state of Janabah.

Mubah: Permitted, allowed, lawful, legal. The act or thing which is permitted and lawful. There is no reward for performing it and no punishment for neglecting it, e.g., drinking tea. Mubah is mostly used for lawful things, not for permitted actions.

Muhtadhir: A person who is experiencing the pain of death.

Mustahab: Recommendable, desirable, better. The acts which if a person does not perform, is not punished for, but whose performance is rewarded, e.g., the call to prayer, (Adhan).

Non-Baligh: A person who has not reached the age of maturity, according to Islamic law.

Qadha: An act performed after its specified time, for example praying Salat al-Fajr after Sunrise, or missing a fast of the month of Ramadhan and performing it in the month of Safar.

Qiblah: The direction that the Muslims face while praying, slaughtering an animal, and other rites - the Holy Ka’bah which is located in Mecca in present day Saudi Arabia.

Qurbat: An action done with the intention of seeking nearness to Allah.

Shahadatain: The testifying to the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (S):

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله

Shari’ah: The noble and sacred law of Islam brought by the Prophet of Islam (S) that forms the basis of all areas of a Muslim’s life - including civil, criminal, and public law.

Surma: A black power found primarily in Middle Eastern countries, that is commonly applied in the eyes as a means of beautification. When applied, it looks similar to black eyeliner. It has also been mentioned in several Ahadith in regards to the medical benefits of its usage.

Tartib: Literally ‘in succession’. Commonly used in conjunction with Wudhu and Ghusl, meaning that the actions must be performed one after the other in a set order.

Tayammum: A form of ritual purification in Islam when one does not have access to water.

‘Umrah: The ‘Lesser’ Pilgrimage to Makkah performed in any month, except for Dhu al-Hijjah.

Wajib: Obligatory, necessary, incumbent. An act which must be performed, and if performed, one will be rewarded and punished for neglecting it, e.g., the daily prayers, the fasting of the Month of Ramadhan.

Wajib al-Kifa’i: An action that is compulsory on all Muslims, however, if even one person performs it, the burden is removed from all others such as giving the deceased Muslim a Ghusl.

Wasi: A person who is to give effect to a Will is called an executor.

Zakat: An Islamic tax which is levied on certain goods, including wheat, grain, raisins, heads of cattle, gold, silver and other things.

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