GLOSSARY OF ARABIC WORDS AND TERMS  It is helpful for persons attempting to understand Islam to have a glossary of Arabic terms.  Words deemed of more importance by the organizers of this glossary, are preceded by an asterisk (*); those considered of lesser importance lack this designation.    * abaya – The woman’s garment, usually black, which covers the entire body. adab - Refinement; culture. *Abdul-Muttalib - Muhammad's Grandfather.  *Abu Bakr - Muhammad's best friend and the first person to accept Islam.  On Muhammad's death he succeeded in control, and became the First Caliph.       Abu Yalib - An uncle of Muhammad. adhan – The call to prayer. 'ahd - Covenant or treaty. Ahl al-Bayt - Muhammad's household or the family of the Prophet. Ahl al-Hadith - Those persons learned in the Hadith. Ahl al-Kitab – “People of the Book”; a name for Christians, Jews and Zoastrians.  * Aisha - Muhammad's child bride and the daughter of Abu Bakr.  * Allah – The proper name of God, according to Muslims.  Also, the generic Arabic name, before Islam was invented, for any “god”.    * Allah Akbar – “Allah is greatest”. * Ali- Muhammad's cousin, and son-in-law, and as a child, one of the first followers. * Al-Mesyar – A custom under which a quasi-wife or day-time concubine, relinquishes all legal rights, and especially that of any financial support, for herself and any children born of this type of relationship.    aman - Safe conduct. Amina – the given name of Muhammad’s mother. ansar - The early converts of Medina, and later all citizens of that City that became converts. 'aqiqah - The custom of shaving an infant's head seven days after birth, and then the sacrifice of animals associated with the rite. Asr – The first of the five daily prayer services, offered any time during the period starting with dawn and ending a few minutes before sunrise.  * ‘bin - son, or daughter of. * ‘bint - girl, or daughter of. * Buraq – The winged creature, with the body of a donkey and the face of a human being, upon which Muhammad rode on his night journey from Mecca to     Jerusalem and then on to Heaven. * Caliph – the maximum authority of Islam, in an Islamic society. * Dar Al-Harb - The Land of Warfare.  Any country, belonging to infidels (non -Muslims), and not as yet completely subdued by Islam. * Dar al-Islam - The Land of Peace, i.e.- Where Islam rules absolutely. * Dar al-Sulh – A country or place where Dar al-Harb cannot as yet be pursued, i.e.- those     societies where Muslims do not as yet have enough power, and have to mask their ultimate intentions.  The United States would be the most perfect example. Eid-ul-Fitr - The Islamic festival concluding the fasting of Ramadan.   * dawah – The calling of Muslims to Holy Jihad. * dhimmi – A non-Muslim living as a second class citizen in an Islamic society, especially a Christian or Jew. din - Religion. fajr - The first of the five daily prayers expected of a Muslim, which should be initiated at dawn and be accomplished before actual sunrise.  * farhoud – A “pogram” or persecution of a conquered society, especially the Jews.   fatihah - The first sura of the Koran. *Fatima - Muhammad's youngest daughter. * fatwa – A legal decision handed down by a religious leader. fiqh - The jurisprudence of Islam. fusha - The pure Arabic language. ghazwa  (pl. ghazwat) - Early Muslim military actions in which the Prophet took part.  * giaours – Arabic for: “Infidel Christian dogs”. Gibral – the angle Gabriel. Habiba - Muhammad's eighth wife. habl - A treaty or covenant. * Hadith - The body of traditions concerning the sayings and acts of the Prophet. * Hadrat – A prefix of honor before a person’s name. Hafsa - Muhammad's fourth wife. * hajj - The annual pilgrimage to Mecca. * Hajr-e-Aswad – The large black stone located at the Kaaba shrine. * Haraj – The land tax paid by all subjugated societies. * haram - A sacred place, especially those of Mecca and Medina. * harem – The place where the wives and concubines of a Muslim are quartered.  hijab – the rules of modesty.  * Hajj – The pilgrimage to the Ka’aba that every Muslim must attempt to complete in his or her lifetime. Hajr-I-Aswad - The large black stone located at the Ka'aba. * hijrah (hegira) – Muhammad’s flight to Medina, in 622 A.D. * houris – The 72 sensual black eyed maidens waiting in the Muslim heaven at the disposition of a believer, if dying in Holy Jihad. ilaha – a false god; a god other than Allah. * imam - Leader; especially a spiritual leader; leader in communal prayer. * Isa – The Arabic name given to Jesus of Nazareth. * Islam – The religion invented by Muhammad; the word in Arabic means “submission”. isra - A night journey; especially Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and then to Heaven. * Jaba al-Nur – The Mountain of Light near Mecca, where Muhammad received his first revelations. janaza – A funeral. * jihad - Holy War; the call to kill all non-Muslims, or infidels.  * jizyah - Poll tax, or capitation tax. * Ka’aba – The enclave in Mecca containing the large basaltic stone.  * kafir - An unbeliever. *Khadija - The first wife of Muhammad.  khatib - An orator; the person leading the Friday prayers, generally in a mosque. khutbah - The oration or address, generally in a mosque, on Fridays. liwat – Homosexual intercourse. mab 'ath - The Calling; when Muhammad was summoned to become God's Prophet. maghazi - Early battles in which Muhammad took part. Maimuna - His tenth wife. mawla - A non-Arab Muslim. * Makkah - Mecca * Medina  (Madinah) – A shortened version of Medinat al-Nabi, or “City of the Prophet”. mi 'raj - Ascent; the Prophet's vision of Heaven.  * Mosque – the place of worship of Muslims, comparable to a church or synagogue.   muhajirun - Those accompanying Muhammad on the hegira. * Mujahid – Holy warriors of Islam.  musnad - A part of the Hadith attributed directly to Muhammad. * mut'ah - Temporary marriage, as for example those marriages of three days sanctioned by the Koran between warriors and prostitutes. nabi - A prophet. * Qadi - The judge of a Sharia’h court. * Qur’an – Koran, the holy book of Muslims. qari - The reader or reciter of the Koran. qibla – The direction to face towards Mecca, for formal prayers.   qira'ah - A recitation of the Koran * Ramadan – The lunar based Holy Month for Muslims pre-dating Islam as a month of peace for the tribes of Arabia.   Rashidun – Term to describe the first four Caliphs, that is, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali. Rasul – Messenger or apostle. Sadaqa – A charitable gift, alms, a legally prescribed alms tax. Safiyya- Muhammad's ninth wife.    Sahabah – The group of Companions of the Prophet. Salah – The five daily obligatory prayers which Muslims are supposed to say.  saraya – Early military engagements, at which the Prophet was not present. Sau'da - Muhammad's second wife.  Shahada – The call to prayer and declaration of faith used by Muslims.  *  Shahid – A Muslim martyr to Islam, a designation now commonly used when referring to the suicide (homicide) bombers.    * Sharia’h – the body of Islamic jurisprudence. sira / sirah (pl. siyar) – A biography, especially of the Prophet. * Sunnah – Customary practice, usage sanctioned by the Koran and the sayings and     doings of the Prophet, that have been accepted as legally binding. * sura / surah – A chapter of the Koran. tafsir – Koranic commentary and explanation. tanzil – The divine revelation as revealed in the Koran. tawhid – The doctrine of God’s unity. * The Companions – the close inner circle of friends and relatives of Muhammad. Um-e-Salma - Muhammad's sixth wife.  * ummah – The Islamic community. usul – Fundamentals of jurisprudence. wadu – Ablution. * Zainab 'bint Hajash - Previous to becoming Muhammad's seventh wife, she had been     the wife of Zaid, Muhammad's adopted son.  Zainab 'bint Khazima - Muhammad's fifth wife.  Yathrib – The former name of Medina, before Muhammad consolidated his power structure. zakat – A self imposed alms tax of Muslims; normal is 2 ½ percent of one’s yearly income.