ISLAM: Glossary of Frequently Used Terms

GLOSSARY of frequently used terms

Part of a working paper on Islam in America by Susan McKee

African Islamic Mission

A Muslim sect, headquartered on Long Island, it claims a membership of 8,000 and has offices in Liberia and Senegal.[i]

Al Bayan ("The Statement")

A newspaper started in 1910 by the Druze community in America, which was also read by traditional Muslims.

Allah

The Arabic word for God is Allah, whether the Arabic speaker is referring to the Christian or the Muslim God. Some Muslims believe that the word Allah cannot be translated into other languages and maintain its identification with the one true God.

Americanist

This term is used by Syrian-Americans to refer to the American-born children of Syrian-born immigrants, especially those "who felt that they should assimilate and become a part of the American mosaic".[ii]

Ansaru Allah Community

A Black Muslim sect based in Brooklyn, N.Y., whose followers dress in white. The founder of the group, formerly called the Nubian-Hebrew Mission, was Imam Isa Al Haadi Al Mahdi.

Arab

One who speaks Arabic and shares the heritage of Arabic culture is an Arab. An estimated 95% of Arabs are Muslim; the remainder are primarily Christian. However only 20% of Muslims worldwide are Arabs (the largest Muslim country is Indonesia).

Asr

In Arabic, this word meaning "afternoon" is also the name of the afternoon prayer that is among the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims.

As-salaam alaikum

This is the usual English transliteration of the traditional Arabic greeting, which is translated "peace be upon you." The one being greeted reverses the blessing in response with "and upon you, peace," or wah alaikum as-salaam.

Bilalians

This is a recent term sometimes used by traditional Muslims to denote Black Muslims who have converted to "true" Islam. In Muslim tradition, Bilal was an Ethiopian slave given his freedom by Abu Bakr, the prophet Muhammad's "best friend."[iii]

Bismillah

This is the usual English transliteration of the first word of the first line of the Koran. Translated as "in the name of God," it is used frequently as an invocation at the start of an action no matter how trivial.

Black Muslims

The generally accepted term for followers of the Nation of Islam is Black Muslims, a term C. Eric Lincoln says he coined in his 1956 doctoral dissertation to describe "this rapidly growing, Chicago-centered movement."[iv] However, the original movement split after Elijah Muhammad's death, causing some confusion in use of the term. At present, it is used by journalists and scholars to refer to those continuing to follow Elijah Muhammad's version of Islam under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan.

Blood Brothers

An alleged black terrorist organization in New York City, these were followers of Malcolm X who were trained in judo and karate and murdered whites.

Dar al-Islam

The usual English transliteration for the Arabic term denoting the realm of Islam: usually territories under Muslim control but sometimes those areas with Muslim majorities. Beyond the dar al-Islam is the dar al-harb, the regions not under Muslim control and/or inhabited by non-Muslims.

Dar-ul-Islam Movement

An offshoot of Black Islam once based in Brooklyn, it is now (1993) led by Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown) and headquartered in the Community Mosque of Atlanta;[v] some 50 families attend.[vi] Begun in the 1970s, a leader (1980) is Bilal Abdullah Rahman, an administrator of Yasin Mosque. The group's official publication is (1980) called An-Nathir.

Dhuhr

The Arabic word for noon, dhuhr also the name for one of the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims.

Druze

A sectarian offshoot of the Fatimid Ismai'ili faction of Shi'a Islam, numbering between 600,000[vii] and 900,000[viii] Arabic-speaking citizens of Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Jordan that has sent a few thousand immigrants to the U.S.; the most notable is the entertainer Casey Kasem. Debate continues on the theological content of Druzism, with Robert Brenton Betts (among others) opting to describe it as "not merely a sect of Islam but a new religion, which aimed at establishing a new world order."[ix] Proselytizing is forbidden and one cannot convert to Druzism; one must be born in the faith of this closed community.

Fajr

The Arabic word for dawn, fajr is the first of the five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims; it is performed before the rising of the sun. The others are dhuhr, asr, maghreb, and 'isha.

Fatihah (Al-Fatiha)

The opening chapter of the Koran; it is among the most frequent prayers by Muslims. One commonly used translation in English is: With the name Allah, the most gracious, the most compassionate. Praise be to Allah, the lord of all the worlds; the most gracious, the most compassionate, master of the day of judgment. You do we worship, and your aid we seek. Guide us on the straight path, the way of those on whom you have bestowed your grace, those whose portion is not wrath and who go not astray.

Five-Percenters

This is a splinter group of the Nation of Islam founded by Clarence 13X "Pudding" Smith in 1963. Smith was killed in 1969.

Fruit of Islam

The secret protective arm of the Black Muslim movement, they are young men trained in the martial arts. If the Nation of Islam is a government, then they are its military wing.

Hadith

The English transliteration of the Arabic word meaning the generally accepted accounts of the sayings, decisions and actions of Muhammad, his Companions and other early Muslims. They were transmitted orally until approximately two centuries after Muhammad's death. Along with the Koran, they are the source of Muslim orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

Hajj

This Arabic word means the pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the pillars of Islam. All observant Muslims, if they are physically and financially able, are expected to make one pilgrimage during the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar (pilgrimages at other times of the year are called umra). Malcolm X took the honorific El-Hajj as part of his name after he completed his pilgrimage, as is traditional for an observant Muslim.

Halal

The English transliteration of the Arabic term referring to something that is permitted. For example, halal meat has been slaughtered and prepared according to Muslim standards.

Haram

The English transliteration of the Arabic term with two core meanings. One means a sacred precinct or area set aside from the world (for example, Mecca). In English it became harem and referred only to the Ottoman custom of sequestering women of nobility in separate living quarters. The second refers to that which is proscribed by Muslim law and tradition and forbidden to the faithful, such as the eating of pork.

Hijra

The Arabic word for the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. The Muslim calendar dates from this year.

'Id al-Fitr

One English transliteration of the Arabic name for the feast that celebrates the end of the month-long Ramadan daylight fast (also called Eid al-Fitr).

Imam

This term has different meanings for the Sunni and Shi'a branches of Islam. For the Sunni, the term refers to the prayer leader at a mosque. As there is no priesthood in Islam, this person is not equivalent to priest or pastor. He (always male) is merely conversant in the Koran and chosen by consensus. For the Shi'a, the term is reserved for the successors to the sons of 'Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) and their spiritual and political leaders.

'Isha

The Arabic word for evening, this is the closing prayer of the day (about 1-1/2 hours after sunset), one of five obligatory prayers for Muslims.

Islam

Literally, the Arabic word islam means submission. For a Muslim (one who submits), Islam is peace through submission to the will of Allah.

Islamic Medical Association

Founded in 1968 "to foster social and professional relationships among Muslim physicians and Allied Health Professionals in North America and around the world."[x]

Islamic Mission Society

Said to have been founded in New York City in 1934 by Shaikh Daoud.[xi]

Islamic Party of America

Organized in 1972 and led (in 1980) by Muzaffaruddin Hamid, it publishes Al-Islam.[xii]

Isma'ilis

A sectarian offshoot of Shi'a Islam which has send a few thousand immigrants to the U.S. The leader of the Nizari branch holds the title Aga Khan. The current one is 49th in an unbroken line of descent. There are perhaps 2 million Isma'ilis worldwide.

Jihad

The English transliteration of the Arabic word for "struggle." When used to mean a fight in defense of Islam, it has taken the connotation of "Holy War."

Jum'ah

One English transliteration of the Arabic term for the mid-day Friday congregational prayer service, usually in a mosque (others are juma and jumu'a).

Kafir

The English transliteration of the Arabic word that translates as unbeliever and is used by Muslims to denote someone who is not Muslim.

Koran

The traditional English spelling for the book containing Allah's revelations in Arabic to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel is Koran. It also is transliterated from the Arabic as Qur'an or Quran. The language of the Koran, as the spoken world of God, became the basis of formal or classical Arabic.

Maghrib (sometimes spelled maghreb)

The Arabic word for sunset, maghrib is one of five obligatory daily prayers for Muslims. The term also denotes, collectively, the Muslim countries of North Africa, the "land of the setting sun" west of Arabia.

Mahdi

Part of a collection of words meaning variously messiah, prophet, anointed one. Mahdism is the belief that a divinely guided restorer of Islam will establish a prophetic kingdom at the end of history.[xiii] The best-known person claiming the title of Mahdi was the Muslim warrior who fought the British in the Sudan in the 1880s, defeating Gen. Gordon at Khartoum. His full name was Al Imam Muhammad Ahmad Al Mahdi.

Masjid

This Arabic word is sometimes merely transliterated into English or translated as temple or mosque. The Arabic plural is masajid.

Mihrab

The niche in the center of the front wall inside a mosque noting the direction of the Ka'aba in Mecca, the direction Muslims face for prayer (in the U.S., that's east; for an Indonesian, it would be northwest!).

Muslim

One who practices Islam is Muslim (the now out-of-favor English transliteration is Moslem).

Muslim Mosque, Incorporated

The name of an offshoot of the Nation of Islam announced by Malcolm X on March 12, 1964.

Nativist

This term is used by Syrian-Americans to refer to those Syrian immigrants "who wished to return to Syria and/or those who demanded that Syrian customs and mores remain as they were in the Old World."[xiv]

Peace Be Upon Him

Sometimes abbreviated in print as PBUH, this exclamation often is used by Muslims after mentioning the name of one of the prophets, especially Muhammad. Native speakers of Arabic sometimes use the English transliteration of the Arabic text, sala Allah alayhi wa salaam (which also can be translated "God's blessings and peace be upon him"). Some Muslims also add subanna wata Allah (or "Glory be upon him") following mention of the name Allah.

Pillars of Islam

The five essentials of Islam are the profession of faith (shahadah), performing the prayers (salat), the giving of 2.5% of one's net income to charity (zakat), pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) and fasting during Ramadan (saum).

Ramadan

The ninth month of the Islamic year is spent fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Riba

The charging of or paying of "usurious interest" is forbidden to Muslims, but the Koran does not define "usurious." Some Muslims consider the only percentage of interest acceptable is "zero." As a result, orthodox Muslims find it difficult to navigate in a culture where home mortgages, car loans and certificates of deposit are routine banking transactions.[xv]

Sada al-Watan

A Detroit newspaper for Arab-Americans published by Osama Siblani.[xvi]

Said (or syed)

Among Shi'ite Muslims, the term "said" indicates that its bearer is descended from the family of Muhammad. "This is a title of honor, which to Western non-Muslims who are not acquainted with the practice sometimes appears to be a first name."[xvii]

Shabazz (sometimes spelled Shebazz)

Elijah Muhammad referred to American blacks as members of the Tribe of Shabazz, "the first to discover the best part of our planet (earth) to live on, which is the rich Nile Valley of Egypt and the present seat of the Holy City, Mecca, Arabia."[xviii] From this legend came Malcolm X's final surname, and the one still used by his widow, Betty Shabazz.

Shahadah (or shahada)

The public confession whereby one becomes a Muslim, hence one of the pillars of Islam. One English translation is, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah."

Shari'ah (or shari'a)

The English transliteration of the Arabic term referring to Islamic law, which is based on the Koran and the hadith. There are four main schools of shari'a which disagree with each other on a variety of interpretations (named for their founders, they are Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i).

Shi'ia Islam

About 10% of practicing Muslims are Shi'ite. The name derives from Shi'a, meaning partisans or followers, and refers to those who believe that the successors to Muhammad should come only from descendants of his family. The first Shi'ites were partisans of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad's son-in-law and husband of his favorite daughter, Fatima.

Sunnah (or sunna)

The English transliteration of the Arabic term for the "true path" or example set by Muhammad, the way he behaved and acted during his life.

Sunni Islam

About 90% of practicing Muslims are Sunni, a term derived from sunna and meaning people who follow the "true path".

Tijaniyya (Tijani Sufis)

A sect of Islam founded by Ahmad at-Tijani (1737-1815).[xix]

Ulema

The English transliteration of the plural for the Arabic 'alim, which means a learned person. Ulema usually refers to "orthodox" Islamic theologians, scholars and teachers.

Ummah (or umma)

The English transliteration of the Arabic word denoting at one level the religious community in which a Muslim participates and at another, the entire community of believers in Islam.

Members of the Nation of Islam considered the surnames of blacks to be "slave names," appellations bestowed by white masters. The X represents a black person's lost, unknowable African name and "symbolized the heritage that had been stolen from him." When a second Temple of Islam member with the same first name was deemed worthy of being honored with the symbolic surname, he would be called 2X, and so forth. "In some temples there were as many as ten people or more with the same first name, so a person might be called John 10X."[xx]

Yakub

According to Black Muslim theology, Yakub is the Prince of Demons who created the white race, which is "totally demoniac, totally depraved."[xxi]