DARUL ILM (Thornhill lees Central Mosque)

A  
Arafat
The Hajj reaches its apex on the plains of Arafat, south-east of Mecca.
Asr
One of the five daily prayers performed between afternoon and sunset.
Ayah
Verse from the Quran.
Alim
a learned person in Islam, scholar.
Adhan
the Muslim call to prayer. It is used to signify the time of prayer for the five obligatory prayers.

B  
Black Stone
Said to have fallen from heaven, the sacred black stone is built into the south-east corner of the Ka'aba at a height of four feet. Part of Abraham's original Ka'aba, Mohammad placed it into the wall during the reconstruction. He kissed the black stone during his Farewell Hajj - touching and kissing the stone that is not part of the Hajj but is considered sunnah.
Bismillah
In the name of Allah (God).

C  
C.E.
stands for Christian Era. It is used instead of A.D. in Islamic text referring to the dates before the Hijrah.
D  
Daff tambourine used in Arabia.
Da'iy Muslim missionary involved in da'wah. It can also have a general meaning reffering to someone who calls others to a certain belief.
Da'wah inviting others to Islam. Missionary work.
Dhikr remembrance for the sake of Allah.
Din means way of life or religion.
Du'a A prayer.
E  
Eid al-Adha
Day/Feast of sacrifice cmarking the end of the Hajj on the 10th day. Hajj pilgrims celebrate at Mina, while Muslims all over the world celebrate in their own communities with food, new clothes and the exchange of gifts.
Eid Al-Fitr
Three day festival marking the end of Ramadan.

F  
Fajr
the obligatory salat, prayer, before sunrise.
Five Pillars of Islam
Islam is based upon five cornerstones of faith and worship. They are Shahaddah (expression of faith), Salah (Prayer), Zakah (Giving of Alms), Siyam (Fasting) and Al-Hajj (Pilgrimage).
Faqih
a person who is an expert on Islamic jurisprudence (law), fiqh.
Fard
something which is obligatory on a Muslim. It is sometimes used in reference to the obligatory part of salat.
Fatwa
legal opinion concerning Islamic Law.
Fiqh
Islamic law.
Fitnah
means civil strife, war, riots.
Fuqaha
plural form of faqih.

G  
Ghazi Muslim soldier, warrior.
Ghazwah military expedition.

H  
Hadith
sayings of the Prophet.
Hadith Qudsi 
the Hadith Qudsi are hadith's in which the Prophet says the Allah says so and so. The meaning of the these hadith was revealed to the Prophet but he put them in his own words, unlike the Quran which is the word of Almighty Allah and the Prophet conveyed it exactly as it was revealed to him.
Hajj 
means effort. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that is obligatory on every Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and takes place during the Islamic month of Zhul al-Hijjah. A Muslim must perform the Hajj at least once in his life. The exception to this is financial and health reasons.
Hafize Quran
A person who memorizes the entire Quran.
Hagar
The second of the Prophet ibrahim's wives and mother of his first son ismail. The Sa'i (Hajj rite of running) symbolises Hagar's desperate search for water for her son between Safa and Marwa.
Halal
something that is lawful and permitted in Islam.
Hanif
people who during the time of jahiliyyah rejected the idolatry in their society. These people were in search for the true religion of Prophet Abraham.
Haqq 
the Truth.
Haraam
something which is unlawful or prohibited in Islam.
Haram
a Haram is a sanctuary, a sacred territory. Mecca has been considered a Haram since the time of Abraham. All things within the limit of the Haram are protected and considered inviolable Madinah was also declared a Haram by the Prophet.
Hijrah 
means migration. The Hijrah refers to the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Madinah. This journey took place in the twelfth year of his mission (622 CE). This is the beginning of the Muslim calendar. The word hijrah means to leave a place to seek sancturary or freedom from persecution or freedom of religion or any other purpose. Hijrah can also mean to leave a bad way of life for a good or more righteous way.

I
Imam
leader of the congregational prayer, salat, that the Muslims offer five times a day. It is sometimes used to refer to the head of an Islamic State.
Ihram
The state of spiritual and physical purification in which Muslim pilgrims begin Umrah or Hajj. Pilgrims must wear simple ihram dress and abstain from prohibited acts including cutting/shaving hair, violent disputes, sexual intercourse, marriage proposals).
Isha 
One of the five daily prayers performed between night and dawn.
Ismail 
First son of ibrahim and Hagar. Ismail helped his father build the Ka'aba.
Iman
faith and trust in Allah.
Istighfar
to seek Allah's forgiveness. It is something that must be done continuously in a Muslims life.

J  
Jahannam
Hell
Jamarat 
The three stone pillars at which pilgrims cast pebbles during the Hajj. The three stone pillars are Jamarat al-Aqaba (biggest), Jamarat al-Wusta and Jamarat al-Ula (smallest) and each symbolises Satan.
Jahiliyyah 
means ignorant. Jahiliyyah refers to the pre-Islamic era that existed in Arabia. It is a combination of views, ideas, and practices that totally defy and reject the guidance sent down by God through His Prophets.
Jalbab 
this is a long loose fitting garment worn by the Arabs.
Jannah 
The paradise
Jihad 
means to strive. This can be any kind of striving in the way of God which involves either spiritual or personal effort, material resources, or arms. Jihad is also used to refer to a war waged by the Muslims for the defence or advancement of Islam; it's interests and ideals.
Jizyah
a tax paid by non-Muslims living in a Muslim State. Since the non-Muslims are exempt from military service and taxes imposed on Muslims, they must pay this tax to compensate. It guarentees them security and protection. If the State cannot protect those who paid jizyah, then the amount they paid is returned to them.

K  
Ka'bah
the first house of worship built for mankind. It was originally built by Adam and later on reconstructed by Abraham and Isma'il. It is a cubed shaped structure based in the city of Mecca to which all Muslims turn to in their five daily paryers.
Kafir 
a person who refuses to submit himself to Allah (God), a disbeliever in God.
Khalifah
in the begining it was a reference to the successor of the Prophet. Later on it began to take on the meaning of head of state for a Muslim nation.
Khutbah 
a speech or sermon. It is sometimes used to refer to the sermon given during the Friday cogregational prayer.
Kufr
to show ungratefulness to Allah and not to believe in Him and His religion.

L  
Laat 
a chief goddess in the religion of the pre-Islamic Arabs during the days of jahiliyyah.

M  
Madinah
the first city-state that came under the banner of Islam. It is where the Prophet's masjid and grave are situated.
Maghrib
the obligatory salat, prayer, that is performed right after the sun sets over the horizon.
Mahr
a dowry given by the man to the woman he is about to marry. It is part of the Muslim marriage contract. It can never be demanded back under any circumstances.
Marwah 
a mound near the Ka'bah that is referred to in the Quran as one of the symbols of Allah. It is in conjuction with safa.
Masjid
a place of worship and salat. The life of the early Muslims used to revolve around the masjid. Meetings would be held there, discussions would take place there. It is called a 'mosque' in English.
Mawla
a person of slave origin who does not have tribal protection. It is a word with dual meaning. It can mean either master or servant.
Mawlaya
a form of address to a ruler implying protector.
Mihrab
a recess in the masjid that indicates the direction of salat.
Mina 
a plain within the bounds of the haram of Mecca, within five kilometers outside the city. During the hajj the pilgrims pass the night between the eighth and ninth day proceed to Arafat on the ninth day.
Minbar 
a pulpit
Muhajir 
A person who does hijrat
Mujahid 
someone who is active and fights for Islam. A Muslim fighter. The opposite of qaideen.
Mu'min 
a person who has deep faith in Allah and is a righteous and obedient servant of His.
Munafiq
a hypocrite, more dangerous and worse than a kafir.
Murabit
a person who is on the road spreading Islam.
Mushaf
a copy of the Quran.
Mushawarah 
means consultation.
Mushrik
a polythiest. A person who ascribes partners to Allah.

N  
Nasab
means lineage or geneology.
Niyyah
Is the Intention. When a person undertakes a pilgrimage, he/she has to declare a statement of intent.

O  

P  

Q  
Qadi
judge
Qard 
a loan given for a good cause in the name of Allah, in hopes of repayment or reward in the Hereafter.
Qari 
someone who recites the Quran.
Qiblah 
it is the direction that Muslims face when they do their salat. It is in the direction of the Ka'bah in Mecca.
Qiyamah
Day of Judgement, resurrection.
Quraysh
the most powerful and prominent tribe in all of Arabia in the Prophet's era. The Quraysh were the keepers of the Ka'bah and therefore one of the wealthiest and most powerful tribes. The Prophet was from among the Quraysh. When he started to preach the True religion of Allah, the Quraysh violently persecuted him and his followers. They were badly defeated at the battle of Badr by the Muslims and their days of jahiliyyah were finally ended when the Muslims liberated Mecca and destroyed all the idols in the Ka'bah in the year 630 CE

R
Ra'kat 
an individual unit of salat.
Ramadan 
the holy month of prescribed fasting for the Muslims. It was during this month that the Quranic revelations began.
Ramal
The accelerated pace into a leisurely jog for the first three circuits of the Tawaf.
Rasulullah 
the Messenger of Allah (God).
Ruku 
the position in salat in which the person prostrates himself in a standing position with his body bent forward at the waist and his hands on his knees.

S  
Sabr 
Patience
Sadaqah
means charity
Safa 
a mound near the Ka'bah that is referred to in the Quran as one of the symbols of Allah. It is in conjuction with marwah.
Sahabah
companions of the Prophet.
Salat 
the five obligatory prayers that a Muslim must perform everyday.
Sa'yee 
the going back and forth seven times between safa and marwah that is done during the hajj or the umrah. It is done to symbolize Hajar's search for water for her son Ismael.
Shahadah
declaration of faith. A person must recite the shahadah to convert to Islam. The shahadah in Islam is:: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
Shariah 
Islamic law
Shirk 
associating partners with Allah. Shirk can also encompase any object that a person may hold in regard higher than Allah. It is the most severe of sins and will not be forgiven.
Suffah 
a raised platform that was used by the Prophet as a welcomming point for newcomers or destitute people. It was part of his masjid.
Sujud 
the position in salat in which the person prostrates on the ground with his hands, knees, feet, and face touching the ground.
Sunnah
the examples of the Prophet's life what he said, did, implemented, how he implemented... Almost the same as the hadith.

T  
Tahajjud
the Tahajjud prayer is an optional prayer that is supposed to be performed in the middle of the night. It is required that a person sleep a little before he gets up for the Tahajjud prayer. It can be performed anytime between Isha and Fajr.
Talbiyah 
The prayer which responds to Allah's call for Hajj. Begins with the word 'labayk' - 'I am here'.
Taqwa
the love and fear that a Muslim feels for Allah. A person with taqwa desires to be in the good pleasures of Allah and to stay away from those things that would displease Allah. He is careful not to go beyond the bouds and limits set by Allah.
Tawaf 
the circumfering of the Ka'bah seven times. People usually do this during umrah or hajj.
Tauhid 
confirming the Oneness of Allah. It is the basis of Islam.

U  
Ulama 
the learned, knowledgeble people in Islam. Plural form of alim.
Ummah
Global Muslim community.
Umrah
this is the lesser pilgrimage which is optional and can be performed at any time.
Urdu 
the official language of Pakistan.
Uzzah
a chief goddess in the religion of the pre-Islamic Arabs during the days of jahiliyyah.

V  

W  
Wakil
a person who is an authorized repesentative or proxy. Also can mean lawyer in Urdu.
Wali
a guardian. A friend or protector. Someone who is supposed to look out for your interest.
Walimah
a feast after the wedding. The reception.
Wudu
purification (abulution) that must be performed before someone does their salat or reads the Quran.

X  

Y  
Yathrib
the area where the city of Madinah is situated.

Z  
Zakat
the obligatory tax that every Muslim must give. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. The zakat is used to provide for the poor and destitute.
Zuhr
the obligatory salat, prayer, that is performed in the afternoon right after the sun moves away from it's zenith.