Terminology.
Da'wah
Literal meaning of the word can be translated as:
Desire for God and
Appeal for raid
Technical meaning of the word is:
Inviting people to Islam through word and action, calling the people to follow the
commandments of Allah Ta'ala.
Teach Islam
Practicing Islam
Da'yi
Muslim missionary involved in Da'wah. It can also have a general meaning
reffering to someone who calls others to a certain belief.
Ummah
Community or Nation. The body of the Muslims as one distinct and
integrated community. The Unimah of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
refers to every Ins wal Jinn (mankind and Jinn) born after the final message was revealed
through the Holy Prophet Muhammad who have embraced Islam. The Ummah of Muhammad, may the
blessings and peace of Allah be on him and all his community (those who have lived in the
past, those who are alive now and those who will live in the future), can be subdivided
into two groups:
Ummat ad-Da'wa - the nation that was called upon to believe in Allah
Ta'ala and the Last Day.
Ummat al-Isteajaba - the nation that responded to the call of Muhammad.
Another name for this Ummah is "Al- Ummah al-Islamiah" ("the Islamic
Nation"). Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala commanded the Ummat al-Isteajaba to hold together
and not to disagree. Unfonunately , this decree has been ignored, and in fulfilment of the
Last Messenger's prophecy, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, there are now 73
different groups of Muslims, only one of whom possesses and protects the original
teachings of Islam as brought and embodied by him.
Shari'ah
Islamic law as ordained by Allah Ta'ala. Literally it means 'a road'. The
Shari'a is the legal and social modality of a people based on the revelation of their
prophet. The last Shari'a in history is that of Islam. It abrogates all previous Shari'as.
It is being the last, therefore the easiest to follow, for it is applicable to the whole
human race wherever they are.
Din (Deen)
Usually translated as 'religion', but in fact meaning 'life-transaction',
the transaction being between Allah and each of his created beings. The life-transaction,
or religion, of Allah Ta'ala is universal. It is the way of Islam (submisson of will to
Allah Ta'ala). He sent the same message to Nooh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses),
Isa (Jesus) and all
the other prophets, peace be on all of them, but mankind, through ignorance or intentional
misguidance by others, has altered the religion of Allah again and again. Allah Ta'ala
sent the Holy Qur'an as the final revelation and guidance for mankind and the Jinn who
will all be judged on the Day of Resurrection.
Also indicates the judgement itself, i.e. "Yaum al-Deen" (Judgement Day).
Iman
Trust, faith and acceptance. Having faith and believing in:
1.Allah Ta'ala. To affirm with the tongue, believe in the heart and confirm through action
the
following:
His Existence.
His Lordship.
His Worship.
His Names and Attributes.
2.Belief in His angels.
3.Belief in His revealed Books.
4.Belief in His messengers, without making any distinction between them.
5.Belief in the Hour and the Judgement and the Fire and the Garden.
6.Belief in the Divine decrees of Allah Ta'ala, both the good and the evil. See Holy
Qur'an,
Al-Baqara (2):285.
Ka'aba
The cube-shaped stone building whose foundations were built by the angels
and completed by
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son, the Prophet Ismael, peace be on them, in Makkah. It
was
rebuilt with the help of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It
is the
focal point towards which all Muslims face when praying
Masjid
Mosque. A place of worship for Muslims. A place where the five daily
compulsory prayers are
regularly done, except for the Jum'a prayers (the Friday noon prayer and Friday Khutba).
The Masjid
Jame' is the place where all the five compulsory Salat (Prayers) and the Jurn'a prayers
are regularly
done. The Masjid Jame' is usually larger than a Masjid. Plural: Masaj Id.
Qur'an Kerim
The "Recitation". The Holy Qur'an. Also called
AI-Furqaan,"The Discrimination (between truth and falsehood)". The Final
Revelation of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala to Ins wal-Jinn (mankind and the Jinn). Allah
Subhana wa Ta'ala Himself decreed that it is He who will preserve the Holy Qur'an from any
deletion or addition or alteration until the Day of Resurrection. It is generally
understood that it is a book meant for the Muslims alone. In fact, it is a book for all
mankind and jinn to follow up to the Day of Judgement, but it has been accepted only by
those who have submitted their will (the Muslims) to Allah the Almighty. The people whom
the Qur'an is intended to benefit are described in Suratul-Baqara (2):1-5.They are the
successful ones. The Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through the Angel Jibreel (the Angel
Gabriel), peace be upon him, during a period of twenty-three years. The Holy Qur'an is the
greatest of the Last Messenger's miracles, since he could neither read nor write and had
never received any formal education. The Holy Qur'an is the uncreated word of Allah. The
Holy Qur'an contains 114 Suwar, composed of 6,616 Ayat, 77,934 words and 323,671 letters.
Allah
The Name of the Creator of the Universe and all that it contains. Derives
from the word "Ilah" which
means "the One deserving all worship", the One to Whom all hearts submit in
love, fear, reverence,
desire, trust and sincerity, and to Whom all limbs submit in all forms of worship such as
prayers,
supplications, sacrifices, invocations, etc.
1. Allah has decreed that His Holy Name is "Allah" and has
ordained that all His creation call
upon Him by the name of "Allah". In the original Bible and Taurat (in the Hebrew
text), the
name "Allah" is used.
2. In Islam the name "God" is not used for the fear of misunderstanding. To the
Christians it will
give them a mental image of a human being (the Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, peace be on
him), to some Hindus it creates a mental picture of an animal (a cow). To the Zoroastrians
it
creates a picture of a fire, Allah, there is none but He, King of the Universe, the
Creator and
Originator of all that there is. He has no beginning nor end. He was not begotten nor did
He
beget. He is not like any thing.
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