Quran Vocabulary

Shahada

Witnessing to God..."Am I not your lord?" "Yes, I/we testify"

' Aisha

One of Muhammad's wives.

Hafsa

One of Muhammad's wives. Umar's daughter. Has primitive copy of Quran under Abu Bakr

Byzantine Empire

One of the empires surrounding ancient Arabia 6th century CE. Byzantines were located to the North West. They were Orthodox Christians.

Tarjama

Translation.. relates to the discussion of whether it's possible to translate without interpretation

Twahid

Unity/oneness of God. Literally means "unification"...probably refers to the unification of all dieties into one overarching diety. "No ther god but God." Also alludes to this idea that Muhammad was just a man.

Sasanaian Empire

One of the empires surrounding ancient Arabia 6th century CE. To the North East. They were zoroastrians.

Khilafa

community through social interactions representation of God/divine qualities i.e. truth, justice, mercy.

Kharijis

early school of Islamic thought largely disappeared today

Ta 'wil

esoteric interpretation hidden, mystical, few can access it.

Riba

interest on a loan/usury - considered haram

Dunya

literally means the "near life" (refers to earthly life); marked my morality, moral responsibility, guidance, and temptation

Tahil

literally, "jubilation/rejoicing." means to say "La ilaha illa Allah" which means "there is no other god but Allah"

'Ibada

servanthood/service. Refers to the hierarchical relationship between God and the self

'Asabiya

social solidarity, tribal solidarity prevalent in pre Islamic Jahiliyah

Tartil

technique in which the Qur'an is read in a slow, chanting manner

Takbir

the phrase "God is great"

Aya

verse (of the Quran), literally means "sign" (of God). Smallest unit in the Quran. ~6,000 ayat in the Quran.

Nafs

"Ego"...refers to the human preoccupation with the "self". This gets in the way of apprehending truth/God.

Zoroastrianism

monotheistic religion of the Persians (Iranians)

Mohammad

Prophet

Polytheism

Pre-islamic arabia was polytheistic. Allah was considered the "creator God" who was very remote and had satelite gods (lesser dieties) to interact with humans.

David

Prophet

Jesus

Prophet

Moses

Prophet

Nabi

Prophets

Aaron

Quranic prophet

Elijah

Quranic prophet

Ezekiel

Quranic prophet

Job

Quranic prophet

John the Baptist

Quranic prophet

Solomon

Quranic prophet

Mu 'amalat

Realize khalifa through ideal social interactions...i.e. laws, ethics, and etiquette

Mujawid

Recitation when leading a congregation. Harmonic/melodic.

Medinian Suras

Reflect Muhammad's new position as a political, economic, social, and military leaders and so address a wider range of societal, historical and legal issues.

Jihad

Struggle between human and shaytan, NOT between God and Shaytan. Kind of has two meanings. One is an internal spiritual struggle. The other is an external military struggle, often used with "holy war."

Azra 'i

Angel of death

Tajwid (2 meanings)

1 general, 1 specific meaning. Tajwid=beautification of recitation...specific rules. Mujawwad is a type of tajwid/style of recitation

Juz '

1/30th of the Quran...divisions for recitation over one month, esp. Ramadan

'Umar

2nd Caliph.

Abu Bakr

1st Caliph

Uthman ibn Affan

3rd Caliph...under him that the Quran was compiled into a book.

'Ali

4th Caliph

Hafiz

A muslim who has memorized the Quran

Qalqala

An echo/bouncing noise. Relates to recitation I think.

Jibril

Angel of revelation

Late Antiquity

Approx. 200 BCE - 600 CE

Hud

Arabian Quranic prophet

Salih

Arabian Quranic prophet

Later Meccan Suras

Before hijra. Extended discussions of sacred history and the prophets known in the Biblical traditions.

Monotheism

Belief in one God All knowing and all powerful Cares about ethics and intentions

Mu 'min

Believer AND follower of Quran and Muhammad

Mu'min

Believer of, follower of muhammad's teachings and the Quran.

Conquest of Mecca

Bloodless, Meccans surrender

Adhan

Call to prayer

Taqwa

Caution/self-profection from Shaytan AND God. Relates to the wear your clothes metaphor.

Sura

Chapter 114 suras, arranged longest to shortest except the first one.

Sahaba

Companions of Muhammad. Abu Bakr, Ali, Zaid ibn Thabit, Umar, Khadija.

Eschatology

Concerned with the end of the word, judgment day

Quran

Could refer to the whole book or just a part. Only Quran if it's in arabic. jfkl;fsdjklfs;dsf

Qibla

Direction of prayer, changed in 623 from Jerusalem to Mecca.

Zayd ibn Thabit

Disciple, or sahaba. Scribe under Muhammad Commissioned by Abu Bakr to compile the Quran. It wasn't until 3rd caliph, Utman, that it was made into a book...mushaf.

Muqatta 'at

Disconnected letters at the beginning of some Suras

Madd

Effect of Tajwid=extension

Ghunna

Effect of Tajwid=humming/nasalation

Jinn

English word "genie" comes from this i.e. demons, spirits, sprites. Made of fire. Like humans, in that they can choose obedience or disobedience. Quran says bery little about Jinn but there is a lot of folklore about them. Ex. Iblis

Tafsir

Exoteric Interpretation, exegesis. Outward, literal. Commentary/interpretation... relates to the discussion of whether it's possible to translate without interpretation.

Sawn

Fasting during Ramadan

Hanifiya

Followers of Abraham. Muhammad's faith. Had Hajj around Ka'ba.

Muruwa

Highest moral idea of the Bedouin, like manliness. Independence/rebelliousness, brave, strong/good fighter, hot tempered

Insan

Humans. Made of clay/earth--> adam (very material).

Adam

Made of clay, earth. Eats from the tree of life. God creates him and teaches him the names of all things.

Sanad

In a hadith, this is the "chain of narrators." For example, "X reported that Y said that Z heard Muhammad say this:"

Shaytan/Iblis

Jinn. First creature that rebels against God. Becomes known as the title "Shaytan" which refers to the anti-God force in the world. Not necessarily an actual person.

Zakat

Literally "purification." Obligation to give a pure offering. Purification of wealth in a ritual, communal, religious and institutional sense through the organized giving and working for social justice. Tax for charity.

Hudan

Literally means "guidance." Given to normal people. Divine promise: there will always be guidance to all people. Animals receive Wahy & Ilham.

Imam

Literally means "guider"

Illham

Literally means "inspiration". Ideas/insights. Not fixed in text. Helps illuminate law/ to warn/remind people of judgment. Given to prophets and saints.

Wahy

Literally means "revelation" given to messengers. Word for word.

Tanzil

Literally means "sending down" i.e. the process of reception/communication experienced by Muhammad

Ghadir Khumm

Location of last sermon, farewell hajj, and Abu Bakr hand held up

Battle of Uhud (625)

Meccan victory

Rasul

Messenger (of God)- Muhammad

Hilm

Mildness, forbearance

Early Meccan Suras

Most of the short Suras at the end of the Qur'an and other suras or other parts of suras scattered throughout the rest of the Qur'an. Before hijra. These suras focus on existential or personal issues. Hymnic

Mary

Mother of Jesus

Hijra

Muhammad's emigration to Medina in 622 CE (year one of the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar)

"Farewell" Hajj

Muhammad's only Hajj. Made in 632 before death. Khadir Khumm events take place on his way home.

Abu Talib

Muhammad's paternal uncle, father of Ali. Muhammad went to live with Abu Talib after his mother died when he was five years old.

Khadija

Muhammad's wife. His original employer. Mother of all his children. Stayed with her only until her death. She was the first believer after the first revelation in 610. Surah 96: 1-5

Jahiliya

Muslim expression for pre-Islamic period of "ignorance" or "footheartedness" Uncivil Cowboys

Battle of Badr (624)

Muslim victory

Battle of the Trench (627)

Muslim victory

Isra and Mi 'raj

Night journey and ascent Mecca to Jerusalem to Heaven to God to Mecca (1 min) God said to pray 50 times a day, Moses said to lower it (2nd pillar given at this stage: Salat(prayer)

Confessional(ism)

One ramification of ethical monotheism. Required to confess loyalty, identity, and affiliation to one faith. I.e. exclusive loyalty to the God is required; there is no other God.

Muezzin

Person who calls muslims to prayer

Hajj

Pilgrimmage. One of the five pillars of Islam today, however it did exist in pre-islamic arabia (centered largely around the Ka'ba)

Salat

Ritual prayer

Haram

Sacred ground

Wali

Saints (shia Imams)

Hadith

Statements of Muhammad outside the Quran...used as the community grew and issues became difficult to resolve with Sunna alone.

Mushaf

Single book format of the Quran, made by Zaid b. Thabit. under Caliphate of Uthman.

Mashaf

The Physical copy of the Qur'an made under the Uthman caliphate Not translation or transliteration

Matn

The actual text of the hadith

Uthmanic Codex/Uthmanic Edition

The book created under 3rd Caliph uthman which is what our modern Quran is based off of. Defective because of the limited arabic script at the time.

Abraham

The first prophet

Israfil

The horn blower?

Fitra

The innate orientation toward/knowledge of/desire for God...found in all human beings. Hindered from proper functioning in two ways 1. Ego 2. Forgetfulness

Hudud

The limits of morally acceptable conduct related to sin. Separates minor sin and grave sin.

Sunna

The tradition of Muhammad's words and deeds aka the path or example of the prophet.

Cosmology

Theory about the origin of the universe

Ka 'ba

built by Abraham and Ishmael in Mecca. In preislamic times it was a shrine to all the tribal gods. Full of idols. Had poetry hanging from it.

Medina (Yathrib)

Where M. goes in Hijra. Lives and dies there.

Mecca

Where M. is born and lives until Hijra.

Wali

a "protector" or "guardian" SAINT

kafir

a non-muslim, unbeliever.

Parable

a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.