The 500 Most Influential Muslims - The Royal Islamic Strategic ...

Glossary
Ahl Al Bayt (or Aal Al Bayt): Literally, the people of the house; refers to the family of the
Prophet Muhammad.
Ahl as Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah: Literally, people of the practices of the Prophet Muhammad
and the Muslim community.
Al Fatiha: Literally, ‘the opening’, this is the title for the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an
which is recited as a fundamental part of Muslims’ daily prayers.
Allah: Arabic for God.
Aqida: Creed: This refers to the theological and doctrinal beliefs of Muslims.
Ash’ari: The school of Sunni Orthodoxy named after the followers of the 9th century
scholar Abu al Hasan al Ash’ari (874-936 CE).
Azaan/Adhan: The call to prayer.
Bid’a: Literally ‘innovation’; this refers to the act of creating superfluous, or nonprescribed
traditions in the practice of Islam. It is used in common speech as a
denunciation toward those not acting in accordance with the prescriptions of Islam.
Caliph: The head of the entire community of Muslims, either current or in the past. Is
also used by certain sects to refer to their own leader.
Chador: A loose cloth traditionally worn by Muslim women which usually covers the
body from head to foot.
Da’i/ Da’ee: Missionary.
Da’wa: Islamic missionary work; literally ‘making an invitation’ to the religion.
Emir (or Amir): A title accorded to a leader, prince, or commander-in-chief.
Fatwa: Islamic legal ruling, or legal pronouncement. It is not synonymous with a death
sentence as is sometimes thought in the West.
Fiqh: Islamic jurisprudence (the philosophy of law). This is the scholarly pursuit that
enables individuals to have an educated understanding of Islamic law.
Fiqh al Aqaliyaat: Islamic legal rulings for Muslims living as minorities in foreign lands.
Hadith: Literally ‘sayings’. These are a set of references to the life of the Prophet
Muhammad. There are numerous Hadith, and the practice of verifying them is an Islamic
scholarly practice of its own that has been carried out since the life of the Prophet.
Hafiz (or Hafiza) al Qur’an: A person who has committed the entire Qur’an to memory,
and can recite the Qur’an at will. This is important in Islam because the Qur’an was
originally revealed as an oral text.
Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca. It is mandatory for every Muslim who is able to do it, and
can afford it. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th
to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.
Halal: Permissible. A term referring to actions or objects that are permissible according
to Islamic law. Commonly refers to food items that are permissible for Muslims to eat.
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