Allah
God

Allahu Akbar
Allah is Greatest

Alhamdu lillah
Praise be to Allah

Alim
a learned person in Islam, a scholar

Al-Mahr
the gift given to a wife

Ameen
May Allah accept

Ansar
Helpers - title of the people of Meddinah who helped the Prophet and his companions when they migrated from Makkah to Meddinah

Asalaamu Alaikum
Peace be upon you

Asr
the late afternoon prayer, the third prayer of the day

Astaghfirullah
"I ask Allah's forgiveness" This expression is used by muslims when seeking forgiveness from Allah

Ayah
A verse from the Quran

Barzakh
an intermediate stage of life, the time between death and resurrection

Bismillir Rahmanir Raheem
"In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful"

Caliph
the "Imam" or the Muslim leader

Caliphate
the Muslim state

Da'wah
Invitation to Islam

Deen
Religion

Dinars
money (coins)

Dua
Supplication to Allah

Eid
The Islaamic feast. There are two Eids in Islam...'Eidul Fitr, the fast breaking feast, and 'Eidul Adhaa, the feast of sacrifice

Fajr
Dawn prayer

Fard
An obligatory ordinance of worship. For example, the five daily prayers, alms, Hajj

Fatwa
legal opinion concerning Islamic law

Fee Sabeelil Laah
In the way of Allah

Fiqh
Islamic law, as interpreted by scholars

Ghusl
A complete or total bath

Hadith
Reports of sayings and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh), or what he witnessed and approved. These are the living examples of the Prophet for the teachings of the Holy Quran. Some famous collectors of Hadith are Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, At-Tirmizi, as well as many others.

Hadith quadsi Hadiths in which the Prophet says that Allah says so and so. The meaning of these hadith was revealed to the Prophet but he put them in his own words, unlike the Qur'an which is the word of Almight Allah and the Prophet conveyed it exactly and it was revealed to him

Hajre Aswad
the black stone embedded in the wall of the holy Ka'bah

Halaal
A permissible thing is Islam

Haraam
Prohibited things in Islam

Imam
the person who leads others in prayer

Inshallah
God Willing

Isha
the obligatory prayer after sunset, preferrable before midnight

Islam
Submission to the will of God; also means peace, obedience, loyalty, allegiance. Islam does not know color, race, nationality, language or social status. Islam is the last and final religion for all of mankind

Istighfar
to seek Allah's forgiveness

Istinjaa
cleansing of the private parts after passing stools or urine

Jannah
Paradise (heaven)

Jahannam
Hell

Jam'aah
congregation; group of Muslims

Jihad
to strive for a better way of life; also meaning to endeavor, strain, fighting to defend one's life, land, and religion

Jinn
Supernatural creatures. Some are virtuous, some are wicked

Jumu'a
Friday

Kaabah
The Sacred House of Allah. It is in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. This is the direction towards which we face during Salaah.

Khutba
Sermon

Mahr
The gift a husband gives to his wife when they get married

Maghrib
Evening prayer. It is the fourth prayer of the day.

Mahram
a male not closely related to female; someone a woman cannot marry, such as a brother, father, uncle; or her own husband

Miswak
a tooth brush made of tree roots

Masjid
Mosque, a place of worship. This is where muslims observe the five daily prayers, and meet for community activities.

Muslim
One who submits to Allah, who follows the religion of Islam

Nafl
Superogaory act, such as two Raka'ats of Sunnah before Iisha prayer.

Nikah
marriage according to Islamic law

Qiblah
The direction of Kaabah in Mecca toward which we face during Salaat

Ra'kat
an individual unit of prayer

Ramadan
the holy month of prescribed fasting for muslims. The Quranic revelations began during Ramadan.

Ruku'
"bowing down" During the daily prayers, a muslim makes Ruku' in respect to Allah. He/she bows forward to the waist, hands on knees and back parallel to the ground. He/she then glorifies Allah three times

Sahih Bukhari
a book of hadith compiled by Imam Bukhari

Sahih Muslim
a book of hadith compiled by Imam Muslim

Sa'i
going seven times between the small hills of Safa and Marwa, an essential rite of Hajj and Umra

Salaam
Peace

Salaah or Salaat
Prayer, special utterances and deeds which begin with Allahu Akbar and end with Asalaamu Alaikum

Sawn
fasting

Shahada
Bearing witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger

Shaitan
Satan, the source of evil in this world

Shari'ah
Law of Islam, the entire Islamic way of life

Sheikh
scholar, elder or knowledgeable, respected man

Subhan Allah
Glory be to God

Subhana wa Ta'ala
"May He be Glorified and Exhaulted"

Suhuur
a light meal before Fajr prayer to begin fasting during Ramadan

Sunnah
ahadeeth and the way of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)

Surah
a chapter of the Qur'an

Tahajjud
an optional prayer to be offered in the middle of the night. A person sleeps, then gets up to pray. Tahajjud is to be performed between Isha and Fajr.

Wasalaam
And peace (meaning goodbye)

Wudu
Ablution performed before prayer, by washing the exposed parts of the body with water.