Glossary

The call to the obligatory prayer, given in a fixed set of Arabic words, calling people to come and pray.

In plain words: The call that tells everyone it's time to pray.

The adhan and the iqamah: what they are, and their wordsThe rules of adhan and iqamah, and when an adhan countsThe sunnahs and preferred acts of adhan and iqamahThe sunnah method of adhan and iqamah, step by stepDisliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call itTathwib, and how to respond to the adhan and iqamah

A pilgrim who normally resides outside the miqat boundaries around Makkah; an Afaqi may freely choose Ifrad, Qiran or Tamattu'.

In plain words: Someone who lives far from Makkah, outside the miqat boundary.

Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themThe miqats and the time for entering Ihram

Friday, and the congregational prayer offered on it in place of Zuhr. From jamʿ, 'gathering', because Muslims gather at the mosque for it.

In plain words: Friday, and the special prayer Muslims pray together on that day instead of Zuhr.

The virtues of Jumu'ahThe emphasis on the Friday prayer, and the warning against abandoning itThe obligation of Jumu'ah, and who it is obligatory uponThe conditions for the Friday prayer to be validThe etiquettes of FridayThe rules of the adhan for Friday

The House of Allah (Bayt Allāh) in Makkah, towards which Muslims turn in prayer and around which tawaf is performed.

In plain words: The cube-shaped House of Allah in Makkah that everyone faces when they pray.

What Hajj is, and why it is the fifth pillar

An emphasized practice of the Prophet ﷺ; leaving it without a valid excuse is sinful, though the prayer itself stays valid.

In plain words: A sunnah so important that skipping it without a good reason is wrong.

Sunnah muakkadah and nafl prayers

The best method of divorce: a single revocable divorce given during a period of purity from menstruation in which no intercourse has occurred, followed by no further divorce before the waiting period ends.

In plain words: The best way to give a divorce, agreed on by all scholars.

The kinds of divorce: ahsan, hasan, and bid'ah

A good, though disputed, method of divorce: one revocable divorce for a non-consummated wife, or three divorces given separately across three periods of purity for a consummated wife.

In plain words: A good way to give a divorce, though scholars differ on whether it counts as the prescribed method.

The kinds of divorce: ahsan, hasan, and bid'ah

An innovation: something new added to the religion that goes against the Quran and Hadith.

In plain words: Adding something new to Islam that goes against what Allah and the Prophet ﷺ taught.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

An animal sacrifice offered as expiation for a violation of ihram, or to make good a missed wajib act of Hajj: usually a sheep or goat, sometimes a cow or camel for graver matters.

In plain words: An animal given up as payment for something done wrong, or left out, during Hajj or ihram.

What is forbidden in ihram, and the penalty for each

The prescribed method of cutting an animal's throat (severing the trachea, the esophagus, and both jugular veins) so that its meat becomes halal to eat.

In plain words: The proper, halal way of killing an animal so its meat can be eaten.

The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ)

Faith and practice together: belief (iman) and Islam (practice) combined.

In plain words: The whole way of believing and living as a Muslim.

The categories of Islamic rulings, and Din

A traditional silver coin and unit of weight; the nisab of silver is two hundred dirhams.

In plain words: An old silver coin used to measure the nisab of silver.

Zakat on gold and silver

A fat-tailed breed of ram. A six-month-old dumba may qualify for qurbani if it is large enough to pass for a year-old goat.

In plain words: A kind of fat-tailed ram.

The animals for qurbani, the method, and dividing the meat

Sending blessings and salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

In plain words: Asking Allah to bless the Prophet ﷺ.

The virtue of sending salutations on the Prophet ﷺ

The supplication recited standing in the third rak'ah of Witr, after the takbir that follows the second surah.

In plain words: The special dua you say standing up near the end of Witr.

The Witr prayer

A person who owns some wealth but not enough to reach the nisab, or whose wealth is not growing or not sufficient for essential needs; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: Someone with a little money, but not enough.

Who may receive zakat

In common usage, reciting the Qur'an or a portion of it, or performing another good deed, and directing the reward (thawab) of it to the soul of another person, usually someone who has died; named after Surah al-Fatiha, which is commonly recited as part of it.

In plain words: Reading some Qur'an, or doing something good, and asking Allah to give the reward for it to someone who has died.

The reality of Fatiha

A person engaged in the cause of Allah, such as jihad, who is unable to continue because of poverty; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: Someone serving Allah's cause who has run out of money to continue.

Who may receive zakat

A payment made in place of a fast that will never be made up: owed by someone permanently unable to fast through old age or a non-recoverable illness. It equals sadaqat al-fitr, or feeding one poor person two meals, for each missed day.

In plain words: Money or food given instead of fasting, for someone too old or too sick to ever fast again.

Valid excuses for not fasting, and the fidyahMaking up missed fasts (qada)

A nasal resonance held for roughly the length of an alif, especially on nun and mim in certain positions.

In plain words: A humming sound through the nose that you hold briefly on some letters.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

The ritual bath given to a deceased Muslim's body before burial, performed to a set method by someone of the same sex, or by a spouse.

In plain words: The special washing given to a person's body after they die, before it is wrapped for burial.

Washing the body (ghusl of the deceased)Ghusl: who may wash whom, and special casesWhat ghusl is, and when it is requiredHow to make ghusl, step by stepWhat purity (taharah) means, and its two kinds

Custody of a minor child, in which the mother and her family take precedence over the father's side, subject to conditions of trustworthiness and capacity to nurture the child.

In plain words: Who looks after a young child day to day, which is usually the mother.

Custody of children and maintenance after divorce

The state that breaks wudu (minor impurity, ḥadath aṣghar) or that requires ghusl (major impurity, ḥadath akbar).

In plain words: Losing your wudu: for example, by using the toilet or passing wind.

When wudu breaks during prayer, and continuing it (bina)

Major ritual impurity: the state that follows janabah, the end of menstruation, or the end of postnatal bleeding, in which prayer, prostration, tawaf, touching or reciting the Quran, and entering a mosque are all forbidden until ghusl is performed.

In plain words: Being in a state where you can't pray or touch the Quran until you take a full bath.

Menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and the rulings of major impurityLegal and physical impurity, and the ways things are purified

The state of minor ritual impurity that comes over the body when wudu is broken.

In plain words: What happens to your wudu when something breaks it; you need to make wudu again before you pray.

What breaks wudu, and the rulings of minor impurity

The pilgrimage to the Ka'bah in Makkah, performed in the months of Hajj, consisting of entering ihram, standing at Arafat and performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah; fard al-'ayn once in a lifetime on every Muslim who is able.

In plain words: The once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Ka'bah that every Muslim who can afford it and is well enough must make.

The obligation of HajjThe conditions that make Hajj obligatoryHajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themWhat Hajj is, and why it is the fifth pillar

An accepted Hajj: one whose sign, according to some scholars of hadith, is a lasting improvement in the pilgrim's character and conduct afterwards. Its only reward, per hadith, is Paradise.

In plain words: A Hajj that Allah accepts, shown by the pilgrim coming home a better person.

The virtues of Hajj and Umrah

The process required before a husband may remarry a wife he has divorced three times: she must complete a valid, consummated marriage to another man, be divorced or widowed by him, and complete her waiting period from that marriage.

In plain words: What has to happen before a couple can remarry after three divorces - the wife must first be validly married to, and separated from, someone else.

Revocable and irrevocable divorce, and divorce before consummation

Shaving the head, one of the two ways (with taqsir, trimming) of ending ihram in Hajj or Umrah.

In plain words: Shaving your hair to finish Hajj or Umrah.

Saʿy between Safa and Marwah, and completing UmrahThe 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shaving

The sacred boundary area around Makkah (and, separately, a smaller one around Madinah) within which certain acts, such as hunting or cutting trees, are forbidden that are permitted elsewhere.

In plain words: The special protected area around Makkah.

Entering Makkah and the first sight of the Kaʿbah

Menstruation: the blood that flows from the womb of a mature woman at roughly monthly intervals, lasting a minimum of three and a maximum of ten full days and nights.

In plain words: A woman's monthly period.

Menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and the rulings of major impurity

Merging a sakin nun, tanween, or mim into a following letter so the two are pronounced as one.

In plain words: Blending one letter's sound into the next one instead of saying it separately.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

Performing Hajj alone on a journey, without performing Umrah that same year, or performing Umrah only after the days of Hajj or in Shawwal.

In plain words: Doing Hajj by itself, without an Umrah on the same trip.

Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them

The breaking of the fast at sunset. It is recommended to break the fast promptly once sunset is confirmed, preferably with dates or water, and with the accompanying supplication.

In plain words: The meal or drink you have right after sunset, to break your fast for the day.

The fasting day: suhur, the three obligations, and iftar

The sacred state a pilgrim enters for Hajj or Umrah, marked by wearing two plain unsewn sheets (for a man), an intention, and the Talbiyah, and by avoiding certain otherwise permitted acts until the rites release the pilgrim from it.

In plain words: The special state you enter before Hajj or Umrah, wearing plain white sheets and saying you're doing it for Allah.

How to enter Ihram, step by stepThe miqats and the time for entering Ihram

Partly concealing the sound of a sakin nun, tanween, or mim, between a clear izhar and a full idgham, while keeping the ghunnah.

In plain words: Half-hiding a letter's sound instead of saying it fully or blending it away.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

A husband's oath not to approach or have intercourse with his wife for four months or more. Keeping the oath for the full period results in one minor irrevocable divorce; breaking it requires expiation.

In plain words: A husband's serious promise to stay away from his wife for at least four months.

Ila': the oath not to approach one's wife

The person who leads a congregational prayer; the followers copy his actions.

In plain words: The person at the front who leads the prayer.

The conditions for a valid imamate and for valid followingHow to pray, step by step

Faith: believing in Allah, His Messenger, and everything conveyed through him, affirmed both in the heart and with the tongue.

In plain words: Believing in your heart and saying it with your words.

What faith means, and the words that carry it

The second, shorter call given inside the mosque immediately before the obligatory prayer begins.

In plain words: The call said right before the prayer starts, once everyone has lined up.

The adhan and the iqamah: what they are, and their wordsThe rules of adhan and iqamah, and when an adhan countsThe sunnahs and preferred acts of adhan and iqamahThe sunnah method of adhan and iqamah, step by stepDisliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call itTathwib, and how to respond to the adhan and iqamah

Changing a sakin nun or tanween into a hidden mim, pronounced with ghunnah, when followed by the letter ba.

In plain words: Swapping a nun's sound for a hidden "m" sound before the letter ba.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

Bleeding that does not meet the conditions of menstruation or postnatal bleeding: for instance because it is too short, too long, or occurs within the minimum period of purity. It is treated as an illness rather than hayd or nifas, and does not stop prayer or fasting.

In plain words: Bleeding that isn't a real monthly period or after-birth bleeding, so it doesn't stop you from praying or fasting.

Menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and the rulings of major impurity

The removal of impurity from the front or back of the body after relieving oneself, using stones, water, or both.

In plain words: Cleaning yourself after using the toilet.

What istinja is, and what may be used for itThe procedure and etiquette of relieving oneself

Seeking rain from Allah during a drought, through repentance, dua and, in the view most of the school's fatwa follows, a congregational prayer and sermon.

In plain words: Asking Allah for rain when there hasn't been enough of it.

Istisqa: the prayer for rain

The 'ability' that makes Hajj obligatory: being free, sane, an adult, physically capable, possessing sufficient means and transport beyond one's needs, and having a route that is predominantly safe.

In plain words: Being able to go: healthy enough, able to afford it, and with a safe way to get there.

The conditions that make Hajj obligatory

Pronouncing a sakin nun, tanween, or mim clearly from its own articulation point, without ghunnah.

In plain words: Saying a letter clearly and plainly, without blending it or humming it.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

A spiritual retreat spent in a mosque with the intention of worship. It is wajib if vowed, sunnah mu'akkadah for the last ten days of Ramadan, and mustahabb at any other time; fasting is a condition for the first two but not the third.

In plain words: Staying in the mosque on purpose to worship Allah, especially in the last ten days of Ramadan.

Vows to fast, and i'tikafThe rules and etiquette of the mosque

Hell: the place of severe punishment Allah has prepared for those who disbelieved and disobeyed.

In plain words: The place of punishment for people who disobeyed Allah.

Paradise and Hell

The congregation. For the Friday prayer to be valid, at least three men eligible to lead prayer, besides the imam, must be present from the start of the sermon to the end of the prayer.

In plain words: The group of people praying together.

The conditions for the Friday prayer to be validThe rules of the rows on FridayCongregational prayer, its virtues, and excuses for missing it

One of the three stone pillars at Mina at which pilgrims throw pebbles during Hajj; the plural is Jamarat.

In plain words: A stone pillar in Mina that pilgrims throw small stones at.

The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shavingThe Days of Tashriq: stoning all three Jamarat, and leaving Mina

The state of major ritual impurity that follows sexual relations or the like, removed by ghusl.

In plain words: Being in a state where you need a full bath before you can pray.

Disliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call itThe rules and etiquette of the mosqueThe reasons that make ghusl necessary

The funeral prayer offered for a deceased Muslim: a communal obligation consisting of four takbirs said while standing, with no bowing or prostration.

In plain words: The special prayer said for someone who has died, where everyone stands and says 'Allahu Akbar' four times.

The funeral prayer: ruling and conditionsHow to pray the funeral prayer, with the words to say

Paradise: the eternal home of comfort and reward Allah has prepared for the righteous.

In plain words: The best place, full of good things, promised to good people.

Paradise and Hell

Beings Allah created from fire, invisible to people, among whom there are both believers and disbelievers.

In plain words: Beings made from fire that we cannot see.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

The clean cloth (three pieces for a man, five for a woman, in the recommended form) in which a deceased Muslim's body is wrapped before burial.

In plain words: The special white cloth a person's body is wrapped in before it is buried.

The shroud (kafan): pieces and how to wrap it

Suitability of the husband to the wife's family in lineage, freedom, religion, piety, wealth and occupation, which her guardians may object to if absent.

In plain words: Being a good enough match for a family, in the eyes of Islamic law.

Suitability (kafa'ah) between husband and wife

An expiation owed, in addition to qada, when a fast of Ramadan is deliberately broken without excuse by eating, drinking or intercourse: freeing a slave; failing that, fasting sixty consecutive days; failing that, feeding sixty poor people two meals each.

In plain words: An extra penalty, on top of making up the day, for breaking a Ramadan fast on purpose with no good reason.

What breaks a fast: qada, kaffarah, or nothing at all

A short declaration of faith recited aloud and believed in the heart, as in the Kalima Tayyibah and the Five Kalimas.

In plain words: A short sentence Muslims say and believe to show their faith.

What faith means, and the words that carry itThe Five Kalimas

An extraordinary act Allah grants to a wali, beyond ordinary human ability.

In plain words: An amazing thing Allah lets a close friend of His do.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

In prayer, the follower an imam steps aside for and hands leadership to, when the imam's wudu breaks in the middle of the prayer.

In plain words: The person who takes over leading the prayer if the imam suddenly has to leave to make wudu again.

When wudu breaks during prayer, and continuing it (bina)

The right of a person married off as a minor by someone other than their father or grandfather to keep or annul that marriage on reaching maturity.

In plain words: A grown-up's right to end a marriage that was arranged for them before they were an adult.

Marriage of the insane and of minors

A pair of leather or thick, water-resistant socks or boots covering the ankles, over which masah may be performed instead of washing the feet, under specific conditions and for a limited time.

In plain words: Special thick socks or boots you can wipe over instead of washing your feet, for a little while after wudu.

Wiping over the socks (masah over khuffayn)

The termination of a marriage in exchange for compensation from the wife - the mahr owed to her, or anything else that could serve as mahr - resulting in one irrevocable divorce.

In plain words: A way for a wife to be released from marriage by giving something up, usually her mahr, when the husband agrees.

Khul': the wife's release in exchange for compensation

A lunar eclipse, and the name of the mustahabb prayer offered when one occurs.

In plain words: The moon going dark, and the recommended prayer for when that happens.

The eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf and Khusuf)

The sermon delivered by the imam. In the Eid prayer it is delivered after the prayer and is sunnah, not a condition of validity; in the Friday prayer it comes before the prayer and is a condition of its validity.

In plain words: The talk the imam gives after (or, on Friday, before) the prayer.

The conditions for the Eid prayersThe rulings of the Eid sermonThe obligation of Jumu'ah, and who it is obligatory uponThe conditions for the Friday prayer to be validThe rules of the Friday sermon, and the etiquette of listening to itThe Friday sermon of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Allusive wording that can carry meanings besides divorce - for example "Leave." It effects divorce only where the husband intended it, or where an indication in the circumstances lets a judge rule that it occurred.

In plain words: Words that might mean divorce, or might mean something else - it depends on what the husband meant and what was happening at the time.

The words that effect a divorce: explicit and allusive

Disbelief: rejecting, in the heart or in words, something a Muslim is required to believe.

In plain words: Not believing something Allah says a Muslim must believe.

Kufr, shirk, and treating a sin as permitted

A solar eclipse, and the name of the sunnah prayer offered when one occurs.

In plain words: The sun going dark in the daytime, and the special prayer Muslims pray when it happens.

The eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf and Khusuf)

A niche cut into the qiblah-facing wall of a grave, in which the body is laid on its right side facing the qiblah; the sunnah shape of a grave, used where the soil allows it.

In plain words: A little side-space dug into the wall of the grave, where the body is placed facing the direction of the Kaaba.

The grave and burial

A follower who began the prayer with the imam from the start but fell behind during it, for example because he had to leave to renew his wudu.

In plain words: Someone who started praying with everyone else but fell behind partway through, for example because he had to go make wudu again.

The four categories of follower: madrik, lahiq, masbooq and masbooq-lahiq

A mistake made in reciting the Qur'an: either a clear mistake (lahn jali) that changes the meaning, or a hidden mistake (lahn khafi) that only affects the beauty and correctness of the recitation.

In plain words: A mistake made while reading the Qur'an.

What is tajweed?Disliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call it

A formal procedure of mutual oaths before a judge, used when a husband accuses his wife of adultery without the four witnesses proof requires. It ends with the judge separating the couple, which counts as one irrevocable divorce.

In plain words: A special process before a judge, with oaths from both husband and wife, used when a husband accuses his wife of a serious wrong he cannot prove.

Zihar and li'an

Prolonging the sound of alif, waw, or ya when sakin and preceded by a matching vowel, especially when followed by a hamzah.

In plain words: Stretching out a vowel sound for longer than usual.

The rules for lam, ra, mim sakin, nun sakin, madd and hamzah

A school of Islamic law, following the rulings derived by one of the four great Imams.

In plain words: A way of following Islamic rules taught by one of the four great Imams.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

The property, cash or goods a husband owes his wife because of the marriage contract; also called dower.

In plain words: The gift of money or property a groom owes his bride because they are married.

The mahr (dower)

A close male relative a woman could never marry, by lineage, breastfeeding or marriage; his accompanying her, or her husband's, is a further condition of a woman's ability to perform Hajj.

In plain words: A close male relative, like a father or brother, who is allowed to travel with a woman because she could never marry him.

The conditions that make Hajj obligatoryWho you cannot marry: blood relations and in-laws

The precise point in the mouth, throat or nose from which a letter is articulated; plural makharij.

In plain words: The exact spot in your mouth or throat where a letter's sound comes from.

The articulation points of the letters (makharij)

The angels: beings Allah created from light, obedient, sinless, and free of gender and of any bodily need.

In plain words: Allah's helpers, made of light, who always obey Him.

Belief in the angels

A follower who joins the imam after the congregational prayer has already begun, and who must complete the rak'ahs he missed by himself after the imam finishes.

In plain words: Someone who joins the prayer late, after the imam has already started, and has to finish the missed part on his own afterwards.

The four categories of follower: madrik, lahiq, masbooq and masbooq-lahiq

Wiping a part of the body with a wet hand rather than washing it: as over the head in wudu, or over leather socks in place of washing the feet.

In plain words: Wiping with a wet hand instead of washing.

How to make wudu, step by step

An animal that has died without being validly slaughtered; its meat is unlawful to eat.

In plain words: An animal that died without being slaughtered the halal way, so it cannot be eaten.

The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ)

Restricted water: a liquid no longer called "water" on its own, such as rose water or fruit juice. It is pure but cannot be used for wudu or ghusl, though it can remove impurity from something else.

In plain words: A liquid like rose water or juice; it's clean, but you can't use it for wudu or ghusl.

The types of water, and which can be used for purification

Absolute, ordinary water (rain, river, spring, well water, melted snow) that is pure and valid for wudu and ghusl, as opposed to restricted (muqayyad) water.

In plain words: Plain, ordinary water: the kind you can use for wudu and ghusl.

The types of water, and which can be used for purification

A person excused because of a chronic condition, such as continuous bleeding or urine leakage, that keeps breaking their wudu faster than it can be renewed before each prayer.

In plain words: Someone with an ongoing health problem that keeps breaking their wudu, so easier rules apply to them.

The wudu of a person with a chronic excuse (ma'zoor)

The niche set into the wall of a mosque that marks the direction of the qiblah.

In plain words: The arched space in the mosque wall that shows which way to face to pray.

The rules and etiquette of the mosque

A valley east of Makkah where pilgrims stay during the days of Hajj, and where the Jamarat are stoned.

In plain words: A place near Makkah where pilgrims camp during Hajj.

The Day of Tarwiyah: entering ihram for Hajj and going to Mina

The raised pulpit from which the Friday sermon is delivered. Delivering the sermon from it is one of the sunnahs of the khutbah.

In plain words: The steps or platform the imam stands on to give the Friday sermon.

The rules of the Friday sermon, and the etiquette of listening to itThe Friday sermon of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺThe method of offering the Friday sermon and prayer

One of five fixed boundary points around Makkah at which a pilgrim travelling from outside them must enter ihram before continuing towards the Haram.

In plain words: A boundary line around Makkah where you have to put on ihram before going any further.

The miqats and the time for entering Ihram

A person who has nothing and cannot even afford one meal; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: Someone with nothing at all, not even for a meal.

Who may receive zakat

A city or town large enough for the Friday prayer to be valid in it: in the definition this manual follows, a place with enough resident Muslims that its largest mosque cannot hold them all.

In plain words: A city or town big enough for the Friday prayer to be held there.

The conditions for the Friday prayer to be valid

A twig, usually of the arāk tree, used to clean the teeth. Using it is a sunnah of wudu and is recommended before prayer and before reciting the Qurʼan.

In plain words: A twig used like a toothbrush; the Prophet ﷺ used one.

How to make wudu, step by step

A traditional unit of weight used for gold; the nisab of gold is twenty mithqals.

In plain words: An old unit for weighing gold.

Zakat on gold and silver

The Scale set up on the Day of Judgment to weigh a person's good and bad deeds.

In plain words: The scale that weighs your good and bad deeds.

Belief in the Last Day

A follower who prays every rak'ah together with the imam from the beginning of the prayer to the end.

In plain words: Someone who prays the whole prayer together with the imam, from start to finish, without missing any of it.

The four categories of follower: madrik, lahiq, masbooq and masbooq-lahiq

A person in the state of ihram.

In plain words: Someone who has put on ihram and is in that special state.

How to enter Ihram, step by stepHajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themWhat is forbidden in ihram, and the penalty for each

A slave who has an agreed sum of money to pay in order to gain their freedom; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: A slave who is paying money to become free.

Who may receive zakat

The section of the Kaʿbah's outer wall between its door and the Black Stone, where pilgrims press themselves and make dua, especially at the Farewell Tawaf.

In plain words: The part of the Kaaba's wall between the door and the Black Stone.

Tawaf al-Wada, the farewell tawaf

The two angels who question a person in the grave about their Lord, their Prophet, and their religion.

In plain words: The two angels who ask you questions after you die.

Belief in the Last Day

A person following an imam in prayer.

In plain words: Someone praying behind the imam and copying him.

The conditions for a valid imamate and for valid followingHow to pray, step by step

A traveller who is far from home and lacks the money to continue their journey, even though they have wealth at home; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: A traveller who has run out of money on the road, even though they are rich at home.

Who may receive zakat

A marriage contracted for a fixed period of time; it is invalid and categorically forbidden in Islamic law.

In plain words: A so-called "marriage" only meant to last a set amount of time, not a real Islamic marriage.

The pillar and conditions of a valid nikah

A site between Arafat and Mina where pilgrims combine Maghrib and Isha and spend the night after the standing at Arafat.

In plain words: The place where pilgrims sleep on the night between Arafat and Eid day.

From Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the night there

The person who calls the adhan.

In plain words: The person who calls people to prayer.

The adhan and the iqamah: what they are, and their wordsThe sunnahs and preferred acts of adhan and iqamahThe sunnah method of adhan and iqamah, step by stepDisliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call itAdhan for a newborn and in distress, and other rulings

The maintenance - food, clothing, and housing - a husband owes his wife by virtue of a valid marriage, scaled to the couple's means.

In plain words: What a husband must provide his wife: food, clothes, and a home.

Custody of children and maintenance after divorce

A voluntary prayer beyond the fard and the sunnah muakkadah; there is no sin in leaving it out, but once validly begun it must be completed.

In plain words: An extra prayer that's good to do but not required.

Sunnah muakkadah and nafl prayers

A cut made at the base of the neck, near the chest, performed on a camel before it is slaughtered.

In plain words: A cut at the bottom of a camel's neck, done just before slaughtering it.

The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ)

Physical impurity: an actual impure substance, such as urine or feces, as distinct from hadath (legal impurity). Divided into severe (ghaliza) and light (khafifa) impurity.

In plain words: An actual dirty or impure substance, like on your clothes or skin.

Legal and physical impurity, and the ways things are purifiedSevere and light impurity, what is excused, and what is not impure at allHow to purify the body, clothes, and other things

A wife who leaves the marital home without her husband's permission or a valid religious excuse, forfeiting her right to maintenance while she remains so.

In plain words: A wife who has left home without a good reason and without her husband's permission.

Custody of children and maintenance after divorce

A vow to Allah to perform an act of worship, such as fasting a set number of days. Once validly made, fulfilling it becomes obligatory.

In plain words: A promise you make to Allah to do something good, like fasting a certain number of days.

Vows to fast, and i'tikaf

The bleeding a woman experiences after childbirth, beginning once more than half the baby has emerged, lasting up to a maximum of forty days and nights.

In plain words: The bleeding a woman has after having a baby.

Menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and the rulings of major impurity

The Islamic marriage contract, formed by an offer and its acceptance in the presence of two qualifying witnesses.

In plain words: The word for a Muslim marriage: an agreement that makes a man and a woman husband and wife.

What nikah is, and its rulingThe pillar and conditions of a valid nikahThe rules of offer and acceptanceWho you cannot marry: blood relations and in-lawsWho you cannot marry: the other causesThe witnesses to nikah

The minimum amount of wealth, beyond one's basic needs and free of debt, that makes duties such as zakat or qurbani obligatory.

In plain words: The minimum amount of savings that makes certain duties, like zakat or qurbani, obligatory on you.

Who must offer qurbani, and whenThe ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatoryZakat on gold and silver

The intention to fast, formed in the heart. It is a condition for the validity of a fast; without it, abstaining from food and drink does not constitute a valid fast. Its required timing differs by the kind of fast.

In plain words: Deciding in your heart, "I am fasting." Without this, going without food doesn't count as a fast.

The intention for fasting, and when to make itWho must fast, and the conditions for itThe conditions for prayer to be validHow to pray, step by step

Making up a fast that was missed or invalidated, on a later day. Qada fasts need not be kept consecutively or in any particular order, and carry no fixed deadline, though prompt discharge is preferable.

In plain words: Fasting on a different day to make up for a fast you missed or that broke.

What breaks a fast: qada, kaffarah, or nothing at allMaking up missed fasts (qada)Valid excuses for not fasting, and the fidyahMissed prayers and their qada

Destiny: everything that happens is already known and written by Allah, while a person still chooses their own actions and is answerable for them.

In plain words: Allah's plan for everything that happens, while we still choose what we do.

Belief in destiny (Qadr)

Laughing loudly enough to be heard by someone nearby while bowing (ruku') or in prostration (sujud) during prayer; it invalidates both the prayer and the wudu.

In plain words: Laughing loudly enough for others to hear while you are bowing or in sajdah during prayer.

What breaks wudu, and the rulings of minor impurity

A person in debt who cannot repay it without becoming impoverished; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: Someone in debt they cannot pay off.

Who may receive zakat

Shortening the four-rak'ah fard prayers to two rak'ahs while travelling.

In plain words: Praying only two rak'ahs instead of four while you are travelling.

The prayer of a traveller (qasr)

Sitting in prayer, in particular the sitting in which the tashahhud is recited.

In plain words: Sitting down during prayer to say the tashahhud.

How to pray, step by stepThe seven pillars (arkan) of prayer

The direction of the Kaʿbah in Makkah. Facing it is a condition of the validity of the prayer.

In plain words: The direction you face when you pray.

How to make wudu, step by step

Combining Hajj and Umrah under a single ihram and a single Talbiyah during the months of Hajj; requires a sacrifice.

In plain words: Doing Hajj and Umrah together, in one single ihram.

Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them

Standing upright in prayer.

In plain words: Standing up straight while you pray.

How to pray, step by stepThe seven pillars (arkan) of prayer

The Day of Judgment, when Allah will bring this world to an end, resurrect everyone, and judge their deeds.

In plain words: The day everyone comes back to life and Allah judges what they did.

Belief in the Last Day

A supplication recited standing in the third rak'ah of Witr, after the recitation and before bowing.

In plain words: A special dua said standing up, near the end of the Witr prayer.

A special supplication added to the Fajr prayer during a major, ongoing calamity affecting the community, discontinued once the calamity has passed.

In plain words: An extra dua added to the Fajr prayer while something really bad is happening to the community, like a disease spreading.

Prayer during a frightening event or calamity

The sacrifice of a qualifying animal on the 10th–12th of Dhūl-Ḥijjah, obligatory on every Muslim who is free, resident, and wealthy enough to reach the niṣāb.

In plain words: The animal sacrifice Muslims make around Eid al-Adha.

Who must offer qurbani, and whenThe animals for qurbani, the method, and dividing the meatWhat is Eid? The obligation of the Eid prayersThe 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shaving

Fosterage: the kinship created when an infant breastfeeds from a woman within the prescribed period, which prohibits marriage in the same way blood kinship does.

In plain words: The family bond created when a baby is breastfed by a woman who is not its birth mother.

Who you cannot marry: fosterage (breastfeeding)

The stoning of the Jamarat with pebbles, a wajib rite of Hajj performed on the 10th, 11th, 12th and, for some, 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.

In plain words: Throwing small stones at the Jamarat pillars.

The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shavingThe Days of Tashriq: stoning all three Jamarat, and leaving Mina

The area of the Prophet's ﷺ mosque in Madinah between his grave and his pulpit (minbar), described in hadith as a garden among the gardens of Paradise.

In plain words: A special part of the Prophet's mosque in Madinah, between his grave and his pulpit.

Visiting Madinah, and the etiquette of the Prophet's ﷺ grave

The husband's return to his wife during her waiting period, after one or two revocable divorces, in order to continue the marriage without a new contract.

In plain words: Taking a wife back after a divorce that can still be undone.

Taking the wife back during her waiting period (ruju')

Bowing in prayer, with the back kept level and the hands placed on the knees.

In plain words: Bowing down in prayer, with your back flat like a table and your hands on your knees.

How to pray, step by stepThe seven pillars (arkan) of prayer

A separate obligatory charity, also called Zakat al-Fitr, due from every free Muslim who owns wealth beyond basic needs, becoming due at dawn on the day of Eid al-Fitr.

In plain words: A small gift of food or money every Muslim who can afford it must give around Eid al-Fitr.

Sadaqat al-Fitr (Zakat al-Fitr)

The Companions: those who met Prophet Muhammad ﷺ while believing in Islam and died as believers.

In plain words: The people who knew the Prophet ﷺ and believed in him.

The Companions and the Prophet's family

Two extra prostrations performed at the end of the prayer, before or after the salam, to make up for a mistake made unintentionally.

In plain words: Two extra times you put your forehead down at the end of the prayer, to fix a mistake you made by accident.

The prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah sahw)Sajdah Sahw, Sajdah Tilawah and Sajdah Shukr

A single prostration that becomes obligatory upon reciting or hearing one of the fourteen verses of prostration in the Qur'an.

In plain words: A single sajdah you do after reading or hearing a special verse of the Qur'an.

The prostration of recitation (sajdah tilawah)

The ritual prayer of Islam, built from standing, recitation, bowing and prostration, performed five times a day at fixed times.

In plain words: The special prayer Muslims do, with set words and movements, five times a day.

Why prayer matters

The prayer of fear: a method of praying an obligatory prayer in congregation, splitting the group in two so that one part always keeps watch, prescribed when the presence of an enemy is confirmed.

In plain words: A special way of praying together when there's real danger nearby, so half the group can keep watch while the other half prays.

Salat al-Khawf: the prayer of fear

Explicit wording of divorce, used by convention only for divorce and carrying no other meaning - for example "You are divorced." It effects divorce even without intention.

In plain words: Words that always mean divorce, whatever the husband intended.

The words that effect a divorce: explicit and allusive

Abstaining from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse from the appearance of dawn until sunset, with the intention of worship. The Arabic word for fasting, and the fourth pillar of Islam.

In plain words: Fasting: not eating, drinking, or being intimate with your spouse, from before sunrise until the sun goes down.

What fasting is, and why it matters

Livestock that grazes freely for most of the year and is kept for milk, breeding or fattening, as distinct from animals stall-fed, worked, or kept for meat, riding or carrying loads.

In plain words: Animals that mostly feed themselves out in the open, kept for milk or breeding.

Zakat on pasturing animals (saimah)

Walking briskly between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times, part of both Hajj and Umrah.

In plain words: Walking quickly back and forth between two small hills, Safa and Marwah, seven times.

The virtues of Hajj and UmrahHajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themSaʿy between Safa and Marwah, and completing Umrah

Intercession: pleading with Allah on behalf of another; its greatest form belongs to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the Day of Judgment.

In plain words: The Prophet ﷺ asking Allah to forgive his people.

Belief in the Last Day

Associating a partner with Allah in His being, His qualities, or His exclusive right to be worshipped.

In plain words: Treating something or someone as equal to Allah.

Kufr, shirk, and treating a sin as permitted

The qualities of sound (such as softness, hardness, or a bounce) that distinguish letters sharing the same articulation point; singular sifah.

In plain words: The special sound-qualities that make each letter sound the way it does.

The characteristics of the letters (sifat)

The bridge over Hell, thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword, that everyone must cross on the Day of Judgment.

In plain words: The bridge over Hell that everyone must cross.

Belief in the Last Day

The meal eaten before dawn in preparation for a fast. Eating it is sunnah, and delaying it until close to dawn (without risking overrunning it) is recommended.

In plain words: The meal you eat before dawn, right before you start your fast.

The fasting day: suhur, the three obligations, and iftar

Prostration in prayer: placing the forehead, nose, both palms, both knees and the toes of both feet on the ground.

In plain words: Putting your forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes down on the ground in prayer.

How to pray, step by stepThe seven pillars (arkan) of prayer

A physical object placed in front of a person praying, such as a wall, pillar or bag, that marks where others should not walk.

In plain words: A small barrier, like a bag or a wall, that you put in front of you when you pray so people know not to walk right in front of you.

What nullifies the prayer

Leftover water or food, called jutha in the manual, that has touched the mouth of a person or animal. Its purity depends on whose mouth touched it: pure, disliked, doubtful, or impure.

In plain words: Water or food that someone or something has already touched with their mouth.

Leftover water and food: pure, disliked, doubtful or impure

A fish that dies without visible injury and is found floating on the surface of the water; unlike other fish, it is haram to eat.

In plain words: A fish that just floats up dead by itself, without being caught or hurt; this kind cannot be eaten.

Halal and haram animals

Cleanliness or purity; being free from both major and minor impurity, whether physical or ritual.

In plain words: Being clean the way Allah asks us to be: on our body and in a spiritual sense.

What purity (taharah) means, and its two kinds

Chewing a date, honey, or another natural, uncooked sweet and gently rubbing it on a newborn's upper palate.

In plain words: Rubbing a little chewed date or honey on a new baby's mouth.

Welcoming a newborn

The science of pronouncing the letters of the Qur'an correctly, from their proper articulation points and with their proper qualities.

In plain words: The rules for reading the Qur'an's letters the right way.

What is tajweed?

Saying 'Allāhu akbar': 'Allah is the greatest.' The Eid prayer contains six wajib takbirs beyond the ordinary prayer, and the days around Eid al-Adha have their own recited takbir, the Takbir al-Tashriq.

In plain words: Saying 'Allah is the greatest.'

The etiquettes of Eid dayThe rakats and takbirs of the Eid prayerHow to pray the Eid prayer, step by stepTakbir al-Tashriq: the takbir of the days of Tashriq

Saying "Allāhu Akbar" at the very start of the prayer. It begins the prayer and makes ordinary speech, eating and unrelated movement forbidden until the prayer ends.

In plain words: Saying "Allahu Akbar" to start the prayer.

How to pray, step by stepThe seven pillars (arkan) of prayer

The specific dissolution of the marital bond by a husband using the words prescribed for it. Linguistically, "to remove a bond" or "to release from restraint."

In plain words: Divorce - a husband ending a marriage.

What divorce (talaq) is, and when it is allowed

A divorce given contrary to the prescribed method - for example during menstruation, after intercourse in a period of purity, as an irrevocable divorce, or as more than one divorce in a single period of purity.

In plain words: Giving a divorce in the wrong way. It still happens, but the person giving it is sinful.

The kinds of divorce: ahsan, hasan, and bid'ah

An irrevocable divorce, which ends the marriage immediately. It is "light" (khafifah) where a new marriage contract alone can reunite the couple, or "severe" (mughallazah) where halalah is required first.

In plain words: A divorce that cannot be undone just by the husband changing his mind - a new marriage is needed.

Revocable and irrevocable divorce, and divorce before consummation

A revocable divorce: one or two divorces given without wording of irrevocability, which the husband may undo by taking his wife back during her waiting period, without a new marriage contract.

In plain words: A divorce that can still be undone while the wife is waiting.

Revocable and irrevocable divorce, and divorce before consummation

The formula 'Labbayka'llāhumma labbayk...' recited on entering ihram and repeatedly afterwards; reciting it (or an equivalent remembrance of Allah) is what places a person into the state of ihram.

In plain words: The special call you say when you enter ihram, meaning 'Here I am, O Allah, here I am.'

How to enter Ihram, step by step

Entering ihram during the months of Hajj, performing the rites of Umrah and coming out of ihram, then entering ihram for Hajj again on the same journey; requires a sacrifice.

In plain words: Doing Umrah first, coming out of ihram, then doing Hajj afterwards on the same trip.

Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them

The twenty-rak'ah night prayer of Ramadan, a confirmed sunnah prayed after Isha until Fajr, independent of whether one is fasting.

In plain words: The special extra night prayers of Ramadan.

Salat al-Tarawih

Reciting the two testimonies of the adhan quietly first, then repeating them aloud.

In plain words: Saying part of the call to prayer softly, then saying it again loudly.

Disliked ways of calling the adhan, and who may not call it

The science of refining one's character and sincerity, taught by the Awliya Allah known as Sheikhs or Sufis.

In plain words: Learning to have a good, sincere heart, taught by wise teachers called Sheikhs.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

The testimony of faith recited while sitting in prayer, beginning "At-taḥiyyātu lillāh".

In plain words: The special words you say while sitting down in prayer, which include bearing witness that there is only one God.

How to pray, step by stepThe obligatory acts of prayer (wajibat)

The 'days of Tashriq' are the 9th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, during which the Takbir al-Tashriq is recited after every obligatory prayer.

In plain words: The days around Eid al-Adha when a special takbir is said after every prayer.

Takbir al-Tashriq: the takbir of the days of Tashriq

Pronouncing Bismillāhi wa'llāhu akbar at the moment of slaughter; required for the meat to be halal.

In plain words: Saying 'in the name of Allah' at the moment you slaughter an animal.

The rulings of slaughtering (zabḥ)

An extra reminder about the prayer, given between the adhan and the iqamah.

In plain words: A short extra reminder that prayer is coming, said between the two calls.

Tathwib, and how to respond to the adhan and iqamah

Circling the Ka'bah seven times; different tawafs (al-Qudum, al-Ziyarah, al-Wada') are performed at different points of Hajj, and a single tawaf of Umrah.

In plain words: Walking around the Ka'bah seven times.

The virtues of Hajj and UmrahHajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themHow to perform tawaf, step by step

Repentance: turning back to Allah after a sin, made up of realising the harm, feeling regret, and resolving never to return to it.

In plain words: Saying sorry to Allah for a sin and deciding never to do it again.

Kufr, shirk, and treating a sin as permitted

The oneness of Allah in His being, His qualities, and His actions, with no partner in any of them.

In plain words: Believing there is only one Allah, with no partner.

Belief in AllahThe Five Kalimas

Dry ablution: purifying oneself by striking pure soil or a similar substance and wiping it over the face and both hands, used in place of wudu or ghusl when water is unavailable or cannot be used.

In plain words: Using clean soil or dust to purify yourself instead of water.

What tayammum is, and its conditionsWhat tayammum may be done with, and when it is allowedHow to make tayammum, step by step

Settling calmly and completely still in a posture of prayer for at least the time it takes to say one tasbih, rather than moving through it quickly.

In plain words: Staying still and calm for a moment in each position of prayer before moving to the next one, instead of rushing.

The obligatory acts of prayer (wajibat)

An agent authorised to conduct a marriage contract on someone else's behalf.

In plain words: Someone asked to arrange a marriage for another person.

Marriage of the insane and of minors

A friend of Allah: someone who follows Allah and His Messenger with true, sincere devotion.

In plain words: A person who is very close to Allah because they follow Him so well.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of beliefGuardianship in marriage

The wedding feast a groom is encouraged to host, to the best of his ability, after the marriage is consummated.

In plain words: The wedding party a husband gives after the wedding night.

How a nikah is conducted

A means of drawing closer to Allah in dua, such as mentioning a prophet or a saint while the prayer itself is addressed to Allah.

In plain words: A way of getting closer to Allah when you pray, like mentioning someone He loves.

Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief

The wajib prayer of three rak'ahs prayed after Isha, in which a surah is joined to al-Fatihah in every rak'ah and the Dua-e-Qunoot is recited standing in the third.

In plain words: The extra prayer you pray after Isha that you must not skip.

The Witr prayerThe times of the five daily prayers

Purification from minor impurity by washing the face, the arms to the elbows and the feet to the ankles, and wiping a quarter of the head.

In plain words: The washing you do before you pray.

How to make wudu, step by step

The standing at Arafat on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah: the single fard act without which Hajj is not valid.

In plain words: Standing on the plain of Arafat, the most important part of Hajj.

The standing at Arafat, on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah

The obligatory giving of a specific, Shariah-fixed portion of one's wealth to an eligible poor Muslim once the nisab and the other conditions are met; the third pillar of Islam.

In plain words: The set share of your savings you must give to the poor every year.

What zakat is, and why it mattersThe ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory

The charity given at the end of Ramadan, before the Eid al-Fitr prayer, in addition to the prayer itself.

In plain words: The charity given at the end of Ramadan, just before the Eid prayer.

What is Eid? The obligation of the Eid prayers

A husband comparing his wife to a woman permanently forbidden to him in marriage, such as his mother. It forbids marital relations until an expiation is fulfilled.

In plain words: A husband wrongly comparing his wife to someone he could never marry, like his mother.

Zihar and li'an

A person appointed by the Islamic ruler to collect zakat; one of the categories eligible to receive zakat.

In plain words: The person a Muslim ruler appoints to collect zakat.

Who may receive zakat

The recommended sacrifice made on behalf of a newborn, ideally on the seventh day after birth, together with shaving the baby's head and naming them.

In plain words: The sacrifice made to welcome a new baby.

The rulings of aqiqahWelcoming a newborn

A person's male relatives not related through a woman, who form the first rank of guardians for marriage, in order of nearness.

In plain words: The closest men in the family, like a father, brother or uncle, who arrange a marriage first.

Guardianship in marriage

The parts of the body that a Muslim must keep covered in prayer and in front of others.

In plain words: The parts of your body that you must always keep covered.

The conditions for prayer to be valid

One of the two great festivals of the Islamic year (Eid al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, the day of sacrifice), each marked by its own congregational prayer of two rakats.

In plain words: A special festival day, celebrated twice a year, with its own prayer.

What is Eid? The obligation of the Eid prayers

The waiting period a wife observes after divorce or her husband's death, before she may remarry, so that the effect of the previous marriage is fully ended and her lineage is protected.

In plain words: The waiting time a wife has before she can marry again after a divorce or her husband's death.

The waiting period (iddah) after divorce or deathWho you cannot marry: the other causes

The 'lesser pilgrimage': entering ihram, performing tawaf of the Ka'bah, and performing sa'i between Safa and Marwah. Sunnah according to Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik, and can be performed at almost any time of year.

In plain words: A shorter visit to the Ka'bah that can be done almost any time of year, not just during Hajj.

The virtues of Hajj and UmrahHajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining themWhat Hajj is, and why it is the fifth pillar