The words used here
Glossary
Each word in a plain sentence. On any page, a word with a dotted underline opens its meaning when you tap it.
Remembrance and supplication
- Dhikralso: zikr
Remembrance of Allah, in the heart and on the tongue. Often a short phrase repeated.
The Qur'an ties the heart's rest to it: "In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
Qur'an 13:28Dhikr Library →
- Tasbihalso: Tasbīḥ
Glorifying Allah by repeating a phrase such as SubhanAllah, usually counted on beads or the fingers.
- Salawatalso: Ṣalawāt
Asking Allah to bless the Prophet and his family: Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa Aal Muhammad.
- Istighfar
Asking Allah's forgiveness, as in the phrase Astaghfirullah.
- Du'aalso: Duʿāʾ · du'as
Supplication: speaking to Allah directly and asking of Him.
- Munajat
Intimate, whispered prayer: a private conversation with Allah.
- Ta'qibatalso: Taʿqībāt · Taqibat
The remembrances and du'as recited straight after a prayer, before rising from it.
- Ziyaratalso: Ziyarah
Visitation: greeting the Prophet or an Imam with a recited salutation, at their shrine or from wherever you are.
- Du'a Kumayl
A supplication Imam Ali (a) taught Kumayl ibn Ziyad, recited on the night of Friday, which is Thursday evening.
- Du'a Nudbah
A supplication of longing for the Imam of the age, recited on Friday morning.
Prayer
- Khushualso: khushūʿ
Humble presence of heart in prayer: attention and awe before Allah, and not only the movements.
- Salat al-Laylalso: Ṣalāt al-Layl · night prayer
The night prayer: eleven units prayed in the last part of the night, before Fajr.
Eight units in pairs, then two called shaf', then a single unit called witr. It is recommended, not obligatory.
- Niyyah
Intention: the purpose held in the heart for which an act is done.
- Wudu
The ritual washing done before prayer.
- Sujud
Prostration: placing the forehead on the ground before Allah.
The self and its training
- Nafs
The self or soul. Here it means the self that has to be known, watched and trained.
- An-Nafs al-Ammaraalso: Nafs al-Ammara
The commanding self: the self that pulls toward base desire and justifies the pull.
Qur'an 12:53The stages of the self →
- An-Nafs al-Lawwamaalso: Nafs al-Lawwama
The self-reproaching self: the conscience has woken, so the self slips, then blames itself and regrets.
Qur'an 75:2The stages of the self →
- An-Nafs al-Mutma'innaalso: Nafs al-Mutma'inna
The tranquil self: the self that has found rest in the remembrance of Allah.
Qur'an 89:27The stages of the self →
- Muhasabah
Self-accounting: looking back over your day honestly, usually before sleep.
- Muraqabah
Watchfulness: keeping guard over the heart and your actions through the day.
- Musharatah
A covenant with yourself, made in the morning, for this one day.
- Tafakkur
Contemplation: a few minutes of deliberate reflection before acting.
- Kibr
Arrogance: seeing yourself as above another person, or resisting the truth because of who brought it.
- 'Ujbalso: ʿUjb
Self-admiration: being impressed with your own worship, knowledge or character, and forgetting that Allah enabled it.
- Riya'also: Riyāʾ
Showing off: doing or beautifying a good act so that people will see and admire it.
- Sum'ahalso: Sumʿah
Wanting a good deed to be heard about and repeated by others, even when they did not see it.
Days and times
- The white daysalso: white days · Ayyam al-Bid · white nights
The 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month, when the moon is full and the nights are bright. A fast is recommended on them.
The Arabic name, Ayyam al-Bid, means the days of the white nights: the moon is up from sunset to dawn, so the whole night is lit.
- The three days of the month
A second narrated pattern for the monthly fast: the first Thursday, the middle Wednesday and the last Thursday of the lunar month.
- Hijri calendaralso: Hijri
The Islamic lunar calendar, counted from the Prophet's migration to Medina. Each month begins with the new moon.
A lunar year is about eleven days shorter than a solar one, so Hijri dates move through the seasons. A month's start depends on the moon being sighted, which is why communities can differ by a day.
- Solar Hijri (SH)also: Shamsi
The solar calendar used in Iran and Afghanistan, also counted from the Prophet's migration. Today shows its date beside the lunar one.
- The night of Jumu'ahalso: night of Jumu'ah · Laylat al-Jumu'ah
The night of Friday. In the Islamic day the night comes first, so it begins at sunset on Thursday.
- Ashura
The 10th of Muharram, the day Imam Husayn (a) and his companions were martyred at Karbala.
- Arba'eenalso: Arbaeen
The fortieth day after Ashura, the 20th of Safar.
- Fatimiyya
The days of mourning for Sayyida Fatima (a), kept on the dates narrated for her martyrdom.
People and ties
- Ahl al-Bayt
The household of the Prophet. In this app: the Prophet, Sayyida Fatima and the twelve Imams, peace be upon them.
- The Fourteenalso: the Fourteen
The Fourteen Infallibles: the Prophet, his daughter Sayyida Fatima, and the twelve Imams.
- (a)
Written after a name, it stands for the Arabic for "peace be upon him" or "peace be upon her".
- Silah al-Rahimalso: Silah al-rahim
Keeping the ties of kinship: staying in touch with your relatives and caring for them.
These are plain meanings to get you started, not rulings. For how an act is to be performed, follow your marja'.