Glossary

Arabic terms used throughout this guide. Each entry has the Arabic, transliteration, brief definition, and a link to where it’s covered in detail.

Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to find a term quickly.

A

Adhkar

أَذْكَار plural of dhikr. Remembrances of Allah; the formulas of praise, glorification, and supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ. → What to say after salah

Aameen

آمِين “O Allah, accept.” Said after the recitation of Al-Fatiha, aloud in jahr prayers, quietly in sirr.

Awrah

عَوْرَة the parts of the body that must be covered. For men: navel to knees, plus shoulders should be covered in prayer when garments are available. For women: the entire body except the face and hands. → Prerequisites for salah

B

Basmalah

بَسْمَلَة saying Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim (“In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”). In salah, the basmalah before Al-Fatiha is recited silently, even in jahr prayers.

Bidʿah

بِدْعَة innovation in religion. Practices added to worship that were not done by the Prophet ﷺ or his Companions. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every innovation is misguidance.”

D

Dhikr

ذِكْر remembrance of Allah. Plural: adhkar.

Du’a

دُعَاء supplication. A direct ask of Allah, made in any language.

F

Fajr

الفَجْر the dawn prayer; 2 fard rak’at, recited aloud, prayed between true dawn and sunrise. → Fajr, The Dawn Prayer

Fard

فَرْض obligatory. The 5 daily prayers are fard. The components that are strictly required for the prayer (or wudu) to be valid are also called fard.

Fatiha

الفَاتِحَة “The Opening”; the first surah of the Qur’an, recited in every rak’ah of every prayer.

G

Ghusl

غُسْل a full ritual bath that washes the entire body. Required after major impurity (janabah, end of menstruation, end of post-natal bleeding) before salah is valid.

H

Hadath

حَدَث a state of ritual impurity. Minor hadath is removed by wudu; major hadath (janabah) is removed by ghusl.

I

Iftirash

الافتِراش sitting on the left foot laid flat under you, with the right foot upright and toes pointing to the qibla. Used between the two sujood, in the first tashahhud, and in the tashahhud of 2-rak’ah prayers (Fajr). → Fajr, sitting between sujoods

Iq’a

الإقعَاء the permissible kind: sitting on the heels with both feet upright and both sets of toes pointing toward the qibla. From the Sunnah (Ibn Abbas in Sahih Muslim) and permissible as an alternative for those who find iftirash or tawarruk physically difficult.

Imam

إِمَام the leader of a congregational prayer. → The Three Modes of Praying

Irsal / Sadl

إِرْسَال / سَدْل releasing the hands at the sides after rising from ruku (as opposed to refolding them on the chest). Both irsal and qabd are permissible per Imam Ahmad.

Istinshaq

اسْتِنْشَاق drawing water into the nostrils during wudu.

Istinthar

اسْتِنْثَار blowing the water back out of the nostrils after istinshaq.

I’tidal

اعْتِدَال standing upright after rising from ruku, before going into sujood. A required position in the prayer.

J

Jahr

جَهْر recitation aloud. Used to describe Fatiha + surah in Fajr (both rak’at), Maghrib (first 2), and Isha (first 2).

Janabah

جَنَابَة the state of major ritual impurity, caused by sexual relations or ejaculation. Removed by ghusl.

Julus

جُلُوس sitting (the general word). Used for sitting positions in salah (iftirash, tawarruk, iq’a).

M

Madhi

مَذْي pre-arousal fluid. Nullifies wudu and requires washing the area (but not full ghusl).

Madmadah

مَضْمَضَة rinsing the mouth with water during wudu.

Maghrib

المَغْرِب the sunset prayer; 3 fard rak’at, first 2 aloud, the 3rd silent. → Maghrib, The Sunset Prayer

Mani

مَنِيّ semen. Nullifies wudu and requires ghusl.

Ma’mum

مَأْمُوم the follower behind an imam in congregational prayer. → The Three Modes of Praying

Munfarid

مُنْفَرِد one who prays alone (not in congregation).

Muwalat

مُوَالَاة performing the parts of wudu in continuous succession, without long gaps that would allow the previous body part to dry.

N

Najasah

نَجَاسَة physical impurity (urine, feces, blood beyond a small amount, etc.). Must be removed from body, clothes, and place of prayer before salah.

Nawaqid

نَوَاقِض plural of naqid. Nullifiers; things that break wudu. → What breaks wudu

Niyyah

نِيَّة intention. In the heart, not spoken. Required for wudu, for ghusl, and for every salah to be valid.

Q

Qabd

قَبْض refolding the hands above the navel after rising from ruku, as opposed to releasing them (sadl/irsal). Both are permissible per Imam Ahmad.

Qibla

القِبْلَة the direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah, which every Muslim faces during prayer. → How to find the qibla

Qiyam

قِيَام standing in prayer. The standing position of salah, before ruku.

Qunoot

قُنُوت a supplication recited in the final rak’ah of witr (after rising from ruku), with hands raised. Not recited in Fajr except in times of calamity (nawazil).

R

Rak’ah / Rak’at

رَكْعَة / رَكَعَات a unit of prayer consisting of one cycle: qiyam → ruku → standing → sujood → sitting → sujood. Fajr is 2 rak’at; Dhuhr/Asr/Isha are 4; Maghrib is 3.

Raful yadayn

رَفْع الْيَدَيْن “raising the hands.” Done in four places: takbir al-ihram, before ruku, after rising from ruku, and after standing from the first tashahhud (per the hadith of Ibn Umar in Bukhari).

Rawatib

رَوَاتِب the regular sunnah prayers that accompany the fard prayers (e.g., 2 before Fajr, 2 after Maghrib).

Ruku

رُكُوع bowing in prayer. Hands grip the knees, back is flat and level, head in line with the back.

S

Sadl

See Irsal.

Salah

الصَّلَاة the prescribed daily Islamic prayer. The second pillar of Islam. → Introduction

Salawat ibrahimiyyah

الصَّلَاة الإبراهيمية sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ in the final tashahhud, beginning with “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad…”

Shahadah

الشَّهَادَة the testimony of faith: “Ash-hadu al la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah.”

Shurut

شُرُوط singular: shart. Conditions. The nine conditions for salah to be valid. → Prerequisites for salah

Sirr

سِرّ recitation silently. Used to describe the Fatiha and surah in Dhuhr (all), Asr (all), Maghrib (3rd rakah), and Isha (last 2).

Sujood

سُجُود prostration. Forehead and nose touch the floor along with both palms, both knees, and the underside of both feet (seven body parts in total). → Fajr, sujood

Sunnah

السُنَّة the way of the Prophet ﷺ. Also used to refer to actions that are recommended but not strictly obligatory.

Surah

سُورَة a chapter of the Qur’an. After Al-Fatiha in the first two rak’at, reciting another surah is a strong sunnah.

T

Takbir

تَكْبِير saying “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is the Greatest”). Used at every transition in salah.

Takbir al-ihram

تَكْبِيرَة الإحْرَام the opening takbir that begins the prayer (with raful yadayn). After saying this, you have entered the state of salah.

Takhlil

تَخْلِيل running wet fingers through (a thick beard during wudu, or between the fingers/toes to ensure water reaches everywhere).

Tartib

تَرْتِيب performing the parts of wudu in their correct order (face → arms → head → feet).

Tasbih

تَسْبِيح glorifying Allah by saying “SubhanAllah” / “Subhana Rabbiya l-‘Azim” / “Subhana Rabbiya l-A’la.” Also refers to the 33/33/33+1 count after every fard prayer. → What to say after salah

Tashahhud

التَشَهُّد sitting in prayer and reciting the testimony of faith. Done after the second rak’ah (the first tashahhud) and at the end of the prayer (the final tashahhud).

Tasleem

التَسْلِيم ending the prayer by turning the head right and then left, saying “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah” each time.

Tawarruk

التَوَرُّك the final tashahhud sitting in prayers with more than 2 rak’at: the left foot extends out and under the right leg, the body rests on the left buttock on the floor, the right foot is upright with toes to the qibla. → Dhuhr, final tashahhud

Tayammum

التَّيَمُّم dry ablution using clean earth, performed when water is unavailable or its use would cause harm. → Tayammum

Tuma’ninah

طُمَأْنِينَة tranquility, stillness. Each position in salah must be held long enough to be at rest in it before transitioning to the next.

W

Wadi

وَدِي thick fluid that sometimes comes after urination. Nullifies wudu.

Witr

الوِتْر the night’s odd-numbered voluntary prayer, prayed after Isha (or, more rewardingly, in the last third of the night). Typically prayed as 2 + 1 rak’at. → Witr, in the Isha walkthrough

Wudu

الوُضُوء the ritual washing required to remove minor ritual impurity before salah. → How to make wudu