Study tools
A word should open a door.
Short working definitions for reading the site. Technical terms carry histories and disagreements that a brief definition cannot exhaust.
40 terms
Allah
The Arabic word for God, also used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews. Its use alone does not settle disagreements about God’s nature.
Asbab al-nuzul
Reports about occasions of revelation. Their provenance and reliability require examination.
Caliph
A successor or ruler of the Muslim community. The legitimacy and scope of the office have been contested.
Dhimmi
A non-Muslim subject with a protected but unequal legal status in some premodern Muslim polities. Rules and practice varied.
Fiqh
Human scholarly understanding of practical religious law. Distinguish it from the divine ideal it seeks to interpret.
Five pillars
The testimony of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting in Ramadan and pilgrimage for those able, in the standard Sunni formulation.
Hadith
A transmitted report about the Prophet, or in some traditions other authoritative figures. A report and its historical reliability are different questions.
Hijra
The migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The Islamic calendar counts from this era.
Honorifics
Blessings such as “peace be upon him” express reverence. This site uses respectful plain naming in its own voice and retains source conventions in quotations.
Ibadi
A distinct Muslim tradition, especially associated today with Oman, with its own legal and theological heritage.
Imam
A leader, including a prayer leader. In Shia traditions the term can carry a distinctive authority attached to designated leaders.
Ismaili
A family of Shia traditions with distinctive understandings of the line and role of the imams.
Isnad / matn
The reported chain of transmitters / the wording of a report. Hadith scholarship examines both.
I’jaz
The inimitability of the Qur’an, an important Muslim argument about its divine origin.
Jihad
Striving or struggle. Uses include moral effort and, in legal and historical settings, armed struggle. Context is essential.
Madhhab
A school of legal interpretation. A person’s legal school and theological school need not be the same label.
Meccan / Medinan
Traditional classifications usually relating to revelation before or after the Hijra, not merely the physical place of delivery.
Muhajirun / Ansar
The emigrants / the helpers, terms associated with early Muslims who migrated to Medina and those who received them.
Naskh
Abrogation or supersession. Scholars dispute its scope and the relationship between specific passages.
People of the Book
A Qur’anic designation commonly associated with Jews and Christians. Its scope and legal implications have varied.
Qadar
Divine determination or decree. Muslim schools have debated its relationship to human responsibility.
Qira’at
Transmitted Qur’anic readings, involving pronunciation and sometimes wording or grammar. They are not English translations.
Qur’an
Islam’s scripture, understood by Muslims as God’s revelation in Arabic. A translation interprets its meanings.
Rasm
The basic written consonantal outline of a Qur’anic text, considered separately from later vocalisation and other marks.
Sabr
Patience, steadfastness or perseverance. It should not be used to demand silence from someone being harmed.
Sahih / hasan / da’if
Common grading terms often translated sound, good and weak. Criteria and particular assessments can differ.
Sharia
The divine way or normative guidance in Muslim understanding. It is broader than a modern state code.
Shia
Muslim traditions that give a distinctive place to Ali and the Prophet’s household in legitimate religious leadership.
Shirk
Associating partners with God or giving others what is understood to belong uniquely to God.
Sira
Biographical writing about Muhammad. A surviving work may preserve material from earlier sources.
Six articles of faith
Belief in God, angels, scriptures, messengers, the Last Day and divine decree, in a familiar Sunni formulation.
Sufi
Relating to traditions of spiritual discipline and inward transformation. Sufism can overlap with Sunni and Shia identities.
Sunnah
An authoritative example or practice, especially that of Muhammad. Hadith reports are a major means of knowing it.
Sunni
The largest broad Muslim tradition, with diverse legal, theological and spiritual schools.
Surah / ayah
A chapter / a verse or sign. References such as 2:177 mean surah 2, verse 177.
Tafsir
Interpretation or commentary on the Qur’an. Methods include language, transmitted reports, theology and context.
Tahrif
Distortion or alteration. Muslim discussions differ over whether a given claim concerns wording, interpretation or concealment.
Tawba
Repentance or turning back to God. It involves more than calling a harmful action harmless.
Tawhid
The oneness and uniqueness of God, central to Islamic belief.
Zakat
Obligatory almsgiving governed by religious rules. It is distinct from voluntary charity, often called sadaqa.
Editorial definitions. Explore the reading guide, core answers and named interpretations for supporting sources and fuller distinctions.