Nobody explains these. They get used constantly — in conversation, in the khutbah, on this site — and everyone around you assumes you already know them.
You do not need to memorise this page. Read it once so the words stop being noise, then come back when one of them catches you out.
The Qur'an
Qur'ankur-AAN
The book itself — what Muslims hold to be the direct speech of God, revealed in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over twenty-three years. Not a record of his words, and not written by him.
SurahSOO-rah
A chapter of the Qur'an. There are 114, and they are named rather than numbered — Surah Al-Fatihah, Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ. When you hear someone say “recite a surah” they mean a chapter, usually a short one.
AyahAA-yah
A verse — one numbered line of a surah. The plural is āyāt. The word also means a sign, which is not a coincidence. So “Al-Baqarah, ayah 255” means chapter Al-Baqarah, verse 255.
Juzjooz
One of thirty roughly equal parts the Qur'an is divided into, for reading a portion a day. Juz ʿAmma is the thirtieth — the short surahs used in prayer.
MusḥafMUS-haf
A physical printed copy of the Qur'an in Arabic.
The Prophet ﷺ
Hadithha-DEETH
A recorded saying or action of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, passed down through named chains of people who heard it. Hadith are a separate source from the Qur'an: the Qur'an is God's speech, hadith record what the Prophet said and did.
Ḥadīth qudsīha-DEETH KUD-see
A narration in which the Prophet ﷺ reports the words of Allah, but which is not part of the Qur'an. The meaning is from Allah, the wording is the Prophet's ﷺ, and it is not recited in prayer.
SunnahSOON-nah
The Prophet's ﷺ way of doing things — his practice, taken as the model. Also used more narrowly to mean an act that is recommended but not obligatory.
Ṣaḥīḥsa-HEEH
“Sound” — a grading meaning a hadith's chain of transmission is reliable. You will see Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the two most rigorously collected books of hadith.
ﷺṣalla-llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam
The symbol after the Prophet's name. It means “may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him,” and Muslims say it aloud whenever he is mentioned.
The prayer
SalahSA-lah
The prayer — the five daily obligatory prayers. Also called namaz in Turkish, Persian and South Asian usage.
RakʿahRAK-ah
One unit of prayer: standing, bowing, and two prostrations. Prayers are two, three or four of these.
Takbīrtak-BEER
Saying Allāhu akbar, “Allah is greatest” — which marks each change of position in the prayer.
Rukūʿroo-KOO
The bowing position.
Sujūdsoo-JOOD
The prostration — forehead to the ground. Also called sajdah.
QiblahKIB-lah
The direction of prayer, toward the Kaʿbah in Makkah. From North America, northeast.
Adhana-THAAN
The call to prayer, given aloud when a prayer's time comes in.
Iqamahi-KAA-mah
The shorter call given immediately before the prayer itself begins.
JumuʿahJOO-moo-ah
The Friday congregational prayer, which replaces Dhuhr and is obligatory for men.
KhutbahKHUT-bah
The sermon — delivered before the Friday prayer and after the Eid prayers.
Janazahja-NAA-zah
The funeral prayer.
Purity
Wuduwu-DOO
The short wash before prayer — face, arms, head, feet.
GhuslGHUSL
The full-body wash, required in certain states.
Tayammumta-YAM-mum
The dry substitute for either, using clean earth, when water is unavailable or would harm you.
Najāsahna-JAA-sah
Physical impurity — substances that must be washed off before prayer.
Janābahja-NAA-bah
The major state of impurity, lifted only by ghusl.
People and places
MasjidMAS-jid
The mosque. “Masjid” is the Arabic word and what most Muslims say; both are correct.
Imami-MAAM
The one who leads the prayer. Also used for the scholar or religious leader of a masjid — the person to take your questions to.
Shaykhshaykh
A scholar, or a respected elder. Used loosely; it is not a formal title everywhere.
UmmahOOM-mah
The worldwide community of Muslims. You joined it.
Revert
A Muslim who came to Islam later in life. The word is used because Muslims hold that everyone is born in a natural state of submission to God, so one is returning rather than switching. “Convert” is also perfectly acceptable — use whichever you prefer.
How rulings are described
You will hear these constantly, and they are the reason two Muslims can both be right about whether you “have to” do something.
Farḍfard
Obligatory. Leaving it is a sin. The five prayers are farḍ.
WājibWAA-jib
Also obligatory. Some schools use it interchangeably with farḍ; the Hanafi school distinguishes them.
Sunnah / mustahabbmus-ta-HABB
Recommended. Rewarded if done, not sinful if left. A great deal of what you will be taught falls here.
Makrūhmak-ROOH
Disliked. Better avoided, but not sinful.
Ḥalālha-LAAL
Permitted.
Ḥarāmha-RAAM
Forbidden.
Law and scholarship
Fiqhfikh
The understanding and working out of Islamic law from its sources. See why this site teaches one path.
MadhhabMATH-hab
A school of Islamic law. There are four main Sunni schools, all valid.
Sharīʿahsha-REE-ah
Islamic law as a whole — the path. Not the same as fiqh, which is the human effort to understand it.
FatwaFAT-wa
A scholar's ruling on a specific question. It is an answer to a particular situation, not a law binding on everyone.
Tafsirtaf-SEER
Commentary explaining the Qur'an — why a passage was revealed and how the earliest Muslims understood it.
Words you will hear all day
These are said constantly in ordinary conversation. Learning them is most of what makes a room stop feeling foreign.
As-salāmu ʿalaykumas-sa-LAAM-u a-LAY-kum
“Peace be upon you.” The greeting. Reply: wa ʿalaykumu-s-salām.
Bismillāhbis-mil-LAAH
“In the name of Allah.” Said before eating, entering, starting anything.
Alḥamdulillāhal-HAM-du-lil-LAAH
“All praise is for Allah.” After eating, after good news, and as the answer to “how are you?”
In shā’ Allāhin-SHAA-allaah
“If Allah wills.” Said about anything in the future. Not a polite way of saying no, though it is sometimes used that way.
Mā shā’ Allāhma-SHAA-allaah
“What Allah has willed.” Said on seeing something good — a baby, an achievement, good news.
SubḥānAllāhsub-HAAN-allaah
“Glory be to Allah.” At wonder, or at shock.
Astaghfirullāhas-tagh-fi-ru-LLAAH
“I seek Allah's forgiveness.” After a slip, or on hearing something bad.
Jazāk Allāhu khayranja-ZAAK-allaahu KHAY-ran
“May Allah reward you with good.” Thank you.
Āmīnaa-MEEN
Said after a duʿā’, and after Al-Fatihah in the prayer. The same word as “amen”.
Duʿā’du-AA
Supplication — asking Allah for something, in any language, at any time.
Dhikrthikr
Remembrance of Allah — short phrases repeated, often on the fingers or a string of beads.
Ask when you do not know. The revert who asked what a surah was, in a room of people using the word, did everyone a favour — including the other new Muslims who did not want to ask. Nobody thinks less of you for it. Most Muslims are pleased to be asked.