Questions tagged [terminology]
Questions about Islamic terms, the ways they are used, and what they mean.
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What does "obey" mean in "righteous women are devoutly obedient" in Qur'an 4:34?
Can someone please define the word "obey" in the context of this verse.
http://quran.com/4/34 Men are in charge of women by [right of] what
Allah has given one over the other and what they spend ...
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What is a "Muslim" (surrendered) and what is a "Mumin" (believer/safe)?
In the Quran, two terms are used to refer to those on the straight path (suratal mustakeem): muslim and mumin.
What are some similarities and differences between "muslim" and "mumin"?
In the Quran, ...
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What does "Jazak Allah Khair" mean?
Asslamu allikum
I would like to know the usage of Jazak Allah Khair. When is it best used and, is there any restrictions?
What does "Jazak Allah Khair" mean? When do we use "Jazak Allah Khair"?
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Why are converts to Islam called reverts?
I have noticed that when a person converts from one religion to Islam it is said that he or she reverted. This is said even when it is the first time he or she embraces Islam as a religion. Why is ...
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What is the definition of a kaffir?
My understanding of the term kafir is that it refers to a person who literally rejects God's authority.
So while even the most blatant polytheist would still be mushrik, he would not (necessarily) ...
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What is the Islamic definition of music?
Based on answers from questions like (Music in Islam?), it seems that music is haraam.
My question is, has Islamdefined for muslims what music is?
For example, is music:
singing without musical ...
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What is the Khabar? How is it different than Sira, Akbar, Sunnah, & Hadith in general?
I know this must be a basic question so please forgive my ignorance, but I'm unfamiliar with the textual difference/similarities among the texts. I was able to discern that Khabar means "historical ...
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What is the difference between "nabi" and "rasul"?
In English, we use the word prophet, but in Quran two different names are used for prophets: rasul and nabi.
What is the difference between rasul and nabi?
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What is the difference between 'Wahi' and 'Ilham'?
Are these interchangeable terms?
Is there a way by which even non prophets can acquire information/communication from the unseen?
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What is the literal meaning of the word "Qur'an"?
I know that the Qur'an is the book revealed by the prophet Muhammad, but I'd like to know what the meaning of this word "Qur'an" is literally? What is its root?
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What are the minimum requirements for someone to be a "student of knowledge"?
A student of knowledge (طالب العلم) describes someone who studies Islam (or, more specifically, sacred knowledge). However, it's hard for me to tell if someone is genuinely a student of knowledge, or ...
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What are Sunnah Rawaatib?
Allah will build a house in Heaven for whoever is diligent in observing 12 Sunnah Rak'aat, called Sunnah Rawaatib.
(A version of this is at Islam Q&A.)
What are Sunnah Rawaatib?
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What is the definition of Muslim according to the Holy Quran?
Is there any verse in the Holy Quran that provides a clear definition of who should be considered Muslim?
Some extremist groups of Muslims use their own definition of Muslim and call some other ...
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What are the complete writings of Islam? Qur'an, Hadith, Ahadith, Sunnah, Tafsir, etc? How do they relate to each other? Chart? Map?
This question obviously divulges my lack of knowledge in Islamic texts, but I hope that you wouldn't mind instructing me with general basic info so I can began to learn more about Islam and grow in ...
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What is a 'non-believer' or 'pagan'?
Under what conditions is someone considered a 'non-believer' or 'pagan' in Islam?
Does believing in one God constitute 'belief', and is a Christian or Jew (or followers of monotheistic non-Abrahamic ...
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Refering to Allah (SWT) as "him"?
I was watching a khutba on youtube and the Imam referred to Allah (SWT) as "him". If you need a context to go with this the sentence was, "Allah (SWT) doesn't need us, we need him." I sometimes feel ...
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Is to say "God" the same as to say "Allah"?
Clearly I'm not very familiar with Islam, but I prefer to become knowledgeable in a wide range of things, so if I'm asking a question here, or speaking to a Muslim, should I strictly use "Allah" to ...
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How can I practically determine what "should" means?
I hear the word should used a lot and its meaning can be vague. To illustrate how many times this occurs, from the single article Forty Hadiths for Women, the word should appears in:
woman should ...
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What is the difference between the different formulations used in describing how a hadith was transmitted?
In hadith books we may read in the narrator chain how and via whom a hadith was transmitted. I wonder if different formulations indicate different ways of transmission here some examples we may find:
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Is the Qur'an a book?
This may seem like a strange question at first, since well, we can literally see that the Qur'an is a book:
And we often refer to it as a book. And the Qur'an refers to itself as a book (Qur'an 5:15:...
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What is the meaning of Shafa'ah (Sunni view)?
There is some narration from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) installed in Masjid an Nabawi in Madinah, justified as "Sahih"(=Correct) or "Hassan"(=Well) in different Sunni references:
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what is a bidah (bid-ah), the definition and the way to identify it?
I've read a lot about bid-ah here and other places, but it seems there is no definite meaning for it as
someone expands it to anything new even innovations in technology and saying there are good ...
user4710
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Did the Quran ever mention Universe?
I am intrigued by the world السماواتthat is often used in Holy Quran to describe God creation of skies and the earth. In arabic السماوات means skies, which is not the same as Universe. Sky is the ...
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who is a Musafir?
Musafir is a traveler, but after covering how much distance is a person called Musafir? I've been searching for this everywhere but the distance varies everywhere.
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Why use the word Allah instead of God?
As an Arab, for me the use of the Word "Allah" is only the arabic translation of God. So why create the distinction of the 2 words? I have read somewhere that this idea of using the word came from ...
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Should we include TV shows or series in the definition of "idle talk"?
The phrase "idle talks" appears in this ayah;
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah…” [Luqmaan 31:6]
In an article about music ...
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Who exactly can be called a hafidh?
In popular parlance hafidh or hafiz seems primarily to refer to a person who has memorized the whole Qur'an. But when we read books we find this title mostly used to introduce a hadith scholar such as ...
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Is it improper to describe Friday as "sabbath"?
On Friday, Muslims have Jumu'ah prayer. This is comparable with "sabbath" in Christianity: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy is taken as one of the Ten Commandments.
Wikipedia writes about ...
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Islam position of the use of "Allah" word by non-Muslims as a synonym to God
This is because I read today the news about Malaysia banning of a comic book using the word "Allah" to describe its hero. (Al Jazeera)
For me I feel that using it in such context is defaming to Islam,...
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When did converts to Islam start being called "reverts"?
I've seen a few related explanations behind the motivation behind using the word "revert" to mean "convert", e.g.,
...we are all born as Muslims;
...children are born with an ...
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What exactly is takfir (declaration of disbelief)?
Wikipedia writes:
Takfir or takfeer (Arabic: تكفير takfīr) is... one Muslim declaring another Muslim as a non-believer (kafir).
Takfir, Wikipedia
I had thought this definition was clear and ...
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What makes one a part of the Ummah?
According to the accepted answer in the linked question below, an ummah is " the whole community of Muslims bound together by ties of religion".
But didn't earlier Prophets have their own ummah? Is ...
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Why is Islam called "The Religion of Peace"?
What does it mean. Is this politically correct term to describe Islam? What is its origin?
Islam - Religion of Peace - Wikipedia
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What exactly is a 'Wahy' in Islam?
I understand that in Islamic school of thought, it is said to be revelation of God's message to His chosen people like Prophets, Messengers (and according to some folks also the pious and righteous ...
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What is the difference between "muhajaba" and "hijabi"?
It seems both muhajaba (or muhajiba) and hijabi refer to women who observe hijab. Personally, I like hijabi because it sounds cute, and not for any serious reason.
Question: What is the difference ...
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Why is a martyr called a Shaheed?
Assalamu Alaikum Brothers in Islam,
Why is the martyr who dies in the way of Allah Azza Wajjal considered a shaheed when the word shaheed means "to witness" ?
What is he witnessing?
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What are the Arsh and Kursi of Allah?
What are the Arsh and Kursi of Allah? How are they different from each other?
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Does salat mean prayer to Allah?
Salam,
I am confused about salat/namaz. Does salat mean prayer to Allah? But how come God sends salat to the prophet? If you know Arabic enough could you please explain salat in Quranic context? ...
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What is "taharrush gamea" and is it part of Islam?
I stumbled upon another anti-Islam site, billionbibles.org. They have an article on Taharrush Gamea which they define as the coordinated sexual attack of a girl or a woman in public by a mass of ...
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Who defined the terms "makki" and "madani"?
I know part of Qur'an was revealed in Makka and remaining was revealed in Madina. However, some surahs of the Qur'an (moshaf) are declares to be "makki" or "madani", based on revelation.
So I want to ...
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