Basic Terminology of Islam

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A Dictionary of Basic Terms
For one unfamiliar with the terminology of Islam, a great many foreign words are thrown around amongst those discussing its theology and the threat it poses to the West. Knowledge of these terms is a must, so here, is a short dictionary of important Islam-related words.

Abu Bakr - Mohammed's first successor. He is regarded as his spiritual successor by the Sunni, but not the Shi'a.

Aisha - Mohammed's child bride. He betrothed her when she was 6, and "laid with her" when she was 9 (he was 53). Some modern Islamic scholars attempt to distort the story of Aisha by claiming she was anywhere from 12-19, instead of 9. This is an entirely new development, and Islam has always regarded Aisha's age at their consummation to be 9. Until recently, young girls 9 and older were able to consent to marriage without parental consent to any man over the age of 12. Now parental consent is required before 13.

Ali - Mohammed's son-in-law, and fourth successor. He is held to be the first legitimate successor by the Shi'a.

Allah - The monotheistic god of Islam. Allah is regarded as entirely transcendant, above personal relationships or even morality. He could have, in theory, commanded all men to be idolators, and then sent them all to Hell for doing so. Allah in no way resembles the loving God of Christianity, the Holy Trinity. They are not the same God/god, and were never held as such by any Christians until the 20th century, despite the fact that Christians of the middle ages thought of Islam as a heresy and not a new religion. Muslims may or may not see Christians as worshipping Allah; it depends on whether they regard the Holy Trinity as a form of polytheism.

Allahu Akbar - "Allah is great!" The rallying cry of Muslims, similar to the Christian "Hallelujah," only used more often.

Arab - The most predominant ethnic group in the Middle East. They consider themselves the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and his concubine. There are around 300 million Arabs in the world today (predominantly Muslim), located mostly in the Middle Eastern nations and North Africa. Mohammed and all his earliest followers were Arabs, and Islam has some very strong ethnocentric elements toward them. The Koran is in Arabic, and all translations are considered to be inferior to reading the original.

Dar-al-Harb/Dar-al-Islam - Traditional Muslim theology divides the world into two portions: Dar-al-Islam (The House of Islam) and Dar-al-Harb (The House of War). The first is anywhere that Shari'a law prevails, and the second is where it does not. Anywhere that Islam is not held legally to be superior to other religions is within the House of War. Muslims are to wage Jihad endlessly against Dar-al-Harb until the whole world enters Dar-al-Islam.

Dhimmi - A Dhimmi is a Christian or a Jew who lives under Muslim rule (in Dar-al-Islam) and pays the protection tax. Dhimmis are second-rate citizens, with fewer rights than Muslims, and their testimony cannot be brought forth in court against a Muslim.

Hadith - The oral traditions of Islam. A hadith is a particular incident in the life of Mohammed which teaches a doctrinal truth, and was passed down from one of his contemporary followers. Hadith carry nearly the same authority as the Koran, and acting contrary to an authoritative hadith is a great sin.

Isa - Arabic for Jesus. Islam regards Christ as a prophet, and believes he will return on the Day of Judgment to convict Christians of perverting his testimony. Isa was not actually crucified; the Jews killed the wrong man. The Gospel was also originally identical to the Koran, but was corrupted by wicked Christians. Isa bears no resemblance to the actual historical Jesus Christ.

Insallah - "Allah willing." It is used often by Muslims when speaking of the future, and often conveys a deterministic and fatalistic view of coming events. Muslims acknowledge free will to a degree, but at the same time believe Allah causes and controls every event in a direct fashion - not like the Christian notion of Providence and Free Will, where the future and one's relationship with God is contingent upon one's choices.

Jihad - Holy War. Contrary to what liberal scholars say, Jihad is and always has been regarded by Muslims as primarily physical and spiritual warfare against non-Muslims. Jihad is required of Muslims, either by engaging in battle (where death as a martyr or the killing of a Jew guarantees entry to Heaven) or supporting those who do, be it financially, morally, or by other means. It is only secondarily and metaphorically used in reference to inner spiritual battle.

Jizyah - The "protection tax" paid by Christians and Jews living in Muslim lands. It can be up to half of their wealth per year. The jizyah guarantees - in theory - that the Dhimmis will not be harassed by their Muslim masters so long as they regard Islam as superior, and do not blaspheme Allah or engage in public preaching.

Mu'ta Marriage - A temporary marriage, lasting as little as 24 hours (or less). The length of the marriage is determined beforehand, and a dowry is paid to the parents of the woman (or girl, as is sometimes the case). For that time period, they are allowed to engage in their 'marital rights,' until the contract has ended. A Mu'ta marriage does not require witnesses or a waiting period, and the dowry does not need to be paid immediately. A woman must wait 3 months after the marriage has ended to contract another; men have no waiting period.

Shari'a Law - The rule of law according to the Koran. Sharia law is the law of the land in most predominantly Muslim countries. Under Shari'a law, a thief is punished by having his hand chopped off, an adulterer is stoned to death, and blasphemers are beheaded. Non-Muslims who belong to "People of the Book" are allowed to live under Sharia law if they pay the Jizyah, and accept their status as Dhimmis. Other non-Muslims are to be killed. Anyone who leaves Islam, if they do not repent within three days, is to be killed. Under Shari'a, a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man's.

Shi'a - The smaller of the two main branches of Islam, which comprises nearly all of the remaining 10% to 15% who are not Sunni. The name means literally 'the Party,' which is short for 'the Party of Ali.' Shi'a regard Ali, Mohammed's fourth historical successor, to be the first legitimate Caliph. Abu Bakr is regarded as an usurper. Most Shi'a live in Iran and Iraq, with a few concentrated areas in Syria, Yemen, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan, with smaller communities throughout the world.

Sunni - The largest branch of Islam. Around 85% to 90% of Muslims are Sunni Muslims. Sunni regard Abu Bakr, Mohammed's first successor, to be legitimate, and hold him to be the first Caliph.

Taqiyya - Muslims (especially Shi'a) follow this principle, which states that when under threat, as well as during wartime, Muslims are allowed to conceal their faith and even outright lie about their intentions, beliefs, plans, and anything that relates to it. It is directly supported by Hadith, where Mohammed testifies that lying is allowed when it helps one kill an enemy.

h/t http://beginnersguidetoislam.blogspot.com/