Dictionary

Abu Said, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "When the coffin is ready and is lifted by people onto their shoulders, then if it is that of a virtuous person it urges, ‘Take me ahead, take me ahead!’ If it is that of a non-virtuous person it says, ‘Damn it! Where are you taking me?’ It is a voice heard by everything except humans, and if they could hear it they would be struck unconscious." Saheeh Bukhari

Aisha,may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to stand up so long during his voluntary prayers at night that the skin of his feet would become swollen. Therefore I said to him, "O Messenger ofAllah, why do you stand so long in prayer when Allah has forgiven all your past and future sins (if any)?" He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, "Then may I not become the most grateful servant of Allah?" Sahi Bukhri and Sahih Muslim Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Allah is kind and likes kindness in all things." Saheeh Muslims and Saheeh Bukhari.

TAGHABUN (AT): "Mutual Loss". Another name for the Final Hour. Surah 64 of the Holy Qur’an.

TA HA: "Ta Ha". Surah 20 of the Holy Qur’an.

TAWEEL: Interpretation. Especially interpretation of the Holy Qur’an.

TA’A: Obedience to Allah and performing good deeds.

TA’A (SHIRK AL): A major Shirk. Obeying any created being against the command of Allah. Beware of such Shirk! It is very easy to commit. See Shirk.

TA’AAM:Feeding the poor and the hungry.

TABAA: Another name for Madinah.

TAB’E: Follower. A muslim who has seen or met a Sahabi (a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and the peace of Allah be on him and his family and his companions and all who follow him and them in what they are able, with sincerity, until the Last Day). Plural; Tabi’een.

TABI’EEN: Plural of Tab’e. See Tab’e.

TABUK: A famous town 400 miles north of Madinah al-Munawarah close to Shamm. In 9Ah the Messenger of Allah, may Allah belss him and grant him peace, hearing that the Byzanitines were gathering a large army to march against the Muslims, led a large expedition to Tabuk, on what was to be his last campaign, only to find that the Byzantine army had withdrawn back into its own territory.

TAFSIR: A commentary. There are several reliable Tafsir on the meanings of the Ayaat of the Qur’an, including those of Ibn Kathir, Jalalayn and Al-Cortubi.

TAHAJJUD NAFL: Voluntary Salat (prayer) that is done any time at night between Salat al-Isha and Salat al-Fajr.

TAHARA: Purification. Tahara is accomplished in a variety of ways, e.g. (1). Souls--- in order for the soul to be pure one must submit one’s whole self to Alllah Ta’ala, i.e.e become a Muslim. (2). Bodies--- They are purified through Tayammum, Wudu or Ghusl, depending on the circumstances. For a full explanation: See Tayammum, Wudu and Ghusl. (3). Clothing. Three things indicate that clothes may be impure and need washing; a.) If they smell. b.) If they are wet and c) the cause of the wetness is either unknown or known to be impure or dirty if they are stained.

TAHIR: Pure, unsoiled. See Tahara.

TAHMEED: Reciting the words of praise to Allah Ta’ala, i.e. saying "Al-Hamdu lilahe Rabbil ‘Alameen" (Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds").

TAHQIQ: Recitation of the Holy Qur’an in a very slow manner. This method is used only when learning or teaching Tajweed.

TAIF: A city fifty miles east of Mekkah, where the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to preach after being rejected, beaten and nearly killed by the pagan Quraish of Makkah in the second year before Hijra. There too ,he suffered beatings and humiliation. On his return journey to Makkah, Allah Ta’ala revealed to him that although the people of Taif reject him, the Jinn had accepted him. It was then that Suratul Jinn (Surah 72) was revelaed to him.

TAJWEED: Recitation of the Holy Qur’an with precise articulation and exact intonation.

TAKATUR (AL): "The Race for Wordly Gains". Surah 102 of the Holy Qur’an.

TAKBIR: Saying "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is the Greatest"). This is said when beginning the Salat and when changing from one one position to another during Salat (prayers).

TAFKIR: Charging someone with Kufr (disbelief in Allah). It is very dangerous for one Muslim to level the charge of Tafkir against another Muslim. If such an accusation is made, then one of them is a Kafir. If the accuser is correct in his accusation, then the accused is Kafir, but if the accusation is unfounded, then the accuser is a Kafir.

TAKTHEEB (KUFR AL): A major disbelief. It is defying the Divine Truth. See Kufr.

TAKWEER (AT): "The Overthrowing". Surah 81 of the Holy Qur’an.

TALAQ: "The Divorce". Surah 65 of the Holy Qur’an.

TALBIYAH:The call that the pilgrims make to their Lord of the Hajj, saying: "Labbaik, labbaik, Allahumma labbaik." ("I am totally at Your service,I am totally at your service,O Allah, i am totally at your service .") "la Shareeka laka labbaik." ("You have no partner, I am totally at Your service.") "Innal hamda wa n’imata laka wal mulk." ("Truly, the praise and the blessing are Yours, and the dominion.") "La Shareeka lak." ("You have no partners.")

TALUT: King saul. he led his army against the army of jalut (Goliath). See Holy Qur’an, Al-Baqara (2):247-249.

TAM’: Avarice, greed.

TAMATA’A (HAJJ AL): "Interrupted Hajj". Umra, followed by Hajj, but taking off the Ihram in between these two stages. See Hajj.

TAN’IM: The place where Makkans put on their Ihram to perform an Umra or Hajj. It is a place just on the northern outskirts of Makkah. See Miqat

TAQLID: Garlanding sacrificial animals, especially during the Hajj. In reference to Fiqh, it means the following of previous authorities and the avoidance of Ijtihad.

TAQWA: Fear of Allah, being careful, knowing your place in the cosmos. Its proof is the experience of awe, of Allah, which inspires a person to be on guard against wrong action and eager for actions pleasing to Allah. Fearing Allah as He should be feared is one of the signs of being faithful Muslims. Piety and restarint (through Taqwa) in times of hardship are signs of having achieved the essence and spirit of Islam, and thus Allah’s blessing. See Holy Qur’an, Aali ‘Imran (3):102-103, Al-Hashr (59):18-19.

TAQWIM: Mould, Shape, form, etc. Allah Ta’ala created man in the best of forms, but then abased him to the lowest of the low. See Holy Qur’an, At-Teen (95):4-5.

TARAWEEH: Nafl Salat (prayers) that are done after Isha Salat during the month of Ramadan, in order to recite the Qur’an as fully as possible, or completely. They are usually done in congregation, but may also be done individually.

TARIQ (AL): "The Night Visitant". Surah 86 of the Holy Qur’an.

TARTEEL: Measured recitation of the Holy Qur’an taking extreme care with regard to the rules of slow reading, pausing and stopping at every point.

TARWIYA: Start of the Hajj. The 8th of Dhu’l Hijjah when the Hujjaj leave Makka and Set out to Mina.

TASBIHAT: Reciting the following: "Subhanallah" ("Glory be to Allah") 33 times, "Allahamdu Lillah" ("Praise be to Allah") - 33 times, and "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is gratest") - 33 times followed by the Shahadatain once, after the end of each obligatory prayer.

TASDEEQ: Affirmation.

TASHAHHUD: Recitation the following silently while one is in Qu’ud (i.e. the sitting during Salat: "Attahiyatu lillahe was salawatu tayibat. Assalamu ‘alaika ya aiuhan wa rahmatullahe wa barakatuh. Wa assalamu ‘alaika ya aiuhan nabiu wa rahmatullahe wa barakatu. Wa assalamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahe saleheen. Ashadu an la illaha illal lah. Wa ashadu anna Muhammadar rasoolu’llah." ("Greetings are for Allah and all prayers and all good. peace be on you o Prophet and the Mercy of Allah and His blessing. Peace be on us and the right-acting slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.") See Bukhari, Hadith 794, Vol. 1.During the final sitting in every Salat, recitation of the Tashahhud is followed by recitation of Salat al-Ibrahimiya. See Salatul-Janaza.

TASLEEM: The Muslims’ greeting. The action of turning one’s face to the right saying "Assalamu ‘Alaikum wa rahmatullah" ("Peace be on you and the Mercy of Allah") and turning one’s face to the left and repeating the same words, ends every Salat (prayer).

TASNEEM: Name of a fountain in Jannahh (Paradise) whose drink is superior to the purest of wines. Its nectar will only be drunk by those nearest to Allah Ta’ala. Literally means "rich and elevated". See Holy Qur’an, Al-Al-Mutafifeen (83):27-28:

TAUBAH: (1). Returning to correct action after error, turning away from wrong action to Allah and asking His forgiveness, turning to face Allah whereas before one turned one’s back. (2). Name of one of the eight gates of Jannah (Paradise). See Jannah. (3). "Repentance". Another name for Al-Baqaarah. Surah 9 of the Holy Qur’an.

TAWAF: The circling of the Holy Ka’ba. Tawaf is done in sets of seven circuits, after each of which it is necessary to pray two Rak’at, preferably at or near the Maqaam al-Ibrahim. See Tawaf al-Ifada.

TAWAF AL-IFADA: The Tawaf of the Ka’aba by the Hujjaj (pilgrims) after they come from Mina to Makka on the 10th of Dhu’l-Hijjah. This Tawaf is one of the Rukn (essential rites of both the Hajj and an Umra.

TAWAF AL-QUDUM: The ‘Tawaf on Arrival’, Tawaf of the Ka’aba that the pilgrim must do on first entering the Haram in Makka. It is one of the essential rites of both the Hajj and Umra.

TAWAF AL-WIDAA: The "Tawaf of Farewell’. The Tawaf of the Holy Ka’aba that every visitor to Makka should do before leaving Makkah. It should be connected directly to the trip of departure, and whoever is delayed and stays on afterwards should do it again. See Tawaf.

TAWAKUL ‘ALA’LLAH: Putting one’s complete faith in and reliance on Allah Ta’ala and no-one else. Depending on Allah Ta’ala every aspect of one’s life is the mark of true believer.

TAWHEED (AL): The Divine Unity, unity in its most profound sense. Allah is One in His Essence and His Attibutes and His Acts. The whole universe and what it contains is One unified event which in itself has no lasting reality. Allah is the Real, Al-Haqq. Although Allah is indivivisible and beyond conception, Tawheed can be viewed from four distinct perspectives: I. Tawheed Al-Rububiyah - Unity of Lordship. To percieve that there is only one Lord, the Master and Creator of the Universe, Who oversees and orders it in every moment, and that He is Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala. II. Tawheed al-uluhiyah - Unity of Worship. To realize that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah "Wahdahu la Shareeka’lah("Alone without partner"). III. Tawheed al-Asma wa Sifaat - Unity of names and Attributes of Allah Ta’ala. To comprehend that: None can qualify or name Allah except as He or Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, have named or qualified Him. None can be named or qualified with the Names or the Attributes that belong only to Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala. For example, none may be called "Al-Muhyee" ("the Giver of Life") except Allah subhana wa Taa’ala Himself. We Must accept all the Ayat and Ahadeeth (Sahi) regarding the Attributes of Allah without altering their meaning in any way whatsoever. For a full list of the Attributes of Allah Ta’ala: IV. Tawheed all-Itabaa- Unity in following the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. To believe in and recite the words "Ashadu anna Muhammadar-Rasoolullah" ("I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah") and to follow the way of the Prophet Muhammad, as much as one is able, in life and worship. It is only by following the way of Islam tha the true nature of Tawhid becomes apparent. Another name for Suratul Ikhlas.

TAYAMMUM (DRY PURIFICATION): Purification for prayer using clean dust, earth or stone, when water for Ghusl or Wudu is either unavailable or would be detrimental to helath. Strike the hand lightly on some clean earth, or rub the stone with the palms of the hands and forearms. Tayammum is broken by the same things that break Wudu. See Wudu.

TEEN: "The Fig". Surah 95 of the Holy Qur’an.

THAMUD: Successors to the people of ‘Ad. They lived in north-western Arabia between what is now known as Madinah and Syria. Their prophet was Saleh (peace be on him). Allah Ta’ala destroyed them with an earquake. See Holy Qur’an, Al-A’raf (7):73-79, Hud (11):61-68, Ash’Shu’araa (26):141-159, An-Naml (27):45-53, Az-Zariyat (51):43-45, Al-Qamar (54):23-31.

THANIK: Chewing a date then putting the juice into the mouth of a child. Sahi Bukhari, Book of Aqiqa, p. 272, Vol. 7.

THAUR: A famous cave three miles from Makka where Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr, may Alllah be pleased with him, hid for three nights whilst the Quraish searched for them in vain. See Holy Qur’an, At-Taubah (9):40.

THAWAB: Spiritual reward given by Allah Ta’ala to good deeds performed by man and Jinn.

THUMMA: "Then", in the sense of "What happens next". There are four words that indicate the proximity of what follows next: Wa- and. Indicates that what is to follow will be most immediately afterwards. Fa - Then. Indicates that what is to follow will be relatively soon afterwards. E.g. "Idha ja anasrullahi wa’l-fath. Wa ra-aita nasa yadkhulouna fi deeni’lahi afwaja. Fasabbih bi hamdi rabbika was stagfirh; innahu kana tawwaba." (An-Nasr (110): ("When the help of Allah and victory come, and you see people entering deen of Allah in large numbers, then celebrate the praise of your Lord and Seek His forgiveness; surely He is always ready to show mercy." Where "and" is used, the events or actions linked by "wa" are virtually simultaneous. Where "then" is used, there is a little space of time between what happens before and after "fa", i.e only after you see people embrace the religion of Allah THEN celebrate the praise of your Lord AND seek forgiveness... Here praise is to be immediately followed by seeking forgiveness. Thumma - then. Indicates that what is to follow will come later. E.g. "Thummastawa ‘ala’l arsh..." (Yunus (10):3): Then He established Himself on the Throne..." After creating the heavens and the earth in six days’ (and a ‘day’ with Allah can be at least fifty thousand years of ‘our’ time), He then established Himself firmly on throne. Here the time lapse is six periods of time. See ‘Arsh. Saufa - not until then. Indicates that what is to follow will only occur after certain future events have occured. E.g. "Kalla saufa ta’lamoon" (At-Takatur (102): 3) ("Certainly then you shall know"). It is only when you die that you really find out. It will not be until then that you will come to know. "Then". used to emphasize a point. E.g. "Thumma Kalla saufa ta’lamoon.’ (At-Takathur (102):4) ("Certainly THEN you will know.") This is only a meagre explanation of a single word. The Holy Qur’an had 77, 934 words and every word has a depht which even an ocean cannot reach. What a miracle, and yet the unbelievers say that this book is not from Allah! How they delude themselves!

TILAWAT (OF THE HOLY QUR’AN): This word has variety of meanings, depending on the context: (1). Studying the Qur’an in order to understand it in the way should be undestood. See Al-Baqara (2):121. (2). Mediating and reflecting in the Qur’an’s meanings in order to enrich one’s life and knowledge. (3). Reading and reciting the Qur’an by oneself. (4). Reading and reciting and conveying its meaning to others. (5). Approaching and acting on the Qur’an in such a way that it becomes part of one’s inner self, thus helping one to attain perfect prayer and to avoid any form of evil or shameful deeds and to be an upright person in the sight of Allah Ta’ala. See Holy Qur’an, Al-’Ankaboott (29):45.

TOOR: "The Mount". Toori Sineen is the original name of Mount Sinai, on which the Prophet Musa (Moses) received the revelation of the Torah from Allah. Surah 52 of the Holy Qur’an.

TULAQAAH: The people who embraced Islam on the day of the conquest of Makkah by the Holy Prophet and his companions, may the blessings and peace of Allah be on him and them, in 8AH.