There are many words we read and hear but aren’t too sure what they mean. The Revival attempts to define some Islamic terms used, or associated with articles, in this issue:

Iblis – the personal name of the Devil. He is also called Shaytan or “the enemy of Allah”.

Jummah – the day of gathering, Friday, and particularly the Jummah prayer which is performed instead of Zuhr by those who attend it. Friday only acquired this name with the coming of Islam, before that it was known as al-Aruba.

Kafir – a person who rejects Allah and His Messenger (pbuh).The plural is Kafirun of Kufaar.

Khalif – a Caliph – leader of the Muslim Ummah (community). Sunni Muslims recognise and accept the Khulafa ar-Rashidun (the first four khalifs of Islam) who were Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra), Uthman (ra) and Ali (ra).

Khutba – a speech, and in particular a standing speech given by the Imam before the Jummah prayer and after the two Eid prayers.

Madhab – an Islamic school of law or Fiqh (religious jurisprudence). The four main schools in Islam now are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.

Makrooh (Tanzihi) – a disliked act, though it is not Haram (forbidden), so it isn’t a sin in the Shariah. However, by being persistent in a Makrooh Tahrimi (prohibitively disliked and detested) act one can be sinful. A person who abstains from Makrooh acts will be rewarded.

Minbar – steps on which the Imam stands to deliver the Khutba, or sermon, on Friday.

Shaykh – a title of respect. It is usually used when referring to an elder, a revered wise man or an Islamic scholar.

Waswas – the whispering which is done by Shaytan when he tries to make people deviate.