Talk:Glossary of Islam

Reasons we need this page

We need this glossary for several reasons:

• variant spellings of these terms are showing up in many articles - including some like "Moslem" which are actually considered 'colonialist' or 'too English' by some Muslims. We should do what we can to discourage use of these terms in new writing.
• all of those variant spellings can be redir'd here pending real articles, without forcing massive cleanup and addition of links to the originals later on when the articles exist - and without turning wikipedia into an Arabic to English dictionary as trivial terms (not those here which are non-trivial), or worse variant spellings, get their own entries.
• Some concepts might be properly explained by their one-liners here, and might not need their own article (in which case the word itself can be underlined or bolded not linked)
• the majority view in Islam is that the Qur'an itself cannot be translated out of Arabic, therefore the Arabic word is the proper referent to the concept even in English, if it originates in the Qur'an. The hadith are different, although they were spoken in Arabic, they are seen as legitimate translated - so words derived from these don't have this particular problem.
• article authors on Islam and Arab culture need a good list of things they should link to, and be relatively sure there are not OTHER things they have to link to, except proper names and events.
• no one article has the scope to define all these terms, but reading through them all with one-line definitions has definite utility especially for beginners
• it's one of the few things we can say about Islam without getting into NPOV issues and edit wars
• cultural misunderstanding of what 'political Islam' really is, abounds, and a list of terms with one-liner meanings helps show how Muslims have divided up the responsibility of different groups in society, e.g. ulema vs. ummah.
• there are classical, traditional, modern, and non-Muslim meanings for these concepts, e.g. 'sharia' means something different to Christians implementing an amputation sentence to pacify local clerics, than it does to an Islamic scholar - BUT one-line definitions can actually be non-controversial and thus NPOV, leaving the messy distinctions between multiple views of it to the articles.
• few people will actually read all the linked articles in depth, but having a sense of the entire scope of these concepts will help them acquire confidence that they understand at least generally what the concepts mean.
• in case no one has noticed, there's a little misunderstanding between the secular West and Islamic Mid-East right now. Aggravated by stupidity and ignorance.

Hm. You might want to check out http://wiktionary.org if you want to expand on this. I would not support the creation of articles on individual words here in the encyclopedia (encyclopedia articles are not about the words themselves but the person, place or thing that the words represent). --mav

Looking at articles like jihad, fatwa, caliph, I think that these are more than dictionary entries. -- JeLuF

Yes, clearly, and all the ones listed so far have some important meaning in Islamic civilization that cannot be understood by reading a dictionary type translation.

Generally excellent page, but I'm mildly troubled by some of the assumptions, that seem to be mixing linguistics with cultural beliefs about linguistics. For instance: take Among the complexities of the Arabic language is that a single word can have multiple meanings. This isn't remotely unique to Arabic. Nor is the idea that words can have differing secular and religious meanings: compare, for instance, "host" in its general sense, and the "host" in Catholic communion; mass and Mass; etc. Tearlach 02:50, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

---

Some terms have historically been used to mean more than their dictionary definitions in Arabic, e.g. haram which means 'forbidden' but has been used historically to mean watershed protection zones. Both the dictionary meaning and its application in Islamic civilization should be stated in the one-line definition. Also be as specific and as detailed as possible, sira and hadith are different (in combination they are the sunnah although we usually know the sira through the hadith), but isnad and isnah are not really comprehensible separately, and so they are redirects to the same page.

A few bursts of solid effort should finish this page in the near future and put at least stubs under every term. If it takes more than a paragraph to explain to a Kafir, then it should be an article of its own. Also the articles on Islam and Muslim should make more liberal use of the terms listed here, rather than making over-generalizations of what Islam is from the perspective of non-Muslims.

"Finish" this page? I dont' see this page being something that can ever be "finish"ed.—iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 19:04, Apr 7, 2005 (UTC)

"Romanized" text

The title of this page suggests to me that I can find a cross-reference from romanized 'arabic' to actual arabic script at this wiki. At present, I can't! Perhaps someone with better arabic than myself would like to type out the arabic forms of the various words on this wiki? If not, I suppose I can try to do it. - prat

A lot of the terms are written in Arabic script as well, if you follow each link. There is something to be said for having them all on one page, so I've started to insert them here. I'll probably finish that up tomorrow, along with the reformatting per iFaqeer's suggestion below. --Skoosh 05:33, 22 May 2005 (UTC).

I'd suggest formatting it as Definition list and have done so up to the letter "H". --S.K. 10:08, 23 May 2005 (UTC)

Hey! Good work! The kind of grunt stuff that isn't spectacular, but makes Wikipedia more useful. Thanks ever so much. Zora 10:13, 23 May 2005 (UTC)

Um, who wrote مستباح for mustahabb? That reads 'mustabah.' ^^; The ح should be in the ب's place and vice-versa. 82.116.140.39 17:00, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Format

Shouldn't we format this page like this:

adab

• describes one's behaviour. For example, following the hadith rules is good adab.

—iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 19:04, Apr 7, 2005 (UTC)

Injil

Well, Zora, that is not totaly correct, we say that the injil given to Isa (pbuh) is lost, the four gospels are merly a "history of Isa" att best, not the gospel given to Isa (pbuh).

--Striver 22:10, 12 May 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, that fits with other things I've seen. I should have done more research. Fixed, I hope. Zora 22:57, 12 May 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for your efforts, blessings :)

--Striver 11:26, 13 May 2005 (UTC)

Move to Wiktionary - what do people think?

A notice has been slapped on this article, suggesting that further items should not be added and that the whole thing hssould be moved to Wiktionary. I only came across this article by chance, and I'm not an expert on islamic matters, but this notice seemed inappropriate to me, given in particular earlier comments on this talk page. What do others think? rossb 06:21, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

After reading the "what wikipedia is not" I think I better understand. I saw List_of_glossaries and that leads me to believe this is just a glossary. You will find glossaries named like, "List of terms associated with diabetes", "Cricket terminology", "Poker jargon, or, "Glossary of the Third Reich". Therefore we have seen that we are allowed glossaries and that glossaries can be named in many different ways. If you want to change the page name that is fine... but the content it completely legitimate. I think the complaint is for each individual entry really and not this glossary in general... so I think you can safely remove it... gren 07:09, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

I should think that this list would be useful to some users. If the other lists mentioned by Grenavitar have been allowed, so should this be allowed. Let's removed the notice. Zora 07:20, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

Okay, I hadn't seen this discussion, and as I put up the notice, I think I should comment (so I do't get reverted, again). First, please read the notice. There's some stigma attached to the phrase "move to Wiktionary" when there doesn't need to be. This article is in no danger right now, and there is no need to fear for it just because of the notice. The notice I put up is a request for you knowledgeable users to also add these definitions to Wiktionary, which needs them. And btw, most of those glossaries haven't been "allowed", it's just that no one has been willing to take the time to deal with them. But that's not what I care about now, just that the definitions here are put on Wiktionary too. --Dmcdevit 21:34, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Wanting to get most stuff into Wiktionary is great. But this notice opens with "Please do not add any further dictionary definitions to this list. Wikipedia is not a dictionary." Not very helpful, and liable to discourage people from editing this. - Mustafaa 22:11, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, I admit the standard template doesn't apply in all cases, but Be Bold and customize as necessary. --Dmcdevit 22:21, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

No. "List of Arabic Phrases" should be an encyclopedia entry in any non-arabic language.

I would like to see common words added (such as Yes, No, Please, Thank you, along with the variants)

Khalifa and Khilafa

So I believe (based on Wehr-Cowan and Mustafaa's testimony on the history page) that khilafa means "stewardship" in Arabic, and khalifa means "steward" or "caliph". However, the Khalifa article is about the abstract concept of stewardship. So is this just a longstanding misspelling? Or is this concept represented by the word khalifa in other, non-Arabic languages such as Farsi or Urdu (or maybe even a local Arabic vernacular)? Because if khalifa is the correct word for "Islamic stewardship" in some other language, then a) the article should not be moved, and b) that fact should be noted in that article, and perhaps here as well. Any thoughts? --Skoosh 02:40, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Font size

Can the size of the Arabic text be increased for readability? This would help those less familiar with Arabic script a lot.--63.203.69.247 01:13, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

Most browsers have an option to increase text size. I believe it's in the View menu in both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. For Firefox in Windows, you can also press Ctrl++ (the Control key plus the +/= key) to increase text size, and Ctrl+- to decrease it. Both the Arabic and English text will be resized using this method. Otherwise, the only way to increase the text size of the Arabic text alone is to go in and manually insert <style> tags around each occurrence, which would be a royal pain. And then it might be too big for someone else's needs. That's why browsers have that text-resizing feature - so that users can control that part of their online experience for themselves, and authors don't have to try and anticipate everyone's needs. --Skoosh 02:27, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

This list is bloating

This list is turning into an Arabic-English dictionary. I do run across a fair number of Islamic technical terms in Arabic in the course of my researches; I also see a few when I read blogs like alt.muslim. But people are importing terms that I have NEVER seen used in any English context. Some of the damage seems to be coming from Saduj al-Dahij, which seems to be a username adopted by an anti-Muslim who is pretending to be a Muslim in order to embarrass Muslims and deface Islamic articles on Wikipedia. He has added at least five terms in the last few days. I've deleted one, wajib, which he illustrated by saying that it was obligatory for Muslim males to wear beards. Only if you're Taliban or Salafi, Mr. Pretender. I am planning to deleted another, diyah, which contains an unsupported reference to abortion. The Pretender has also added tahir, niyah, and ishkaal.

I'm having some difficulty dealing with this since I don't speak Arabic. He could be inserting swear words and I wouldn't notice. Help from Arabic-speaking editors would be appreciated. Zora 21:59, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

hmm.. is it ok if i put that accusation on the record in the The Muslim Guild?

--Striver 22:14, 29 July 2005 (UTC)?

Yes. This guy should be outed. And I need someone to check the Arabic! Zora 04:46, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

Abu is a Islamic term? Since when?

--Striver 18:35, 31 July 2005 (UTC)

That didnt make sense to me either. It's Arabic but I can hardly see how it would be considered specifically Islamic. The same goes for Ibn. freestylefrappe 00:15, August 1, 2005 (UTC)

The current list is so grossly bloated there's now a need for a concise shorter list that resembles something like this very old version from 2003. At that time, the emphasis was on trying to explain the terms to a more secular audience trying to understand the basic processes and not concerned with all the current Islamic iconography. Maybe that could go in the Simple English Wikipedia or become an introduction to Islamic terms in Arabic or something.

Why did someone remove Diyah

Someone named Zora removed my listing of Diyah. Why? Why do I need a reference? It is fact. Diyah is money paid for injury or death. What more you like to know. Why do non-Muslims remove terms anyway? Did they have not have heard it on CNN? Saduj al-Dahij 16:48, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

Taqlid

According to http://www.answers.com/topic/taqlid , there used to be a Wikipedia article "taqlid", but there isn't one now. Does anyone know anything about this? AnonMoos 20:08, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

It was apparently deleted as a copyright violation from [1]. —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:27, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Sufism

Sufism isn't a sect like it says. Sects mean groups that claim others to be wrong and themselves to be right. Although all Muslims don't practice Sufism, it traditionally does not make any such claim to be the sole correct one. It is more a subset. It can be called a school of thought, although traditionally, it's an inseparable part of the religion.

This is a little contentious, so that doesn't have to be mentioned in the page. But to call it a sect is just plain wrong.

Iftekhar25 11:37, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

Hikmah

I'm not sure how to incorporate Hikmah into this list, but it be longs here. You'll notice the wikipage doesnt say what it means. freestylefrappe 01:40, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

I added Hikmah along with the definition to the list - Hikman: literally, "Wisdom". Zora deleted it with the messge "Just because it's Arabic doesn't mean it's an Islamic term." We really need to clear this up, and come up with some sort of idea of terms that we will allow on this list. There are whole books on the subject of wisdom in islam, for example. --JuanMuslim 19:37, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

I've spent several years now reading academic books re Islam and never once come across Hikmah. There's no reason that it can't be translated as Wisdom. If some people use it to show off their knowledge of Arabic (much as 19th century orators showed off with Greek and Latin catchphrases), well, that's their problem. It may be used in mosque literature, but it's not current in English outside that little niche. Zora 21:24, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Most books available focus on politics, society, or the exterior dimensions of islam, such as prayer. You're talking from your own perspective without particular regard to Islamic theology. Some words may fall into the category you discussed but not hikmah.--JuanMuslim 06:57, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Proposal

I propose we remove the following as they are not Islamic terms: Diyah, Dhu-Mahram, Ishkaal, Jahl, Jilbab, Khayr, Mandoub, Mizan, Nahw, Nasraani, Nifaq, Niyah, Naseeha, Ra'i, Sabr, Sheqaq, Shukr, Umm, Uns, Ustadh, Zalimun, and Zanadiqa. Although these are Arabic, they are not Islamic in origin. Any objections? freestylefrappe 00:52, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

None. I've been reading lots of Islamic material in English translation and I've never run across any of these terms. Obviously they aren't useful. Zora 07:38, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Those terms are common in the Arabic language and used to denote a number of Islamic concepts. Such a list is certainly needed even if you've never heard of some of the words. That doesn't necessarily mean they aren't important. Most translated books don't mention any Arabic words at all. In mosques, etc, however, such terms are commonly used.

• Jahl: ignorance, arrogance
• Sabr: patience, endurance, self-restraint
• Naseeha: advice
• Nifaq: falsehood; dishonesty
• Zalimun : polytheists, wrong-doers, and unjust.

etc, etc.

--JuanMuslim 13:21, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

These words are not akin to Islam, they are akin to the Arabic language and therefore do not belong in this list. If this list were incomplete, terms like these - on the edge - would be acceptable, but as previously noted, this list is bloating. freestylefrappe 19:35, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

The great thing about the list is that it is comprehensive and easy to navigate using the menu found at the top of the page. Actually, all Islamic terms are Arabic. Fajr meaning "morning." Dawah meaning "to call." Shirk meaning "division." Tawheed meaning "unification." Also, many terms such as hikma and sabr have a special significance in Islam. Sabr - "patience" - in Islam consists of a number of points, for example. --JuanMuslim 20:13, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

The Qur'an may be in Arabic -- the call to prayer and the prayers may be in Arabic -- but that doesn't mean that everything else relating to Islam has to be in Arabic too. I have encountered many of the words in the list in reading about Islam, and those are the words that need to be explained for the ordinary user of Wikipedia. Words that occur only in kutbahs (by imams who are showing off their knowledge of Arabic?) don't need to be explained for the ordinary user. The words will be explained either by the commentator, or by the mosque literature.

I'm very familiar with this sort of thing as a Western convert to Zen Buddhism. Some words don't have any English equivalents, and get adopted into our strange Zenglish (zafu, zabuton, sesshin, oryoki, tenzo, etc.) and other words are translated. We say chopsticks, not hashi. Some people are more gung-ho than others when it comes to using Japanese, Chinese, or Sanskrit words. Myself, I think that if religion is "as close as your jugular vein", it can't be exotic. It's as matter-of-fact as putting on your pants in the morning. Zora 20:32, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

What is the special significance of Hikmah? If you are familiar with the term please add to the page. Currently it has only the explanation: "it bears a resemblance to the ultimate truth". Also, how is Zalimun an Islamic term when it refers to polythiests...freestylefrappe 01:04, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Umm, I don;t know about some but I wouldn't delete all of them. Jilbab is like khimar, and maybe hijab, terms used in the Islamic literature. Some of the others seemed vaguely familiar from my jurisprudence book. In any case, I am not sure that some of them are not used in Islamic discourse. gren グレン 01:13, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

"Hikmah" means wisdom in Arabic. As in this article: What is the Wisdom of Islam?. Also, check out Notes on Hikmah. Also, check out Notes on Sabr. For example, Hikmah and Sabr - patience and wisdom are key elements in making decisions.--JuanMuslim 04:38, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

As in "do not be like the Zalimun, or the polytheists." Such as - "Nor call on any besides Allah, such can neither profit you, nor hurt you. If you do, then you will surely be one of the zalimun" (Qur'an 10:106). Zalimun is derived from the Arabic word "Zulm" meaning injustice. Also, Muslims must not be like the mushriks, or "mu" + "shirk"= one who commits shirk. --JuanMuslim 04:45, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

You can find most of the terms online using a search engine such as google.com. The use of many terms in Arabic by Muslims is more preferred than using them in English though they technically are the same. Think Allah as opposed to "The God"=Al-alah. Two more article: Notes on Shukr and The importance and manner of giving advice (naseeha) I don't mind if some words are deleted from the list provided you've contemplated each individually rather than picking and choosing on whim. Anyway, I'll let you guys do as you would like. --JuanMuslim 04:58, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Also, niyah/intention and ikhlaas/sincerity are important concepts in Islam as well. That link I gave you mentions niyah throughout. Niyah, such as in "Prophet Mohammed said: "Actions are only by intention(niyah), and every man shall only have what he intended." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)." --JuanMuslim 05:24, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

The problem I have with including Zalimun in this list, is that it is also used by Arab Christians (yes? no?..maybe?). Not every word in the original Arabic version of the Quran is purely Islamic, though it is purely Arabic.freestylefrappe 00:42, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

You raised an interesting point. A Zalim is a polytheist; Zalimun refer to polytheists. "-Mun" is often used to refer to many of something. Well, since Arabs speak Arabic, yes, the terms would be used by both Muslim and Christian Arabs. However, when Muslims use Zalimun, they are often referring to a different concept, such as those who are among the Zalimun cause injustice for denying the existence of God or for worshipping Him as a tree. Some Muslims may even include Christians among the Zalimun. Many Christian Arabs if not most also refer to God as Allah (article), since that's Arabic for God. The words I added were from a various sources, a book on Islam and from Muslim websites, such as 1,

2, 3, 4. Such lists found online are oftentimes for new Muslims as a quick reference. Some of the words really are not about anything Islamic, which is why I didn't add all words to the list found on Wikipedia. That's why I mentioned that I don't mind if some of the terms found on Wikipedia are deleted. --JuanMuslim 16:54, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

I think the issue is not whether it is used only for Islamic discourse but if it is important to Islamic jurisprudence or culture and therefore because of its precise meaning often left untranslated in scholarly work. Jilbaab is often left this way I know, so are is hijab, fiqh, madhhab, lots of words. I said I don't know so much about all of the words you listed, but I'm pretty sure Jilbaab deserves to stay. gren グレン 01:46, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Oh ya, I forgot to mention. I think that terms used to describe the various classification of actions is important. Terms such as those meaning obligatory, neutral, highly disliked/encouraged, prohibited, and acceptable/halal.--JuanMuslim 16:59, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

While Fiqh-relevance is important, if that is the sole basis for inclusion in this list, then we should re-add Allah. I think a deeper question has been posed here; are items included in this list regardless of whether they are purely (solely) Islamic, as long as they are Arabic and relevant to Islam? At what point does one draw the line between a term that can be applied universally to all religions and a term that has a deep enough connection to Islam to be included? freestylefrappe 19:04, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Hmmm, I think Allah should be re-added. Maybe I am missing the purpose of this but it has to be words important to Islamic discourse (which would be fiqh-related no?). Many of the words to have meanings outside of Islam and I don't think whether it's exclusive or not should have any bearing. It's when the word in Arabic is backed by such a tradition that carries such a vast meaning that the English will not do. "Ijtihad" is a good example. While "indepedent reasoning" captures some of it, it leaves a lot out that can be discussed in the article. e.g., closing the gates f Ijtihad and the debate about that. That's what I use as my test. So when the Arabic is used in English-translated scholarly works I assume it would belong here. gren グレン 00:22, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

You made a good point. It's also important to consider the particular term. Your example was ijtihad. Yes, words like that have a secular meaning and also a religious meaning. For example, munafiq means hypocrit in arabic but within Islam it means a hypocrite who is a Muslim, and then there's the question, so what is a munafiq? What makes a Muslim a hypocrit? What does the Quran, haddith, scholars say about the topic? That's how it goes with hikmah-wisdom. When is someone unwise within the Islamic tradition? The answer to that would be the rejection of Islam, for example. --JuanMuslim 06:53, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

It seems that if any word were to be included it would certainly be Allah. I guess it all depends on the purpose of this list. I was under the impression that one of the purposes was to provide people a quick reference list. The list (reasons we need this page) is mentioned at the top of the talk page--JuanMuslim 21:08, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

That was Mav's personal list, and therefore has no official "power" (though I agree with all of his reasons). freestylefrappe 21:32, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Ayatollah

Is Ayatollah an Arabic or Persian term?

It's Persian. freestylefrappe 21:17, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

It's both Arabic and Persian, meaning the same thing (the Sign of God). It is used mainly by Shias. Cheers -- Svest 21:31, 29 September 2005 (UTC)  ^{Wiki me up&#153;}

Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala

FreeStyle! I never heard about the abreviation of Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to be SWT! Who invented that? Cheers -- Svest 01:44, 25 November 2005 (UTC)  ^{Wiki me up&#153;}

It's common to use in writings by Muslims, such as SAWS or SAW or PBUH or AS or RA.--JuanMuslim ^1m 08:12, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

Terms to add...possibly...

I have recently come across several possible terms... From Women in Islam...

• Nushûz
• Idribûhunna
• Daraba (ضرب) (root word)
• Mahr

From Iblis...

• Waswas "he whispered" - al-Shaitaan tempting the innocent
• Haiif (false suggestion)
• Balasa (بلس) "the despaired" (root word)

• freestylefrappe 22:43, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Mahr is the only useful term. I had a long argument with IFaqeer about this and he convinced me that it could not usefully be translated as brideprice. So it's featured in articles on women and marriage. The other words are just Arabic words NOT in common use. I recognize ONE of them, the idribuhunna, as the controversial verb believed to allow wife-beating. But I don't think people would encounter that in English texts without also encountering an explanation. Zora 22:58, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Going through Striver's contribs, saw Ahahd. What do you think? freestylefrappe 02:46, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

I saw Hilal, and noticed it's not in the list. Would anyone mind if I added it? I'm disambiguating between the God and the Arabic term. KI 17:47, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

No, Islamic symbols are nonnotable Islamic terms. freestylefrappe 21:04, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

How about Nahj (meaning open way, road, course, method or manner) and Balaqhah (meaning eloquence, art of good style and communication, rhetoric) from Nahj al Balaqhah?

Also, Mustahab. freestylefrappe 00:27, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Template "Ar" makes Arabic script look nicer and better to read

I've started using a template, Template:Ar, which, imho, makes the Arabic script nicer and better to read (at least for myself who am hardly familiar with the Arabic script); its effect can be seen at the first three entries of "A"; compare سنة (without the template) and سنة (with the template), just to pick any example. Now my question is: could anybody write a little bot that puts the template around all Arabic terms; hand-coding it would be too tedious, I feel. --Robin.rueth 16:04, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

You know what would make this page spectacular?

Audio pronunciations. 128.54.72.75 03:52, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

The meaning of Islam = Submission

Islam means 'submission'. Salam means 'peace'. Salama means 'The stinging of a snake or the tanning of the leather'

The meanings thus on this page must also include all the various variations of Seen Mim Laam and explain the proper meanings there. Actually a whole page can ne made on the different meanings of the root word Seen Meem Laam.

Thus:

"The Arabic root word for Islam means submission to God. The Arabic root word for Islam means submission, obedience, peace, and purity."

should read:

"The Arabic root word for Islam means submission, obedience, peace, purity and stinging of a snake, tanning of a leather."

Comments?

--JohnsAr 03:01, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Glottal stops have rights too...

I know there's a note saying that anglified writing conventions are used, but there surely should be some acknowledgement for the Hamza and such. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Wozocoxonoy (talk • contribs) 11:55, 3 December 2006 (UTC).

Can users still add terms in Arabic script?

Very, very interesting page. I noticed that some of the terms are written only in English, with no accompanying Arabic (for example, "ḥadaθ 'aṣğar" and "ḥadaθ 'akbar.") Can users still add the missing Arabic terms, or are the contents of the list frozen pending some decision on the page's fate? I went through some of the talk page, trying to figure out whether additions could be made, but I couldn't quite figure it out. Then again, maybe I'm just tired and need to sleep for a while. Additionally, is there a standard transliteration system for Arabic on Wikipedia? It seems quite sloppy to me to transliterate both "ح" and "ه" as "h" - just think of the tremendous difference in meaning between the nouns "هروب" and "حروب", both of which would apparently be rendered as "hurũb" (or even "hurub") by some users on this page.

I'd love to add to the page, so I'd welcome posts from those who can tell me whether that's allowed. Thanks.

Rafa8134 01:03, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

I quit trying to add the Arabic script to my entries because I make spelling mistakes. 71.238.95.81 23:17, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

Sunni vs. Shi'a

Hajj (الحجّ haj) pilgrimage to Mecca. Sunnis regard this as the fifth Pillar of Islam Don't Shi'a consider this to be the fifth Pillar of Islam? 71.238.95.81 23:17, 13 August 2007 (UTC) It depends on the sect of Shi'a, generally it is considered to be the third pillar but recently there have been conflicts between Shi'a and Sunni in Mecca during Hajj.Cherylyoung 19:49, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Islam is a political and religious system

THERE IS NO SEPARATION OF RELIGION AND STATE IN ISLAM!!! From time to time, I have added terms that have subsequently been removed. I probably added jilbab at one time. It is a form of hijab (like an unfitted raincoat) that is commonly used by Muslim women in the metro-Detroit area, rather than use the flowing abayah of Saudi Arabia. Similarly, I have added words like naqba which is a term commonly used by Palestinians (and Persians celebrating Quds day) that means the catastrophe of the establishment of the state of Israel....since this is probably the prime motive of some Muslims for jihad...forcing Muslims from their homes....which is a religious duty as well as a political one, then it should be included with Islamic terms....also it is a word often spoken in the masjid. It is discussed even more than the "invasion" and "occupation" of Iraq by the US military. If I add these words...and others again...will someone remove them??? Islamic words that describe types of hijab should remain absolutely. I think that certain terms like naqba should also remain.Cherylyoung 19:49, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Ehtiaat

Ehtiaat and Ehtiaat Mustahabbi is on Wikipedia:Articles_requested_for_more_than_a_year, I think perhaps they should be here instead. Could someone that knows the meaning of the terms create the entries and relevant redirects? Taemyr (talk) 10:27, 24 November 2007 (UTC)