Worship & Prayer

ṣalāh

Prayer — the five daily ritual prayers, the second pillar of Islam.

duʿāʾ

Supplication — personal prayer and calling upon Allah for help, guidance, or forgiveness.

dhikr

Remembrance of Allah — saying phrases like Subḥān Allāh, Alḥamdulillāh, and Allāhu Akbar.

wuḍūʾ

Ablution — ritual washing of hands, mouth, face, arms, head, and feet before prayer.

khuṭbah

The Friday sermon — a speech given by the imam before Jumu'ah prayer.

jumuʿah

Friday — the day of congregational prayer and khutba for Muslims.

imām

The prayer leader — the person who leads salah and delivers the khutba.

masjid

Mosque — the Muslim house of worship where prayers and community gatherings happen.

adhān

The call to prayer — the melodic announcement that it is time for salah.

zakāh

Obligatory charity — giving a portion of wealth to those in need, the third pillar of Islam.

ramaḍān

Ramadan — the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

ṣawm

Fasting — abstaining from food, drink, and intimacy from dawn to sunset, especially in Ramadan.

ḥajj

Pilgrimage to Makkah — a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for Muslims who are able.

ʿumrah

Minor pilgrimage — a visit to the Kaaba in Makkah that can be done any time of year.

qiblah

The direction of prayer — facing the Kaaba in Makkah when performing salah.

rakʿah

A unit of prayer — one cycle of standing, bowing, and prostrating in salah.

khushūʿ

Humility and focus in prayer — being fully present and reverent before Allah during salah.

ghusl

Full-body ritual washing — required after major impurity before prayer.

janāzah

Funeral prayer — a communal prayer performed for a deceased Muslim before burial.

ʿīd

Islamic festival — a day of celebration after Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) or after Hajj (Eid al-Adha).

tarāwīḥ

Night prayers in Ramadan — extra voluntary prayers performed after Isha during the holy month.

tayammum

Dry ablution — using clean earth or dust to purify oneself when water is unavailable.

al-ḥamdu lillāh

All praise is due to Allah — an expression of gratitude said throughout the day and in khutbas.

subḥān Allāh

Glory be to Allah — declaring Allah's perfection, free from any flaw or imperfection.

bi-smi llāh

In the name of Allah — said before starting any action, meal, or recitation.

āmīn

O Allah, accept — said collectively at the end of a duʿāʾ, meaning 'answer our prayer'.

Allāhu akbar

Allah is the Greatest — the most common phrase in salah and adhān, declaring Allah's supremacy over everything.

ʿibādah

Worship — all acts of devotion to Allah, including prayer, fasting, charity, and good character.

fajr

Dawn prayer — the first of the five daily prayers, performed before sunrise.

ʿishāʾ

Night prayer — the last of the five daily prayers, performed after twilight.

jamāʿah

Congregation — praying salah together in the mosque, especially emphasized for Jumuʿah.

iqāmah

Second call to prayer — the shorter announcement right before salah begins in the mosque.

minbar

The pulpit — the raised platform in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver the khutba.

kaʿbah

The Kaaba — the sacred cube-shaped building in Makkah that Muslims face during prayer.

tahajjud

Night vigil prayer — voluntary prayer in the last third of the night, highly rewarded.

ifṭār

Breaking the fast — the meal at sunset to end the daily fast in Ramadan.

iʿtikāf

Spiritual retreat — staying in the mosque for worship and reflection, especially in the last ten days of Ramadan.

ṣalawāt

Blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ — saying 'ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam' when his name is mentioned.

zakātu l-fiṭr

Charity of breaking the fast — obligatory charity given at the end of Ramadan before Eid prayer.