Fiqh Glossary

baligh: one who has attained the age of puberty.

barzakh: period between death and resurrection; purgatory; isthmus.

dyyah: indemnity or compensation for injury or death.

azl: coitus interruptus.

eid: religious festival.

fiqh: Islamic positive law.

ghusl: major ritual ablution (washing) of the entire body to achieve a state of ritual purity.

hadath: condition requiring wudhu or ghusl.

hadd: punishment prescribed in Textual sources (Quran and Sunnah) for certain violations.

hadd al-tarakhkhus: point away from the boundary of a city whose inhabitants cannot be seen. Some jurists consider it to be a point #9; from where the city's call to prayers (adhan) cannot be heard. However, Ayatollah Seestani objects to this latter definition. (MS, p. 297, Q918)

hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca performed in the last month, Dhu-l-Hijjah, of the Islamic lunar calendar.

al-hakim al-shar: religious authority, Mujtahid.

hayd: bleeding of a menstrual cycle.

hijab: statutory Islamic dress code of modesty.

hilal: crescent

husna: kindness

ihram: state of ritual consecration to perform major pilgrimage (Hajj) or minor one

istihadah: irregular bleeding other than the menstrual cycle.

istihalah: transformation, chemical change.

istinqath: rescue, salvage.

janabah: state after having sexual intercourse or ejaculation.

jumu: Friday

kaffarah: expiation, compensation, penalty.

kafir: unbeliever

khums: 20% tax levied on certain items.

mahram: one who falls within the prohibited degree for marriage.

majhul al-malik: unknown owner, derelict property.

majlis (pl. majalis): assembly to commemorate religious events

makruh: discouraged, reprehensible

marja: high-ranking religious authority whose guidance is sought by the laity.

mukallaf: one who is competent to undertake religious obligations; religiously accountable

muomin: believer

nadhr: solemn vow, pledge.

najasah: ritual impurity.

najis: ritually impure; not equivalent to unhygienic or unclean.

nifas: bleeding of a woman after childbirth.

non-baligh: one who has not attained the age of puberty.

non-mahram: opposite of mahram.

qada: lapsed or due prayers, fasts, etc.

qasr: shortened prayers of a traveller.

qiblah: direction to Kaba

Ramadan: Ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the month of fasting.

riba: interest, usury.

al-risalah al-amalia: practical treatise prepared by the jurist for the laity.

salat: ritual prayer; formal worship.

sai: pacing back and forth seven times by a pilgrim between Safa and Marwah.

shar': lawful, legitimate.

shari: universal Islamic values and norms; commonly referred to as the Islamic law.

Shawwal: tenth month in the Islamic lunar calendar.

siyam: fasts

tahir: ritually pure; not equivalent to hygienic or clean.

tamam: complete prayers.

taqlid: emulating the opinions of a religious authority.

taqsir: cutting a piece of hair or nail by the pilgrim.

tathir: ritual purification.

tawaf: circulation around the Kaba

tayammum: substitution for wudhu and/or ghusl.

ta’zeer: discretionary punishment estimated by al-hakim al-shar'

ulama: religious scholars.

urf: convention, customary law.

wudu: minor ritual ablution of certain parts of the body.