Al-Humdu Lillah: Praise be to Allah. Should be said on all occasions and especially after sneezing.

Allah: The Name of the Creator of the universe.

Asr: Late afternoon prayer

Ayah: Verse of the Holy Quran (also means a 'sign' of Allah)

Bidah: Any innovated practices introduced in the religion of Islam.

Bismillah: 'In the Name of Allah", this statement is usually made by Muslims who are about to indulge in a lawful task.

Dajjal: Anti-Christ.

Da’wah
Invitation, inviting others to Islam.

Din
Way of life or religion.

Dua: Supplication; Invoking Allah for whatever one desires

Eid Al-Fitr: three day festival marking the end of Ramadan - the 9th month (the month of fasting).

Eid Al-Adha: The feast of Sacrifice. This feast commemorates the Prophet Abraham's obedience to Allah by being prepared to sacrifice his only son Ishmael. A four-day festival that completes the rites of pilgrimage and takes place on the 10th-13th of Dhul Hijjah (the last Islamic month)

Fard
Obligatory, something which must be done.

Fatwa
A legal ruling based on religious reasoning. It is the opinion of one individual and can only be overturned by a higher authority.

Fiqh
Methodology used by scholars to derive Islamic rulings (jurisprudence).

Hadith
The traditions of the Prophet Muhammed – sayings, actions and approvals.

Halal
Permitted.

Haram
Forbidden.

Hijab
The veil or women's clothing which fulfils the Islamic law that women must protect their modesty by covering their bodies. How much of the body is covered by the hijab depends on local custom rather than religious ruling. There is also a hijab for men who are also required to dress modestly.

Ijma
Consensus amongst scholars on legal opinions.

Imam
Man who is qualified in Islamic tradition; a teacher, mentor and often the leader of a congregation.

Iman
Literally 'belief'. Primarily refers to belief in Allah.

Jihad
Literally means 'to struggle' or 'strive'. Muslims use the word jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle: a believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible; the struggle to build a good Muslim society; and the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary. Often mistranslated as 'Holy War'.

Madhhab
Schools of thought that have evolved over a long period of time.

Mubah
Action that is left to individual conscience.

Mujahideen
Those who struggle. Although commonly associated with physical battles, mujahideen are also those engaged in personal struggles. Those who engage in jihad are known as mujahideen.

Qiyas
Analogy.

Qur'an
Divine scripture: the holy book of Islam.

Riba
Usury. In the modern context it refers to interest paid on borrowed money and interest charged on loans, which are seen as inherently exploitative.

Shahadah
Witness or declaration. Declaration of faith recited by a person who converts to Islam, which states: ‘I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah.’

Shariah
Divinely inspired parameters that form the basis of how Muslims live their lives. Literally 'the path to a watering hole'.

Taharah
Purity.

Talaq
Divorce.

Ummah
The Muslim community worldwide.

Wudu
Ritual washing with water which must be performed before prayer.

Zakat, Zakah
The obligation to donate a proportion of one's income as instructed by Shariah.

Zina
Adultery, fornication, illicit sexual intimacy.