Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 588
Malfuzat - English translation of Urdu Volume 10 588 Mahdi Literally means ‘Guided’. see Imam Mahdi. Maulawi A Muslim religious cleric. Mi’raj The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as to Heaven, described in the Holy Quran and related in detail in hadith litera- ture. Mubahalah Prayer duel. As described in S u rah A l-e-‘Imr a n, a contest be- tween claimants to divine support wherein each party prays for God to curse the lying party. Muhaddath A recipient of divine reve- lation. Muhammad s as Founder of Islam. see Holy Prophet s as. Muharram The first month of the Is- lamic calendar. Mujaddid A Reformer. Holy person- ages within Islam who appeared in at the head of every century. Mutashabihat One of two categories into which the Holy Quran’s verses are divided. Refers to verses that are susceptible to differing interpreta- tions. Muwahhid Literally meaning a believer in the Oneness of God. All Mus- lims, by virtue of subscribing to the Kalimah-e-Tauhid, are muwahhidin. However, the term muwahhidin has been adopted by some Muslims who consider the Quran and hadith to be sufficient sources of guidance and do not follow any Imam. Nafs A term in Arabic that literally means ‘self ’. Nafs-e-ammarah The self that incites to evil. The lowest of three spiritual states; also an-nafsul-ammarah. Nawwab An honorific title ratified and bestowed by Mughal emperors to semi-autonomous Muslim rul- ers of princely states in South Asia. The female equivalent is ‘Begum’ or ‘Nawwab Begum’. Nikah the announcement of marriage in Islam. Parmeshwar A term in Hinduism for God. Sometimes also written as Par- meshar. Prayer and Prayers Three Islamic terms, all sometimes translated as ‘prayer’, should be distinguished. The first term is du’a prayers or sup- plications made to God Almighty. du’a can be made at any time and in any language. It does not require any formal prescribed posture. Du’a is translated in the text as ‘prayer’ or ‘supplications’. Secondly, Salat refers to the five daily Prayer services prescribed for all Muslims. Unlike du’a , Salat has fixed timings and modes of performance. We have retained the term Salat in the translation or have used the term ‘pre- scribed Prayer’, or ‘Prayer’.