Understanding Salat — Page 235
Glossary 235 supererogatory as applied to types or categories of Prayer. Niyyah –The formal intention which one makes in one’s mind before starting a Prayer. Qa‘dah –Sitting position adopted towards the end of the second Rak‘at in Prayer. Qaumah –The posture of stand- ing after Ruk u ‘. Qiy a m –The standing position in Prayer. Rabb –Lord, Master, Creator; One who sustains and develops; One who brings to perfection by degrees. Ra hi m –Merciful. An attribute of God as mentioned in S u rah al-F a ti h ah and throughout the Holy Quran. The verbal noun of this attribute is Ra hi miyyat. Ra h m a n –Gracious. An attribute of God as mentioned in S u rah al-F a ti h ah and throughout the Holy Quran. The verbal noun of this attribute is Ra h m a ni- yyat. Rak‘at –a single unit in the formal Islamic Prayer, consisting of the standing and bowing positions, as well as two prostrations. Pl. Raka‘ ā t. Ruk u’ –The bowing down posi- tion in Prayer. Sadaqah– Alms given to the poor for the sake of God. S a diq– Truthful Sagh i r– Small in body, or in age, or in rank or dignity. Sajdah –The posture of prostra- tion in Prayer. S al a t/Sal a h– Prayer. A blessing or an invocation of God’s blessing upon anyone. Prayer in the pre- scribed form; also known as the second pillar of Islam. Shahādah– The testimony of the Islamic faith: Ash-hadu al-L a il a ha ill a llah wa ash- h adu anna Mu h ammadan ‘Abduhu wa Ra- s u lullah, ‘I bear witness that there is no one worthy of wor- ship except Allah; and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Al- lah. ’ Sharī‘ah –Religious law of Islam. The term is also used in the gen- eral sense of any revealed law.