Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 287
Glossary Many of the Arabic terms used in this translation are found in The Oxford English Dictionary, including, Islam, Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, etc. Such words have not been italicised in the text, and generally, are not glossed here. In various places, the Promised Messiah as has explained various words in a linguistic context or expounded their deeper spiritual meaning, as is the case, for example, with ilah, ansar, laqq, aws, among others. Such words, though italicised in the text, have not been included in the glossary. Similarly, foreign terms which can adequately be translated into English—though given in the text on certain occasions—have not been elaborated here. Therefore, please note that only such terms are included in this glossary which require an explanation above and beyond a simple translation in English. alhamdulillah literally, ‘all praise belongs to Allah’, which is an expression in Islam for showing gratitude to God. Asr the third of the five daily prayers, which is offered in the late afternoon. aqiqah a tradition of the Holy Prophet sa observed by Muslims on the birth of a baby, in which the newborn’s head is shaved, charity is given to the poor, and animal sacrifice is made. The aqiqah is performed on the seventh day after the child’s birth. Badr the second official organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community established on 31 October 1902. This weekly newspaper was published from Qadian, District Gurdaspur, in the Urdu language. bast or ‘expansion’ refers to a state in which the seeker experiences a high in their spiritual condition and communion with God. baqa literally, ‘subsistence’ or ‘life. ’ See fana. Bukhari also referred to as Sahih Bukhari is the most authentic book of Hadith tradition among the sihah sittah i. e. the six authentic books of Hadith. dhikr-e-arra literally, the ‘invocation of the saw’. A Sufi invocation, commonly found among the Yasavi order and others. The sound that comes from the throat of those performing this chant aloud resemble the grinding of a saw and is symbolic for the Sufi ‘sawing their desires. ’ Eid-ul-Adha literally, ‘the festival of sacrifices’ is celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah. Animals are slaughtered throughout the Muslim world in remembrance of the sacrifice of Abraham as , and this meat is distributed amongst the poor. It is also referred to as ‘the Greater Eid. ’ Eid-ul-Fitr a festival celebrated at the end of Ramadan with the sighting of the new moon, to offer gratitude to Allah for the blessings of Ramadan. Fajr the first of the five daily prayers, which is offered at dawn before sunrise.