Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 478
Malf uza t - English translation of Urdu Volume 8 478 Prayer and Prayers Three Islamic terms, all sometimes translated as ‘prayer’, should be distinguished. The first term is du’ a prayers or supplica- tions made to God Almighty. Du’ a can be made at any time and in any language. It does not require any for- mal prescribed posture. Du’ a is trans- lated in the text as ‘prayer’ or ‘suppli- cations’. Secondly, S al a t refers to the five daily Prayer services prescribed for all Muslims. Unlike du’ a , S al a t has fixed timings and modes of perfor- mance. Thirdly, We have retained the term S al a t in the translation or have used the term ‘prescribed Prayer’, or ‘Prayer’. Promised Messiah as A title given to the Reformer prophesied to appear during the Latter Days, by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as ; see also About the Promised Messiah on p. xxiii ). Quran see Holy Quran. Qu t b The polar star. Metaphorically ap- plied to a saintly leader who guides people out of darkness. Sahib A title of respect similar to di- verse English terms like Mister, Hon- ourable, and Revered. S al a t Five daily Prayers that are obliga- tory for Muslims. Satt a r Concealor of weaknesses; one of the attributes of God. Shariah Religious law of Islam. The term is also used in the general sense of any revealed law. Shirk Associating partners with God. Sufi A Muslim focusing on mystical and ascetic aspects of religious worship. Sunnah In the context of the for- mal Prayer, refers to those rak‘ a t that the Holy Prophet s as offered but are not prescribed as obligatory and are dropped while travelling. Sunnah rak‘ a t are offered regularly by practic- ing Muslims. S u rah A chapter of the Holy Quran. Tahajjud Early morning supereroga- tory prayers. Taqw a Righteousness. Fear of God. Tau hi d The Oneness of God—the fun- damental Islamic belief that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah. Tirmidh i A collection of ah a d i th which is considered to be one of the six most reliable compilations in the corpus of Hadith literature. Ulema A body of Muslim scholars. Ummat i A follower of Holy Prophet s as. Ummat-e-Mu h ammadiyyah The community or followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as. Vedas The most ancient Hindu scrip- tures, written in Sanskrit and contain- ing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of the Vedic religion.