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>>Glossary
of Islamic Terms
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B.............................................................................................................
©
Suhel Farooq Khan
| Bab
as-Salam |
Bab
as-Salam
is one of the gates to enter al-Masjid
al-Haram
(The
Sacred Mosque).
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Bay’ah
(Pledge
of Allegiance) |
Bay’ah
is the Arabic word for pledge of allegiance. In the times
of Muhammad S, people used to do Bay’ah
(Pledge of Allegiance)
to him when they accepted Islam.
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Bay’ah
(Pledge
of Allegiance)
Ridwan |
Bay’ah
(Pledge
of Allegiance) Ridwan
is a famous pledge that Sahabah
(Companions) of Muhammad S undertook with
him. Hudaybiyah is a place near
Makkah. Muslims and the Quraysh
entered into a very important treaty at Hudaybiyah.
In the year 6H (Hijrah)
(629 AD), the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S decided to go for ‘Umrah
(Lesser Pilgrimage to the
Ka’bah), with 3,000 of his Sahabah
(Companions). They convoy
of unarmed Muslim pilgrims was stopped by armed
Quraysh riders at a place called Hudaybiyah.
The Quraysh told the Muslims that they
would not allow them to travel to Makkah for ‘Umrah
(Lesser Pilgrimage to the
Ka’bah). It was an unusual situation because everyone
was always welcome in Makkah for ‘Umrah
(Lesser Pilgrimage to the
Ka’bah). The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S sent ‘Uthman
bin ‘Affan R to
Makkah to discuss the situation with the
Quraysh leaders. Muslims became uneasy when ‘Uthman
bin ‘Affan R did
not return from Makkah within the stipulated time.
They suspected foul play and feared for the safety of ‘Uthman
bin ‘Affan R. They
took a Bay’ah (Pledge
of Allegiance) to Muhammad S who was
sitting under a tree. This Bay’ah (Pledge
of Allegiance) to the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S is known as Bay’ah
(Pledge of Allegiance)
Ridwan. They considered this as
an act of war by the Quraysh. ‘Uthman
bin ‘Affan R returned
to Hudaybiyah while Muslims prepared
to avenge his death. Quraysh entered into a treaty
at Hudaybiyah with Muslims and allowed
them to enter Makkah for ‘Umrah
(Lesser Pilgrimage to the
Ka’bah) the year after the treaty at Hudaybiyah.
Although the conditions of the treaty were tilted heavily in
favor of the Quraysh, the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S signed it. The treaty of
Hudaybiyah became the precursor of the final
victory of Muslims over Quraysh, two years
later.
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Bani
(Family
of)
Isra’il |
Isra’il
is another name of Ya’qub A (Jacob).
Banu (Family of)
Isra’il means children of Isra’il
or the family of Isra’il. This term is
used quite frequently in the Holy Qur-an to address
the Jews.
Banu (Family of)
Isra’il is also the name of the 17th Surah
(Chapter) of the
Holy Qur-an. This Surah (Chapter)
is also known as Surah (Chapter)
al-Isra” (The
Night Journey).
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| Surah
(Chapter)
al-Baqarah (The
Cow)
|
Surah
(Chapter)
al-Baqarah (The
Cow) is the second
Surah (Chapter)
of the Qur-an.
It is also the largest chapter of the Qur-an with
286 Ayat (Verses).
This very important Surah
(Chapter)
tells us that the
Qur-an is an ultimate guide for mankind. It describes
the creation of man. A description of children of Isra’il,
and how the Jews corrupted their Book, is there. It also has
the story of Harut and Marut.
This Surah (Chapter)
also has an account
of Ibrahim A (Abraham)
and his construction of the Ka’bah. This Surah
(Chapter)
also differentiates
between the Halal
(Lawful)
and Haram (Unlawful)
foods. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
is also mentioned in this Surah
(Chapter).
It also fixes the laws of equal penalty for murder. Wine and
gambling was also prohibited in this chapter. Marriage with
idol-worshippers was also banned in it. Laws governing divorce
are also described here. It also outlines the laws for the breast-feeding
of babies. Story of Jalut (Goliath).
The story of ‘Isa A (Jesus)
are also mentioned in this Surah
(Chapter).
This Surah (Chapter)
also has the
Ayatul Kursi describing the Omnipotence and Omnipresence
of Allah (God).
Another anecdote from the life of Ibrahim
A
(Abraham) about his visit
to the court of the king of his land Nimrud
is given in this chapter. Importance of charity is also mentioned
here. This chapter also states that Islam does
not believe in compulsion of any kind in religion. Phenomenon
of resurrection is also mentioned in it. Interest is prohibited
and laws governing debt and trading are also mentioned in this
chapter. This Surah (Chapter)
ends with a prayer
to Allah (God).
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Baqqum (Pachomius) |
| The
Ka’bah was badly damaged by the waters of flash
floods, when the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S was about 35 years of age.
The Quraysh decided to reconstruct it. The
Ka’bah did not have any roof or door in those days.
The Ka’bah only had walls that were about the
height of a man. Water entered the Ka’bah and
damaged it. It also destroyed the valuables and other offerings
of people. The Quraysh found out that a ship
was wrecked near Jaddah (Jeddah).
They bought the wood from the shipwreck. A Roman master builder
named Baqqum (Pachomius)
was also traveling on that ship. He helped the Quraysh
in designing the building of the Ka’bah.
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Barakah
(Abundance)
|
Barkah
means Blessings. In Islamic context, the word Barkah
is used for the Blessings of Allah (God)
that He Bestows upon His servants.
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| Batn
‘Arafah |
Batn
‘Arafah is a forest area near ‘Arafat.
Pilgrims should not stay there.
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Battle of Badr |
| Battle
of Badr was the first major battle between Muslims
who had migrated to Madinah and the
Quraysh of Makkah. Before Islam,
the Ka’bah housed 360 idols belonging to various
Arabian tribes. These tribes brought a lot of business to
Makkah during the times of Hajj
(Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah)
and caravans. The Quraysh were the main
beneficiaries of the business activities in Makkah.
The Quraysh tribe was also considered to be the
spiritual and business leaders of Arabia. They
controlled the economy of Arabia by organizing large trading
caravans to various parts of the Arabian Peninsula as well as
outside it. The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S was from a highly respectable
Quraysh family of Makkah. His grandfather
‘Abdul Muttalib was the chief of Makkah
as well as the custodian of the Ka’bah. In the
year 13BH (Before Hijrah),
Allah (God)
chose Muhammad S as His last Rasul
(Messenger). He began
inviting his fellow tribesmen from the Quraysh
tribe to Islam. Many from the Quraysh
tribe began to accept Islam. The Quraysh
chiefs did not like it. The Quraysh were the
guardians of the Ka’bah. With 360 idols of different
gods and goddesses, the Ka’bah was the most popular
place for pilgrimage in the entire Arabian Peninsula. Pilgrims
to the Ka’bah used to bring a lot of money to
Makkah, which mainly benefited the Quraysh.
Islam, which preached the worship of only one
Allah (God),
posed a direct threat to their survival. The Quraysh
tried all possible methods to stop the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S from preaching Islam.
They offered him large amounts of wealth, promised to get him
married to the most beautiful girl of the region, offered him
to make the chief of Makkah, but the Messenger
of Allah,
Muhammad S promptly rejected all of those
and continued preaching the Message of Allah (God).
The Quraysh now began physical assaults on Muhammad
S and his companions. They began torturing the Messenger of
Allah, Muhammad
S and Muslims of Makkah. Finally they
forced the Muslims out of Makkah. Muslims
and the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S had to migrate to Madinah
to save themselves from the persecution of the Quraysh.
Islam prospered in Madinah.
Muslims gathered power in Madinah
and formed their own state under the guidance and leadership
of the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. The Quraysh wanted
to stop Islam before it became too strong. The
economy of Makkah depended heavily on trading.
The Quraysh of Makkah used to lead
large trading caravans to Sham (Syria)
and Yaman (Yemen).
Madinah was on their trading routes to
Sham (Syria),
their larger trading partner. The Quraysh knew
that if the Muslim power continues to increase, their
lifeline would be under constant threat. In order to pre-empt
the situation, the Quraysh gathered a large force
and marched towards Madinah with a well-equipped
army of 1,000 soldiers under the command of Abu Jahl.
All prominent chiefs of the Quraysh tribe were
in the army. Muslims found out about the advancement
of the Quraysh army. 313 ill-equipped Muslims
marched from Madinah to meet the challenge
of Quraysh army under the leadership of the Messenger
of Allah,
Muhammad S. The
two armies met near the wells of Badr that it
why the battle is known as the battle of Badr.
The battle of Badr was fought on the 17th
day of Ramadan of the year 2H (Hijrah)
(623 AD). Muslims won the battle decisively.
Seventy-two prominent Quraysh were killed and
an equal number of them were taken as prisoners of war. Most
of the captives got their freedom after paying the penalties
at prevalent rates. The Muslims freed those who could
not afford to pay the penalties as a humanitarian gesture. The
literate Quraysh captives were freed after they
made 10 Muslim children literate. Zayd bin
Thabit R, who grew up to become one of the leading
Katib Wahi (Writer
of the Messages of Allah) was among
the children who became literate after the battle of Badr.
Most prominent Sahabah (Companions
of Muhammad S) had participated in the battle
of Badr except ’Uthman bin
’Affan R. The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S had asked him to nurse his wife
Ruqayyah R bint Muhammad
S. Ruqayyah S , the second eldest daughter of
the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S died on the same day when the
battle of Badr was fought and won by the Muslims.
The battle of Badr was fought on the 17th
of Ramadan of 2H (Hijrah)
(623 AD).
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Battle of Hunayn |
| Battle
of Hunayn was fought in the year 8H
(Hijrah) (629AD),
about a fortnight after Muslims had conquered
Makkah without any bloodshed. The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S pardoned all residents of
Makkah including those who had tortured him and had
plotted to kill him and other Muslims. This exemplary
behavior in those days impressed the residents of Makkah
so much that the entire Quraysh tribe accepted
Islam. Hawazin tribe
lived in Hunayn. They were old allies of
the Quraysh. They could not accept the defeat
of their allies Quraysh. Banu (Family
of) Hawazin began war preparations
for attacking Muslims in Makkah to avenge
the defeat of Quraysh. They wanted to strike quickly
while the Muslims were unwinding after the conquest of
Makkah. Muslims got information about the
war preparations of the Hawazin tribe.
The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S decided to preempt the
Hawazin by attacking them while they were
still in their homes. Muslims won the battle decisively
and a very large number of Hawazin
were taken captive. Muslims also captured a large number
of their cattle. All the prisoners of war and their cattle were
freed after a daughter of Halimah, the
foster mother of the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S appealed to him.
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Battle of Khandaq (Trench)
|
| The
battle of Khandaq (Trench)
is also known as the battle of Ahzab
(Allies).
This battle was fought between the Muslims and the
Quraysh who had aligned with several Arab tribes and
the Jews living in the Madinah.
The Jews were the biggest losers after the Muslims
established their government in Madinah
under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. Although fewer in numbers,
the Jewish tribes had always benefited from the quarreling
of the two Arab tribes living in the area. Those Arab tribes
were Aus and Khazraj. The
Jews lent them money at exorbitant rates of interests
to these two Arab tribes, dominated them and kept them at each
other’s throats. Most of the poor Arabs used to lose their properties
and belongings to the scheming of the Jews. Muslims
established a system that took care of its poor and needy through
a just system. A few Arabs of Madinah,
who did not like the just system of Islam, also
did not accept Islam honestly. These Munafiqun
(Hypocrites-Plural
of Munafiq), practiced
Islam in front of Muslims and made fun
of it when they were with the Jews or other non-Muslims.
These Munafiqun (Hypocrites)
teamed up with the Jews and went to meet the Quraysh
leadership in Makkah. They felt that if the Quraysh,
the Jews and some other Arab tribes join their forces,
they could easily defeat the Muslims. Munafiqun
(Hypocrites)
promised to supply inside information of Muslims. The
allies put together a formidable army of 10,000 soldiers and
marched towards Madinah to finish Islam
and Muslims once for all. Muslims had advance
warning of the war preparations of the Quraysh
and their allies. The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S assembled his Sahabah
(Companions)
to seek their opinion on how to tackle the situation. A Sahabi
(Companions)
named Salman Farsi
S came up with a unique suggestion. He suggested digging a trench
around Madinah to stop the march of Quraysh.
Everyone, including the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S, liked the idea and all Muslims
of Madinah began digging the trench. The
Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S also participated in the digging,
with his Sahabah (Companions).
The mighty army of Quraysh and their allies were
shocked to see this unusual defense. Despite of their best efforts,
they could not cross the trench. The allied army camped there
for a month without any success. One night, a fierce storm uprooted
the camps of the allies. Their camels and horses ran away because
of the storm. The Quraysh and their allies were
terrified and ran away from Madinah under
the cover of darkness. Muslims once again defended themselves
successfully with the help of Allah (God).
This battle was fought in the year 5H (Hijrah)
(626 AD). Surah
(Chapter)
al-Ahzab (The
Allies) the 33rd
Chapter of the Holy Qur-an has described it.
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Battle of Uhad |
| Battle
of Uhad was the second major battle between
the Quraysh and the Muslims. Quraysh
fought this battle in the year 3H (Hijrah)
(624 AD) to avenge their defeat at Badr,
one year ago. Battle of Uhad was fought
outside Madinah, near the mountain of
Uhad. Abu Sufyan was the Commander
in Chief of the 3,000 strong Quraysh army. He
was away with a trading caravan to Sham
(Syria)
and had missed the battle of Badr. Muslims
had a quick and easy victory over the Quraysh.
Some of the front line Muslim troops began collecting
Mal Ghanimah (War
Trophies) after the Quraysh fled. Other
Muslims, who were deputed at strategic positions in the
back, left their positions and joined those who were collecting
Mal Ghanimah (War
Trophies), completely ignoring the instructions of
the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. The fleeing Quraysh
noticed the breach in Muslim defense. They regrouped
and under the leadership of Khalid bin
Walid, attacked Muslims from the back.
Muslims almost lost the battle of Uhad
due to this fresh attack of the Quraysh. Many
Muslims achieved Shahadah (Martyrdom),
including Hamzah
bin ’Abdul Muttalib R, an uncle of the
Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. The Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S was also wounded in this battle.
After suffering heavy casualties, Muslims finally succeeded
in chasing the Quraysh away.
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The Bible
(The Injil) |
| The
Injil (Bible)
is the Divine Book that was revealed to ‘Isa
A (Jesus), a Rasul
(Messenger) who spread
the Word of Allah (God),
before the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. The Injil
(Bible) was written
quite some time after ‘Isa A (Jesus).
Muslims believe that like other previous Divine Books,
the words of the original Injil (Bible)
were also altered or modified. Allah (God)
sent another Message after the previous one was altered or modified
by people to suit their own needs. Currently the Bible
is available in four different versions Mark,
Mathew, Luke and John.
None of these four people had heard the verse of the Bible,
directly from ‘Isa A
(Jesus). These versions are quite different from
each other. Newer versions of the Injil
(Bible) appear
from time to time. Original text of the Injil
(Bible) is also
not seen or used anywhere. The Injil (Bible),
the divine book of guidance, included the code of conduct for
the followers of ‘Isa A (Jesus).
Followers of ‘Isa A (Jesus)
changed the true Message of Allah (God)
to suit their needs. Allah (God)
sent His last Message, the Holy Qur-an, after
the Injil (Bible)
was altered and corrupted.
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Bilal
R |
| Bilal
R was a Sahabi (Companion
of Muhammad S) of African origin. Bilal
R was one of the earliest converts to Islam. He
converted to Islam while he was a slave of Umayyah
bin Khalaf in
Makkah. Umayyah
bin Khalaf and other Quraysh chiefs
like Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan tortured
him for leaving their religion of idolatry. Conversion of Bilal
R was a test case for the chiefs of Quraysh.
They were convinced that if their own slaves who were their
personal properties, left their religion; then it would become
extremely difficult for them to control the tide of Islam.They
used to put Bilal R on the burning sands of Makkah
and put large stones on his chest to immobilize him. They used
to leave him under the desert sun for hours and ask him to denounce
his newly found faith Islam. Bilal
R’s resolve to stay on Islam was much stronger
than the will of his master to revert him to their ancestral
religion.Abu Bakr R bought him off from Umayyah
bin Khalaf and
set him free. He stayed with Muhammad S all his
life. Allah (God)
had given him a strong and beautiful voice. The Messenger of
Allah,
Muhammad S appointed him as the Mu’adhdhin
(Caller of Adhan)
of Masjid Nabi (Mosque
of the Messenger S). He stopped calling out Adhan
(Call for Prayers)
after the sad demise of the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. |
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Bismillah |
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It means
(I
begin)
In the name of
Allah.
Muslims recite this phrase
before beginning any activity in their daily lives. They begin
every thing after saying this phrase. It is a
Sunnah (Tradition
of Muhammad S). |
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Books of
Allah |
Allah
(God) had
chosen many Rusul (Messengers)
among human beings to deliver His Message to the world. They
did their job in various parts of the world by at different
times. People began altering the Messages of Allah
(God) to their advantage,
soon after the Rasul
(Messenger) who was sent to them. To correct the distortions
Allah (God)
sent His Message once again through another Rasul
(Messenger). Messages given
to many Rusul (Messengers)
were compiled in the form of Books. Ibrahim
A (Abraham), Musa
A (Moses), ‘Isa
A (Jesus) and the
Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S were some of the Rusul
(Messengers) who received
divine Messages from Allah; and were compiled
into Books. Ibrahim A (Abraham)
had received Messages from Allah, which were compiled
into Sahifah (Scriptures)
[Surah al-A’la (The Most
High) Qur-an 87:18-19]. Da’wud A
(David) received
Zabur (Psalms),
Musa A (Moses)
received Torat (Torah),
and ‘Isa A (Jesus)
received Injil (Bible). Allah (God)
had also sent revelations to Nuh A (Noah),
Isma’il A (Ishmael),
Ishaq A (Isaac),
Ya’qub A (Jacob),
Ayyub A (Job),
Yunus A (Jonah),
Harun A (Aaron)
and Sulayman A (Solomon).
[Surah an-Nisa”
(The Women) Qur-an 4:163] The Messenger
of Allah,
Muhammad S, the last Rasul
(Messenger) of Allah
(God) had received
final Message of Allah (God),
the Holy Qur-an. The Qur-an was
sent because the Injil (Bible),
the previous Message of Allah (God)
was corrupted and distorted. Currently, several versions of
the Injil (Bible)
are available and each one of them is significantly different
than the other and its original text is not available anywhere.
Moreover, the entire philosophy of religion was also distorted
by attributing worldly relationships to Allah
(God) and taking partners
with Him. Against the commands of Injil
(Bible), people
created pictures and statues of ‘Isa A
(Jesus) and began
worshipping him along with Allah (God).
Allah (God)
sent his religion Islam, once again through the
Messenger of Allah, Muhammad A. Muhammad S was the last
Rasul (Messenger)
of Allah and the Holy Qur-an is
the last Message of Allah (God)
sent to mankind. Allah (God)
has promised to protect the Qur-an from
corruption. Not even a single letter or punctuation mark of
the Qur-an has changed since its first Ayah
(Verse) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah,
Muhammad S. He had received the first
Wahi (Message
from Allah) of the Qur-an, when
he was about forty years of age. It happened in the year 13BH
(Before Hijrah) (609 AD).
The Holy Qur-an was completed in the year 10H
(Hijrah) (631 AD),
almost 23 years after the first revelation.Believing in the
Books of Allah (God)
is one of the fundamental beliefs of Islamic faith.
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