ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Learnings of the Glorious Quran Glossary 'abath: vain, useless, ineffectual, uselessness. ajal: a fixed or a prescribed period, end, death. Ahlul Bayt: literally: those living in a house, members of a family. As special term, it denotes the progeny of the Messenger of Islam, also called: the Ma'sums. ayah: a Qur'anic verse or part of it. Batil: untrue, invalid. bida': Allah's innovation as the Originator. du'a': invocation, benediction, supplication.

hajj: the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca at a certain time every year. halal: lawful, religiously legal. haq: Allah, true, truth. haram: unlawful, forbidden, religiously illegal. Iblis: Satan, the Devil. ins: the human beings. jihad: any endeavour or practice, including holy wars, for the sake of Allah and Islam. jinn: genie, an unseen spiritual being. Ma'sum: infallible.

An epithet given by the Shi'ites to the Prophet (S.A.) his daughter Fatimah, her husband 'Ali ibn 'Abi Talib, and their eleven successive offspring Imams, making altogether 14 ma'sums. qada': fate, destiny. qadar: divine decree, predestination. rahman: an attribute of Allah, meaning: The Beneficent, the Bestower of existence on His creatures. rahim: another attribute of Allah, meaning the Merciful, the kind, the Compassionate. salat: the Islamic version of prayers.

Special rituals performed five times a day, according to the Islamic regulations. shafa'ah: intercession, particularly to Allah. shirk: polytheism, believing in deities besides Allah. sunnah: the traditions of the Prophet of Islam Sunni: a follower of the sunnah, a Sunnite. taqdir: qada, divine decree, predestination. tawhid: monotheism, believing in the Oneness of Allah. 'usul: principles, doctrines, basic elements of jurisprudence, methodology.

Waliyye'asr: an epithet given by the Shi'ites to the still living 12th Imam (A.S.). NOTES [(A.S.) stands for 'Alayhis-salam. i.e. "Peace be upon him/her/them] translator. "Nahjul Balaghah", Sermon No. 18. [The Ma'sums (i.e., the 14 infallible ones according to the Shi'ite beliefs. They are: the Prophet, his daughter Fatimah. her husband 'Ali and the 11 Imams of his offspring]. translator. Surat Sad/29 Surat Muhammad/24 6.

[(S.A.) stands for sallallahu 'alayhi wa alihi wasallam = May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny)] translator. Usul Kafi", Vol. 2. p.