I think a definitions thread will be useful in clarifying meanings of terms in order to avoid confusion and misinterpretion of words.
If anyone finds a term below theirs with a more accurate addition or pointing out of a mistake, please correct.
if anyone adds a definition to a word or corrects a mistake which has been stated before, please quote the previous post and include the number next to the word:
1. Allah - The Creator, Master and Sustainer of the universe, along with and besides whom there is no other god, who has no opposite equal similitude.
English language rendering: Almighty God
2. Muslim - One who submits to and obeys Allah, and accepts the laws of Allah as dominant, and accepts Muhammad pbuh as the final Messenger of Allah.
3. Mu-min - One who believes in Allah with absolute certainty, and seeks to obey and please Allah within the very depths of his/her mind, heart and soul. Placing great emphasis on intentions in pleasing Allah and being truthful to Allah.
English language rendering: Believer
4. Kaafir - One who covers the truth concerning Allah, denies the truth concerning Allah, deceives him/herself and others with the intention of rejecting and opposing Allah.
English language rendering: disbeliever, rejecter, infidel.
5. Munaafiq - One who pretends to be Muslim and Mu-min whilst actually hating what Allah has revealed and seeking to extinguish the light of Allah.
English language rendering: Hypocrite, Traitor.
7. Shaytaan - A rebel against Allah from amongst the Jinn or Humankind, who serves Iblees and works to turn others from the noble way of Allah.
English language rendering: Satan, The adversary.
8. Iblees - The Jinn who is the accursed leader of the Shayaateen, and has limited freewill, and tests people's choice by prompting people to do that which draws upon people the wrath of Allah and Allah's punishment.
English language rendering: Diabolis, Devil. Italian: diablo
9. Jihad fee sabeel Allah - struggle in the way of Allah in supressing that which angers Allah and promoting that which pleases Allah - within the self and external when taqwa of Allah is low in society, jihad is always active until the day of judgement since iblees is always active until the day of judgement.
English language rendering: Struggle, striving.
10. Taqwa - adherence to Allah, and psychological barrier from iblees.
English language rendering: adherence, piety.
11. Halaal - A deed which is lawful in Allah's sight.
English language rendering: lawful, legal
12. Haraam - A deed which is unlawful (out of the bounds of Halaal) in Allah's sight.
English language rendering: forbidden, illegal.
13. Ihsaan - To do that which is better in Allah's sight (word is derived from "hasan"
English language rendering: nice, beautiful, graceful.
14. Islaah - To set things in order - as approved by Allah.
English language rendering: correction
15. Waleey Allah - One who is with Allah, adheres to Allah, is in communion with Allah, at peace with Allah, sometimes has mistakenly been demotively interpreted as "being on Allah's side" (forgetting that Allah is high above all).
English language rendering: saint.
16. Mujrim . One who goes to intolarable extremities in his/her unjust disobedience/defiance of Allah
English language rendering: criminal, transgressor beyond bounds.
Note: when i use any of the English terms, i clearly mean the correct descriptions stated above.
Excellent thread, akhi. Very beneficial. Maashaa'Allaah.
One addition regarding the word Jihaad:
Each word has a linguistic meaning and a Shar`i meaning (i.e. a meaning the Sharee`ah - Divine Law of Islaam - has given it). The linguistic meaning of Salaah is actually Du`aa (to call on Allaah). The Shar`i meaning, however, is the one everyone knows (Fajr, Zhuhr, `Asr, Maghrib, `Ishaa). The linguistic meaning of Hajj is "to visit a great place". The Shar`i meaning, on the other hand, is the one all Muslims are aware of (going for pilgrimage to Makkah and Madeenah).
Similarly, Jihaad has a linguistic meaning and a Shar`i meaning. The linguistic meaning is "to strive to the best of one's ability"; the Shar`i meaning, on the other hand, is to fight on the battlefield. The Mufassiroon (commentators of the Qur'aan) have mentioned that whenever the term fee Sabeelillaah is used in the Qur'aan, it almost always refers to Jihaad (physical fighting on the battlefield).
format_quote Originally Posted by Huzaifah ibn Adam
Excellent thread, akhi. Very beneficial. Maashaa'Allaah.
One addition regarding the word Jihaad:
Each word has a linguistic meaning and a Shar`i meaning (i.e. a meaning the Sharee`ah - Divine Law of Islaam - has given it). The linguistic meaning of Salaah is actually Du`aa (to call on Allaah). The Shar`i meaning, however, is the one everyone knows (Fajr, Zhuhr, `Asr, Maghrib, `Ishaa). The linguistic meaning of Hajj is "to visit a great place". The Shar`i meaning, on the other hand, is the one all Muslims are aware of (going for pilgrimage to Makkah and Madeenah).
Similarly, Jihaad has a linguistic meaning and a Shar`i meaning. The linguistic meaning is "to strive to the best of one's ability"; the Shar`i meaning, on the other hand, is to fight on the battlefield. The Mufassiroon (commentators of the Qur'aan) have mentioned that whenever the term fee Sabeelillaah is used in the Qur'aan, it almost always refers to Jihaad (physical fighting on the battlefield).
والله تعالى أعلم
Jazaaka Allah for your input brother, i would like to clarify some points you raised:
The limiting of jihaad to struggle on the battlefield has confused many into wondering why Mujaahideen fee sabeel Allah fight against munaafiqs and murtads, whereas understanding the term in it's wider inner and outer aspects including jihaad an nafs makes it clear and helps people to keep check of themselves during battle with the sword. It decreases irrational spite and increases taqwa of Allah from shaytaan on a wider scale - personal and social.
A good example would be the situation of the people who governed Andalusia after Taariq ibn Jabal under the banner of Islaam, i would say that they misinterpreted "jihaad" and confused it with "qitaal", and fell apart themselves.
Today, Allah has given the kuffaar military strength, therefore jihaad fee sabeel Allah in all it's aspects usually takes precedence over the isolated term qitaal, although qitaal within jihaad sometimes becomes necessary in order to deter corruption and injustice. Qitaal without jihaad fi sabeel Allah is illogical bloodshed and only makes Shaytaan smile whereas Jihaad fee sabeel Allah which envelops Qitaal fee sabeel Allah when and where necessary is stable and positive.
Allah also tells us to strive (jaahid) in the way of Allah with the Quran with great jihaad (jihaadan kabeera) in order to make the way of Allah uppermost, therefore i understand the term to widely encompass all kinds of struggle in Allah's way, whereas "Qitaal fee sabeel Allah" is more near to explicitly describing jihaad against kuffar on the battlefield.
Allah also tells us to obey Him and beware of parents who strive (jaahadooka) to make us associate others with Allah, however, again, the wider meaning is generally struggle in Allah's way even if the term "fee sabeel Allah" is not used.
With the above stated however - an argument that people should be Kaafirs just because Allah tells us in surah al Baqarah that whoever does kufr of those who seek to mislead and drag from Allah's way (fa man yakfur bi at-taaghoot) and believes in Allah (wa yu-min bi Allah) has grasped the most durable handhold that never breaks (after the verse of The Throne), therefore Allah must somehow love kuffaar since they are the true believers would be confusing, since the Quranic term "kaafir" when used on it's own prevalently and dominantly refers to the ungrateful rejecters of Allah.
If i made truthful sense - it is from Allah, if not, please clarify with input if you have time.
such debates, if conducted with truth, goodwill, sincerity and humility to Allah with a desire to learn and teach, are constructive and positive.
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