1.hadith: a saying or tradition of the Prophet (PBUH).
2.hadith qudsi: (literally "sacred hadith") A hadith containing words of Allah that were narrated by the Prophet (PBUH), but which do not form part of the Qur'an.
3.hajj: pilgrimage to Makkah, performed once a year during the Islamic month of Dhu`l-Hijjah; this is one of the pillars of Islam, and should be performed once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is able to do so.
4.halal: permitted, allowed
5.haram: forbidden, prohibited.
6.haya': bashfulness, shyness.
7.hijab: the Islamic dress-code and related attitudes. Although the word "Hijab" is often used by English-speaking Muslims to refer specifically to the head-covering, it in fact refers to the whole dress-code.
8.hijrah: migration for the sake of Allah. "The Hijrah" is the historic migration of the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions from Makkah to Yathrib (Madinah) but the word "hijrah" may describe any migration (for example, to find a better environment in which to practise Islam and raise children or to spread the message of Islam), that is undertaken for the sake of Allah. The Hijrah of the Prophet (PBUH) also marks the beginning of the Islamic or Hijr_ calendar.
9.`iddah: "waiting period," usually three menstrual cycles, which a divorced woman must observe before she is free to remarry. The purpose is to establish whether she is pregnant with her ex-husband's child (if she were to remarry immediately, there is the possibility of doubt regarding the paternity of a child conceived immediately). If she is pregnant, her `iddah lasts until the baby is born.
10.imam: leader; may refer to the person who leads others in prayers, or to the ruler or leader of an Islamic state. The word is also used as a title of respect for eminent scholars.
11.iqamah: call to prayer, similar to the adhan, that is given immediately before the prayer.
`isha': the night-time prayer, performed after the sun has set.
12.isnad: "Chain of authority," the chain of people who conveyed a hadith from the Prophet (PBUH). Scholars who specialized in hadith, such as al-Bukhari and Muslim, subjected the isnad of each hadith they came across to intense scrutiny. Only if they were certain that each person in the isnad was competent and truthful, and that each had been in a position to meet and learn from or teach the next person in the chain, would the scholars accept a hadith as being authentic.
13.i`tikaf: seclusion or spiritual retreat. It was the custom of the Prophet (SAAS) to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in seclusion, concentrating on prayer and worship.
14.jahili: of or pertaining to jahiliyyah, q.v.
15.jahiliyyah: ignorance. The time preceding the revelation of Islam is known as the "Time of Ignorance."
16.jama`ah: group or congregation
17.Jibril: the Archangel who conveyed the revealtion of the Qur'an to the Prophet (SAAS). The English version of his name is Gabriel.
18.jihad: (literally "struggle" or "striving"). Although this word is often translated as "holy war," it has a broader meaning than warfare on the battlefield. Any act of striving to please Allah may be described as jihad.
19.jilbab: woman's long, loose outer-garment.
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