Glossary of Islam - H

H

Hadath akbar

major ritual impurity which requires Niyyat for cleaning.

Hadath asghar

minor ritual impurity

Hadha min fadhle Rabbi (هَذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي)

Qur'anic expression and phrase meaning This is by the Grace of my Lord.

Hādī (هادي)

a guide, one who guides; A Muslim name for God is The Guide, or Al-Hadi.

Hadith (حديث ḥadīth) plural ahādīth

literally "speech"; recorded saying or tradition of the Prophet Muhammad validated by isnad; with sira these comprise the sunnah and reveal shariah

Hadith Mashhoor

Well-known hadith; a hadith which reported by one, two, or more Companions from the Prophets or from another Companion, but has later become well-known and transmitted by an indefinite number of people during the first and second generation of Muslims.

Ḥāfiẓ (حافظ)

someone who knows the Qur'an by heart. Literal translation = memorizer or Protector.

Haid

menstruation

Hajj (الحجّ haj)

pilgrimage to Mecca. Sunnis regard this as the fifth Pillar of Islam

Hajj al Tamattu

performing `Umrah during the Hajj season, and on the Day of Tarwiah a pilgrim gets into the state of Ihram for Hajj. Before making 'Umrah, approach the Miqat and declare the intention. End by sacrificing an animal.

Hajj al Qiran

At Miqat, declare intention to perform both Hajj and `Umrah together. After throwing the Jamrah of Al-`Aqabah, and getting hair shaved or cut that take off his Ihram garments and sacrifice animal.

Hajj al Ifrad

At Miqat, declare intention for Hajj only. Maintain Ihram garments up to the Day of Sacrifice. No offering is required from him.

Hajjaj (حاجّ)

Pilgrim, one who has made the Hajj.

Ḥākim (حاكم)

a ruler's or governor's title; in some Muslim states, a judge. See Ahkam.

Hakimiya

(حاكمية) sovereignty, governance.

Ḥalāl (حلال)

lawful, permitted, good, beneficial, praiseworthy, honourable. (See mustahabb, mandub)

Halaqa

A gathering or meeting for the primary purpose of learning about Islam.

Halq

Shaving of the head, particularly associated with pilgrimage to Mecca

Ḥanīf (حنيف)

pre-Islamic non-Jewish or non-Christian monotheists. Plural: ḥunafā' (حنفاء).

Haqq (‍حق)

truth, reality, right, righteousness. Al-Haqq is one of 99 names of God.

Ḥarām (حرام)

sinful

Ḥaram (حرم)

sanctuary.

Ḥasan (حسن)

Good, beautiful, admirable. Also a categorization of a hadith's authenticity as "acceptable". (other categorizations include authenic and fabricated).

Hawaa (pl. ahwaa')

Vain or egotistical desire; individual passion; impulsiveness.

Hidāyah (هداية)

guidance from God.

Ḥijāb (حجاب)

literally "cover". It describes the self-covering of the body for the purposes of modesty and dignity; broadly, a prescribed system of attitudes and behaviour regarding modesty and dignity. (See abayah, al-amira, burnuk, burqa, chador, jilbab, khimar, milfeh, niqab, purdah, shayla)

Hijra (الهجرة)

Muhammad and his followers' emigration from Mecca to Medina. Literally, "migration". This holiday marks the beginning of the Muslim New Year on the first day of the month of Muharram. See Rabi Al-Awwal and abbreviation AH.

Hikmah

Literally this means "wisdom" and refers to the highest possible level of understanding attainable by a Muslim. In particular, it refers to the illuminative, mystical sort of wisdom that a Gnostic or Sufi might accomplish.

Ḥilāl (هلال)

Crescent moon Hilal (crescent moon)

Ḥimā (حمى)

wilderness reserve, protected forest, grazing commons, important to khalifa

Ḥizb (حزب)

One half of a juz', or roughly 1/60th of the Qur'an

Houri (حورية ḥūrīya; pl. ḥūrīyāt حوريات)

beautiful and pure young men and women, that Muslims believe inhabit Paradise, or Heaven.

Hudā (هدى)

Guidance.

Hudna (هدنة)

Truce. Cease-fire (often temporary)

Ḥudūd (حدود) (sing. hadd)

Literally, limits or boundaries. Usually refers to limits placed by Allah on man; penalties of the Islamic law (sharia) for particular crimes described in the Qur'an - intoxication, theft, rebellion, adultery and fornication, false accusation of adultery, and apostasy. (See ta'zeer)

Ḥukm (حكم)

ruling in the Qur'an or Sunnah. Also spelled Hukum.