Commonly Abbreviated English Islamic Terminology Guide in 2023

Abbreviated Islamic terminology is one of the difficulties you find while studying Islam and learning the Quran, as you won’t be able to understand Islamic terminologies as long as they are in the Arabic language.

Sometimes you notice them as abbreviations following the mention of Allah and the prophet Muhammed. They make you more curious to know the meaning behind each one of them.

These Islamic terminologies you find while reading Islamic history, the five pillars (worships) and the stories of the prophets.

Generally, you observe them when you read an Islamic book or article. So you can save time and effort in searching for the terminologies’ meanings, as we will get across them clearly in this article.

List of Abbreviated Islamic Terminologies

Here are the meanings of the commonly Islamic terminologies:

The Islamic Abbreviation “SWT”

The abbreviation “SWT” means in Arabic “Subhanahu wa ta’ala”. It always follows Allah or his names as Almighty.

As for its meaning in English, its translation is “Glorious and Exalted is He” or “Glory to Him, the Exalted”. Muslims use it to glorify Allah.

The Islamic Abbreviation “SWAS”

This abbreviation “SWAS” always follows the name of the messenger, prophet Muhammed. It stands for “SallAhhau Alayhi Wasalam”.Its meaning in English is “ Allah blesses the prophet Muhammed and grants him peace”.

The Islamic Abbreviation “PBUH”

Commonly, the abbreviation “PBUH” comes after mentioning Prophet Muhammed. It means “Peace and blessings upon him”.It has the same meaning as the earlier abbreviation but in the English translation.

Muslims commonly use this phrase after mentioning the prophet Muhammed as Allah commanded his believers in Quran to invoke blessings upon him and salute him with peace

{Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O, believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace}

(33:56) Al-Ahzab.

The Islamic Abbreviation “AS”

When you read the prophets’ stories, you’ll notice this abbreviation “AS” after the names of prophets. “AS” means “Alayhis Salaam”.In English, it’s a translation of (peace be upon him).

It’s not only for the prophets but also related to the mentioning of archangels such as Jibreel.

The Islamic Abbreviation “RA”

This abbreviation “RA” is related to the mentioning of prophet Muhammed’s companions. RA stands for (Radhi Allahu ‘anhu), which means in English: “May Allah be pleased with him”.

The usage of this abbreviation is not only for men but also for companions women such as prophet Muhammed’s wives. So it also stands for (Radhi Allahu ‘annha) (May Allah be pleased with her).

The Islamic Abbreviation “B.H”

In Islamic History, you’ll find this abbreviation commonly. It stands for the period before the prophet Muhammed’s migration to Medina from Mecca.

The Islamic Abbreviation “A.H”

AH abridgement means the period after the prophet Muhammed’s migration from Mecca to Medina. AH stands for After Hijra. After this time, Muslims founded the Islamic calendar.

20 words associated with Islamic religion and their meaning

Our Islamic terminology guide also includes the meanings of the most commonly Islamic words:

1- Adhan:

It means the daily call for the five prayers. It informs the time of each prayer.

2- Ayatul Kursi:

It stands for the verse 255 of Surah Al baqqra in Quran.

3- Dhul Hiijah:

the name of the last month of the Islamic calendar.

4- Dhul Qidah:

the name of the 11th month of the Islamic calendar.

5- Fatiha:

the name of the Quran’s first chapter (surah).

6- Fiqh:

the name of Islamic jurisprudence science that studies the Islamic precepts.

7- Hadeeth:

the name of prophet Muhammed’s narrations that reported of his companions.

8- Hajj:

the 5th pillar of Islam, means in English pilgrimage.

9- Hijra:

this terminology means the name of prophet Muhammed’s migration from Mecca to Medina.

10- Jinn:

the name of other creatures of Allah that humans cannot see or hear them.

11- Jum’ah:

the name of Friday.

12- Nabi:

the name of the prophet in Islam.

13- Rasool:

the name of messenger of Allah, refers to the prophet Muhammed.

14- Ramadhan:

the month of fasting in Islam. It’s the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

15- Shawwal:

the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

16- Shaitan:

the name of the devil who is the enemy of humans.

17- Qiyamat:

the name of Judgement Day.

18- Umrah:

the name of the minor pilgrimage in Islam.

19- Tawaf:

the act’s name of worship in the Hajj and Umrah.

20- Zakat:

the third pillar in Islam, which means a charitable donation.

Islamic terms and meanings

Find out more of the Islamic terminologies’ meanings:

The Islamic Term “Salat”

Salat is one of the Islamic mandatories. It refers to the five daily prayers Muslim perform each day.

The Islamic Term “Surah”

Surah is the name of the chapters in the holy Quran such as Surah Al Fatiha. They are 114 chapters in Quran.

The Islamic Term “Shahada”

Shahada is the first and fundamental pillar of Islam. It means the testification of Allah as the only God and Muhammed his prophet “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet. A person must recite the shahadah to convert to Islam”.

The Islamic Term “Sawm”

Sawm is the Arabic name of fasting means the act of abstinence from eating and drinking.

It is one of the Islamic mandatories that Muslims adhere to during Ramadan. The duration of fasting from Fajr prayer to Maghrib prayer (Sunset).

The Islamic Term “Madinah”

Madinah is the name of the city where prophet Muhammed immigrates after leaving Mecca. Its original name is “Yathrib”.

Madinah is the second Islamic holiest city after Mecca. Its location is on the west side of Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic Term “Kafir”

Kafir is a name refers to the disbeliever who are not Muslims who refuses to confess that no God except Allah and prophet Muhammed is his messenger.

The Islamic Term “Eid”

Eid is the name of the feast in Islam. Mainly, there are two types of Eid in Islam:

Eid ul-Adha: It comes on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah.
Eid-ul-Fitr: It comes on the first day of Shawwal month, after Ramadan.

The Islamic Term “Ka’aba”

Ka’aba is the name of the holiest structure in Islam, it’s located in the middle of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

The Islamic Term “Shirk”

Shirk” means polytheism in Islam as worship of Idolatry and the fire.

The Islamic Term “Shari’ah”

Shari’ah is the Arabic name of Islamic laws, the sources of these laws are the holy Quran and the narrations of the prophet Muhammed. Shari’ah is the guide for Muslims in worship.

You can extend your knowledge of Islamic terminologies by learning Arabic language courses that help you to learn to write and speak in Arabic fluently, in addition to learning how to read Quran correctly on BeIN Quran online .

Conclusion – What is the Islamic Terminology?

Islamic terminology is common in Islamic studies. It is related to the meaning in the Arabic language. It’s necessary to comprehend the meanings of Islamic abbreviations for non-Arabic Muslims while studying Islam. Some of them follow the mention of Allah, prophet Muhammed, and companions. Some others are related to the Islamic calendar.