K - Islamic Glossary

Ka'abah ()
The cube-shaped stone building which foundations were built by angels and completed by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son, the Prophet Ismael (A.S), in Mekkah. It was rebuilt with the help of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). It is the focal point towards which all Muslims face when praying.(Source:IslamIQ)

Ka'ba ()
The cube-shaped building at the centre of the haram in makka, originally built by the prophet ibratnm. also known as the house of Allah. it is towards the ka'ba that muslims face when praying.(Source:Taha Publication)  

Ka'bah (KABAH)
the first house of worship built for mankind. It was originally built by Adam and later on reconstructed by Abraham and Isma'il. It is a cubed shaped structure based in the city of Mecca to which all Muslims turn to in their five daily paryers.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Ka'bah ()
An empty cube-shaped structure located in the city of Makkah (in modern-day Saudi Arabia). Built by Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ishma'il about 4,000 years ago, the Ka'bah stands as the first building dedicated to the worship of the One God. The Ka'bah is made of stone, and is covered by a black and gold cloth embroidered with verses from the Qur'an. (Source:CIE)

Ka's ()
"The cup", the heart of the shaykh from which the "wine" of the knowledge of the divine is poured into the hearts of his murids in the "tavern" of the zawiya.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kabira ()
(Plural kaba'ir) major wrong actions which are described in the qur' an or hadith along with an explicit penalty or threat.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kafa'a ()
Legal capacity, also called ahliya.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kafala ()
Bail; the pledge given by someone to a creditor to ensure that the debtor will be present at a certain time and place.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kafalah bi al-Thaman ()
Surety for paying the price or sum if unpaid by the person originally liable.(Source:IslamIQ)

Kafan ()
The shroud for the dead.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kaffara ()
Atonement, prescribed way of making amends for wrong actions, especially missed obligatory actions.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kafil ()
A person providing surety or a guarantor.(Source:IslamIQ)

Kafil ()
A guarantor of bail.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kafir ()
a person who refuses to submit himself to Allah (God), a disbeliever in God.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Kafir ()
(Plural kafirun or kuffar) a person who rejects Allah and his messenger. the opposite is believer or mu'min.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kalam (KALAAM)
Talk or speech as inkalamu Allah; has also been used through the ages to mean logic or philosophy.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Kalam ()
`Theology' and dogmatics. kalam begins with the revealed tradition and uses rationalistic methods in order to understand and explain it and to resolve apparent contradictions. the name was either derived from the fact that their primary question was the "word of Allah" or in imitation of philosophers who called "logic" "kalam ". (compare with falsafa).(Source:Taha Publication)



Kalam allah ()
"The speech of Allah", e.g. the qur'an.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kali la ()
Someone who dies without heirs.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kalima ()
Literally the "word" = the shahada.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kalimatu'llah ()
"The word of Allah", meaning the prophet `isa.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kalimu'llah ()
"The one to whom Allah spoke directly", a title of the prophet musa.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kamal ()
Perfection of gnosis - being disconnected from attributes and their effects.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kanz ()
Hoarded up gold, silver and money, the zakat of which has not been paid.(Source:Taha Publication)

Karaha ()
(Plural kardhiyya) abhorrence, abomination.(Source:Taha Publication)

Karam ()
Nobility.(Source:Taha Publication)

Karamat ()
Marks of honour, miracles. distinct from mu jizat - prophetic miracles, things which cannot be imitated. both are kharq al-`adat, the extraordinary breaking of normal patterns.(Source:Taha Publication)

Karrama'llahu wajhahu ()
"May Allah honour him", a formula used when `ali ibn abi talib is mentioned.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kasb ()
(Or iktisab) acquisition. among the ash'arites, the action of a creature is said to be created and originated by Allah and `acquired' by the creature, meaning it is brought into connection with his power and will without there resulting any effect from him in bringing it into existence. he is simply a locus for it. it also refers to knowledge which is obtained by the voluntary application of secondary causes.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kashf ()
Unveiling, knowledge which does not require proof as it is a direct perception of the true nature of things.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kashf al-mahjub ()
"The lifting of the veil", the oldest persian treatise on sufism, translated by r.a. nicholson. al-hujwiri (d. c. 467/1075) wrote it as a reply to certain questions put to him and to set forth a complete overview of sufism.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kasra ()
The arabic vowel i.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kathif ()
Dense, thick, the opposite of latrf (subtle).(Source:Taha Publication)

Katibun ()
The recording angels. (see qur'an 82:10-12).(Source:Taha Publication)

Katm ()
A plant used for dyeing hair.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kawn ()
Being, all phenomena.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kawthar ()
"Abundance", a river in the garden; also the name of sura 108 of the qur'an.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kayftya ()
Modality, quality.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kaysaniya ()
Shi `ite group, who maintained that after the death of husayn, the imam was another son of `ali, Muhammad ibn al-hanafiyya (d. 81/700).(Source:Taha Publication)

Khabar ()
News, report.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khabar ()
(Plural akhbar) news, report.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khabar wahid ()
Isolated hadith; a report coming down by a single isnad or from a single source. (also called khabar al-khassa.)(Source:Taha Publication)

Khadijah (kha-dee-jah)
The first wife of Prophet Muhammad, and during her lifetime, the only one. Khadijah was a successful businesswoman in Makkah who employed Muhammad as a merchant/trader because of his well-known reputation for honesty and trustworthiness. The Prophet was married to her for 25 years until her death at the age of 65 in 619 C.E. They had two sons [both died in infancy] and four daughters together. (Source:CIE)

Khafi ()
Hidden, obscure, also refers to a category of unclear words.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khal ()
(Plural akhwal) maternal uncle.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khala ()
Maternal aunt.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalif ()
(The arabic is khalifa, plural khulafa'); caliph. someone who stands in for someone else, in this case the leader of the muslim community, although it is sometimes used for the deputy of some one in a higher position of authority.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalifa ()
"Successor", the representative of the shaykh, who is more accomplished than a muqaddam or na'ib. the plural is khulafa'.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalifah (KHALIFAAH KHALIFAA KHALEEFAH KHALEEFA)
The word Khalifah refers to the successor or representative of Prophet Muhammad (saas) or to one of his successors. This person acts as the head of state for the Muslim Ummah. Another title for the Khalifah (English Caliph) is Amir Al-Mu'mineen which means 'the leaders of the believers'.

The immediate Caliphs were Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, Othman Ibn 'Affan, and 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib. These were given the nickname of Al-Khulafa'Ar-Rashidun (The Guided Caliphs).

Another use for this word is used for humanity in general. The human being is considered the Khalifah (representative) of Allah on earth according to Allah.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Khalifah (kha-lee-fah)
An Arabic term meaning "successor," it refers to the rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad as leader of the ummah (worldwide Muslim community). The Khalifah (caliph) is not a prophet; rather, he is charged with upholding the rights of all citizens within an Islamic state and ensuring application of the Shari'ah (Islamic Law). The immediate successors of Prophet Muhammad, known as the "Rightly-Guided" Caliphs, were Abu Bakr as-Sadiq, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib. (Source:CIE)

Khalil ()
"Friend", a title of the prophet ibrahim.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalil ()
Ibn ishaq al-jundi, a maliki mufti of cairo and teacher at the shaykhuniyya, the largest madrasa in cairo at the time. he died in 669/1365 or 676/1374. he wrote the very popular maliki compendium, al-mukhtasar.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalq ()
"Creation", both the act of creation or the result of the act, hence the cosmos.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalq al-qur'an ()
"The createdness of the qur'an", a mu`tazilite doctrine. the mu`tazilites denied that the attributes of Allah are eternal. since the qur'an is speech, they argued, and since speech is an attribute, they therefore denied the eternal existence of the qur'an. this was the source of the controversy which resulted in the mihna, or inquisition.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khaluq ()
A kind of thick yellowy perfume used by women.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalwa ()
Spiritual retreat, seclusion, in order to remember Allah. khamr: the "wine" of direct knowledge of the divine.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khalwatiya ()
A tariqa which is known as the halvetiyye in turkish. it was founded by shaykh 'umar al-khalwati (d. 800/1397) and is based on hunger, silence, vigil, seclusion and dhikr. it has many branches.(Source:Taha Publication)



Khamisa ()
A black woollen square blanket with borders at each end.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khamr ()
Wine; and by extension any intoxicant which affects a person's faculty of thought and his ability to perform the prayer properly.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khamriyya ()
"The wine ode" by ibn al-farid (d. 632/1235), a very famous ode in which wine is a symbol of divine knowledge.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khandaq ()
means ditch.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Khangah ()
Zawiya, a place where seekers of Allah live and meet.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kharaj ()
Tax imposed on the revenue from land taken from non-muslims to ensure their equal rights under Islamic law.(Source:IslamIQ)

Kharaj ()
Taxes imposed on revenue from land. originally these were only applied to land owned by non-muslims.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kharijites ()
Or khawarij, the earliest sect who separated themselves from the body of the muslims and declared war on all those who disagreed with them, stating that a wrong action turns a muslim into an unbeliever.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kharq al-`adat ()
Miracle, an extra-ordinary event, literally it means the "breaking of the normal pattern of things".(Source:Taha Publication)

Khashya ()
Fear of Allah.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khasla ()
(Plural khisal) a property, quality, element; also a branch or part of something (e.g. the branches of faith).(Source:Taha Publication)

Khass ()
Specifically applicable, particular.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khass ()
A text which is specifically applicable, particular.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khassa ()
Special, elite.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khassa ()
Special, elite, private; closest friends.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khati'a ()
(Plural khataya) sin, error, includes both dhanb and ithm.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khatib ()
orator, speaker.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Khatib ()
A speaker or orator; the one who delivers the khutba.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khatim ()
Seal, khatim an-nabiyyn: the seal of prophethood, the last of the prophets.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khatima ()
"The seal", the final act of a person which determines whether he is a believer or an unbeliever.(Source:Taha Publication)


Khatir ()
(Plural khawatir) a passing thought, which is quickly removed by another. there are three kinds: those which come from shaytan, which are a sort of whispering; those from the self, which are niggling and arise from appetites; and those which come from Allah, which come quickly and with a sort of clarity.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khatm ()
Or khatma, lit, `seal'; the recitation of the entire qur'an from beginning to end.(Source:Taha Publication)



Khatm ()
Seal, khatm al-wilaya: the seal of sainthood, often used of `isa.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khatm al-awliya' ()
"The seal of the saints", by al-hakim at-tirmidhi (d. 320/931), in which he developed the terminology which has been used ever since: the qutb, the ghawth and the hierarchy of four, seven, forty, and three hundred based upon their relative levels of gnosis.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khawarij ()
See kharijites.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khawf ()
Fear, dread of the creator and master of the day of judgement.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khayal ()
Imagination. with ibn al-`arabi, it has an inner and outer meaning. its outer meaning is the ordinary meaning of imagination. in its inner meaning, it is the faculty by which we solidify objects which are, in reality, not there inasmuch as the sensory is not real.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khayf ()
Mosque in mina located at the east end of the valley.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khazin ()
(Plural khazana) a treasurer, storekeeper, guard.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khazzan ()
Wholesaler dealer.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khidhlan ()
Abandonment, when Allah leaves man to his own devices.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khidma ()
Service of others.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khil'a ()
Robe of honour which is bestowed.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khilafa ()
The caliphate or khalifate, governance by means of a khalif. khimar: a veil or yashmaq which covers the head and lower part of the face but leaves the eyes exposed.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khirqa ()
A patched robe worn as a sign of poverty and devotion. (cf. muraqq `a).(Source:Taha Publication)

Khitan ()
Circumcision.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khitba ()
Marriage proposal.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khiyana ()
Breach of trust.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khiyar ()
Option to withdraw from a business transaction. haqq al-khiyar is of three kinds: khiyar ar-ru'ya, the purchaser's right to reject the object after inspection; khiyar al-wasf, the option determined by quality open to either party; and khiyar al- `ayb, the option of dis solving the contract if the goods are defective.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khiyar-al-shart ()
The khiyar-al-shart is an option of stipulation on a contract that the Sunnah validates. It grants the buyer the option either to accept or nullify a contract, within a stipulated time frame (three days or so).(Source:IslamIQ)

Khudu` ()
Humble submissiveness, yielding before Allah.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khuff ()
Leather socks.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khul' ()
A form of divorce initiated by the wife from her husband by giving him a certain compensation, or by returning back the mahr which he gave her.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khulta ()
A state where two properties are so mixed in a partnership that they cannot be separated.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khumra ()
A small mat just sufficient for the face and the hands (on prostrating during prayers).(Source:Taha Publication)

Khums ()
The fifth taken from the booty which is given to the ruler for distribution.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khusnf ()
Lunar eclipse.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khusuma ()
Litigation, quarrel.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khutba ()
A speech, and in particular a standing speech given by the imam before the jumu `a prayer and after the two `id prayers.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khutba an-nikah ()
A speech delivered at the time of concluding the marriage contract.(Source:Taha Publication)

Khutbah ()
a speech or sermon. It is sometimes used to refer to the sermon given during the Friday cogregational prayer.
(Source:MSA-USC)
Khutbah (khut-bah)
The weekly community address given by an imam immediately prior to the Jum'ah (Friday) midday worship service. The address serves as a venue for leaders to share with members of the congregation religious insights, to discuss Islamic viewpoints on important contemporary issues, and to reinforce teachings of Islam. (Source:CIE)

Kinaya ()
An allusive form of speech which does not clearly disclose the speaker's intention.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kira' ()
Hire of property.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kiram katibin ()
"The noble scribes", the two angels who sit on the human being's shoulders to record his actions. (see qur'an 82:11).(Source:Taha Publication)

Kismet ()
This word for "fate" comes from the arabic qisma, meaning "part" or "portion", and was changed via persian and turkish.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kiswa ()
The huge embroidered black and gold cloth that drapes the ka'ba.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kitab ()
Book, particularly the book of Allah, the qur'an. kitabi: jew or christian, one of the people of the book.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kitab al-kharaj ()
By abu yusuf (d. 182/798), one of the earliest legal texts which abu yusuf wrote for the 'abbasid khalif ar-rashid. it is a treatise on taxation and constitutional questions. he clarifed the sources of financial revenue for the state and the areas of taxation in great detail, basing himself on the qur'an, transmission from the prophet, and the fatwas of the companions. he quotes hadiths and deduces their underlying reasons and the action of the companions.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kitab al-luma` ()
"Book of lights", by abu nasr as-sarraj (d. 378/988), one of the earliest sufi manuals. he sets forth the principles of sufism and shows how they agree with the qur'an and sunna.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kitaba ()
A contract by which a slave acquires his freedom against a future payment, or instalment payments, to his master.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kitman ()
Concealment of information.(Source:Taha Publication)

Koran ()
See Qur'an. (Source:CIE)

Kubrawiya ()
A khorasani branch of the the old junaydiya tariqa from najm kubra (d. 619/1221). it has several branches. they developed an elaborate colour-symbolism: white represents islam, yellow faith, dark blue ihsan, and so forth. they became important in kashmir.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kuff ir ()
Plural of kafir.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kuffar ()
plural form of kafir.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Kufiya ()
White or colored headcloth worn by men in arabia and parts of the fertile crescent.(Source:Taha Publication)  

Kufr ()
to show ungratefulness to Allah and not to believe in Him and His religion.
(Source:MSA-USC)

Kufr ()
Disbelief, to cover up the truth, to reject Allah and refuse to believe that Muhammad is his messenger.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kufr ni'ma ()
Ingratitude for a blessing, used by certain kharijites to indicate commission of a minor sin. (see ibadiya).(Source:Taha Publication)

Kufr shirk ()
Also kafir din, disbelief in Allah by associating something else with him. (see ibadiya).(Source:Taha Publication)

Kuhl ()
Kohl, antimony powder used both as decoration and a medicine for the eyes.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kulliyat al-wujnd ()
Universals of being.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kumun ()
Doctrine that substances have their potentialities present but concealed in them (this used to be a manichaean doctrine).(Source:Taha Publication)

Kun ()
`Be!' the creating command.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kunh ()
True nature.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kunya ()
A respectful but intimate way of addressing people as "the father of so-and-so" or "the mother of so-and-so."(Source:Taha Publication)

Kusaf ()
Solar eclipse.(Source:Taha Publication)

Kusuf ()
Solar eclipse.(Source:Taha Publication)