There is one truth people must understand - for the most part, Muslims’ religious beliefs and political ideology are inextricably intertwined as they come from the same source – the Qur’an, the edicts of Allah, through their prophet Muhammad. One can no more separate their religious beliefs from their political ideology than you can separate a person from their skin color. While a person’s skin color doesn’t define what they become, it is part of who they are. To make a religious analogy: it would be like trying to separate Jesus from Christianity.

One caution: when discussing Islam with Muslims – or even other groups or people - comparisons to Christianity or Judaism are often made, or statements like, “this is in all religions.” This is a diversion. Stick to the facts of Islam. When discussing one’s faith, it is not necessary to compare it to other beliefs. The facts of that particular belief should be sufficient.

This “Cheat Sheet” is an attempt to define some important terms and concepts. Without some basic knowledge, one cannot hope to understand Muslims or what they believe. But, the topic is complex. My attempt is merely to give a base from which you can do further study. Otherwise, the explanations, should at least give a basic knowledge of what has become an important topic.

It has also become longer than I anticipated. As I said, the topic is complex.

Allah - God. Muslims say it is the same god of the Christians and Jews. However, this is a debate in which I would not enter unless or until you are thoroughly versed in the God of the Christians and the Jews, as well as the god of Islam, through their texts.

Apostate – [Islam] Defined as a Muslim who has rejected Islam by word or deed, or one who does not adhere to all aspects of the Qur’an and it’s edicts.

Caliph, calif or khalif - The head of state's position (Caliph), and is regarded as a successor of Muhammad, and is always male.

Cleric [Muslim] - may be likened to a priest or minister

Dhimma - treaty of protection granted to a certain population after conquest. Generally granted to “People of the Book” (Followers of the Holy Books) which historically have been Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. As long as Muslim rulers permit, their lives and property are exempt from jihad. However, should dhimmis violate any conditions of the dhimma, or fail to show proper deference to Muslims, the jihad will continue.

Dhimmi - are conquered people who fall under the dhimma, or treaty of protection. The dhimmi are generally safe, as long as they are economically useful to the Islamic state. Dhimmi are non-Muslims who have less rights than Muslims – which all non-Muslims do in Islamic states or under Islamic law. There are many restrictions on dhimmis, including the building of churches, overt expressions of their faith, even on religious holidays, or to assist an unbeliever in any fashion against a Muslim. Dhimmis must also show proper deference to Muslims. In some ways, one could compare them to indentured servants, with the difference that a dhimmi can never pay off his debt, or be released from bondage.

A noted Turkish historian of Ottoman science, who is now the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Countries, explained to an American audience, that the “privilege of becoming a protected minority via an act of dhimmiship was given only to the followers of a prophet to whom a sacred book was revealed.”

It is now a term often used to connote non-Muslims, by non-Muslims and is sometimes used interchangeably with kafir. The difference being that dhimmis pay a tribute to Muslims, whereas kafir are simply infidels.

Faqih - Jurist. One who is an expert in Islamic law

Fitna - civil war

Hadith, ahadith (pl) or al-hadith - Writings based upon oral tradition about the life, statements, actions or views of Muhammad. They are often considered an important adjunct to the Qur’an. Not only is the narrative important, but also the chain of narrators, since the chain of narrators is the only way to even attempt to ascertain their veracity. During the 8^th and 9^th centuries they were evaluated and written down, and are still referred to in matters of history and Islamic law.

There are a number of categories of hadith: authentic (sahih); good (hasan); weak (da if); fabricated (mawdu); ignored or rejected (munkar). Only the first two, sahih and hasan, are considered reliable and are also considered acceptable for use in Islamic legal discussion.

With the exception of Hadith Qudsi, hadith are not believed to be the word of God like the Qur’an. The Hadith Qudsi are exceptions in that they are believed to communicate divine revelations given to Muhammad, but are not included in the Qur’an. Unlike the Qur’an, however, the words are believed to be Muhammad’s, although the ‘thoughts’ divine. All hadith are ranked lower than the Qur’an.

While not used to interpret the Qur’an in it’s entirety, the hadith are often used to assist in the interpretation of parts of it, which may be confusing or not clear. They are also used to support certain views.

The Sunni, the Shi’a and the Ibadi do not all accept the same hadith, or consider them trusted. It may also vary from scholar to scholar which hadith are considered valid.

Ibadi [Muslims] - are distinct from the Shi’a and Sunni. It is believed to be one of the earliest forms of Islam, and is said to have been founded less than 50 years after the death of Muhammad. It is the dominant form of Islam in only one Muslim country, Oman. There are also Ibadis in Algeria and Libya.

Imam - often the leader of a mosque and/or community. He leads the prayer and is the one Muslims most often turn to for spiritual guidance, as well as guidance for other issues. He is considered the lawful temporal leader of the Islamic community, and often claims descendency from Muhammad. An imam can also be any one of the founders of the four schools of law and theology, or an authoritative scholar who founds a school of law or theology.

Infidel - literally, one without faith. In the context of Islam, it connotes anyone who is not a believer, not a Muslim. However, Muslims generally use the term kafir to connote a non-believer.

Isnad - the list of citations for narrators or transmitters going back to the original narrator. Used to determine the authenticity of the hadith. The more trustworthy the narrators, the more reliable the hadith, and the more highly prized and categorized.

Jizya - a special tax imposed on non-Muslim citizens. In return, they are permitted to practice their faith, and are entitled to Muslim protection from outside aggression. The Qur’an states what the payment of the jizya should be. “It is the most conspicuous means by which the Muslim exploit the dhimmi. But the jizya is not merely economic in its function; it exists also to humiliate the dhimmi and impress on him the superiority of Islam.”

Jihad - is literally translated as "struggle." It does not actually mean "holy war." Many will try to explain it as an inner struggle, a spiritual struggle, which to a certain degree it is. Muslims are commanded to struggle against laziness, especially laziness in prayer, and other inner struggles.

However, a Muslim is also commanded to struggle against the infidel. Every Muslim must wage jihad: it is their duty and obligation from Allah, and cannot be ignored nor evaded. According to the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hasan Al-Banna, Muslims must take up arms against unbelievers. He said, “The verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah summon people in general (with the most eloquent expression and the clearest exposition) to jihad, to warfare, to the armed forces, and all means of land and sea fighting." This was said by him in 1928, and parrots what is written in both the Qur’an and the sunnah. So, the concept of physical jihad, of martyrdom, is not a new one.

Jihad is a wide concept, which includes every effort involved in both the preparation and execution of war, such as funding it.  While it is always true to describe “fighting in the way of Allah” as jihad, “it can also refer to other aspects of armed jihad or to peaceful jihad.”

However, the use of the word in the Qur’an and hadith, and throughout the more than 1300 years of Muslim history, has clearly imbued the word jihad with a meaning of struggle, usually through military means, to expand the domain of Islam. Almost all Muslims understand that “warfare” (qital, qatala) is the essential meaning of the word.

It is clear that the Muslims are commanded to struggle not only against their inner issues, but also struggle in physical combat against the infidel and spread Islam.

Kafir - is the Muslim term for infidel, a non-believer, or one not of the Muslim faith.

Kitman  - is another important concept to understand. It is similar to taqiyya, but rather than “deliberate dissimilation,” means to tell only part of the truth, with “mental reservation” justifying the omission. A good example is when a Muslim asserts that jihad means “a spiritual struggle,” and neglects to add that this definition is recent in Islam (little more than a century old), he misleads by holding back, and is practicing kitman. When he gives the hadith in which Muhammad, returning home from one of his many battles, is reported to have said that he had returned from “the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihad” as an example, and doesn’t add, that this is a “weak” hadith (which all Muslims know), and is regarded by the most respected muhaddithin as of doubtful authenticity, he is further practicing kitman. So, while he has not actually lied, he has not told the truth. (Fitzgerald: Islam for Infidels, Part One)

The Hijra, Hijrah or withdrawal, is the migration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 AD. The year of the Hijra is considered to be more significant than the year of Muhammad's birth or death or that of the first Quranic revelation because above all, Islam is a political-military enterprise. The years of the Islamic calendar (which is based upon lunar months) are designated in English "AH" or "After Hijra."

Mahdi or al-Mahdi - is "the rightly-guided one" who, according the hadiths, will come before the end of time to make the entire world Muslim, and therefore, a perfect world. There is no mention of him in the Qur’an, but there are numerous hadith on the Mahdi.

The advent of the Mahdi is not universally accepted in Islam and among those that do accept the concept, there are basic differences among different sects of Muslims about the timing and nature of his advent and guidance. The Shia believe he has already been here, and will return from hiding The Sunnis believe he has yet to emerge.

Mosque - Muslim house of worship

Muhaddith or muhaddithin (pl) - one who intimately knows and narrates hadiths, the chains of their narration and the original and famous narrators.

Mujahid, mujahedeen (pl), mujahideen (pl), mujahidin (pl) or mujaheddin (pl) – literally, one who struggles, and comes from the same Arabic root as jihad. Documented since 1958 in English, the word has meant, "one who fights in a jihad.” In modern usage, it has become a synonym for "Muslim guerilla insurgent.” Even in Arabic, the term has taken on meanings that are “specifically religious, or specifically military or paramilitary, or both.”

In the late 20th and early 21st century, the term mujahideen became the term for various armed fighters who “subscribe to militant Islamic ideologies and identify themselves as mujahideen, although there is not always an explicit ‘holy’ or ‘warrior’ meaning of the word.” The best-known mujahideen are various loosely aligned Afghan opposition groups. However, in addition to Afghanistan, mujahideen have fought, and fight, in Thailand, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iran, Iraq, Kashmir, the Philippines, Myanmar (Burma) and Somalia.

Mujahid, mujahedeen (pl), mujahideen (pl), mujahidin (pl) or mujaheddin (pl) – literally, one who struggles, and comes from the same Arabic root as jihad. Documented since 1958 in English, the word has meant, "one who fights in a jihad.” In modern usage, it has become a synonym for "Muslim guerilla insurgent.” Even in Arabic, the term has taken on meanings that are “specifically religious, or specifically military or paramilitary, or both.”

In the late 20th and early 21st century, the term mujahideen became the term for various armed fighters who “subscribe to militant Islamic ideologies and identify themselves as mujahideen, although there is not always an explicit ‘holy’ or ‘warrior’ meaning of the word.” The best-known mujahideen are various loosely aligned Afghan opposition groups. However, in addition to Afghanistan, mujahideen have fought, and fight, in Thailand, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iran, Iraq, Kashmir, the Philippines, Myanmar (Burma) and Somalia.

naskh or al-naskh wa al-mansukh or (the abrogating and the abrogated). This is an important concept, which is often confusing to non-Muslims. The Qur’an itself presents the principle of abrogation, which instructs that “verses revealed later in Muhammad's career can cancel and replace earlier ones they may contradict.” Therefore, “passages revealed later in Muhammad's career, in Medina, overrule passages revealed earlier, in Mecca.”

qital, qatala - Warfare

Qur’an, Koran, Quran or Alcoran is Islam’s holy book and is their central religious text. According to Islamic teaching, the Qur’an came down as a series of revelations from Allah through the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. As he was illiterate, Muhammad dictated his revelations to his followers, who memorized what he said. Later, they wrote what he said down on whatever they could find. After Muhammad’s death, these fragments were complied into book form. The Qur’an is about the size of the Christian New Testament and is comprised of 114 suras.

“Orthodox Islam does not accept that a rendering of the Quran into another language is a "translation" in the way that, say, the King James Bible is a translation of the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. A point often made by Islamic apologists to defang criticism is that only Arabic readers may understand the Quran. But Arabic is a language like any other and fully capable of translation. Indeed, most Muslims are not Arabic readers.” (Islam 101)

Muslims say, that unlike the Bible, the Qur’an is uncorrupted, that they have had the exact same Qur’an all over the world, and it is Muhammad’s unedited and exact words. However, Osman (the 3^rd Caliph) burned 26 Qur’ans, including Muhammad’s. So, it appears there were different versions of the Qur’an. Osman then ordered 4 people to write a new one, which is called Osman’s Qur’an and is kept in a museum in Istanbul. It is not punctuated, which makes it different than the ones the Muslims now read, since one cannot read Arabic without punctuation.

Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is the month in which it is believed the Qur’an began to be revealed. During this time Muslims fast and pray and read the Qur’an. They are to read the whole Qur’an again during this period.

Salafism is a generic term, depicting a Sunni school of thought that takes the devout ancestors (Salaf) of the patristic period of early Islam as exemplary models. Salafis view the first three generations of Muslims, who are Muhammad's companions, and the two succeeding generations after them as examples of how Islam should be practiced.

Sira - Biographies of Muhammad

Shi’a or Shiites (pl) [Muslims] believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, are the legitimate successors of Muhammad. In 931 AD,  the Twelfth Imam disappeared. It was not "until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978" did they believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

Shar’ia or sharia  is Islamic religious law in which both the private and public life are regulated. There is no separation between the political and religious. It also includes politics, finance, business, family, social issues and private issues such as marriage, sexuality and even hygiene. It encompasses all aspects of Muslims’ lives. “While it is in theory possible for an Islamic society to have different outward forms - an elective system of government, a hereditary monarchy, etc. - whatever the outward structure of the government, Sharia is the prescribed content. It is this fact that puts Sharia into conflict with forms of government based on anything other than the Quran and the Sunnah.”

Sunnah - Details about the Prophet Muhammad: how he lived, what he did, his non-Quranic utterances and his personal habits. They are considered to be indispensable knowledge for any faithful Muslim. The Sunnah is as binding upon a Muslim as is the Qur’an.”… the relation between the Qur’an and Sunnah is that of the soul and the body. In other words, the soul or the spirit of the Qur’an is given, in the Sunnah of the Prophet …Both go together to complete the … edifice of Islam. Take away any one of them, and the whole structure falls apart.” (Difference Between Hadith and Sunnah)  

Sunni –[Muslims] believe that the first four caliphs--Muhammad's successors--rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War.

Surah or sura - A sura may be likened to a chapter.

Taqiyya or taqiyyah - religiously sanctioned doctrine of deception. This is a critical concept to understand when attempting to understand Muslims and what they say. Taqiyya is religiously sanctioned “deliberate dissimulation” about religious matters which may be used to protect Islam and it’s believers. An example would be a Muslim stating  “there is freedom of conscience in Islam, and then quoting that Quranic verse -- “There shall be no compulsion in religion.” But the impression given will be false, for there has been no mention of the Muslim doctrine of abrogation, or naskh, whereby such an early verse as that about “no compulsion in religion” has been cancelled out by later…verses.”

Therefore, when a Muslim states they are tolerant of persons with other religious beliefs, for example, they tend to ignore the Quranic edicts to either bring them under submission or kill them.

The Five Pillars of Islam are the most basic tenets of the religion.

1. Faith in the oneness of Allah and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (indicated by the declaration [the Shahadah] that, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah").

2. Keeping of the five scheduled daily prayers

3. Almsgiving

4. Fasting

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.

The five pillars don’t really explain much about Islam, or what a Muslim is supposed to believe or how he should act. The second through fifth pillars are shared by many religions. The finality of the prophethood of Muhammad, however, is unique to Islam. One cannot understand Islam and what it means to be a Muslim, without understanding Muhammad and the revelations given through him by Allah, which make up the Qur’an. (thanks to Islam 101)

Ulema or Ulama (pl) -  Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law.

Ummah - Muslim communities