Glossary

Established terms used on this site, with the research’s own explanations.

amāna

Property left with you, secrets, public office, one's own body and abilities, and the whole moral responsibility of being human (33:72).

āya (pl. āyāt)

Sign. The Quran's name for things in nature that invite reflection; also a verse of the Quran.

cüz'î irade (partial will)

The human being's real but small power of choice; for Nursi, small but decisive.

fiṭra

The innate disposition; a natural openness to God (30:30).

ḥikma

For Māturīdīs, divine wisdom that reason can partly grasp.

iḥsān

Prescribed in all things (Muslim 1955).

ijtihād

Independent legal reasoning.

kasb

For Ashʿarīs, God creates acts and humans "acquire" them.

khashya

Reverence that comes with knowledge; the response of "those with knowledge" in 35:28.

maqāṣid

The Sharia's purposes, including preventing harm.

qadar

Divine decree. The tradition calls it a mystery (sirr).

takfīr

Declaring other Muslims unbelievers; the Amman Message (2005) forbade it.

tawakkul

Trust in God. "Tie your camel and trust" (Tirmidhī 2517).

taʿabbudī

Acts of pure devotion, not every form of which is explained.

tefekkür (tafakkur)

Reflection.

waswasa (vesvese)

Unwanted, intrusive doubts or inner whispers. When they come in frequent, distressing loops, they may be scrupulosity, a treatable form of OCD (see Q8).