Whilst we've tried to provide translations of the most important terms, it is inevitable that when talking about prayer, there are a lot of Arabic terms that are used. This is a glossary of the most common Arabic words used in relation to the prayer:
A
Aameen - A word which is said at the end of reciting Surah al-Fatihah and other supplications, which means 'Accept our supplication'.
Adhaan - The Muslim call to prayer which serves to tell people that the time for prayer has begun.
Asr - The obligatory prayer that takes place in mid-afternoon, refer to preconditions of Salaah for more detail.
Aayah (pl. Aayaat) - A verse of the Holy Qur'an
B
Baaligh - Someone who has reached the age of maturity and become responsible for his/her prayers. Once someone reaches the age of puberty.
Basmalah - Saying the words Bismillaah, meaning: "With the name of Allah, I begin"
D
Dua'a - The Arabic word for supplication.
Du'a al-Qunoot - The supplication recited in the third cycle of prayer of a Witr prayer, after reciting the Qur'an.
Du'a al-Ma'thoorah - The supplication made after praying Salaat al Ibraheemiyyah in Qa'dah Akheerah.
E
Eid - The Arabic word for a day of celebration, of which there are two specified days in the year; one at the end of Ramadan and the second after Hajj.
F
Fajr - the obligatory prayer that takes place at dawn, and before sunrise.
Fard - the Arabic word for something obligatory; with regard to the prayer, it refers to those prayers which are obligatory.
Fard al-'ayn - a individual obligation; something which each person has to do, unlike Fard Kifayah it will not suffice for the community to carry out the task.
Fard Kifayah - a communal obligation; something that if enough people do it from the community, the others are not required to do it, and if not enough people do it, the entire community is sinful.
(al-)Fatihah - the opening chapter of the Qur'an.
G
Ghusl - The Arabic word for major ritual bathing.
H
Hadith - A saying, action or something promoted by the Prophet which has been narrated.
Hajj - the pilgrimage to Makkah which a Muslim is required to perform once in a lifetime, if they are able. It takes place in the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
I
Imam - someone who leads others in prayer.
Iqamah - the second call to prayer which serves to announce the start of the congregational prayer.
Isa'ah - The opposite of a Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah action, an admonishable action.
Ishaa' - the obligatory prayer that takes place in the late evening, when the twilight has disappeared.
Istisqaa' - a special prayer to ask for rain.
Istiqbaal al-Qiblah - To face the Qiblah.
J
Jama'ah - the Arabic word for congregation; with regard to the prayer, it refers to praying in congregation.
Janaazah - the funeral prayer that is prayed over a dead body.
Jumu'ah - the Arabic word for Friday. In relation to the prayer, it refers to the special congregational prayer performed on a Friday, instead of the Dhuhr prayer.
Junoob - A person who is in a state of impurity so severe that it is necessary for him to bathe to remove the impurity.
K
Ka’bah - The cubic structure at the centre of al-Masjid al-Haraam; it serves as the direction that the Muslims face in prayer (see Qiblah below).
Khilaal - The passing of fingers between fingers/toes to clean them.
Khutbah - the Arabic word for a sermon; normally referring to the sermon delivered as part of the Friday congregational prayer.
M
Maghrib - the obligatory prayer that takes place immediately after sunset.
Makrooh al-Tahreem - a strongly prohibited action.
Makrooh al-Tanzih - a disliked action.
Mandoob/Mustahab - an action that is considered to be desirable.
Masah - To wipe over a part of the body with the remnant water on the hands from the previous action.
Miswaak (Siwaak) - Is the Arabic word for the tooth-cleaning twig from the Arak tree. A fond Sunnah of the Prophet.
Muezzin - The individual who gives the Adhaan to signal the start time of a prayer.
N
Naafilah/Nafl - the Arabic word for a voluntary prayer; commonly used for a voluntary prayer that is not one of the regular voluntary prayers.
Nawaaqid - Invalidators of prayer.
Niyyah - the Arabic word for intention, referring to an awareness of the action in the heart, which precedes the action itself.
Q
Qiblah - the direction which a person faces in prayer, see Ka'bah above.
Qur'an - the Muslim holy book; a direct revelation of the words of God.
R
Rak'ah - a unit of prayer, of which there are at least two in every prayer; it represents an entire set of movements, from standing, to bowing, rising up from bowing, prostrating, sitting up from prostration, and prostrating again.
Ramadaan - the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, in which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.
Rukn - A integral of Salaah which is Fard to be performed for prayer to be considered valid.
Rukoo' - the bowing position which a person adopts during prayer, after the Qiyaam.
S
Salaat al-Ibraheemiyyah (Durood al-Ibraheem) - The salutations prayed while one is sat in Qa'dah.
Salaah - the Arabic word for the prayer.
Satr al-Awrah - The area of the body which is compulsory to cover at all times.
Shart - A condition for the prayer to be valid or even start. A precondition.
Shaytaan - the Arabic word for a devil; satan.
Sajdah (pl.Sujood) - the position of prostration in the prayer.
Sujood al-Sahw - two extra prostrations performed at the end of the prayer, because of a mistake during the prayer, or a doubt as to whether a mistake was made.
Sunnah (pl.Sunan) - sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Prophet.
Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah - a voluntary action which is considered to be recommended to be performed.
Sunnah Mu'akkadah - a voluntary action which is highly encouraged.
Surah - a chapter of the Qur'an, of which there are 114.
Sutrah - a screen, barrier, wall, or object placed in front of the person who is praying, to stop others passing in front of them.
Shafa'ah - Intercession of the Prophet on the day of reckoning.
T
Tahaarah - The Arabic word for cleanliness.
Tahajjud - the voluntary prayer that a person prays at night, sometime between the 'Ishā' prayer and the Fajr prayer.
Tajweed - the science of reciting the Qur'an, summarised as learning to give each letter its due pronunciation and length during recital.
Takbeer - saying the words Allaahu Akbar whether inside or outside of the prayer.
Takbeerah al-Tahreem - the first time that the praying person says takbeer, in order to begin the prayer, see above.
Taraaweeh - a special form of the night prayer (see tahajjud above) which is prayed in congregation during the month of Ramaḍān.
Tashahhud - a particular supplication, bearing witness to the oneness of Allah, which is said in a special sitting position during the prayer.
Tasleem - saying the words Assalaamu 'Alaykum Waraḥmatullaah; in the context of prayer, this refers to saying these words while looking over the right and left shoulder, in order to end the prayer.
Tasmiyyah - The name give to say the words Bism'Illahir Rahmani Raheem.
Tawarruk - a special form of sitting that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would adopt in the final tashahhud (see above) of a prayer that was longer than two units in length.
Thawaab - the reward attained for intending to or performing a good deed or preventing one.
W
Waajib - the Arabic word for those actions which are necessary to be performed.
Waajib al-I’aadah - The Arabic phrase which means it is necessary to repeat the prayer.
Waqt - The Arabic word for time.
Witr - the Arabic word for odd-numbered; It refers to an odd-numbered prayer which is the last prayer ('Ishaa) of the day.
Wudoo' - a particular kind of ritual washing which a Muslim must perform in preparation for prayer and certain other acts of worship.
Z
Zuhr - The obligatory prayer that takes place just after the sun has passed its zenith.