Arabic terms in the khutbah – a short glossary
Some words come up in almost every khutbah. Knowing them, you understand far more, even without speaking Arabic fluently. Here are the most important ones, briefly explained.
Last updated: October 19, 2026 · 6 min read
How to read this glossary
For each term you find its Arabic spelling, the English rendering you often read in translations, and a short explanation. Some words cannot be fully rendered by any single English word. That is why they often stay in Arabic, with an explanation.
Faith and tawhid
Iman إيمان
Faith. This is how the Prophet ﷺ explained it when Jibril asked him about it:
أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره
“That you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and that you believe in the divine decree, its good and its bad.”
Muslim 8
According to the scholars of the Sunnah, iman includes conviction in the heart, the word of the tongue and deeds. It increases through obedience and decreases through sins.
Tawhid توحيد
The oneness of Allah. Affirming Allah as the One: the only Creator, Lord and Provider, the only one who deserves worship, and one in His names and attributes as they are in the Qur’an and Sunnah, without likening them to creation. Tawhid is the core of the message of all the prophets.
قل هو الله أحد
“Say: He is Allah, One.”
Qur’an 112:1
Shirk شرك
Associating partners with Allah. Above all, directing an act of worship to other than Him, such as a supplication, a sacrifice or a vow. Shirk is the opposite of tawhid and the gravest sin. Whoever repents from it, Allah forgives; the verse speaks of the one who dies upon it:
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء
“Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him. Anything less than that He forgives whom He wills.”
Qur’an 4:48
Ihsan إحسان
Excellence (ihsan). The highest level of the religion, as the Prophet ﷺ described it in the same hadith:
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك
“That you worship Allah as though you see Him. And if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.”
al-Bukhari 50, Muslim 8
Ihsan also means treating people well and doing good things well.
Taqwa تقوى
Mindfulness of Allah. Protecting yourself from Allah’s anger and punishment by doing what He commanded and leaving what He forbade. Almost every khutbah calls to it, often with this verse:
يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He deserves to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.”
Qur’an 3:102
Sources and knowledge
Sunnah سنة
Sunnah. The way of the Prophet ﷺ: his words, his deeds and what he approved of. The Sunnah explains the Qur’an and, with it, is the source of the religion. In fiqh, sunnah also means “recommended”: rewarded, but not obligatory. Note: without vowel marks, سنة (sanah), “year”, looks exactly the same.
وما آتاكم الرسول فخذوه وما نهاكم عنه فانتهوا
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.”
Qur’an 59:7
Dalil دليل
Evidence. Evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah, or the consensus of the scholars, for a statement or a ruling. In a dars you often hear the question: “What is the evidence?” The scholars ask it of every ruling.
Bid’ah بدعة
Bid’ah (innovation). An innovation in the religion: a form of worship or a belief for which there is no evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah. New things of daily life, such as cars or phones, are not meant. Many khutbahs say this sentence of the Prophet ﷺ in their opening:
وكل بدعة ضلالة
“And every innovation is misguidance.”
Muslim 867
Ulama علماء and talib al-ilm طالب العلم
Scholars and students of knowledge. These words come up above all in a dars. An alim is a scholar, the ulama are the scholars. A talib al-ilm, a student of knowledge, learns the knowledge of the religion step by step from scholars.
The heart and daily life
Tawakkul توكل
Reliance on Allah. Relying on Allah with the heart while using the permitted means. Tawakkul does not mean sitting back and doing nothing.
ومن يتوكل على الله فهو حسبه
“And whoever relies on Allah, He is sufficient for him.”
Qur’an 65:3
Sabr صبر
Patience, steadfastness. The scholars name three kinds: patience in obeying Allah, patience in staying away from sins, and patience with the hardship Allah has decreed.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا استعينوا بالصبر والصلاة إن الله مع الصابرين
“O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Allah is with the patient.”
Qur’an 2:153
Shukr شكر
Gratitude. Thanking Allah with the heart, the tongue and deeds: recognising His blessings as His, praising Him for them and using them as He is pleased with.
لئن شكرتم لأزيدنكم
“If you are grateful, I will surely give you more.”
Qur’an 14:7
Dhikr ذكر
Remembrance of Allah. Remembering Allah with the heart and the tongue, for example with subhanallah, alhamdulillah, la ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar, and reading the Qur’an. In the verse about the Friday prayer (62:9), the scholars explain “the remembrance of Allah” as the khutbah and the prayer.
ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب
“Truly, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest.”
Qur’an 13:28
Du’a دعاء
Supplication. Asking Allah for something, at any time. Supplication is itself worship and is therefore due to Allah alone:
الدعاء هو العبادة
“Supplication is worship.”
Abu Dawud 1479, graded sahih by al-Albani
Tawbah توبة
Repentance. Turning back to Allah: leaving the sin, regretting it and firmly intending not to return to it. If you wronged someone, it includes giving him back his right.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا توبوا إلى الله توبة نصوحا
“O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance.”
Qur’an 66:8
This world, the hereafter and the community
Dunya دنيا
This worldly life. Life on earth, with wealth, work and family. The khutbah often reminds you that it is short and a test.
Akhirah آخرة
The hereafter. Life after death: resurrection, reckoning, Paradise and Hell. You often hear both words together:
بل تؤثرون الحياة الدنيا والآخرة خير وأبقى
“But you prefer the worldly life, while the hereafter is better and more lasting.”
Qur’an 87:16–17
Jannah جنة
Paradise. The garden Allah has prepared for the believers. The word literally means “garden”.
وسارعوا إلى مغفرة من ربكم وجنة عرضها السماوات والأرض أعدت للمتقين
“And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and to a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those mindful of Allah.”
Qur’an 3:133
Ummah أمة
Community. The community of Muslims all over the world. When the imam makes du’a for the ummah, he means all Muslims.
إن هذه أمتكم أمة واحدة وأنا ربكم فاعبدون
“This community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.”
Qur’an 21:92
Questions
Why do some terms stay in Arabic?
Because no single English word captures them fully. Taqwa is more than fear, bid’ah more than any innovation. That is why they often appear in Arabic, with an explanation in brackets.
What is the best way to learn these terms?
Take a few each week and listen out for them in the next khutbah. Once you have heard a word consciously, you will recognise it again.
What does “amma ba’d” mean?
Roughly “and now”. With these words the imam ends the opening and comes to the main part. More in How a khutbah is structured.
Is the Sunnah obligatory or voluntary?
That depends on the meaning. As a source of the religion, the Sunnah is binding like the Qur’an. In fiqh, however, “sunnah” names a recommended act that is rewarded but not obligatory.
The verses of the Qur’an and the hadith are rendered here by meaning.
For questions about rulings, ask a scholar.