As a Muslim and an Islamic organization we prefer to express our feeling (i.e. happiness and sadness) using Arabic terminologies. These are used verbally or written as exemplified by our Prophet, peace be upon him, by means of his Sunnah. However, due to dialects and mother-languages, there are countless transliteration techniques. Although we acknowledge these transliterations as a blessing from Allah, it will help convey the right messages for the Logan Islamic Center (LIC) to have consistency in our publication. We have developed a transliteration table as a reference for our future publication and communication.
Process
The transliteration process is as follows:
- Find the Arabic word or sentence
- Translate the Arabic word or sentence by following the guideline recommended by Brother Mohammed Adel Hussein (former member of LIC committee, currently working as an Arabic Instructor at the University of Minnesota)
- Find commonly used transliteration in online dictionaries (i.e., the http://www.dictionary.com/ and http://www.thefreedictionary.com/).
We recommend that you use the commonly used transliteration in any written communication.
Transliteration
We group these Arabic expressions into prayer, charity, and general expressions. All are presented in the following format:
| Arabic | How to Write |
|---|---|
| the Arabic word/sentence | transliteration (recommendation; commonly used transliteration)  rough translation |
As we previous stated, we recommend you to use the commonly used transliteration in any written communication.
General
| Arabic | How to Write |
|---|---|
| إسلام | ‘islaam (Islam) Islam is monotheism religion which believes in one God (Allah) and the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh) |
| الله | Allaah (Allah) God |
| القرآن | Al-Qar'aan (Al Qur'an) Koran; Muslim holy scripture |
| محمد | Muhammad (Muhammad) The last prophet in Islam |
| رسول الله | rasulullah (Rasulullah) Apostle of God |
| صحابة | SaHaabah (Sahaba) The companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh) |
| مكة | Makkah (Mecca) The city of Mecca |
| رمضان | Ramadhan (Ramadan) Muslim holy month where we must fast for a month. |
| أمير | Ameer (Amir) The leader of the group. |
| امام | Imaam (Imam) Religious leader. |
| علم | 'ilm (Ilm) Knowledge |
| بدعة | Bid'ah (Bid'ah) Innovation in religious matters; a man-made method to worship. |
Prayer
| Arabic | How to Write |
|---|---|
| مسجد | Masjid (Masjid) Mosque |
| صلاة | Salaat (Salat) Prayer |
| أذان | ‘adhaan (Azan) A call for prayer |
| مؤذن | Mu'adhdhin (Muazzin) The person who makes Azan |
| إقامة | ‘iqaamet (Iqama) A call to start the prayer |
| سجود | Sujood (Sujud) Prostration |
| ركوع | Rukoo' (Ruku') Bowing down in Salat |
| تكبير | Takbeer (Takbir) Glorifying Allah |
| طهارة | Tahaarah (Taharah) The purity of body |
| وضوء | Al-wudhuu' (Wudu) Ablution |
| تيمم | Tayammum (Tayammum) Ablution using sand or dust |
| جمعة | jumu'ah (Jumu'ah) Friday prayer |
| خطيب | KhaTeeb (Khatib) A person who delivers the sermon |
| خطبة | Khutbah (Khutbah) Sermon |
Charity
| Arabic | How to Write |
|---|---|
| صدقة | Sadaqah (Sadaqah) Voluntary charity |
| زكاة | Zakaat (Zakat) Annual obligatory payment for cleansing the wealth |
Expression
| Arabic | How to Write |
|---|---|
| عيد مبارك | 'Eid Mubaarak (Eid Mubarak) Blessed Eid (holiday) |
| عيد الفطر | ‘Eid al-Fitr (Eid Al-Fitr) Feast of breaking the fast after Ramadan |
| عيد الأضحى | ‘id Al-ADHa (Eid Al-Adha) Feast of the Sacrifice |
| السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته ومغفرته | Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (As-Salamu Alaykum) Peace be upon you |
| بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم | bismi-llaahir raHmaani r-raHeem (Bismillah) A basmala; in the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful |
| الحمد لله رب العالمين | Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin (Alhamdulillah) All praise is to Allah, the sustainer of the creation |
| جزاكم الله خيراً | Jazaak Allaahu Khairan (JazakAllah khairan) May Allah rewards you with goodness |
| إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون | Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'oon (Inna Lillahi) Everything belong to Allah and will return to Him |
See a Mistake or Have a Suggestion?
We are open to any constructive feedback in the form of a justifiable suggestion and correction. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
| Data Sources / References |
|---|
| 7.PRED.LIC.X.2016 - Islamic Terminologis Policy |
*) The data sources/references are open for everyone upon request via email.