Arabic–English Islamic Dictionary
50 terms · Quranic vocabulary, fiqh, aqida, tafsir and Islamic concepts explained in English
Each entry includes the original Arabic script, transliteration, root analysis, theological definition, and Quranic or hadith references — designed to serve both English-speaking learners and scholars.
عَدَالَة
Quran ×28Adala (Justice)
'adala
Fiqh · Ethics · Quran
Adala means justice, equity, and giving every person their due right. Allah's name Al-Adl (the Just) derives from this root. The Quran commands: 'Allah commands justice, excellence, and giving to relatives' (16:90). In Islamic jurisprudence, a judge's primary qualification is being 'adil (just). Justice encompasses both vertical justice (toward Allah) and horizontal justice (toward all creation).
عَفْو
Quran ×35Afw (Forgiveness/Pardon)
'afw
Ethics · Quran
Afw means pardon and forgiveness — letting go of resentment and the right to retaliate. Allah's name Al-Afuww (the Pardoner) derives from this root. The Quran asks: 'Let them pardon and overlook — would you not love for Allah to forgive you?' (24:22). The Prophet forgave all enemies at the Conquest of Mecca. Forgiveness is seen as a sign of strength and nobility of character.
الْبِرّ
Quran ×20Birr
birr
Ethics · Quran
Birr is comprehensive righteousness in Islam — an all-encompassing goodness integrating correct belief, worship, charity, and noble character. Quran 2:177 gives its fullest definition: faith in Allah, spending wealth for His sake, establishing prayer, giving zakat, keeping promises, and being patient in hardship. It is the ideal of the complete Muslim.
About This Dictionary
The Islam Agenda Arabic–English Dictionary is a curated reference for English-speaking Muslims, students of Islamic studies, and anyone seeking to understand the theological vocabulary of the Quran and classical Islamic scholarship. Each entry includes the original Arabic script with diacritics, romanized transliteration, root letters (which unlock the word's family of meanings), grammatical category, and a scholarly definition.
Where applicable, entries note how many times the word — or its root — appears in the Quran, providing an immediate sense of the term's centrality in Islamic thought. Contextual sections include Quranic verse references translated according to Sahih International and hadith citations from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
The dictionary is organised into eight disciplines — Fiqh, Aqidah, Tafsir, Hadith, Sufism, Seerah, Worship, and Ethics — reflecting the major branches of Islamic knowledge. Use the filters above to browse by category, or search for a specific term to access its full entry.
What Each Entry Contains
Arabic Script & Root
The word in its original Arabic with vowel marks (tashkeel), its three-letter root, and transliteration into Latin script.
Scholarly Definition
A concise 50–60 word definition optimised for clarity, followed by a detailed explanation drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship.
Quranic & Hadith Context
Key verses from the Quran and prophetic traditions that illustrate how the term is used in its primary sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sources does this dictionary use?
Definitions are drawn from the Quran (Sahih International translation), Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and established works of Islamic jurisprudence and theology. Classical Arabic lexicons such as Lisān al-ʿArab inform root analyses.