K is for Kalimah at-Tawhīd

Ka‘ba
The House of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā in Makka in the direction of which Muslims face when praying and circumambulate when in Makka. It was built by Sayyidinā Nabī Ibrāhīm ‘Alayhissalām for the worship of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

Ka‘batu’l Ka‘ba
The Ka‘ba of the Ka‘ba, an attributive title of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, used by Imām Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullāhi ‘alayh in his religious poetry.
It is narrated that once, Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam commanded Sayyidinā Bilāl Rady Allāh ‘Anhu to climb on top of the Ka‘ba to give the adhān. When he was on top of the Ka‘ba, Sayyidinā Bilāl Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu asked him in which direction he should face to give the adhān. So far, he had given the adhān facing the direction of the Ka‘ba but now that he was on the Ka‘ba itself, he did not know which direction to face. Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam said, “Face me and give the adhān”. Hence, the Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam is the Ka‘ba of the Ka‘ba!. Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is Supremely Great!)

al-kabāir
the major sins. Some of the major sins are: polytheism, disobedience of parents, killing a person without just cause, taking a false oath, wrongfully consuming an orphan’s property, drinking, adultery and fornication, sodomy and lesbianism, misappropriating public funds, theft, cursing, severing ties of kinship, tale-bearing which stirs up enmity between people, gambling, hurting Muslims, and spying on the Muslims to reveal their weaknesses. May Allāh save us from all these sins, Āmīn

kadhdhāb
liar, specifically refers to a false Prophet, anyone who claims to be a Prophet after Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam (syn: kādhib)

kafan
shroud for burial for which a white, unstitched cloth is used

kāffah
whole, entire. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā says in the Holy Qur’ān that He sent Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam to guide the whole of mankind, one and all

kaffāra
expiatory payment for non-fulfilment of a religious duty such as deliberately breaking a fast before completion, or for breaking an oath or a promise. For example, the kaffāra for breaking a fast without a valid reason is to make up for it after Ramadān by fasting for sixty consecutive days, or to feed sixty poor people two proper meals, or to feed one poor person two proper meals for sixty days, or to give them an equivalent amount of money (pl: kaffārāt)

kāfir
unbeliever, one who does not believe in the religion of Islām. Muslims should never address a non-Muslim as a kāfir or call him a kāfir because, who knows, Allāh might one day open his heart to Islām. Instead, Muslims should pray that may Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā guide all the non-Muslims to Islām so that they might also get a chance to taste its sweetness (pl: kāfirūn, kuffār)

kāfūr
camphor. If camphor is available, it is Sunnah (a Prophetic tradition) to apply it lightly to the body of a dead Muslim after he/she has been given the ritual bath (ghusl). Then the deceased is shrouded and funeral prayers are offered before burial

kāhin
soothsayer, fortune-teller (not to be consulted)

al-kāināt
the world, the universe

kalām
speech;
it also means theology, or the study of religious beliefs

Kalāmullāh
the Words of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā, refers to the Holy Qur’ān

kalimah
word, a declaration (pl: kalimāt)

Kalimah at-Tawhīd
the Word of monotheism, or the Declaration of faith in Islamic monotheism, declaring belief in the Oneness of Allāh, the One and Only God who is worthy of worship, and accepting Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam as His Messenger.
Kalimah at-Tawhīd is: Lā ilāha Illallāh Muhammad-u’r-Rasūlullāh:
None is worthy of worship except Allāh,
Muhammad is the Prophetic Messenger of Allāh.
Anyone who believes in this and declares it, is a Muslim. Any non-believer who believes in this and declares it becomes a Muslim and all his or her past sins are forgiven.
Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam has said that this is the best dhikr (remembrance) and will weigh more heavily on the weighing scales of good deeds on the Day of Judgment than everything else put together. That is why we try to recite it at least a hundred times everyday and hope and pray that we recite it at the time of our death, Āmīn (syn: Kalimah ash-Shahādah: The Muslim Testimony of Faith; Miftāh u’l Jannah: The Key to Paradise)

Kalimatullāh
The Word of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā. We should work righteousness not for the name or fame of ourselves, or of our organization, or of our tribe or nation but so that the Exalted Word of Allāh is praised and raised high above all else

kalimatun tayyibatun
a good word (always bears fruit)

Kalīmullāh
The one who talked with Allāh, a title of Sayyidinā Nabī Mūsā ‘alayhissalām

kamāl
perfection, completion.
Allāh is Dhu’l Kamāl, the Possessor of all Perfection. Allāh is also the Creator of perfection in form and substance, and the Bestower of such perfection to whomever He pleases. Allāh’s attribute of Perfection is never compared to human excellence and perfection in certain endeavours. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā is Transcendent and beyond comparison. We know that we ourselves are very weak but we also know that the Awliyā’ Allāh (Friends of Allāh) have achieved perfection in obeying Allāh and His Prophet, and in acquiring beautiful moral character in accordance with the perfection that Allāh has bestowed upon them

Kamāl u’d-Dīn
the perfection of religion, the name or title of a Muslim

kamāl al-ikhlās
the perfection of sincerity. Muslims should pray to Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā for complete sincerity

kamāl al-īmān
the perfection of faith. May Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā perfect our faith, Āmīn

kamāl al-istiqāmah
being perfectly steadfast on the religion of Islām

kamāl al-khashiyah
the perfection of the reverential awe of Allāh in one’s heart

kamāl al-ittibā‘
total and complete obedience to the Commandments of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā as taught by Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

kamāl as-sidq
total and complete truthfulness

kamāl al-wara‘
perfect scrupulousness, perfect piousness

kāmil
perfect, complete (f: kāmilah);
also the name of a poetical meter

kāna
was, existed, happened;
it also means “to be”, to exist, to happen (f: kānat)

kanz
treasure

karam
generosity, nobility

karāma
noble-hearted, generous;
miracle, charismatic gift, charismatic power, an honour. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā honours His Friends (the awliyā’ Allāh) by making them transcend the ordinary laws of physical existence (pl: karāmāt). Miracles performed by the awliyā’ Allāh are called karāmāt while miracles performed by the anbiyā’ (Prophets) ‘Alayhimussalām are called mu‘jizāt

Karram Allāhu wajhahu
“May Allāh ennoble his face”, said when Sayyidinā ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu, is mentioned

kasal
laziness (we seek Allāh’s protection from it)

kasb
earn, gain, acquire. For example, to earn reward for good deeds or punishment for bad deeds in the Hereafter. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā creates everything including all actions but man acquires them

kashf
illumination, unveiling, unveiling of spiritual mysteries. It also means sure and certain knowledge which is in need of no proof. It is the direct perception of the real nature of things and is of many different grades

Kāshif al-ghamm
the Remover of grief, an attribute of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

kataba
to write

Kataballāh
Ordained, Prescribed by Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

kathīr
many, much. Muslims have been urged in the Holy Qur’ān to do the dhikr (remembrance) of Allāh in abundance. Muslims have also been urged by Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam to invoke blessings on him in abundance

kātib
scribe, writer (pl: kātibūn, kātibīn)

kātibūn al-wahyi
the Companions of the beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam who wrote the revelation of verses of the Holy Qur’ān as and when they were revealed

kawkab
star (pl: kawākib)

al-kawn
the world

kawnayn
two worlds, this world and the Hereafter

al-Kawthar
the name of a river in Paradise;
Fount of Abundance of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam;
the name of Sūrah 108 of the Holy Qur’ān

Kāzim
the restrainer (of anger)

Kāzim al-ghayz
the restrainer of rage (pl: kāzimīn al-ghayz)

khabā’ith
foul, impure (things), abomination; the bad, wrong and evil

khabar
news, information (pl: akhbār)

Khadīja
name of Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhā. She was the first person to accept Islām and is one of the four greatest women in the whole of human history

Khādim
servant (pl: khuddām)

Khādim u’n Nabī
a servant of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Each of his Companions considered himself to be his servant. Muslims yearn to enter Paradise so that they can get a chance to sit at his feet to serve him (pl: khuddām u’n Nabī)

Khādim u’l Haramayn
a servant of the Sacred Masjid in Makka and the Prophet’s Masjid in Madīna. The plural is Khuddām u’l Haramayn. These are the noble personalities who work in these two sacred precincts to keep them speck clean day and night. There are other blessed nobles who help the sick and the elderly to do tawāf (circumambulation of the Ka‘ba). May Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā keep them in good health and reward them from His unlimited treasuries, Āmīn

khādim u’l qawm
the servant of the community. Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam said that the leader of the community is supposed to be its servant

khafī
hidden. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā knows all the hidden thoughts in everyone’s mind. Dhikr khafī is the silent remembrance of Allāh that is hidden in one’s heart

khāl
maternal uncle (pl: akhwāl)

khāla
maternal aunt (pl: khālāt)

Khalīfa
vice-gerent, successor, ruler, deputy, representative.
When Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā wanted to create Nabī Ādam ‘Alayhissalām, He told the angels that He was going to establish a Khalīfa on earth. Nabī Ādam ‘Alayhissalām was the first Prophet and all the Prophets that Allāh sent are Khalīfatullāh (representatives of Allāh) who have taught humanity to worship the One and Only God Allāh, and to establish His rule and justice on earth. Sayyidunā wa Nabiyyunā Muhammad al-Mustafā Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam is the Final Prophet, there is no Prophet after him. But we still have the Awliyā’ Allāh (Friends of Allāh, sūfī saints) who are the Khalīfatullāh on earth who will raise the Word of Allāh high above all else.
After Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, came his Khulafā’ (plural of Khalīfa). They were both Khalīfatullāh (representatives of Allāh) as well as Khalīfatu’r Rasūl (the representatives or successors of the Prophet Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam). The first four of them are generally identified as the Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidūn, the rightly-guided successors. These are: Sayyidinā Abū Bakr as-Siddīq, Sayyidinā ‘Umar al-Fārūq, Sayyidinā ‘Uthmān Dhu’n Nūrayn and Sayyidinā ‘Alī al-Murtadā, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhum. Theirs was the glorious period of the Muslim Khilāfat in which Muslims ruled as Khalīfa and Islām spread to all four corners of the world.
In his final illness, when Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam could not lead the prayers, he insisted that Sayyidinā Abū Bakr as-Siddīq Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu lead the prayers which he did. This is a sign that Sayyidinā Abū Bakr as-Siddīq Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu, his friend who was “thāniyathnayn” (the second of the two in the cave with him) was to be his successor and Muslim leader after him.
The Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidūn in their time followed the Qur’ān (the Word of Allāh) and the Sunnah (tradition) of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, and consulted various knowledgeable Companions (sahāba) in arriving at a decision about both religious and mundane matters. They also sent various sahāba as their representatives (Khulafā’) to various countries to teach Islām.
After the Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidūn, the Muslim Khulafā’ (rulers) traditionally sought advice and guidance on religious matters and sharī‘a (sacred Muslim law) from the ‘ulamā (learned scholars), the mashāyikh (spiritual masters), and the awliyā’ Allāh (Friends of Allāh, sūfī saints). The rules established by the Khalīfa (Muslim ruler) govern the running of the country while the daily lives of the people are governed by the teaching and the guidance of the shaykh (spiritual master) based on the Qur’ān and the Sunnah.
The walī Allāh (friend of Allāh) is also a Khalīfatullāh (representative of Allāh). Through his exemplary life-style, he draws people to Islām and transforms their lives so that they become noble, generous and pious Muslims. The sūfī saints have grades with Allāh. Among them are the Qutb (Pillar of Spiritual Guidance), the Awtād (Pegs), the Abdāl (Substitutes), the Nuqabā’ (Chiefs) and the Nujabā’(Nobles). They are identified among people and the malāika (angels) by various other titles. For example, Muhyiddīn Shaykh ‘Abdul Qādir al-Jīlānī is ghawth al-a‘zam (the greatest spiritual helper), Imām al-Ghazālī is hujjat u’l Islām (the Proof of Islām), al-Habīb al-Imām ‘Umar bin ‘AbdurRahmān al-‘Attās is qutb u’l anfās (the pillar of pure breaths), al-Habīb al-Imām ‘Abdallāh bin ‘Alawī al-Haddād is qutb u’l irshād (the pillar of religious guidance), and Sayyidī wa Murshidī wa Imāmī al-Habīb al-Imām Ahmad Mashhūr bin Tāhā al-Haddād is sultān u’l muqarrabīn (the sultan of those drawn near to Allāh), may Allāh make us benefit from their learning, Āmīn.
The shaykh in turn may appoint one khalīfa (deputy, representative) or many khulafā’ and give them ijāza (permission) to teach and spread the religion of Islām. They thus become the Khalīfatu’s shaykh. If, by the Grace of Allāh, they acquire ikhlās u’n niyyah (purity of intention) without any self-interest, sidq (sincere truthfulness), istiqāmah (steadfastness in Islām), and mahabba (love), then, Allāh in His unbounded generosity might appoint them as His Khalīfa (Khalīfatullāh) as well.
The Khilāfat (rule) of the awliyā’ Allāh is on the hearts of the people, and it is based on love and will continue till the Day of Judgment by the Will of Allāh. They are promoters of piety so that people can achieve success in this life as well as in the Hereafter.
Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā appoints the Khalīfatullāh from the four corners of the earth and from all nations and tribes. He appoints them from the Ahl al-Bayt (the Family of the Prophet) and their dhurriyya (descendants), as well as those who are not from the Ahl al-Bayt. But our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam loves all of them as his own family.

Sallū ‘ala’l Habīb i’l A‘zam
Allāhumma Salli wa Sallim ‘alayh

Invoke blessings on the Most Beloved Prophet Muhammad!
May the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him!

Khalīl
Friend (pl: akhillā’)

Khalīlullāh
Friend of Allāh, a title of Prophet Ibrāhīm, ‘Alayhissalām

Khālis
Pure, one who works purely for the sake of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā (f: Khālisah)

khalq
Allāh's creation

khalwa
seclusion (for worship of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā, and spiritual progress)

khamr
wine or any other alcoholic beverage or material. This is harām (prohibited) in Islām

al-Khandaq
the trench. When the non-believers of Makka planned to attack Madīna in 5 A.H/627 C.E, Hadrat Salmān al-Fārisī Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu suggested that a trench should be dug to ward off their attack. This was done. The non-believers laid an unsuccessful siege and then retreated. This came to be called ghazwa al-Khandaq (the battle of Khandaq).
The Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam himself helped in digging the trench and while it was being dug, he prophesied that Islām would spread to all the four corners of the world which it did in a very few years

khannās
the slinking one, the sneaking one, the lurking one who whispers evil thoughts in the minds of the people (refers to the devil, as well as those persons who suggest evil to others)

khāshi‘
humble (pl: khāshi‘ūn; f: khāshi‘a; f, pl: khāshi‘āt)

khashiya
reverential awe of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā in worshipping and obeying Him

khāss
special, the spiritual elite

khāss al-khāss
extra-special

khatā’
mistake, sin (pl: khatāyā)

khatī’a
mistake, sin (pl: khatīāt)

khātam
seal-ring, seal. Prophet Muhammad’s silver seal-ring bore the inscription: Muhammad-ur- Rasūlullāh (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh) (syn: khātim)

Khātam u’n Nabiyyīn
The Seal of the Prophets, the Final Prophet, a title of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. He is the Final Prophet who brought the Final Message from Allāh in the form of the Holy Qur’ān for the whole of mankind till the end of time. There is no Prophet after him. Anyone who does not accept him as the Final Prophet is not considered to be a Muslim

khatīb
one who gives the khutba (sermon)

khātir
involuntary thought, notion (pl: khawātir)

khātir al-hawā
notion prompted by passion

khātir al-malak
angelic notion (syn: khātir malakī)

khātir an-nafs
selfish notion (syn: khātir nafsānī)

khātir al-qalb
notion from the heart

khātir Rabbānī
notion from Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

khātir shaytānī
satanic notion

khatma
recitation of the whole Qur’ān, especially in memory of a deceased person at the end of which there is a supplication to Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā to give its heavenly reward to the deceased and to forgive him or her and all the Muslims

khatt
writing, script

Khawārij
those who rebelled against the Khalīfa, an ancient deviant sect which believed that committing major sins turns a Muslim into a non-believer (s: Khārijī)

khawf
fear;
Allāh says in the Holy Qur’ān that His Friends (the awliyā’ Allāh) neither have any fear nor do they grieve. A Muslim does not fear anyone or anything except Allāh. A Muslim’s faith lies between khawf (fear of Allāh’s punishment in the Hereafter for sins committed) and rajā’ (hope that Allāh will be merciful)

khayāl
imagination

Khaybar
a settlement north of Madīna famous for the Battle of Khaybar which took place in 7 A.H/629 C.E. The Jews of Khaybar were for a long time behaving treacherously against the Muslims, so the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam laid siege to Khaybar and captured it

khayl
horse (syn: faras)

khayma
tent. The Muslim Pilgrims stay in tents in Mina and ‘Arafa (pl: khiyām)

khayr
good, better, best (pl: akhyār)

Khayr u’l khalq
The best creation of Allāh, an attributive title of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

Khayr u’l qurūn
the best generations which are the first three generations of Muslims from the time of the beloved Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The best generation is the generation of the Prophet, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, the second best is the one that followed and the third best is the one that followed that

Khayr u’d dīn
the goodness of religion, the name or title of a Muslim

al-khayrāt
good deeds

khazā’in
treasures, treasuries (of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā) (s: khazīna)

khāzin
treasurer, storekeeper, guard. The treasurer has to be scrupulously honest (pl: khazana)

khidma
service; to serve others, for example, to serve one’s parents, one’s shaykh, the elders, the sick and the wounded, and the Muslim community in general. This is considered to be better than to pray nawāfil (additional optional) salāh

al-Khidr ‘Alayhissalām
many mashāyikh (spiritual masters) have explained that al-Khidr ‘Alayhissalām is the saint whom Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā referred to in the Qur’ān as one of His servants and on whom He bestowed direct knowledge from Himself (18:65). He accompanied Prophet Mūsā, ‘Alayhissalām. He also received and drank the water of life. He symbolizes a guiding spirit which is present and active in every age (also referred to as Khadir ‘Alayhissalām)

khimār
a veil which covers the head, the neck, the ears, and the chest but not the face. Muslim women maintain chastity and dress decently so that the shape of their body does not show, and they cover themselves properly except for the hands and the face

khirqa
sūfī robe, robe which is put on the murīd (spiritual disciple) by his shaykh (spiritual master)

al-khisālu’l jamīla
beautiful habits

al-khisālu dh-dhamīma
blameworthy habits

khitān
circumcision. Muslim boys are to be circumcised, according to the consensus of all the four schools of Muslim law (also called khatn)

khiyāna
perfidy, breach of trust, betrayal, deception, not to return the things kept in one’s trust in the same amounts or in the same condition

khubth
moral degradation, wickedness

khubz
bread

khuff
leather socks

khulla
friendship

khuluq
character trait (pl: akhlāq)

khuluq-un ‘azīm
exalted standard of character (of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam)

khuluq-un hasan
good moral behaviour, good character

khulūs
purity, sincerity

khulūs u’n niyya
sincerity of intention

khums
one fifth of war booty given to the public treasury

khushū‘
submissiveness and humility (in prayer) (syn: khudū‘)

khusr
loss (from following evil) (syn: khasāra)

khusūf (al-qamar)
lunar eclipse;
kusūf (ash-shams): solar eclipse

khutba
sermon; public address, especially in the masjid on Friday

khutbatayn
two sermons (of the Friday prayers)

khutbat-u’l widā’
the Farewell Sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam in his Farewell Pilgrimage

khutbat-u’n nikāh
the sermon delivered at the marriage ceremony

kibr
greatness, pride, arrogance

al-Kibrīt al-Ahmar
“Red Sulphur”, “the Philosopher’s Stone”, something very rare to come by, refers to an invocation or a supplication to Allāh one loves most dearly

al-Kibriyā’
Allāh’s Grandeur, Greatness, Majesty, Domination

kidhb
lie, falsehood

kīmiyā’
alchemy

Kirāman kātibīn
honoured recorders; the Recording Angels, who record the good and the bad deeds of people, refers to the two angels, one on the right shoulder who records good deeds and the other on the left shoulder who records bad deeds

Kisrā
the king of Persia, Chosroes (Cyrus), Khusraw, title of ancient kings of Persia. Islām is a universal religion and it soon spread to Persia as prophesied by our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

Kiswah
the cloth that covers the Ka‘ba

al-Kitāb
The Book, The Qur’ān

kitāb
book (pl: kutub)

Kubrā
Great, a title of Sayyidatinā Khadīja Rady Allāhu ‘Anhā

kufr
unbelief, to disbelieve in any of the articles of the Islamic faith

kuhl
kohl, antimony. It is Sunnah (a Prophetic tradition) for both men and women to apply kohl to the eyes, especially on Fridays and days of ‘Īd

kull
all, each and every. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā is the Creator of each and everything

Kun
be! The first order of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā which began creation

Kun fa yakūn
“Be”! and it becomes. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā gave the Command “Be”! and everything came into existence

kunya
a respectful and affectionate way of calling people as the “father of so- and so-” or the “mother of so- and so- ”.

al-Kursī
Allāh’s Seat

Al-Fātiha!