Z is for Zakāt

Zabūr
The Divine Book revealed to Prophet Dāwūd, ‘Alayhissalām (sometimes referred to as the Psalms of David). Also refers to all the Divine Books revealed by Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā, including the Holy Qur‘ān

Zafar
victory, triumph. The truth of Islām ultimately triumphs

zaffa
procession; for example, the Mawlid u‘n Nabī procession on the streets of major cities to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

zāhid
pious abstainer, one who knows the reality of the world and who no longer longs for any of it (pl: zāhidūn, zāhidīn, zuhhād; f: zāhida)

zāhidūn at-tārikūn: those who practice abstinence and renunciation

zāhir
external, manifest

Zahīr
Helper, Supporter (f: Zahīrah)

zahra
a flower, splendour

Az-Zahrā‘
the Brilliantly Shiny, the Radiant, one of the titles of Sayyidatinā Fātima Rady Allāhu ‘Anhā

zakāt
zakāt is also sometimes spelled as Zakāh. It is the third of the five Pillars of Islām. It is the obligatory annual alms-due, 2.5% of accumulated wealth above a certain minimum amount payable by adult Muslims and distributed to the needy and the poor, as explained in the Holy Qur‘ān, verse (9:60), and in the Blessed Sayings of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The giving of zakāt purifies one‘s wealth.
Zakāt is fard (an obligatory duty) while sadaqa (voluntary charity) is Sunnah, a practice of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. Muslims pay Zakāt annually and give sadaqa as well, almost on a daily basis, to fulfill the fard as well as the Sunnah.
There are 32 verses in the Holy Qur‘ān that talk about Zakāt. Of these 32 verses, 26 verses talk about Salāh (Prayer) and Zakāt (Poor-due) together. This shows the importance of the Pillar of Zakāt, and teaches us that the giving of Zakāt is as much a worship of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā as is Salāh (Prayer). The first of these 26 verses is (in transliteration):
wa aqīmu‘s-salāta wa ātu‘z-zakāta wa‘rqa‘ū ma‘ar-rāq‘īn
And establish the Prayer and pay the Zakāt (Poor-due) and bow (before Allāh) with those who bow (in Salāh, Prayer). (2:43)
In this verse, Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā gives us Zakāt as a Pillar of Islām lovingly folded and placed in the middle with the mention of Salāh (Prayer) on both the sides. Isn‘t that neat and special?
The 26 verses that mention Salāh (Prayer) and Zakāt (Poor-due) together are:
(2:43) (2:83) (2:110) (2:177) (2:277)
(4:77) (4:162) (5:12) (5:55) (9:5)
(9:11) (9:18) (9:71) (19:31) (19:55)
(21:73) (22:41) (22:78) (24:37) (24:56)
(27:3) (31:4) (33:33) (58:13) (73:20) (98:5)

zakāt al-fitr
poor-due given to the poor and the needy in the month of Ramadān (payable up to Salāt al-‘Īd) on behalf of each member in the family. It can be paid in cash or in kind (foodstuff) that is enough for a meal

Zakī
Pure (f: Zakīyā)

zālim
evil-doer, oppressor (pl: zālimūn, zālimīn);
(zulm: evil, injustice, tyranny).
Ever since the time of Rasūlullāh Sallallāh ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Muslims have sacrificed their lives to root out tyranny and injustice

zalzalah
earthquake. The Holy Qur‘ān, in verses (22:1) and (99:1) describes the end of the world as an earthquake. May Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā save us from the punishment of that Day, Āmīn

zamān
period of time, era in history (syn: zaman).
In the concluding verse of one of his nūniyya (a religious poem whose verses rhyme in the letter nūn), Imām ‘AbdAllāh bin ‘Alawī al-Haddād Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu asks Allāh to bless Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam till the end of time (ākhiri’z zaman).
‘Alayhi Salātullāhi thumma Salāmuhu
Salātan wa taslīman ilā ākhiri’z zaman
On him be blessings of Allāh and salutations
Blessings and greetings of peace till the end of time

Zamzam
Zamzam is the name of the sacred spring (well) which provided water for the baby Ismā‘īl ‘Alayhissalām, son of Prophet Ibrāhīm ‘Alayhissalām and his wife Hajar ‘Alayhassalām who ran between the hills of Safā and Marwa in search of water for her baby. It is located inside the Haram (the Sacred Masjid in Makka) and is just a few meters away from the Ka‘ba. Muslims drink the water of zamzam as a rite of the Pilgrimage (Hajj). It has healing powers

zanjabīl
ginger, the name of one of the special drinks of Paradise

zann
mere conjecture, suspicion.
The Holy Qur‘ān enjoins Muslim believers to avoid suspicion as much as possible. Verse (49:12) states:

O Muslim believers! Avoid most of suspicion; surely, suspicion in some cases is a sin. (49:12)

husn az-zann: thinking well (of others). This is said to be a Muslim‘s capital investment.
sū‘ az-zann: thinking bad (about others). If such thinking is unjustified, it might lead to bad consequences.
Sometimes, zann (suspicion) is mubāh (permissible). For example, it is permissible for the police to be suspicious of someone caught with incriminating evidences

zarīf
witty, charming

zawāid
the augmentative letters, that is, the ten letters which are added to the radical letters in Arabic words to form new words. These are: sīn, hamza, alif, lām, tā', mīm, wāw, nūn, yā', and hā'

zawāl
noon, decline, the decline of the sun from its zenith at noon; also refers to the decline of a nation or a civilization

zāwiya
a building for spiritual retreat to learn Islām and refine one‘s character through association with a shaykh; sūfī lodge. Gatherings of dhikr (remembrance) of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā are regularly held at the zāwiya (pl: zawāyā)

zawj
spouse, husband, wife. (pl: azwāj).
Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam has advised us to behave best towards wives as in this Hadīth:
Hadrat Abū Hurayra Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu relates that the Holy Prophet Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam said: The most perfect Muslim in the matter of faith is the one who has an excellent behaviour and the best among you are those who behave best towards their wives. (Tirmidhī)

Zayd
Abundance

Zayn
Beauty, Beautiful (f: Zayna)

Zayn al-‘ābidīn
the best of the worshippers; the beauty of the worshippers; the title of Sayyidinā ‘Alī ibn Husayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

Zayn u‘d dīn
the beauty of religion, a title bestowed upon a shaykh (spiritual master)

zaytūn
olive

zid
increase! Some more, please! When the Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam gave his Companions advice, they used to urge him to increase his advice for them so that they could benefit more.
We always pray to Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā to increase us in useful knowledge

zill
shadow, shade. On the Day of Judgment, there is no shade except that provided by Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā (pl: zilāl, azlāl)

zinā
sexual misconduct, includes both fornication with an unmarried person and adultery with a married person. It is one of the kabāir (major sins).
Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā warns us in the Holy Qur‘ān not to go near to zinā.

And do not go near to adultery (or fornication); undoubtedly, it is an abomination and an evil way. (17:32)

Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam advised Muslims not to cast lustful glances at persons of the opposite sex as this constitutes adultery of the eyes. Nabī ‘Īsā ‘Alayhissalām gave the same teaching to his followers.
All religions prohibit zinā because it leads to confusion about the actual father of the child who is born in such a situation. It may lead to ill-feeling, child abuse, the break up of families, and the spread of venereal diseases and AIDS. May Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā protect us from such calamities, Āmīn.
So, it is sad to note that some western countries have fallen into sexual anarchy. Besides adultery and fornication (zinā), sodomy (liwāt) is also now openly promoted.
Neo-liberals have trivialized the institution of marriage. As a result, many people in the west live as common-law couples without getting married and they are recognized as such by some western governments. In other words, so-called Christian politicians have legalized fornication in their own Christian countries.
All over the world, people laugh away at cuckolds, but these days, cuckolds in the west proudly proclaim that they are cuckolds, and they boast that they share their wives with others. Muslims seek the protection of Allāh when they hear of such things.
Neo-liberals mock and laugh with derision at the Islamic teaching that there shall be no pre-marital or extra-marital sex, either for men or for women. They mock at the noble Islamic teaching of virginity before marriage. The morally bankrupt capitalist media mocks at the noble Islamic teaching of faithfulness in marriage. They consider mockery and profanity to be a great virtue!
Muslims explain that the sacred law in Islām is that adulterers be stoned to death. The western capitalist media says this is brutal and savage. But the Old Testament also says that adulterers be stoned to death. So what does the capitalist media have to say about that?
The western media continuously reports about the "other women" of their major politicians. It is common knowledge that many men have "other women" and they try to hide this fact. Feminists of course know about all this and some of them proudly proclaim that their husbands are bulls. If men are bulls and they love women, then why the howling against the sacred Islamic institution of optimal polygyny?
In some western countries polygamy is a criminal offense. This means that if you publicly married another woman as permitted by sacred Muslim law, you are a criminal, but if you secretly had her as a mistress, and committed adultery, you are civilized! Did you ever hear reasoning turned so upside down?
The Mormons are a sect in Christianity that practice polygyny. The capitalist media of course does not hound them as it freely and democratically demonizes and hounds the Muslims. Instead, it says that it is carrying out a "scholarly" analysis of this interesting phenomenon!
While polygamy is a criminal offense, sodomy against which the whole world screams is openly promoted in some western countries. Some Christian priests have already pronounced the marriage of a man to a man and of a woman to a woman. Half of the marriages in the west end in divorce, so what is the big deal about traditional marriage, argue neo-liberals who champion same-sex marriage.
Those Christians who are yet committed to their religion watch all this with utter helplessness in countries that call themselves Judeo-Christian countries, as their corrupt capitalist masters promote sexual anarchy and profanity. Committed Christians have been silenced in their own so-called Christian countries by the very same capitalist media that says it champions freedom of speech. Did you ever see such cynical manipulation of people?
Surely, all their efforts are bound to end in miserable failure as the truth of Islām will ultimately prevail.
Surely, the only way for westerners to regain their sanity is to accept Islām

zīna
adornment (of the world)

zindīq
a heretic whose teaching is a danger to the state

ziyāda
an increase. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā says in the Holy Qur‘ān, verse (10:26) that those who do good will have the best (reward) in Paradise and even more

ziyāra
visit, especially to Makka, Madīna and Bayt al- Muqaddas in Jerusalem.

ziyārat al-marīd: visiting the sick (syn: ‘iyādat al-marīd).

ziyārat an-Nabī: visiting the Holy Prophet Muhammad‘s Rawda (tomb, Garden of Paradise) in Madīna, and greeting him with salāms (greetings of peace). He has said that he will intercede for anyone who visits him in Madīna.

ziyārat al-qubūr: visiting the graveyards of Muslims and greeting them with: "As-salāmu ‘alaykum yā ahl al-qubūr" ("Peace be upon you, O inmates of the graves"), and praying to Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā for their forgiveness. The most famous graveyards that the Muslims visit are Jannat al-Ma‘lāh in Makka and Jannat al-Baqī‘ in Madīna

zubdat al-adhkār
the cream of invocations, refers to Rātib al-‘Attās, a compilation of Prophetic invocations compiled by Al-Habīb ‘Umar bin ‘AbdurRahmān al-‘Attās Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

zuhd
abstinence, avoiding the harām (forbidden) and being satisfied with only the bare necessities of what is halāl (permitted); renouncing everything which distracts from Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

Zuhr
noonPrayer, the name of one of the obligatory five times daily Prayers

Zuhūr
manifestation. People will truly come to know of the Majesty, Justice and Mercy of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā on the Day of Judgment when He will manifest Himself in all His Glory. On that day as well will be manifested the greatest and the most exalted status (al-maqām al-mahmūd) that Allāh has bestowed on our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

Az-Zumar
Az-Zumar means "the groups". It is the name of Sūrah 39 of the Holy Qur‘ān. The final verses of this Sūrah teach us about Paradise and that the pious will be escorted to Paradise in groups. The translation of these verses is:

And those who feared their Lord shall be escorted to Paradise in groups until when they reach there, and its gates are opened and its warders say to them: Peace be upon you; you are good, so enter it (Paradise) to abide in it for ever.
And they will say: All Praise is due to Allāh Who has fulfilled His Promise to us and made us inherit this land; we may dwell in Paradise where we please; how excellent is the reward of the workers (who work righteousness).
And you shall see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allāh) on all sides, glorifying the praise of their Lord, and true judgment shall be given between them with justice, and it shall be said: All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds. (39:73-75)

The word zumar (groups) is plural. Its singular is zumra (group). In the following Fātiha in Rātib al-‘Attās, we supplicate to Allāh to raise us up, and our parents and all our loved ones on the Day of Judgment among the group of people (zumra) who are with our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam, and his Family and Companions, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhum.

Al-Fātiha
Ilā Hadrati Sayyidinā wa Habībinā wa Shafī‘inā
Rasūlillāh Muhammad ibni ‘Abdillāh
Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam
wa ālihi wa ashābihi wa azwājihi wa dhurriyyatihi
bi Annallāha yu‘lī darajātihim fi’l Jannah
wa yanfa‘unā bi asrārihim wa anwārihim wa ‘ulūmihim
fi’d dīn wa‘d dunyā wa’l Ākhira
wa yaj‘alunā min hizbihim
wa yarzuqunā mahabbatahum
wa yatawaffānā ‘alā millatihim
wa yahshurunā fī zumratihim
fī khayrin wa lutfin wa ‘āfiyatin
bi sirri al-Fātiha

Al-Fātiha
To the presence of our Master, our Beloved, our Intercessor,
The Prophetic Messenger of Allāh, Sayyidinā Muhammad, son of ‘AbdAllāh,
may the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him,
and on his Family, and his Companions, and his blessed wives and his descendants;
that may Allāh raise their ranks in Paradise,
and make us to benefit from their spiritual mysteries,
their spiritual lights and their learning,
in religion and in this life and in the Hereafter,
and make us to be in their group, and bless us with their love,
and give us death on their religion (of Islām),
and gather us together in the Final Assembly in their group,
with goodness, kindness and wholesomeness,
with the secret of the blessing of Sūrah al-Fātiha

Bismillāh i’r Rahmān i’r Rahīm
Al-Hamdu Lillāhi Rabb i’l ‘ālamīn
Ar-Rahmān i’r Rahīm
Māliki Yawm i’d Dī n
Iyyaka na‘budu wa Iyyāka nasta‘īn
Ihdinas-Sirāt al-mustaqīm
Sirāt al-ladhīna an‘amta ‘alayhim
ghayri’l maghdūbi ‘alayhim wa lad-dāllīn

Al-Fātiha (The Opening)
In the Name of Allāh, The Beneficent, The Merciful.
All Praise be to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
The Beneficent, The Merciful.
Owner of the Day of Judgment.
You only do we worship, and You only do we beg for help.
Guide us on the Straight Path.
The Path of those whom You have favoured,
not (the path) of those who earn Your anger, nor of those who go astray. (1:1-7)