Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

GLOSSARY

Abangan

Nominal Javanese Muslims

Adat

Indigenous tradition; customary law.

Adhan

The call to Prayer.

‘adl

Tustice.

Ahl al-sunnah wa al-jama‘ah (ahlussunnah waljamaah)

Sunni distinguished from the Shi‘i; it refers to traditional Islam which basically follows Ash‘ari theology, Shafi‘i jurisprudence, and al-Ghazali’s Sufism.

Ahl al-bayt

Literally the people of the house; the Prophet Muhammad’s household.

Ajengan

The title of ‘ulama’ used in West Java, equivalent with the term kyai in Central and East Java.

Akhlaq

Morality, ethics

‘alim pl ‘ulama’

Muslim scholar.

‘aql

Reasoning.

Arba‘in

Literally meaning forty; the commemoration of the fortieth day of Imam Husayn’s martyrdom.

‘ashura

The anniversary of the martyrdom of the third Imam Husayn commemorate on the tenth of the first month in the Muslim calendar.

Ayatollah

Ayat Allah literally sign of God; the honorific title bestowed to a mujtahid.

Ayatollah uzma

The grand ayatollah; the honorific title bestowed to marja‘ al-taqlid.

Da‘wa

[dakwah] Islamic missionary activity.

Da‘i

Propagandist; evangelist; one who carries out Islamic propagation.

DDII

Dewan Dakwah Islam Indonesia [Indonesian Islamic Missionary Council].

DEPAG

Departemen Agama [the Ministry of Religious Affairs].

Dhikr

Remembrance of God.

DI/NII

Darul Islam/Negara Islam Indonesia [House of Islam/Islamic State of Indonesia]; an Indonesian political movement which in 1948 declared the Islamic state of Indonesia.

Do‘a

Supplication, prayer.

DPC

Dewan Pimpinan Cabang, sub-district leadership council.

DPD

Dewan Pimpinan Daerah, district leadership council.

DPW

Dewan Pimpinan Wilayah, provincial leadership council.

FAJAR

Forum Jamaah Ahlul Bait Jawa Timur [Forum of East Java Ahl al-Bayt Congregation].

Faqih

Jurist; expert in Islamic jurisprudence.

Fiqh

Islamic jurisprudence.

Golkar

Golongan Karya, Functional Group; party of the New Order government.

Hawl

The annual death commemoration.

Hawzah ‘ilmiyya

College of learning in the Shi‘i world.

Hikayat

A historical tale or account.

HMI

Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam [Association of Muslim University Students].

HMI MPO

Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam Majelis Penyelamat Organisasi [Council of Organisation Saviours of the Association of Islamic University Students].

HPI

Himpunan Pelajar Indonesia [Association of Indonesian Students].

Hujjat al-Islam

Literally means proof of Islam; the common title of an aspiring mujtahid.

IAIN

Institut Agama Islam Negeri [State Institute for Islamic Studies].

Ibadat

Worships; ritual observances.

ICC

Islamic Cultural Center.

ICIS

International Center for Islamic Studies.

ICMI

Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim se-Indonesia [Association of Indonesian Muslim Intelligensia].

IJABI

Ikatan Jamaah Ahlul Bait Indonesia [Indonesian Council of Ahl al-Bayt Associations].

Ijaza

License, the authority granted by a mujtahid to a student to exercise ijtihad.

Ijtihad

Independent interpretation of Islamic doctrine based on the sufficient knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunna.

IKIP

Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan [Institute of Teacher’s Training and Educational Sciences].

Iqro’

Literally reading; referring to ‘modern’ method of learning Qur’an recitation.

IPABI

Ikatan Pemuda Ahlul Bait Indonesia [Indonesian Association of Ahl al-Bayt Youth].

ITB

Institut Teknologi Bandung [Bandung Institute of Technology].

‘itra

Progeny.

JABODEBEK

Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi.

Jahiliyya

Ignorance; pre-Islamic Arabian Society.

Jama‘a

Congregation.

Kafa’a

Compatibility or equality between partners in marriage.

Khum

Literally one-fifth; religious tax of one-fifth from certain categories of goods and income paid by Shi‘is, originally paid to the Prophet Muhammad and the Imam. Now paid to the believer’s marja‘ al-taqlid in his capacity as a representative of the Imam.

KIBLAT

Komunitas Ahlul Bait Jawa Barat [West Java Ahl al-Bayt Community].

KKM

Kuliah Kader Muballigh [Course for Preacher Cadre].

LDII

Lembaga Dakwah Islam Indonesia [Institute of Indonesian Islamic Propagation].

LDK

Lembaga Dakwah Kampus [Campus Mosque Da’wa Body].

LPII

Lembaga Pembinaan Ilmu-ilmu Islam [Institute for Establishment of Islamic Knowledge].

LPPI

Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengkajian Islam [Institute of Islamic Studies and Research].

Madhhab

School of Islamic jurisprudence

Madrasah

Literally meaning school; modernized Islamic school offering both religious and general subjects.

MAHDI

Majlis Ahlulbait di Indonesia [Council of Ahl al-Bayt in Indonesia].

Majlis ta‘lim

Council for learning.

Maqtal

Story of the massacre of Husayn and his at Karbala

Marja‘ al-taqlid pl. maraji‘ al-taqlid

Literally reference point for emulation; the authoritative source in matters of Islamic law, namely one who through his learning and probity is qualified to be followed in all points of religious practice and law by the laymen.

Marja‘iya

The position of the source of imitation; the relationship between marja‘al-taqlid and muqallid.

Masjumi

Madjelis Sjuro Muslimin Indonesia [Consultative Council of Indonesian Muslims].

Ma‘tam

Chest-beating in ‘ashura ritual.

Mawlid

The ceremony of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.

MPR

Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat [People’s Consultative Assembly].

Mu‘amalat

Social transactions.

Muballigh

Preacher.

Muhammadiyah

The largest reformist Muslim organization founded in 1912.

MUI

Majelis Ulama Indonesia [Council of Indonesian Muslim Scholars].

Muqallid

Imitator; an ordinary believer who follows a mujtahid.

Mut‘a

Temporary marriage.

NKK

Normalisasi Kehidupan Kampus [Normalization of Campus Life].

NU

Nahdlatul Ulama, the Awakening of Muslim scholars; the largest traditionalist Islamic organization established in 1926.

PAN

Partai Amanat Nasional [National Mandate Party].

Pancasila

Five Pillars; the ideological and political foundation of the Republic of Indonesia consisting of five principles: belief in One God; a just and civilized humanity; the unity of Indonesia; popular rule through policies formed after representative consensus and social justice for the whole Indonesian people.

PDIP

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Pengajian

Religious gathering.

Persis

Persatuan Islam [Islamic Unity]; reformist Muslim organization established in 1923.

Pesantren

Traditional Islamic educational institution.

PHBI

Perayaan Hari-hari Besar Islam [Commemoration of Islamic Holy Days].

PKB

Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa [National Awakening Party].

PKI

Partai Komunis Indonesia [Indonesian Communist Party].

Pondok

Hostel, dormitory residence where students live in the pesantren complex.

Priyayi

Javanese nobility, member of the Javanese official administrative class.

Ratib

Certain formula of dhikr and prayers formulated by a Sufi teacher.

Ratu Adil

Just King.

Reformasi

Reform, generally meaning political liberation and economic transparency; also used to refer to the period following Suharto’s resignation.

Salawat

Invocation of the Prophet Muhammad and his family.

Santri

Students of pesantren.

Sayyid

Descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima.

Sekolah

School; the modern school following the Western educational system.

SMU Plus

Sekolah Menengah Umum Plus, Senior High School with attribute Plus.

SLTP

Sekolah Lanjutan Tingkat Pertama, Junior High School.

STAIN

Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri [State University of Islamic Studies].

Tabaruk

The taking of blessing from the Prophet Muhammad and other pious persons through anything related to them.

Tabligh

Religious preaching.

Ta‘lim

Religious teaching.

Tabut

The annual observance in Bengkulu and Pariaman, West Sumatera, to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husayn

Tawassul

The prayer supplicated to God by uttering names of persons having high position at the side of Him.

TBC

Tahayul, Bid‘ah, Churafat [Superstition, Innovation, Myth].

Taqiyya

Dissimulation of religious faith in order to protect one’s self, family or property from harm or for the sake of Islamic fraternity.

Taqlid

Emulation, following or imitation; refers to the following of the dictates of a mujtahid.

Thaqalayn

Literally ‘two weighty matters’; two safeguards (the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad’s household.

TK/TPA

Taman Kanak-kanak/Taman Pendidikan Al-Qur’an [Kindergarten/Qur’anic Kindergarten].

UI

Universitas Indonesia [the University of Indonesia].

UII

Universitas Islam Indonesia [the University of Indonesian Islam].

UNPAD

Universitas Padjadjaran [Pajajaran University].

UIN

Universitas Islam Negeri [State Islamic University].

Ulu al-amri

Those in authority.

Umma

The community of believers.

Ustadh

Religious teacher.

Wali

Guardian; helper or defender, saint.

Wali Sanga

Nine Saints known to have introduced Islam in Java.

Wilayat al-Faqih

Literally guardian of the jurist; the concept that government belong by right to those who are learned in Islamic jurisprudence; the persons called wali faqih.

Wujudiyya

Sufi teaching of the unity of being (God and human being).

YAPI

Yayasan Pesantren Islam [the foundation of Islamic Pesantren], a pesantren established in 1976 and located in Bangil, East Java; also Yayasan Penyiaran Islam [the Foundation of Islamic Propagation] centred in Jakarta.

Ziyara

The visitation of grave.