F is for al-Fātiha and Falāh

fadāil u’l Qur’ān
the virtues of the Holy Qur’ān

fadāil u’l Hadīth
the virtues of the Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

fādil
distinguished, eminent, learned (pl: fudalā, f: fādilah)

fadīla
virtue, excellence, moral excellence (pl: fadāil)

fadl
bounty

Fadl u’d dīn
The bounty of religion, a title bestowed upon a Muslim shaykh

Fadlullāh
Allah’s grace, Allah’s bounty

fahm
understanding

fahshā’
bad deed, something shameful like adultery, fornication or sodomy (pl: fawāhish)

fā’ida
benefit, gain, useful lesson or moral to be learned (pl: fawāid)

fāiz
successful, triumphant, victorious (pl: fāizīn)

fājir
a shameless, immoral person (pl: fujjār)

Fajr
dawn, dawn prayer before sunrise (also called subh)

fakhr
glory, pride, honour

Fakhr u’d dīn
The pride of religion, a title bestowed upon a Muslim shaykh

fākiha
fruit, which is one of the many bounties provided by Allāh, Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā (pl: fawākih)

falāh
salvation, success in this life and in the Hereafter. We hear in the adhān five times everyday: Hayya ‘ala’s salāh (twice), Hayya ‘ala’l falāh (twice) which means: Hurry towards prayer, hurry towards salvation. Hayya ‘ala’s salāh destroys the godlessness of communism while Hayya ‘ala’l falāh destroys the slaughter and loot of capitalism

falak
orbit, sky

al-Falaq
“the Dawn”, the name of Sūrah 113 of the Holy Qur’ān

fanā
personal extinction. Everyone and everything perishes except Allāh who abides in all eternity. It also means the death of the ego in total surrender to the Will of Allāh and the disappearance of all bad attributes. A person becomes so totally absorbed in Allāh, that he loses perception of himself and all other created things

fāniyah
transitory, that which perishes

faqīh
a Muslim jurist who can give religious verdicts (pl: fuqahā)

faqīr
materially poor (but spiritually rich), needy before Allāh. We should deal with a faqīr with humility and respect (pl: fuqarā’)

faqr
poverty, state of being in need (of Allāh’s Mercy), material poverty with spiritual riches

farah
joy

faraj
relief, comfort, solace, ease, repose

faras
horse (pl: afrās)

fard
an obligatory religious duty, the fulfillment of which is rewarded and the omission of which leads to punishment on the Day of Judgment (pl. farāid)

fard al-‘ayn
a personally obligatory religious duty such as the five times daily salāh

fard al-kifāya
a collective obligation like salāt u’l janāza (the funeral prayer). Even if one person performs it, the responsibility of everyone is fulfilled but if no one performs it, everyone is held accountable for that omission

Farīd
Unique (f: Farīda)

farīda
that which is ordained by Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

Fārij al-hamm
The Remover of anxiety and worry, an attribute of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

Fāris
horseman

al-Fārūq
he who distinguishes truth from falsehood, the title of Sayyidinā ‘Umar Rady Allāhu ‘Anhu

fasād
corruption, mischief

fāsid
corrupt, invalid, imperfect

fasīh
eloquent, fluent (pl: fusahā. f: fasīhah)

fāsiq
sinner, immoral person, corrupt

fasl
chapter in a book; grade in a school; season; clear, distinct, decisive

fatāna
sagaciousness, intelligence. There are four characteristics that every Messenger of Allāh must necessarily be described with. These are: truthfulness, conveying the Divine Message, trustworthiness and intelligence

fath
victory; an opening; an opening of the heart which sets someone on the spiritual Path to realization (pl: futūh)

fātih
victorious (pl: fātihīn)

Al-Fātiha
Al-Fātiha or the “Opening One” is the name of the first Sūrah or Chapter of the Holy Qur’ān. The Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam said that no previous ummah (community) had received such a great Sūrah. It is popularly known as Al-Hamd (The Praise of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā). It consists of seven verses which are especially referred to in the Holy Qur’ān as As-Sab‘ al-Mathānī or “the seven oft-repeated verses”.
Imām al-Ghazālī Rahmatullāhi ‘alayh has recommended its recitation a hundred times a day, that is, 21 times after Fajr salāh, 22 times after Zuhr salāh, 23 times after ‘Asr salāh, 24 times after Maghrib salāh and 10 times after ‘Ishā salāh. Alhamdu Lillāh (All Praise is for Allāh)!

Fātima
Name of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Rady Allāhu ‘Anhā

fatwa
an authoritative legal judgment given by a Muslim legal expert on any matter pertaining to Islamic law

fawj
group, troop

fawt
missed. A Muslim makes sure not to miss any of the fard salāh (obligatory prayers), and makes every effort to perform them in congregation

fawz
triumph, victory

Fawzīya
Successful; Victorious

fayd
the overflowing, the outpouring (especially of blessings) (pl: fuyūd)

fī Amānillāh
“may you be in the protection of Allāh”, said when wishing farewell

fī Hubbillāh
in the love of Allāh, Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

fī Hubb i’r Rasūl
in the love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam

fī Sabīlillāh
in the way of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā, something done sincerely and only for the sake of Allāh

fidda
silver

fidya
redemption for a missed or wrongly practiced religious ceremony through charity or an offering of a sacrificial animal, or the performance of other good deeds like fasting

fikr
reflection, contemplation, thinking

fi‘l
deed, work (pl: af‘āl)

fīl
elephant

fiqh
jurisprudence, study of sharī‘a or sacred Law of Islām

firāsa
spiritual insight which helps to see the inward state of things, the spiritual intuition of the person close to Allāh, who sees with the light of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

Fir‘awn
Pharaoh who together with his army was drowned when he pursued Nabī Mūsā ‘alayhissalām and his followers, the Banī Isrā’īl, to kill them. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā opened up a path in the sea for Nabī Mūsā ‘alayhissalām and his followers to escape.

The capitalists of today are power-drunk just like Pharaoh was and they would be well-advised to stop spreading mischief and slaughter, and repent for their sins if they want to avoid the punishment of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā

firāsh
carpet. Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā has spread out the whole earth as a carpet for Muslims to pray upon

Firdaws
the highest part of Paradise

fisq
sinfulness (pl: fusūq)

fitna
instigation, dissention, sedition, trials and tribulations (pl: fitan)

fitra
original, primordial disposition; the original human nature as created by Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta‘ālā. Its primary attribute is the understanding of the Oneness of Allāh; it is a tendency towards truth, beauty and wholesomeness

fu’ād
inner heart (pl: af’ida)

fujūr
debauchery, immorality, licentiousness

fulān
refers to an unnamed person, so and so

fuqarā’
materially poor but spiritually rich (s: faqīr)

Al-Furqān
the proof, the Criterion of Judgment which distinguishes between truth and falsehood, another name for the Holy Qur’ān

furū‘
branches (s: far‘)

al-furūsiyya
horsemanship

futūr
the meal at sunset, which breaks the fast in the month of Ramadān

futuwwa
spiritual chivalry and honourable conduct, nobility, generosity

Al-Fātiha!