Religious glossary

Also called: call to prayer

The call to prayer recited by the muezzin five times a day.

Services & rites

Also called: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha

The two great feasts of Islam: at the end of the fast and the Feast of Sacrifice.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: jumu’a

The congregational midday prayer on Friday at the mosque, with a sermon.

Services & rites

Also called: pilgrim (hajji)

The pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim should make once in a lifetime if able.

Services & rites

Also called: List of Historic Monuments

A building protected by law for its historic or artistic value; it has a code in the national List of Historic Monuments.

Other

Also called: hodja

The person who leads communal prayer in the mosque and gives the sermon.

Clergy & community

Also called: Friday sermon

The sermon given by the imam from the minbar at Friday prayer and on Bayram.

Services & rites

The niche in the wall of the mosque indicating the direction of Mecca (qibla).

Architecture & spaces

The tall slender tower of the mosque from which the muezzin calls to prayer five times a day.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: mimber

The pulpit of the mosque, a tall staircase with a small canopy, from which the Friday sermon is given.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: cami, mescit

The Muslim place of prayer; in Dobruja it is also called a geamie.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: müezzin

The person who calls the faithful to prayer (adhan) from the minaret or the mosque.

Clergy & community

Also called: Muftiate

The religious leader of the Muslims of a country or region; the Romanian Muftiate is based in Constanța.

Clergy & community

Also called: pilgrim

A journey of faith to a holy place: a monastery, the relics of a saint, Jerusalem, Mecca or the tomb of a tzaddik.

Services & rites

Also called: seccade

The small rug on which a Muslim prays, so that the place of prayer is clean.

Sacred objects

Also called: kıble

The direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, which Muslims face in prayer; from Romania it is to the south-east.

Other

Also called: Koran

The holy book of Islam, in Arabic, made up of 114 chapters (surahs).

Books & texts

Also called: Ramazan

The Muslim month of fasting: no food or drink from dawn to sunset; in the evening families gather for iftar.

Feasts & fasts

Also called: Law 489/2006

A religious community officially recognised by the Romanian state; Romania has 18 under Law 489/2006.

Other

Also called: ritual prayer

The ritual prayer Muslims perform five times a day, with fixed postures.

Services & rites

Also called: ablution fountain

The fountain in the mosque courtyard where the faithful perform ablutions before prayer.

Architecture & spaces

Also called: misbaha

The string of 33 or 99 beads used by Muslims to count invocations of God.

Sacred objects

Also called: ablution

The ritual washing of hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head and feet before prayer.

Services & rites