Glossary

This work includes stories, texts, and commentaries translated from both Pakhtu and Afghan Persian (Dari). Most of the words included in this glossary are found in both languages. In those cases where a word is unique to Pakhtu, I have added the designation (P). Following each word (as it appears in the text), I have provided in parentheses a transliteration with appropriate diacritical marks. The system of transliteration used here is that employed for Persian by the International Journal of Middle East Studies. Pakhtu has several letters and sounds that are not found in Persian. These include four retroflex phonemes (indicated by d, n, r, & t) and two additional consonants (indicated by kh and tz). Pakhtu also has a complex system of endings that I have not tried to reproduce here.

adalat ( ad lat)

justice

a ena (a enah)

charity, donation

akhund (akhund)

religious scholar, used also for someone who replaces an imam of a mosque

alaqadari

rural administrative district

amir

commander, ruler, king, used also for the chief of a political party or group

amr bil ma ruf (amr bil ma ruf)

Arabic phrase referring to the act of calling people to proper faith and action and promoting virtue

bait ul-mal

property of the people

bayat (ba at)

oath of allegiance

be abru

dishonored, disgraced

be ghairati b

cowardly

bidat (bid  t)

innovation

bi khudayi

“without God,” atheism

bi-taraf 

nonaligned

chanda (chanda)

religious alms, charity, used principally in Pakistan

daraja (darajah)

rank, degree, class

darbar (darbar)

court

dar ul-ulum (dar ul ilum)

teacher-training college

dastarbandi

ceremony of succession

dawa (dawa)

prayer

dehqan

peasant, tenant farmer

din

religion

do a (do a)

oath

dodai (dudai)(P)

food

drund (drund)(P)

heavy, great, consequential

dushman (dushman)

enemy

farangi

foreigner, European

firman

proclamation, command, order

fitna (fitnah)

sedition, discord

fitwa (fitw )

religious decree

ghairat 

courage, zeal, bravery

gharur (ghorur)

pride, vanity

gund (gund)

faction

gundi

factionalism

hadith

traditions and sayings associated with the life of the Prophet Muhammad

haji (

honorific for a man who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca

halqa (halqah)

circle, used both for a group of people who meet to perform ZIKR and for a group of political activists who meet to discuss ideology and plan tactics

hamsaya

tenant farmer, someone dependent on another for his livelihood

haram (haram)

domestic area, off-limits, forbidden

hasta (hastah)

used by political parties, including the Muslim Youth Organization, to designate the smallest unit of the organization

hauza (hauzah)

used by political parties, including the Muslim Youth Organization, to designate the more inclusive organizational level above the cell

haysiat (haysîat)

prestige

hemat (hemat)

honor, magnanimity

hujra (hujrah)

guest house

iftar (iftar)

the ceremony that occurs at sunset each evening during the month of Ramazan, when Muslims break the fast

ikhwani (ikhwani)

brother, sometimes used by opponents of radical Islamic parties to describe these parties’ members; taken from the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan ul-Muslimin) in Egypt

inqilab (inqilab)

revolution

jaldar (jaldar)

skullcap

jaza (jazah)

punishment

jerib

unit of land measurement (2,000 square meters)

jihad (jihad)

effort, struggle on behalf of Islam; holy war

jirga (jirgah)

tribal council or assembly

kafir

nonbeliever

kalama (kalamah)

profession of faith There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”

kali (kalī) (P)

clothing

khairat

charity

kham (kham)

unripe

khan (khan)

title/honorific used for the leader of a tribal group

khanaqa

center of activity associated with a Sufi pir

kharwar (kharwar)

unit of weight (80 ser)

kibr (kibr)

pride, arrogance, insolence

kor (kur) (P)

home

kufr (kufr)

infidelity

langar (langar)

eating area for disciples and visitors to a Sufi pir or associated with a saint's tomb

lashkar (lashkar or lakhkar)

army

loya jirga

national council

luchak (luchak)(P)

naked; shameless

madrasa (madrasah)

religious school

maktabian

schoolboys

masawat (masawat)

equality

mashreqi

eastern border region of the country, especially Kunar, Ningrahar, and Laghman

masuniyat (masuniyat)

security

maulana

an advanced religious scholar, similar to maulavi (although more often associated with those whose training has been in India or Pakistan)

maulavi

an advanced religious scholar, similar to maulana

mawen (mawen)

deputy

mlatar

supporters,

momasela jirga

provisional national jirga

mujahid (mujahed)

one who pursues JIHAD, holy warrior

mujahidin

those who pursue JIHAD, holy warriors

mulla

a man who earns all or part of his income supervising a mosque, teaching religious lessons, or otherwise engaging in religious activities

munshi

secretary, writer, clerk

musulmani

Muslim practice

nafs (nafs)

self, soul, passions, senses, carnal desire

najawani

cowardly

namaz

prayer

naminek (naminek)

reputation

namus

honor, that which a man possesses that cannot be violated

nang (nang)

honor; reputation, esteem

nasib

share, portion

ni mat (ni mat)

blessing, riches, favor

paighur

taunt, reproach

pakhtun (pakhtun)

one who speaks the Pakhtu (Pashto) language and who claims descent in one of the commonly recognized lines of the Pakhtun tribe

pir

master of a Sufi order

qahraman

hero, champion

qanun (qanun)

law

qaum (qaum)

tribe

qazi

judge

qibla (qiblah)

direction of Mecca, toward which Muslims face during prayer

quran

word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad

rahm (rahm)

compassion

ramazan

ninth month in the lunar calendar, the Islamic month of fasting

roza (rozah)

fasting

safa (safah)

pure

sahib 

honorific meaning master or sir

sardar (sardar)

prince

satr (satr)

seclusion

sayyid (sayyid)

descendant of the Prophet Muhammad

ser (ser)

unit of weight

shabnama (shabnamah)

night letter, political tract distributed covertly

shahid

martyr

shahidan

martyrs

shari a (shari a)

religious law

shuja at

bravery

shura (shurah)

council

sial

a rival; someone of equal status

silsila (silsilah)

chain, series, order, hierarchical organization

stana (stanah)

holy man

sud (sud)

profit, benefit, interest

sufi

a person devoted to the mystical path (tasawuf)

sunnat (sunnat)

tradition, customary or expected; circumcision

sutra (sutrah)

clean

tablighat

propaganda

takfir

infidelity

taleb

religious student, seeker of sacred knowledge

taliban (taliban)

religious students

tarbur (tarbur)

patrilateral parallel cousin, one's father's brotherâ,s son; rival

tariqat (

Sufi order

tasawuf (tasawuf)

Sufism

ulama 

religious authorities

wahhabi

term of disparagement for those who profess beliefs similar to those of the Arab religious reformer Abdul Wahhab; also known as Panj Piri and Salafi

wakil

parliamentary representative

woleswal (wuleswal)

district administrator

woleswali

district

wulja (wuljah)

booty

zakat

religious tax incumbent on all Muslims

zikr (zikr)

mystical act associated with Sufism involving the repeated recitation of sacred phrases