شنبه
شنبه (shanbeh) means Saturday but in Iran it is the first day of the working week. The word traces back to Aramaic shabbtha, the Sabbath, via ancient Persian-Babylonian contact.
Glossary
انشاءالله
انشاءالله (enshâ-allâh) means “if God wills” or “God willing.” It is one of the most common phrases in spoken Persian, used across religious and secular contexts alike.
بسم الله
بسم الله (bismellâh) is the opening phrase of the Quran, meaning “in the name of God.” Persians use it before starting any significant action, from eating to beginning a journey.
دعا کردن
دعا کردن (do’â kardan) means to pray through personal supplication or to make dua. It combines Arabic do’a with the native Persian light verb kardan, making it a mixed-origin compound.
شهادت
شهادت (shahâdat) carries two meanings in Persian: martyrdom in the path of faith, and the Islamic declaration of belief. Both senses trace to the Arabic root sh-h-d.
قنوت
قنوت (qonut) is the act of raising open palms in supplication during the Islamic prayer. The word is Arabic, from the root q-n-t meaning devout obedience.
روحانیت
روحانیت (ruhâniyyat) means the clergy as a collective institution in Islam. It is a formal Arabic-derived abstract noun rarely used in casual speech.
ملا
ملا (mollâ) is a title for a Muslim religious cleric or learned scholar of Islamic law. The word entered Persian from Arabic mawla, meaning master or guardian.
امام رضا
Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam, is one of the most venerated figures in Iranian Islam. His shrine in Mashhad draws millions of pilgrims each year.
مستحب
مستحب (mostahabb) is an Arabic Islamic law term for a recommended supererogatory act. Performing it brings spiritual reward but omitting it is not a sin.