Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, related: "Once some prisoners were brought before the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Among them was a woman who was running worriedly here and there, probably searching for her missing child. When she found the child, she took it up in her lap, drew it close and suckled it. The Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions, ‘ Can you imagine this woman ever throwing her child into the fire?’ We said, ‘By Allah, no.’ At this, the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah is more kind towards his servants than the woman towards her child.’ " Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim.

Abu Yazan, May Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said; "The lenght of his Salat (prayers) and the conciseness of his sermon demonstrates a person’s intelligence and wisdom. Therefore, let your prayers be long and your sermon brief." Saheeh Muslim.

WA ‘ALAYKUM ASSALAM: "And you be peace." The reply to the Muslim greeting of "assalamu ‘alaikum" ("Peace be upon you").

WA’D: Promise. "Wa’d Allah Haqqa" ("the Promise of Allah is true").

WAHY: Revelation. Inspiration placed in the heart or mind of the Prophets by Allah Ta’ala. Auha, Uhiya and Wahyu are derived from the same root, ‘Wahy’.

WAILUN: (1). Literally means "Woe be upon you". (2). Name of a pit in Hellfire.

WAJH: Literally means "face", but may have other meanings according to its context in the sentence, e.g. (1). Wajhahu - "his whole self", as in Al-Baqara (2):112. (2). Wajhulah - "the Glory or Presence of Allah", as in Al-Baqara (2):115. 3. Li-Wajhi’llahi - "for the sake of Allah", as in Al-Insan (76):8.

WALEE: A guardian, a person who has responsibility for another person; used particularly for the person who ‘gives’ a woman in marriage. Also someone who is a ‘friend’ of Allah, one of the Sabiqoon and Muqarraboon. Singular of Awliyaa. See Awaliyaa.

WALIMA: A Marriage banquet.

WAQF: Endowment. A charitable trust in the name of Allah, usually in perpetuity, and usually for the purpose of establishing the Deen of Islam, teaching useful knowledgee, feeding the poor or treating the sick.

WAQI’A (AL): "The Inevitable Event". Another name for the Final Hour. Surah 56 of the Holy Qur’an. The Khalifah Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, was in the midst of reciting this Surah when he was murdered.

WASAYA: Wills and testament. Bequests. Allah Ta’ala commands us to make a bequest of our goods to our parents and next of kin. See Holy Qur’an, Al-Baqara (2):180. The exact manner of distribution of one’s goods is complicated and therefore should be studied very carefully before writing out one’s will. Basically one can bequeath up to one-third of one’s property to whomever one wishes, but the remaining two-thirds must be divided between one’s surviving relatives in fixed shares, as delineated by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Singular: Wasaya.

WASIL (AL): A person who is kind and considerate to his kith and kin.

WASILA (AL): The highest station with Allah on the Last Day, reserved for the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

WASHM: Tattoo mark. It is forbidden for a Muslim to have a tattoo on his or her body. Wasm - Tattoo.

WATHANI: A pagan. A person who worships idols, stones, graves, trees, persons, angels or any other deity other than Allah Ta’ala.

WISAAL: Fasting for more than one day continuously without taking Suhur or Iftar. Thi is forbidden in Islam.

WITR: A Salat which has an odd number of Rak’at: two Rak’at, followed by one Rak’a. This Salat is prayed last thing at night before one goes to sleep, or else delayed and prayed at the end of the Tahajjud Salat by those who rise in the night, seeking the pleasure and the face of Alllah Ta’ala.

WUDU: A ritual washing with water alone to be pure for the prayer. The way to do Wudu is: (1). Wash hands thrice. (2). Wash mouth thrice. (3).Wash nostril thrice. (4). Wash face thrice. (5). Wash right forearm thrice. (6). Wash left forearm thrice. (7). Wipe scalp and nape of neck and then ears once, (or twice or thrice). (8). Wash right foot thrice. (9). Wash left foot thrice. Once or twice is also allowed. See holy Qur’an, An-Nisa (4):43, Al-Ma’idah (5):7. You must already be in Ghusl for Wudu to be effective. You should ensure that your private parts and underclothes are clean before doing Wudu. Once you have done Wudu you remain in Wudu until it is broken by: Any of the conditions which make it necessary to have a Ghusl. See ghusl. Emission of impurities from the private parts: Urine, faeces, wind, prostatic fluid, or other discharge. Loss of consciousness by whatever means: usually by sleep or fainting. Physical contact between man and woman where sexual pleasure is either intended or experienced. Touching your penis with the inside of your hands or fingers. Leaving Islam. It is necessary to be in Ghusl and in Wudu (or alternatively to do Tayammum under certain circumtances) to do the Salat (prayer) and to hold a copy of the Qur’an. See Tayammum.

WUQUF: Stopping places, particularly the stopping places at Arafah and Muzdalifah during the Hajj. Singular: Mawqif.

WUSTA: Middle. Salatul Wusta refers to the middle prayer, which is the ‘Asr prayer (the third of the five compulsary prayers), for those whose day begins at dawn. However, some say it refers to the Fajr prayer. This is because the Muslims follow a lunar calendar: the first day of a new lunar month is only determined when the new moon is sighted shortly after sunset. Therefore the Muslim day begins at Maghreb, and the first prayer of the new day is Maghreb, which makes the third (middle) prayer Fajr.