glossarynazrāna (a) annual payment made by subordinate rulers to the overlord or
sovereign power (b) gifts made by, and to, individuals of equal or superior
rank
niyat intention, in Islam this is essential for the right performance of religious
obligations and deeds
pādshāh king, monarch
parda term used in Afghanistan for the veiling or concealment of women
pau unit of weight, which in Kabul is equivalent to 0.975 lb or 443 g
pīr head of a Sufi Order or sub-order
pōstīn a sheepskin coat
Pushtūnwalī/Pukhtūnwalī Pushtun customary, law and code of honour
qadamgāh literally, a footprint (a) a relic shrine (b) any holy place where a pīr
or other holy person has performed a miracle or passed through
qāfila trade caravan
q a l ‘a (a) fort, castle (b) a fortified, high-walled compound
qālīn hand-knotted pile carpet
qānūn law, legal code, regulation
qānūn-i asāsī foundational law, constitution
qaum extended family or clan
qāzī Islamic judge
qisās the right, under Islamic law, of reciprocal retaliation
ra’ī s (a) president, or principal (b) mayor
Ramazān (Ramadān) (a) ninth month of the Hijra year (b) the fast that takes
place during this month
rasm wa rawāj custom and usage
rasūl prophet, apostle
rōshanfikr term applied to Westernizing reformers, intellectuals and/or
Rationalists
rūd river, riverbed
sadāqāt alms or charitable donations
sadhu Hindu or Sikh holy man, ascetic, occasionally used pejoratively for
heterodox Muslim mystics
safēd white
sāl year
salāt ritual prayers performed by Muslims five times daily
sangar breastwork; a shallow trench protected by a stone or compacted mud
parapet
sarāi (a) an inn, wayfarer’s lodge (b) a walled and gated compound for the
storage of goods and animals
sardār (a) commander, general (b) military head of tribal levy (c) a royal title
adopted by the princes of the Muhammadzai dynasty
sardār-i sardārān (a) chief of the sardārs (b) commander-in-chief
sawāb religious merit
sayyid honorific title used by those who claim descent from the prophet
Muhammad
shab nāma night, or secret, letter
shāh king, sovereign, monarch