The Importance of Borrowed Arabic Islamic Terms in English Dictionaries

This article explores the significance of Arabic Islamic terms borrowed into the English language and their representation in major English dictionaries. It investigates fifteen commonly used Arabic terms, analyzing their definitions, presence, and contextual usage across leading dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, and Collins English Dictionary. The study highlights a clear distinction between widely integrated terms like Allah and more specialized ritualistic or theological terms such as Fajr, Isha, and Hasanah, which are primarily found in specialized Islamic lexicons.