WikiIslam:Writing Style Guide
WikiIslam's aim is to be the internet's most definitive, scholarly and neutral source for information of the religion of Islam. As such this page expands on the site's policies and guidelines concerning style, tone and content of its articles by providing a visual guide for editors. It's goal is both to provide practical guides to the editor on questions such as orthography as well as to facilitate the creation of articles which are neutral and encyclopedic in nature.
Standardized Spellings
There are many acceptable phonetic spellings for different words that are translated or transliterated into English. However, WikiIslam editors should standardize spelling to use throughout the wiki. The following is a list of required spelling standardizations. Note: You should not standardize spelling in quotations, leave the quoted text as originally written. This table is subject to change to accommodate new words.
| WikiIslam Standard | Proper Noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Allah | Yes | God of the Quran |
| Quran | Yes | Central religious text (Holy book) of Islam |
| Hadith | No | Notable collections of words, actions, approvals and disapprovals of Muhammad during his life |
| Muhammad | Yes | Prophet of Islam |
| Abu Bakr | Yes | First caliph and best friend of Muhammad |
| Umar (ibn al-Khattab) | Yes | Second caliph and senior companion of Muhammad |
| Uthman (ibn Affan) | Yes | Third caliph, second cousin, and son-in-law of the Muhammad |
| Ali (ibn-Abi Talib) | Yes | Fourth caliph and Muhammad’s son-in-law |
| Tafsir | No | Exegesis – scholarly commentary on the Quran and hadith |
| Mufassir | No | Author of a Tafsir |
| Sunni | Yes | One of the two main branches of Islam |
| Shia | Yes | One of the two main branches of Islam |
| Aisha (bint Abu Bakr) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives, daughter of Abu Bakr |
| Khadijah (bint Khuwaylid) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Sawda (bint Zam’a) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Hafsa (bint Umar) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Zaynab (bint Khuzayma) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Hind (bint Abi Umayya) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Rayhana (bint Zayd) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Zaynab (bint Jahsh) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Juwayriyya (bint al-Harith) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Safiyya (bint Huyeiy) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Ramla (bint Abi Sufyan) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Maria al-Qibtiyya | Yes | One of Muhammad’s sex slaves / concubines |
| Maymuna (bint al-Harith) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Juwayriyya (bint al-Harith) | Yes | One of Muhammad’s wives |
| Fatimah | Yes | Muhammad’s youngest daughter, wife of Ali ibn-Abi Talib |
| Ahmadiyya | Yes | Islamic revival sect founded in Punjab |
| al-Bukhari | Yes | Islamic scholar who authored what is considered to be the most authentic hadith collection |
| al-Tabari | Yes | Islamic foremost Mufassir |
| al-Jalalayn | Yes | Classical tafsir of the Quran composed by Jalal ad-Din al-Mahalli |
| al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah | Yes | Biography of Muhammad |
| Jannah | No | Heaven |
| Jahanam | No | Hell |
| Huri | No | Heavenly virgins |
| Istishhad | No | Martyrdom |
| Shahid | No | Muslim martyr |
| Mecca | Yes | Holy city of Islam |
| Hajj | No | Greater holy pilgrimage in Islam |
| Umrah | No | Lesser holy pilgrimage in Islam |
| Kaaba | Yes | Building at the center of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. Direction of Muslim prayers and destination of pilgrimage |
| Khitan | No | Circumcision |
| Najis | No | Ritually unclean or impure physically or spiritually |
| Fiqh | No | Islamic jurisprudence |
| Sahih | No | The denotation of a hadith is “authentic” |
| Hasan | No | The denotation of a hadith as “good” |
| Da’if | No | The denotation of a hadith as “weak” |
| Mutawatir | No | Hadith with multiple narrators |
| Ahaad | No | Non-Mutawatir hadith, usually narrated by one narrator |
| Sharia | No | Islamic canonical law based on Islamic scriptures |
| Hanafi | Yes | One of four religious Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence |
| Maliki | Yes | One of four religious Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence |
| Shafi’i | Yes | One of four religious Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence |
| Ja’fari | Yes | The religious Shia Islamic school of jurisprudence |
| Fatwa | No | Non-binding but authoritative legal ruling issued by qualified jurist |
| Sheikh | No | Honorific title for knowledgeable Islamic clergyman. |
| Imam | No | Someone who leads prayer |
| Mufti | No | Someone who can give jurisprudence judgements on religious matters |
| Ayatollah | No | Honorific title of Shia religious leader |
| Halal | No | Permissible in Islam |
| Haram | No | Impermissible in Islam |
| Makruh | No | Religiously disliked |
| Kafir | No | Infidel |
| Shirk | No | Idolatry or polytheism |
| Mushrik | No | Someone who commits shirk |
| Mulhid | No | Apostate, heretic, or atheist |
| Murtad | No | Denier (of Islam) |
| Aqidah | No | Creed |
| Zakat | No | Obligatory charity based on % wealth |
| Dawah | No | Islamic proselytizing |
Tone
WikiIslam should strive to be an objective source for knowledge about Islamic matters. To do so we must remain objective in language. Unsourced claims and assertions degrade the quality of the site. In your own writing, summarize the main and relevant information of the source cited; be sure to avoid phrases of certainty (of course, surely etc...). Do not include conclusions at any point of the text. Readers should be able to come to their own conclusions given the resources. We want to maintain a trustworthy and neutral reputation that encourages readers to do further research.
Do not make generalizing, political or hateful statements against any group of people (including Muslims); this could result in a ban.
Examples
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Notes | |
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Dr. Omar Abdul Rehman’s article is clearly the most detailed, and we will use it as the basis for our rebuttal as it includes all the QEP nonsense of Drs' Keith Moore and Maurice Bucaille. | Dr. Omar Abdul Rehman’s includes the QEP claims of Drs' Keith Moore and Maurice Bucaille. | The harsh and unprofessional tone of the sentence has been replaced and made more concise |
2
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Because of this double standard, countries such as France, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands have banned people concealing their identity in public completely. | Omit - "Because of this double standard, countries such as..." | Editor should not conclude the state of affairs, leave this to the reader |
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This is another of the absurd pseudo-scientific claims of the champion of Qur'anic Pseudo-Science, Maurice Bucaille. | Omit | Sarcasm, humor or insults should be avoided
Editors should not draw conclusions no matter how "obvious" they seem |
4
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Aisha even started a war against her old enemy Ali, causing ten thousand Muslims to kill each other in one day. | Aisha began a war against Ali that resulted in ten thousand fatalities in one day. | Avoid writing in an emotional, dramatic style. State the facts and nothing else |
5
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He isn't specific on the time frame, offering up a number of years but not definitely stating that it is exact. He doesn't mention any names or where the events took place, and doesn't... | He is not specific on the time frame, offering a number of years but nothing definitive. He does not mention any names or where the events took place, and does not... | Do not use contracted forms (e.g. "doesn't", "isn't") when you should use "is not", "does not" etc. |
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So how, we must ask, is the early universe anything like "smoke"? | Scientific Journal X addresses the early universe as... | The use of first or second person in writing ("we" and addressing the reader) should be avoided. Either reword or remove these sections. |
Overall, the tone should be encyclopedic and neutral. The facts should be presented as is with only as much commentary is needed to elucidate any given point, and the tone of the writing should be that of an encyclopedia entry describing a fact about the world we live in, not a polemic trying to convince the reader of a given point or a conversation with a friend. Speaking directly to the reader should be avoided if at all possible, and the use of the 1st person "we" should likewise be avoided if at all possible. Although the wiki covers some controversial topics the goal of its language should be to keep anyone reading as long as possible without causing any offense. This does NOT mean that the content of the article should "pull punches" or avoid controversial topics that might hurt the feelings of Muslims or any other group of people, however the word choice should not be such that a person from any given group would give up reading the article based on the word choice alone.
Analysis
All and any analysis should not be labeled as an analysis and there should be no sections dedicated to or labeled as analysis—the whole article should be a comprehensive summary and analysis of scripture and scholarly sources. Thus, analysis will present itself throughout the article.
Acceptable analysis
Includes that which brings together scholarly stances and/or direct scriptural references on a position and makes objective observations. The idea is to summarize the sources and allow the reader to determine how they support or conflict with one another. All positions mentioned should stay relevant to the subject of the article.
Unacceptable analysis
Includes any analysis that includes the editor’s own judgement, conclusions, impressions, evaluations, or ethics. It is also unacceptable for editors to judge intentions or character of any author, source, or person—real or fictional.
We do not want to lose valuable ideas present in the Wiki. While editing, do not to delete good analyses that are poorly written. Instead try to clean any biases and opinions from the old editor and leave any of the objective valuable or citable material.
Be sure to investigate counter arguments and check key translated words in the original Arabic or other language before adding a point.
Examples
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The Quran relates that God has woken the sleepers as a way to test who could calculate the length of their stay the best. | The Quran relates that Allah has woken the sleepers as a way to test who could calculate the length of their stay the best. | When referring to Islam's deity, always use his proper name (i.e. Allah) rather than the generic English term "God" (or the Arabic equivalent "Illah"). |
8
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Hiding your identity in public this way is completely legal in many western countries, whilst other face coverings such as balaclavas, masks, and motorcycle helmets will quickly get the wearer arrested if worn in a public place. | Hiding your identity in public this way is legal in many countries [...] | Focus on the topic at hand and not bringing in comparative analysis |
9
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The Gregorian calendar did not exist in Muhammad’s day, so reporting dates in Gregorian style is an anachronism. The Europeans used the Julian calendar, which was then only two or three days variant from the Gregorian. However, it will be convenient to compare Muhammad’s calendar with the one currently used by the majority of readers. | The Gregorian calendar did not exist in Muhammad’s day. However, it will be convenient to compare Muhammad’s calendar with the Gregorian calendar, which is internationally the most widely accepted and used civil calendar. | Material should be tailored to accommodate, as best as possible, a universal audience. |
10
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If this is the sort of thing Islamists are ready to propagate openly with the approval and endorsement of authorities, Universities and so many sponsors, then what other lies do they feed to children at Muslim schools, and to young adults at mosques? Why are so many of the non-Muslim governments and individuals who continue to perpetuate these myths via websites and forums so eager to appease Muslims and show that their culture produced superior inventions by taking rightful credits from other civilizations such as ancient China, ancient Rome, and pre-Islamic Egypt? | (avoid) | Opinionated rants are to be avoided. This is not an anti-jihad site or blog for airing ones frustrations concerning perceived wrongs in society. |
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Shahid (شَهيد , plural: شُهَداء šuhadā) is an Islamic term for a martyr. As with adultery and justice, the term martyr in Islam differs from the secular and Biblical definitions of the word. | Shahid (شَهيد , plural: شُهَداء šuhadā) is an Islamic term for a martyr. Its usage in Islamic literature and rhetoric differs from its use in the West and the Christian milieu. | Commentary on other religious traditions should be avoided. In this case it is an unnecessary distinction. Unless the article is comparing religious parallels as the main subject. |
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The fact that the earth is not flat has been known for thousands of years. The Rigveda of Hindus (1700 BC or older), The Ancient Greeks Pythagoras (570 - 495 BC), Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) and Hipparchus (190 - 120 BC) all knew this. The Indian astronomer and mathematician, Aryabhata (476 - 550 AD) knew this. | The spherical nature of the Earth has been understood for thousands of years. Pythagoras (570 - 495 BC), Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) and Hipparchus (190 - 120 BC) as well as Indian astronomer and mathematician, Aryabhata (476 - 550 AD) evince knowledge of the shape of the earth in their writings. | Positive and definitive claims about what other religious texts (Bible, Rigveda, etc.) say should be avoided if at all possible because such texts are open to interpretation and our aim is to remain neutral towards them. The examples given are sufficient and already cover India, so mentioning the Rigveda is unnecessary. The tone should be encyclopedic. |
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Further, this apologist has ignored... | This argument ignores... | WikiIslam is not an "interfaith" or "dialogue" site, so unless it is someone very notable for work outside of the Internet, responses should not be made to specific, usually obscure, web-based apologists. Instead responses should be made to the general arguments raised, if those arguments merit a response at all. |
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==Verses Claiming that Quran is Detailed== | ==Quranic Claim==
The Qur'an claims it is a book explained in detail: (citations) |
Section headings do not form a part of the main text. They only indicate the general topic of that particular section, and should not contain information not found within its main text. So when choosing titles for headings and subheading, editors should avoid questions or long sentences. |
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Time would show that Aisha was confident, spirited, strong-willed and highly intelligent – she had indeed “some of the qualities of Khadijah”. | (avoid) | This sentence draws conclusions from text that can be debated. There are no hadiths that mention explicitly that Aisha was 'intelligent', 'strong willed' and so on. Report facts and not opinions and deductions. |
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he must have been a good stepfather to Hala and Hind, for they remained unswervingly loyal to him. | (avoid) | This sentence is drawing conclusions that are not present in the original text. Stepchildren remaining loyal could equally suggest that Muhammad was a strict and uncaring disciplinarian. But since neither conclusion is supported by facts, commenting on them should be avoided. |
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Juwayriya was sweet-natured, charming and as alluringly beautiful as a fairy; men became infatuated with her at first sight. | Juwayriya was described in some hadiths as "jinnya" which some dictionaries translate to "angelic". | An editor's own conclusions or exaggerations are being replaced with facts. |
Lead vs Body
Lead
The Lead Text should define and explain only essential information about the subject and its impacts/contributions. The Lead Text text comes before the table of contents and does not have a section title. It is composed of one to four paragraphs and should be written simply and concisely to allow for easy digestion of information. This will also help Google create snippets for their search engine and therefore boosts the article’s visibility.
The lead text is the most important text in the article and should reflect the objective standard we are trying to achieve.
The lead should also give a reasonable facsimile of the information in the article. As WikiIslam is an encyclopedia this should not be an argument but should be long enough to give the reader an idea of what they will be reading.
Body
The body text should go into greater detail than the Lead text. It is important that all challengeable materials, or any claim that is subject to dispute, are from third party published works. The body should go into further details of interest on the subject and be broken down into sections.
Where a source is open to interpretation or is disputed, editors should not assume a particular meaning. Interpretations can be discussed by reference to scholars. The editor should only seek to summarize and collect sources that accurately reflect the positions and dialogue concerning the article’s subject. Articles should never end with an evaluation of the editor’s impression. In fact, the article should not have ending remarks at all, as they give a sense of finality and closure that discourages the reader from further research. The WikiIslam articles should aim only to provide the reader with the information they need to draw their own conclusions.
Transliteration
If the transliterated word is not the subject of the article always link the first occurrence of the word to its own article when applicable. If you find a commonly transliterated word does not have its own article suggest or start one.
Title
For titles of transliterated words use the standardized transliteration as the title with the English translation in brackets next to it. Example: Jannah (Heaven)
Article
If a word has a suitable English translation the first occurrence of the word should use the translation followed by brackets including the transliteration and the word in its original language. Example: dust (turabin تُرَابٍ) all following occurrences can use either the English translation (preferred) or the transliteration if necessary.
If the word does not have a suitable English translation the first occurrence of the word should use the standardized transliteration followed by brackets including the language and the word in its original language. Example: Jizyah (جزية) all following occurrences can use the transliterated word.
Honorifics
This page explains polices concerning honorifics
Prophet, Christ or Lord
When discussing the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the first mention in an article and its conclusion should begin with the capitalized qualifier, Prophet, i.e. "The Prophet Muhammad". The same applies to any personal noun such as Jesus or Ganesha, (i.e. Jesus Christ" or "Lord Ganesha). This is because we need to be clear that we are discussing the religious figures named Muhammad, Jesus or Ganesha, and not another individual. Referring to Jesus as "Jesus Christ" does not make one a Christian, nor does referring to Muhammad as "Prophet Muhammad" make one a Muslim.
Sheikh, Imam, Saint or Doctor
Due to similar reasons, at least the first mention in an article should include the individual's religious title. For example, "Imam Bukhari" or "Shaykh Qaradawi". This is no different than referring to a saint or doctor as "Saint Patrick" or "Dr. Phil".
SAW, SWT, He, Him or Her
WikiIslam aims to be an objective platform, therefore additional religious honorifics such as "Muhammad (saw)" or "Allah (swt)" are not permitted in articles, unless quoting from a text which has them. The same applies to using an uppercase "H" in words such as "he", "him" or "her" in reference to deities of any religion. An exception to this rule would be the talk pages where users are free to use whatever form they feel comfortable with.
See Also
External Links
- Guidelines for Effective Professional and Academic Writing - University of Florida, Reviewed January 2013 (archived), http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc063