UNISLAMIC ENGLISH IDIOMS T-Z

Ihsan IbadurrahmanG1025429

THANK ONE’S LUCKY STARS

We say this when expressing heartfelt gratitude or feeling fortunate.

“I can thank my lucky stars I wasn’t on the plane that crashed.”

Origin: Ancient religions believed that fortune would come when stars are in the right alignment,

so when the fortunes indeed came, the primitive people would "thank their lucky stars" for this.

It is unislamic to thank stars, as a Muslim we should only thank Allah for whatever good that may

come to us.

( 4َح9ِم7يٌد 7ٌّي; َغ9ِن @َه9 الَّل 7َّن@ َف9ِإ 9َف9َر9 َك َو9َم9ن َه7 9َفNِس7 7ِن ل OَرO ُك N9ْش َي @ِم9ا 7َّن َف9ِإ NَرO ُك N9ْش َي َو9َم9ن @َه7 7َّل ل NَرO ُك Nاْش َّن79 َأ Nِم9َة9 Nِح7ُك ال OْقNِم9اَّن9 ل 9ا Nِن 9ي آَت N9ْق9ٌد ( 31:12َو9ل

“and, indeed, we granted this wisdom unto Luq man: “Be grateful unto God - for he who is

grateful [unto Him] is but grateful for the good of his own self; whereas he who chooses to be

ungrateful [ought to know that], verily, God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised!” – [Luqman,

31:12]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thank_one%27s_lucky_stars

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

A clue that foretells the future.

“I'm not surprised by this, I saw the writing on the wall.”

This idiom originated from the bible, and it suggests the superstitious belief

about something the belief that something written on the wall might come true.

As a muslim, we should only believe in Allah.

`Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the

Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,“(Believing in) bad omen is (a

form of) idolatry.”

Originated From the Bible, Daniel 5:5/6 (King James Version):

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon

the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his

loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.http://xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/believing-in-good-and-bad-omens-superstitions/http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/416550.html

(AS) UGLY AS SIN

Used to refer to people or things that are considered very unattractive.

“Have you seen the new neighbor? They are as ugly as sin.”

Origin: This simile, first recorded in 1801, replaced the earlier ugly as the devil.

It is unbecoming in Islam to call people’s name especially when it’s connected to sins. Islam sees sin as anything that goes against the will of Allah (God). Islam teaches that sin is an act and not a state of being, and we do not want to label someone negatively just because of one’s appearance.

“O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.” [Al-Hujurat, 49:11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin#Islamhttp://www.answering-christianity.com/good_manners.htmhttp://idioms.yourdictionary.com/ugly-as-sin

WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER

Never, not a chance.

“You can ask until hell freezes over, I still won’t allow you to go bungee-jumping”

Etymology: based on the idea that hell (a very hot place where people are

punished forever) can never freeze.

The use of the word ‘hell’ itself is very obscene, and should only be used in a

religious context as to warn people. Also, in Islam we should have faith in Allah and

trust him that even something impossible can happen if He says ‘be it’.

“If Allah touches you with affliction, none can remove it but He; if He touch you

with happiness, He hath power over all things. He is the Omnipotent over His

slaves; and He is the Wise, Acquainted with all things.” [Al-An`am, 6:17-18]

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/until+hell+freezes+over

WAIT FOR THE CAT TO JUMP

To delay taking action until you see how events will turn out.

“Let’s wait for the cat to jump before we decide.”

Origin: A cruel sport in the olden days was to place a cat in a tree as a

target; the "sportsman" would wait to see which way the cat jumped

before pulling the trigger.

Based on its rather vicious origin, this idiom seems to suggest that a

decision is made out of a cat, which can be linked to another

superstitious belief.

http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/phrases.htm

(AS) WHITE AS A GHOST

To refer to a person who looks very pale and frightened.

“You look as white as a ghost, what happened?”

Origin: The earliest written evidence of this saying dates from the 1600. When

a person is frightened, or sick, the blood drains from their face, leaving them

looking very white.

This gives that false impression that ghosts are visible in white. In Islam, Ghost

is something to be believed as ghaib, and therefore cannot be attributed to it

being white in appearance.

“And yet, some [people] have come to attribute to all manner of invisible

beings a place side by side with God - although it is He who has created them

[all]; and in their ignorance they have invented for Him sons and daughters!

Limitless is He is His glory, and sublimely exalted above anything that men may

devise by way of definition.” [Al-an’am, 6:100]  http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/750571

WORK LIKE A CHARM

If something works like a charm, it functions very well and has the

desired effect.

“I tried cleaning with Vinegar and it worked like a charm.”

Origin: Probably related to the fact that one of the meanings of the

word "charm" is "magic spell", so if something "works like a charm" it

works as well as magic.

Charm here refers to a magic and the use of magic itself is forbidden in

Islam as it is an act of blasphemy.

“…Suleiman (Solomon) did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved

teaching men magic…" [Al-Baqarah, 2:102] http://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idioms/W/work_like_a_charm_374.htmhttp://www.islamawareness.net/BlackMagic/magic.html

TURN UP LIKE A BAD PENNY

To say that someone appears at a place or even where they are not welcome or wanted.

“I try to avoid Jane, but whenever I go she turns up like a bad Penny.”

Origin: This is probably a reference to tossing a coin to decide something. A penny is a

type of coin, and the old British penny, in use up to about 1970, was a big coin, about

30mm across, so it was very good for tossing to decide a 50/50 outcome. A bad penny

would be one that would keep turning up the same side.

Based on its origin, this idiom has an association to a tossing of a coin, or a game of

chance, and is forbidden in Islam.

“O YOU who have attained to faith! Intoxicants, and g ames of chance, and idolatrous

practices, and the divining of the future are but a loathsome evil of Satan's doing:' shun

it, then, so that you might attain to a happy state!” [Al-Ma’idah, 5:90]

http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question66898.html

WHIZ-KID

To refer to someone, usually young, who is very talented and

successful at doing something.

“Apparently the new engineer knows what he’s doing – he’s

such a real whiz kid.”

Origin: The whiz may be a back-formation from the word

wizard, with its connotations of uncanny skill.

Wizards in Islam are practitioners of witchcraft, or worshippers

of demons. It is not in line with Islamic manners to call people

with ‘bad’ names such as wizards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiz_kid

TALK OF THE DEVIL

It is used when an object of discussion unexpectedly becomes present during the conversation.

A: “So, what do think of the new teacher?”

B: “Oh he’s brilliant, look here he comes.”

A: “Talk of the Devil!”

The phrase is an abbreviation of English proverb, "Speak of the devil and he doth appear." Deriving from

the Middle Ages, this proverb (which was, and to a certain extent still is, rendered as "Talk of the

Devil...") was a superstitious prohibition against speaking directly of the Devil or of evil in general, which

was considered to incite that party to appear, generally with unfortunate consequences. Its first printed

usage in modern English can be found in Giovanni Torriano's Piazza Universale (1666), as "The English

say, Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow.“

This idiom carries that superstitious belief that speaking directly of the devil might incite him to appear,

also the meaning itself suggests that ‘coincidence’ exists. This is to contrast with the teaching of Islam

that says that everything is pre-determined, and Allah has arranged all of our actions in heaven.

“And in the heaven is your providence and that which ye are promised.” [Adh-Dhariyat, 51:22] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_of_the_devilhttp://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503546622