Harams

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term often used in Arabic to denote actions or things that are forbidden or considered sinful in Islamic law; activities that transgress moral or religious codes established by the faith; items or practices that contradict ethical standards within the context of Islam
2. Referring to prohibitions laid out by religious doctrine that dictate behaviors not acceptable for believers; a designation for actions deemed unlawful by specific spiritual teachings; various practices that hold a negative moral connotation in the Muslim tradition
3. Denoting anything that is considered illegal or sinful in the eyes of Islamic jurisprudence; describing behaviors or items that are not permissible according to religious texts; encapsulating all acts that are advised against in the context of the faith

Etymology: "Harams" is simply the plural of "haram", so it refers to several forbidden acts at once. The singular "haram" was borrowed from Arabic "ḥarām", a word meaning forbidden or sacred-and-prohibited, and it carries that same idea of something set apart and off-limits. The word is a doublet of "harem" and "herem", meaning that all three descend from the same Arabic root and reached English by different routes. "Harem" entered English through Turkish and Ottoman usage for the women's quarters of a household, while "herem" is a Hebrew term for a ban or devotion to destruction. Each took a different path into English, but they share the same underlying sense of something withdrawn from ordinary use.