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Haram
OED Definition
A. adj. Forbidden or proscribed by Islamic law.
How this term should be used
Journalists should take care that they do not conflate the concepts of “Makruh” and “Haram”. The former, because it does not refer to an absolute prohibition, is applicable to a much larger number of behaviours than the latter. Furthermore, because the status of certain actions is contested among the various schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, journalists using the term “Haram” should be cognisant of the risks involved in applying it in a catch-all manner.
Haram is the highest form of prohibition in Islam. For Muslims, anything that has been deemed Haram is forbidden absolutely. The hierarchy of acts from permissible to forbidden is as follows:
Fard/Wajib: Something which is “Wajib” or “Fard” is compulsory. Doing these actions gains rewards in the afterlife, while failing to perform them may earn punishment.
Mustahabb: Something which is desirable but not an absolute duty. It refers to actions which are loved by God, but which are not punishable in the afterlife if they are not done.
Mubah: Something which is permissible but neither encouraged nor discouraged.
Makruh: Something which is undesirable but not absolutely prohibited. It refers to actions which are said to be disliked by God, but will not necessarily be punished. Avoiding such actions is seen as something that will be rewarded, however, and doing them to excess could be punishable.
Haram: Something which is sinful and absolutely prohibited. Doing such actions may be punished in the next life, while avoiding such things is rewarded.