Islam

Abraham

“a figure revered by the three great monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam… God called him to found a new nation in an undesignated land that he later learned was Canaan” - Britannica

Jerusalem

Jews believe that the Messiah will come and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Jesus died and Christians believe was resurrected there. He also preached there.

Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven in Jerusalem before returning to Earth.

Monotheism

the belief in one god

Allah

Arabic name for the Abrahamic god

Mosque

the Islamic place of worship

Ishmael

was the son of Abraham who is credited with founding Mecca and is considered an ancestor to Muhammad

Medina

Originally called Yathrib. Where Muhammad fled to after his followers were attacked in Mecca. Muhammad united the Jews and Arabs there. Is the end location of the Hijrah

Imam

a prayer leader in a mosque/religious leader

Shi’a/shiite

smaller of the two major sects of Islam. believed that Muhammad’s successor should be family.

Khadijah

employed Muhammad as a trader and manager before marrying him when she was about 40 and he was about 25. She was wealthy and a business woman.

Muslim

a person of the Islamic faith

Hajj

a pilgrimage to Mecca where all pilgrims wear the same simple clothes to present as equal under Allah

People of the Book

Islamic term for Christian and Jewish people. They are tolerated and given religious freedom since they also believe in the Abrahamic god

Sufis

people who rejected a luxurious life and chose to live in poverty so they could focus on devotion to Islam

Fatimid (caliphate)

formed by Shi’a/shiite Muslims who claimed they were descendants of Muhammad’s daughter. Began in northern Africa but spread to Arabia. Third caliphate after the rightly guided caliphs. (fourth total). Only controlled Arabia, Egypt, Levant, and the northernmost part of Africa

House of Wisdom

mixture of a translation center, academy, and library and allowed scholars to translate/preserve knowledge that would have been lost otherwise.

Islam

an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion that believes in the prophet Muhammad

Shari’a

a system of law that controlled family life, moral conduct, business, and community of Muslims

Abbasids (caliphate)

murdered members of the Umayyad caliphate and moved capital to Baghdad which allowed for better trade and information exchange. existed at the same time as the Fatimid Caliphate in some regions. was the second caliphate after the rightly guided caliphs (third total). controlled land from Anatolia to Persia and other neighboring regions.

Polytheism

the belief in more than one god/deity

Muhammad

In Islam, is believed to be the last prophet of the Abrahamic religions. At about 40 years old, he had a revelation and founded Islam

Mecca

the place in Arabia where Muhammad was born and founded Islam. He fled Mecca due to hostility but returned later and defeated the Meccans. He called to prayer from the roof of the Ka’aba

Arabic

the language spoken in Arabia. Read from right to left. Here is an example:

العربية تبدو هكذا.

Sunni

Muslim leaders should follow Muhammad’s teachings and don’t have to be related to him

Ka’aba

an important Islamic monument. Muhammad called to prayer from its roof after his victory in Mecca. 🕋

Quran

the Islamic holy text that is a collection of Muhammad’s revelations

5 Pillars

the values/practices conducive to living as a Muslim

1) faith - a person must testify that they believe there is only one god and Muhammad is the messenger of that god

2) prayer - five times per day Muslims must pray facing mecca. they can pray wherever they are, but they can also visit a mosque

3) alms - a religious tax that is given to the poor

4) fasting - during Ramadan Muslims must fast between sunrise and sunset. is a reminder that spirituality is more important than physical needs

5) pilgrimage - Muslims must perform the Hajj, or a trip to Mecca, if they are able. This is expected to happen at least once in someone’s life

Bedouins

native people of the Negev desert (Israel)

Gabriel

the angel who spoke to Muhammad in his revelation and told him that he was a prophet

Hijrah

Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina. marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar

Sunna

Muhammad’s example on how to live a good life

Caliph

a successor to Muhammad and a leader to the Muslim community

Umayyads (caliphate)

was led by Sunni Muslims. Held the belief that the first caliphates were “rightly guided” and moved the capital to Damascus. Valued wealth and ceremony. was the caliphate right after the rightly guided caliphs (second total) controlled a large portion of the Middle East.

Sakks

the progenitor to modern checks. they were Islam's letters of credit and were given to merchants from banks

Calligraphy

the art of decorative handwriting

Dome of the Rock

a shrine/mosque in Jerusalem. is built where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven and returned to spread Allah’s message

Jihad

a fight or conflict with the enemies of Islam

Cordoba

is home to a mosque built in 748 CE. the mosque has a distinct Umayyad style

Rightly Guided Caliphs

the first four Caliphs (in this order, Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib) were very successful in conquering lands such as Palestine, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, and Syria. All four were connected to Muhammad, but not all were related to him by blood.

Open Courtyard

has a fountain for ablutions (spiritual cleansing of the body) and found in mosques

Minbar

a pulpit where an imam leads a prayer in a mosque

Minaret

a tower attached to a mosque. plays a tune/sound to call people to prayer five times a day

Qiblah Wall

a decorated wall of a mosque that faces towards Mecca. the minbar is also located here

Adhan

the call to prayer that is sung/played from a minaret

Mihrab

a shallow recess/cavity in a mosque. found on the Qiblah Wall

Dome (mosque)

a feature symbolic of the heavens and also allows voices to project throughout the mosque