Unit7IslamicEmpiresVocabAndNotes

Muhammad

An Arab religious soldier, and political leader who founded Islam

Allah

An Arab religious soldier, and political leader who founded Islam

Qur’an (Koran)

The Islamic sacred book believed to be the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel and written down in Arabic according to the Islam religion

Sunnah

The practices, traditions, sayings, actions, and silent approvals of the Prophet Muhammad

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs, practices, items, and ideas – such as food, fashion, music, technology, and language form one society or group to another

Ali (Muhammad’s son in law)

Son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad; a pivotal figure in early Islam and was raised in Muhammad’s household

Bedouin

A nomadic Arab of the desert

Abbasids

A member of the Abbasid dynasty

Five Pillars of Islam

Core practices and beliefs: Shahada-faith, Salah-prayer, Zakat- alms, Sawm-fasting, and Hajj-pilgrimage

Sunni-Shia Division

the primary 1,400-year-old schism in Islam originating from a dispute over who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community

Umayyad Caliphate

First major Islamic dynasty that expanded the Muslim empire from Spain to Central Asia

Battle of Tours

A decisive engagement where Frankish forces led by Charles Martel defeated the advancing army of the Umayyad Caliphate, led by Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi, between Tours and Poitiers in France

Arabic

The Semitic language of the Arabs, spoken throughout the Middle East and North Africa

Dome of the Rock

A 7^th century Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem

University (in the context of Islam)

An educational institution that integrates Islamic principles, theology, and studies with a range of academic disciplines