Universalizing Religions Vocabulary

prophet

messenger of God

alms

donation or charity to the poor, one of the Five Pillars

Kaaba

Center of Islam, located in Mecca, a sacred building

Hadiths

collections of Muhammads interpretations of the Quran

Islam

Submission

Muslim

Someone who practices Islam, someone who submits

Arabs

People from the Arabian area

Arabic

Language spoken by Arabs

Quran

Sacred text of Islam

Mecca

Capital of Islam located in Saudi Arabia

Medina

second holiest city in Islam, in Saudi Arabia, where Muhammad fled to after leaving Mecca

Jizya

Tax that non-Muslims had to pay in Muslim states

Ibn Sina

Philosopher who contributed to medicine and philosophy

Ramadan

Ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk

Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars

Caliph

successor of Muhammad

Sunni

Majority of Muslims, follow a line of political succession from Muhammad through the first four caliphs, caliphs are chosen through election rather than direct lineage.

Shiite

Minority of Muslims that follows the political succession through the lineage of Muhammad

Ali

Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad and the fourth caliph

Hajj

Journey from Mecca to Medina that Muhammad and his people traveled when they fled Mecca

Sharia

Islamic law that covers all aspects of practical and spiritual life

Umayyads

A Meccan family that established the first hereditary dynasty in Islam. Focused on military expansion, conquest of Iberia, establishment of a unified Islamic fleet.

Monacticism

Practice of living without marriage or family

Caliphate

The line of political rulers reaching back the Muhammad

Damascus

Capital of the Umayyads

Cordoba

Capital of Islamic Spain

Great Mosque of Cordoba

Gigantic, located in Cordoba

Fatimids

A group whose lineage traces back to Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad and wife of Ali

Jihad

struggle to build an Islamic society, the protection of the Islamic community

dar-al-Islam

The Muslim regions of the world, the House of Islam

Dar-al harb

the world of warfare

Abbasids

Descended from Muhammads uncle. More inclusive, multi-ethnic approach, with significant Persian and other non-Arab participation in administration. More religiously tolerant of Jews and Christians. Less vast than the Umayyad Empire, losing territories like parts of the Maghreb. Fostered advancements in science, mathematics, medicine, and literature, established the House of Wisdom.

Baghdad

capital of the Abbasid caliph, now the capital of Iraq

House of Wisdom

Library and place of intelligence in Baghdad during the Islamic golden age

Djenne Mosque

Mosque built out of mud brick in Mali

universalizing religions

unify divided groups, Christianity and Islam are universalizing. They are usually appealing because they say everyone is spiritually equal, people who had less liked this.

The 5 Pillars of Islam

profession of faith, prayer 5x a day, alms, hajj, Ramadan

Constantinople

capital of the Byzantine Empire

Rome

center of the Roman Empire

Ancient Judea

a Roman province

Justinian

Emperor of Rome, 15 years older than Theodora, introduced mosaics and icons

Theodora

Actress, very smart, married Justinian, contributed to the rise of the Byzantine Empire

The Nika Revolt

There was a rebellion in the people of Rome against taxes and Constantinople went up in flames. Justinian was told to leave, but Theodora convinced him to stay. 30,000 people died

The Golden Age

After the Nika Revolt, Constantinople was rebuilt and the laws were revised, the Roman Empire began a golden age, turning into the Byzantine Empire.

Corpus Juris Civilis

The revised Roman laws that Justinian and Theodora worked on during the Golden Age

Hagia Sophia

Church of Holy Wisdom built by Justinian. Extremely large and took centuries to top

Jesus Christ

Son of God, basis of Christianity, died for the peoples sins

Muhammad

Prophet, founder of Islam

Abraham

Hebrew patriarch which Christianity, Judaism, and Islam stemmed from

Alhambra

Muslim Palace in Grenada Spain. It has a working government with government officials

Ibn Hisham

author of The Life of Muhammad 

Ulama

professional scholars in Islam

Umm Walad

unsellable mother of her enslaver’s child

Laypersons

common believers, not clergy

The Torah

sacred text in Judaism

Mount Ararat

where Noah’s Ark landed

passover

Jewish holiday which commemorates the plague of the eldest son dying

ten commandments

directives sent from God which later became the basis for many thoughts in Judaism

Seven Sacraments

seven holy rituals in Christianity

Charlemagne

Ruler of the Franks