Muslim World

The Five Pillars of Islam

The basic tennants of the Islamic faith; they include reciting a profession of faith in God and in Muhammad as God’s prophet, praying during the month of Ramadan, making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in one’s lifetime, and contributing alms to the poor.

Shahada

A public declaration of your faith

Salat

Prayer 5 times a day toward Mecca

Zakat

Charity (alms for the poor)

Sawm

Can’t eat (or drink) during the sunset for thirty days (Ramadan)

Hajj

Final 10 days of the religious calendar when around 2 million Muslims travel to Mecca to go see the Kaaba (Every Muslim is expected to go on Hajj at least once in there life)

Ka’aba

Sacred Islamic building/temple in Mecca (House of God)

Qur’an

The sacred book of Islam

Hadith

Collections of the sayings of and anecdotes about Muhammad

Sunna

An Arabic term meaning “trodden path.” The term refers to the deeds and sayings of Muhammad, which constitute the obligatory example of Muslim life

Umma

A community of people who share a religious faith and commitment rather than a tribal tie

Diwan

Employees and structure run by the Emirs

Ulama

They revise, write, and review the law according to the Qur'an

Emirs

Governors that keep peace and collect taxes (They pay the soldiers)

Dhimmis

This was the term for non-muslims who were living under muslim protection (can't convert people to their faith)

Madrasa

This is the Arabic word for an educational institution. It commonly refers to one with religious teaching

Mozarabs

Refers to​​ any of the Spanish Christians living under Muslim rule (8th–11th century), who, while unconverted to Islam, adopted Arabic language and culture

Mosque

A place of Worship (Churches)

Allah

The one god of the Muslim

Muhammad

The prophet and Founder of Islam. Born into a prominent Meccan family and orphaned, and starts working as a tradesman. He becomes very successful and devotes his life to prayer and meditation. He has revelations from the angel Gabriel who tells him to spread the word of Allah. Taught others to abandon all gods in favor of Allah

Muslim

A follower of the religion Islam. Translates to(‘One who has Submitted’)

Caliph

A Muslim leader/emperor

The Four Rightly Guided Caliphs(religious rulers)

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali

Abu Bakr

Muhammads cousin who became the leader after much argument

Ali ibn Abi Talib

son-in-law and companion of Muhammad. Ali was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he is considered the first Shia Imam

Hussein ibn Ali

was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad

Ibn Battuta

Ancient Muslim traveler who wrote most likely true stories of his expeditions

Umayyad

New dynasty that moved the capital to Damascus, were rich and not humble, and they had an opposition which was Hussein Ibn Ali, Ali’s son

Abbasid

The Abbasid Caliphate was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, from whom the dynasty takes its name

Shi’a

Arabic term meaning “supporters of Ali”; they make up one of the two main divisions of Islam

Imam

Muslim prayer leader (Muslim priest)

Sunni

Members of the larger of the two main divisions of Islam; the division between Sunnis and Shi’a began in a dispute about succession to Muhammad, but over time many differences in theology developed

Sufi

this is the mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God

Hijra

Muhammad he is seen as a threat to pagan worshipers, Jews and Christians accuse him of blasphemy. he flees mecca and heads to Medina with a few followers. Recruits many devoted followers, thousands. He then heads back to Mecca with 10,000 followers and forces their leaders to surrender and their gods. Ends up in Arabian unification under Islam by 700 CE

Gabriel

Islam regards Gabriel as an archangel sent by God to various prophets, including Muhammad

Mecca

City that is the center of the Islam religion and is highly regarded because it is the birth place of Islam

Medina

City that Muhammad went to to gain followers for Islam and eventually gained a huge following there and headed back to Mecca

Born Muslims

Had the most power since they originate to Muslims

Converts

Both Converts and Born Muslims have most of the same rights, privileges, power

"Dhimmi"

Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians; Could worship and it was the job of the government to protect their rights; Can’t evangelize or compete with Islam; Jitzya - Had higher taxes/headcount

Slaves

Lowest Class, treated horrible, had little to no rights, the typical things

Muslim Spain

Al-Andalus, also called Muslim Spain, Muslim kingdom that occupied much of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 ce until the collapse of the Spanish Umayyad dynasty in the early 11th century

Cordoba

or the Caliphate of Córdoba, Muslim state that existed in Spain from January 16, 929

Shari’a

Muslim law, which covers social, criminal, political, commercial, and religious matters

Death and Burial

These are simple and cheap. your body is washed and covered. You are buried right after you die. You must be buried with your head facing Mecca, and a simple white cloth over you. Buried within 48 hours of death

Eid al-Fitr

Similar to Fat Tuesday, but at the end of Ramadan instead of the beginning

Zamzam Well

This is a holy well that they believe God opened up for Moses wife and children. The water here is considered sacred and is used in a lot of religious practices