Mosque
A holy Islamic place of worship.
3 Holy Cities
Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, considered sacred in Islam.
Caliph
A political and religious leader in Islam.
Shea
A group that believes Mohammed's successors should be blood-related.
Sunni
A group that believes Mohammed's successors should be of a highly religious and political status.
Qu'ran
The Islamic holy book.
Shahadu
The belief in only one god, Allah.
Salah
The obligation for all Muslims to pray five times a day towards the city of Mecca.
Sawn
The practice of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
Zakat
Almsgiving or giving to the poor in Islam.
Hajj
The pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must undertake.
Jihad
The inner struggle of doing right versus wrong in Islam.
Sharia
The Islamic law code.
Ramadan
The month in which the Qur'an was revealed to Mohammed, observed with fasting and ends with Eid al-Fitr.
Imam
A Sunni leader who leads prayers and communities at a mosque.
12 Shea Imams
Chosen by God to be perfect examples and leaders of the Muslim people (believed by some Shea).
Hijab
A headscarf worn by Muslim women to cover the head and neck for modesty.
Niqab
A veil that covers the entire head, leaving only an opening for the eyes.
Burqa
A garment that covers the entire body, with a mesh over the eyes.
Dhimmi
A person of protected status who can live freely in an Islamic land by paying a special tax called jizya.
Usury
The practice of charging interest on loans, prohibited in Islam.
"Green Revolution"
A farming revolution that spread agricultural techniques and introduced new foods, such as sugar cane, rice, bananas, limes, and lemons.
Madrasas
Centers that combine a city center, market, mosque, and school area.
Banking System
A system that allows for loans without charging interest, using credit slips.
Aeyesha
A woman who led an army across the world.
Had'ith
A book containing the sayings of Mohammed.
Purdah
The practice of veiling women.
Chador
A black garment typically worn by women in Iran and Pakistan.
Fundamentalist
A person who wants to adhere strictly to the basics of Islam and live as Mohammed did in 600 CE.
Lanteen Sail
A sail that helps maneuver ships better.
Astrolabe
A device used in the Mediterranean world to calculate latitude.