APWHM - Ch. 2

Abbasid dynasty

principal source of authority in the dar al

madrasas

institutions of higher education

Abu Bakr

he was selected by Muhammad’s advisers after his death to act as a caliph leading the umma as a replacement for Muhammad, but not as a prophet

Mecca

the holiest city of Islam

al

Andalus

Medina

Arab for “the city,” meaning “city of the prophet” is was the new home of Muhammad and his followers after migrating from Mecca

Allah

Arab for “God,” the only deity in Islam

Muhammad

prophet

bedouin

The nomadic peoples of the Arabian peninsula

Muslim

Arab for “one who has submitted,” meaning a Islamic follower, one who has submitted to Allah

caliph

After Muhammad’s death, caliphs were appointed to lead the umma as a replacement for him, but not as a prophet

qadis

(“judges”) heard cases at law and rendered decisions based on the Quran and the sharia, they are not priests but had a formal education that emphasized study of the Quran and sharia

dar

al

Quran

Arab for “recitation,” the holy book of Islam, the written version of Muhammad’s revelations. Serves as the definitive authority for Islamic religious doctrine and social organization

Five Pillars of Islam

The obligations of Islam

Rubaiyat

the title of the verses of Omar Khayyam later translated by Edward Fitzgerald from Persian to English

hadith

a report of a saying, action, or silent approval attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, serving as the second most important source of religious guidance and law in Islam after the Quran

sakk

honored letters of credit in Islamic banks

hajj

The holy pilgrimage to Mecca

sharia

Islamic holy law offering detailed guidance on proper behavior in almost every aspect of life

Harun al

Rashid

Shia

(“party”) supporting the caliphate of Ali and his descendents

hijra

Arab for “migration” is Muhammad’s move to Medina, serving as the starting point of the official Islamic calendar

Sufi

mystic Islamic missionaries, one of the most effective

Ibn Rushd

qadi of Selville in the caliphate of Córdoba

Sunni

(“traditionalists”), who accepted the legitimacy of the early caliphs

Islam

Arab for "submission" signifying obedience to the rule and will of Allah

ulama

(“people with religious knowledge”) pious scholars who sought to develop public policy in accordance with the Quran and the sharia, they are not priests but had a formal education that emphasized study of the Quran and sharia

jihad

Arab for “struggle” it is an additional obligation undertaken by some muslims.

umma

Arab for “community of the faithful” it is a cohesive community Muhammad organized his followers in after migrating to Mecca, providing them with a comprehensive legal and social code.

jizya

a special head tax Arab conquerors put onto people who didn’t convert to Islam

Umayyad dynasty

After Ali’s death, ruled the dar al

Ka’ba

Islamic sanctuary in the city of Mecca