Quiz 1 Intro to Islam

Abbasids

The Name of the Sunni dynasty that ruled much of the Islamic world through what has come to be called the golden age of Islam

Abdallah

Muhammad’s Father

Abd al-Muttablib

The Name of Muhammad’s paternal grandfather

Abu Bakr

Muhammud’s friend, advisor, father of his wife A’isha and the first Caliph of the Sunnis

Abu Talib

The name of Muhammad’s paternal uncle, who took over his guardianship after he had been orphaned.

adhan (or azan)

The Islamic call to prayer, which is broadcast from mosques five times a day

Ahmadiya

The followers of the religious reformer Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadian (d. 1908), who are considered apostates by many Sunnis because they grant him the status of prophethood.

A’isha

The name of Abu Bakr’s daughter and wife of Muhammad; she outlived him by several decades and is one of the most important sources of doctrinal and historical information in the formative period of Islam

al-Ash^cari

The name of the most famous theologian in the history of Islam, and founder of the Ash^cariya school of theology

al-Azhar

The name of the most prestigious center of Sunni learning and one of the world’s oldest surviving universities. It is located in Cairo.

Ali

Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law; considered the first Imam by Shi^ci Muslims and the fourth Caliph by Sunnis. He is one of the most important figures in early Islam

Allah

Literally, “the god,” the proper name of God in Islam

Amina

The Name of Muhammad’s Mother

Ash^cariya

The name of the most influential school of theology in Islam

aya (pl. ayat):

Litrally, “signs of God”; the term used for individual verses of the Qur’an.

Ayatollah:

High-ranking members of the Twelver Shi^ci clergy, who are authorized to engage in ijtihad.

Baraka: (sometimes barkat or bereket)

A miraculous power bestowed on human beings by God, and believed to be possessed by Sufi saints.

Batin:

A term used in Sufism and esoteric Shi^ci thought for the outer, obvious meaning of a text, particularly the Qur’an

Caliphs:

The leaders of the Muslim community after Muhammad. It comes from the Arabic word khalifa, which means “representative” or “delegate,” implying that the Caliphs did not rule on their own authority but only as the representatives of God and His Prophet.

dhikr (or zikr):

Literally “repetition,” “remembrance,” “utterance,” or “mentioning,” the commonest term used for Sufi meditational exercises.

Eid al-Adha:

The “Festival of the Sacrifice” that marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Eid al-Fitr:

The festival that commemorates the end of the fast of Ramadan

Fana:

A Sufi mystical concept that signifies the annihilation of a person’s individuality in the oneness of God

faqih: (fiqh).

A scholar who engages in the theoretical study of Islamic jurisprudence

Fatima:

Muhammad’s daughter, wife of Ali and mother of Husayn. She is a focus of devotion in Shi^ci Islam.

fatwa:

A legal opinion or decree; the answer given by a mufti to a question posed to him.

fiqh:

Islamic jurisprudence

Hadith:

Traditions or anecdotes concerning the life and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad; used as a scriptural source of secondary importance to the Qur’an

hafiz:

Literally, “guardian,” an honorific title used for someone who knows the Qur’an by heart.

Hajj:

A pilgrimage to the Ka^cba in Mecca, which constitutes one of the ritual obligations of Islam

Hanafi:

Name of one of the four Sunni legal schools.

Hanbali:

Name of one of the four Sunni legal schools.

Hashim:

The name of Muhammad’s clan.

Hijra:

The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622, which marks the beginning of the Islamic Hijri calendar.

Husayn:

The younger son of Ali and Fatima, and grandson of the Prophet. His martyrdom at Karbala is a major focus of Shi^ci belief and ritual.

ijtihad:

The independent reasoning of a qualified Islamic legal scholar, referred to as a mujtahid or faqih

Imam:

Literally, “leader,” it is a term used for anyone who leads prayers in a mosque. More importantly, it is the title of the rightful leader of the Muslim community in the Shi^ci sect

Iman

Faith

Islam:

Literally, “surrender” or “submission,” the name of a monotheistic religion closely related to Judaism and Christianity; people belonging to this religion are called Muslims

Islamists :

Individuals who believe in the necessity of establishing a society based on Islamic principles and governed by their own understanding of Islamic law and values

Isma^cilis:

The name of a Shi^ci sect.

isnad:

The chain of transmitting authorities of a Hadith account.