Chapter 2: The Expansive Realm of Islam- Vocab Flashcards
Abbasid Dynasty
Cosmopolitan Arabic dynasty (750–1258) that replaced the Umayyads; founded by Abu al-Abbas and reached its peak under Harun al-Rashid.
Abu Bakr
First caliph after the death of Muhammad.
al-Andalus
Islamic Spain.
Allah
God of the monotheistic religion of Islam.
Bedouin
(BEHD-oh-ihnz) Nomadic Arabic tribespeople.
Caliph
“Deputy,” Islamic leader after the death of Muhammad.
Dar al-Islam
The “house of Islam,” a term for the Islamic world.
Five Pillars of Islam
The foundation of Islam: (1) profession of faith, (2) prayer, (3) fasting during Ramadan, (4) almsgiving, and (5) pilgrimage, or hajj.
Hadith
A collection of sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and accounts of his deeds.
Hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Harun al-Rashid
Powerful ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate who reigned from 789 to 809 C.E.
Hijra
Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622, which is the beginning point of the Islamic calendar and is considered to mark the beginning of the Islamic faith.
Ibn Rushd
Known as Averroes in the West, he was an important Islamic philosopher whose intellectual contributions were also appreciated by many European scholars. He lived from 1126 to 1198 C.E.
Islam
Monotheistic religion announced by the prophet Muhammad (570–632); influenced by Judaism and Christianity, Muhammad was considered the final prophet because the earlier religions had not seen the entire picture; the Quran is the holy book of Islam.
Jihad
An Arabic term that literally translates as “struggle,” and which has various meanings to Muslims, each of which refer to the imperative to spread Islam throughout the world.
Jizya
Tax in Islamic empires that was imposed on non-Muslims.
Ka’ba
Main shrine in Mecca, goal of Muslims embarking on the hajj.
Madrasas
Islamic institutions of higher education that originated in the tenth century.
Mecca
Important city in modern Saudi Arabia, in which the hajj is conducted annually.
Medinah
A city 345 kilometers (214 miles) north of Mecca, to which the Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated in 622 c.e. Medina means “the city,” as in “the city of the prophet.”
Muhammad
Prophet of Islam (570–632).
Muslim
A follower of Islam.
Qadis
Islamic judge
Quran
Islamic holy book that is believed to contain the divine revelations of Allah as presented to Muhammad.
Rubaiyat
“Quatrains,” famous poetry of Omar Khayyam that was later translated by Edward Fitzgerald.
Sakk
Letters of credit that were common in the medieval Islamic banking world.
Sharia
The Islamic holy law, drawn up by theologians from the Quran and accounts of Muhammad’s life.
Shia
Islamic minority in opposition to the Sunni majority; their belief is that leadership should reside in the line descended from Ali.
Sufi
Islamic mystics who placed more emphasis on emotion and devotion than on strict adherence to rules.
Sunni
“Traditionalists,” the most popular branch of Islam; Sunnis believe in the legitimacy of the early caliphs, compared with the Shiite belief that only a descendant of Ali can lead.
Ulama
Islamic officials, scholars who shaped public policy in accordance with the Quran and the sharia.
Umma
Islamic term for the “community of the faithful.”
Umayyad Dynasty
Dynasty from 661-750 CE that solved the problem of succession after Muhammad’s death. They were a successful merchant clan that ruled as Arab military conquerors, and made their capital at Damascus.
