Islam Vocabulary Flashcards
Koran / Qur’an
the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina.
Hadith
A collection of traditions containing sayings of the prophet Muhammad
Sunni and Shia Islam
Sunni: 85% of muslim population, follow islamic law based on elected people
Shia: dont recognize elected officials - think power should have stayed within mohammed’s family
The 5 Pillars of Islam
(including the shahada
and the hajj)
- The Shahada: how you convert to islam, the profession of the faith
- Salat: prayer 5 times a day - in direction of Mecca
- Zakat: almsgiving - giving % of wealth every year to charity/help
- Sawn” religious fasting during month of ramadan
- The Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
Hijra
the migration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622
mosque / masjid
grand space for a large # of people
5 main parts:
Qibla, Mihrab, Pillared hall, open courtyard, Minaret
qibla
qibla wall: walls in direction of Mecca
mihrab
Niche in one Qibla wall
muezzin
makes the call to prayer
minaret
tall towers from where the muezzin makes the call to prayer
Delhi Sultanates (ca. 1206 – 1526)
Mamluk/slave dynasty (1206-1209)
Mamluk/Slave Dynasty
- founded by Qutb Al-Din Aybak
- 1st recognized islamic kingdom
Quwwat al-Islam
mosque complex in Dehli
-1st large scale stone mosque in south asia
muqarnas
visual expression of the invisible support of god
-corbelled arch
palimpsest
a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped or washed off and which can be used again
The “Great Mughals”
ca. 1526 – 1707
Babur (founder of mughal empire) Humayun Akbar the Great Jahangir Shah Janan Aurangzeb
charbagh
a Persian-style garden layout. The quadrilateral garden is divided by walkways or flowing water into four smaller parts
chatri
elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture.
- commonly used to depict the elements of pride and honor in the Rajput architecture of Rajasthan. They are widely used, in palaces, in forts, or to demarcate funerary sites
iwan
a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open.
double dome
dome whose two shells have noticeable distances
hasht-bihisht
famous poem written by Amir Khusro around 1302 AD.
chamfered corners
The eight “paradises” in the poem link closely with the Islamic conception of Heaven with its eight gates and eight spaces, each one decorated with a special precious stone or material.
Seven of the eight paradises are pavilions constructed for Bahram’s “therapy” of storytelling.
There is also a link to the architectural and garden plan of eight paradises
Rajputs
a member of the dominant Hindu military caste in northern India
- different from mughal empire
- hindu painting style
pietra dura
the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly-polished colored stones to create images.
Hamzanama
the enormous illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in about 1562.
burnishing
used on islamic papers
process: at the end of the painting process, it is rubbed with a hard and smooth object to produce a polished surface on the paper.
miniature painting
small paintings in secular books
- intended for wealthy/elite
- meant to go along with text
verisimilitude
The appearance of being true or real.
rubricated
important words in texts highlighted by being written in red ink
Ramayana term: Ravana
antagonist character of the Hindu epic Ramayana
- hella arms
- hella legs
Ramayana term : Ayodhya
an ancient city of India, birthplace of the Hindu avatar Rama, and setting of the epic Ramayana
Ramayana term: Ram
- 1st son of the king of ayodhya
- exiled 14 years in the wild
- his wife (sita) is taken by ravana, kills ravana and saves Sita, rules w/ her in Ayodhya
Ramayana term: Sita
Ram’s wife
Ramayana term: Hanuman
monkey king - heals ram’s brother by bringing him a mountain that has a plant to heal him on it
