KEY TERMS: Islam Flashcards
Abbasids
Classical Muslim dynasty, ruling at Baghdad, eighth to thirteenth centuries C.E.
Abu Bakr
Companion of the Prophet Muhammad and the first caliph
al-Ghazali
great thinker (1058-1111 C.E.) who synthesized orthodox Islamic thought and Sufism
‘Ali
nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the fourth caliph (d. 661); considered by Shi’ites to be the first imam or successor to Muhammad
Allah
“the God”; Quranic designation for the one God
caliph
“deputy,” also “successor” to the Prophet Muhammad as leader of Islam
Dar al-Harb
the non-Muslim world, the “abode of warfare”
Dar al-Islam
“abode of Islam”; territories of the ummah under Muslim control, whereas the rest of the world is the Dar al-Harb, “abode of warfare”
da’wah
missionary activities directed towards spreading Islam
dhikr
“remembrance”; spiritual exercises in Sufism focusing the consciousness on God
Five Pillars
required Muslim rituals of serving God: Shahadah (confession), Salat (prayer), Zakat (alms-giving), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage)
Hadith
a saying of tradition of the prophet Muhammad transmitted through a trustworthy chain of reporters; the collection of hadiths
Hagar
wife of Abraham, mother of Ishmael, and ancestress of Muslims
Hajj
annual pilgrimage to Mecca
haram
forbidden, such as certain actions or food
hidden imam
in Shi’ism, the last Imam (successor to Muhammad) who disappeared into a state of occultation and will return in the future
Hijra
emigration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 C.E.
Husayn
son of ‘Ali, killed at Karbalah (680); considered by Shi’ites as an Imam and a great marytr
‘id
‘feast” or festival in Islam; the two major festivals are ‘Id al-adha (Feast of Sacrifice) during the Hajj month and ‘Id al-fitr (Feast of Breaking the Ramadan Fast)
ihram
state of ritual purity and consecration appropriate for entering the sacred precincts of Mecca on the Hajj (Mecca pilgrimage)
ijma
“consensus”; for formulating Muslim law, consensus among the legal scholars is necessary
ijtihad
independent legal reasoning in Islam; one who dies this is a mujtahid
imam
Islam scholar or leader, especially in ritual prayer; for Shi’ites, the proper successors to the Prophet are called Imams
iman
“faith,” complete certitude about the truth of Islam