Islam: A Glossary

Islam: A Glossary · Allah: The Arabic name for “God”; the word refers to the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians. · Caliph: The prophet ... Advertisement Advertisement Tweet Share Comment Tweet Share Comment Overthepastseveralweeks,thenewshasbeenfilledwithwordsandtermsrelatingtoIslamandIslamicculture.Here’sashortguide. Allah:TheArabicnamefor“God”;thewordreferstothesameGodworshippedbyJewsandChristians. Caliph:TheprophetMuhammad’ssuccessorswereknownascaliphs,andtheirempirewasthecaliphate.(Muhammadwasapoliticalaswellasareligiousleader.)Thefirstfourcaliphsareknownastherashidun(the“rightlyguided”caliphs).SunniMuslimsconsidertheruleoftherashiduntobethegoldenageofIslam.ShiiMuslimsbelievethatthefourthcaliph,Ali,wasusurpedbythefirstthreecaliphsandthathisdescendantsweretheproperheirstothecaliphate.(OnesectofShiissetuparivalcaliphateinEgyptin983.Itlastednearly200years.)Umar,thesecondcaliph,decreedthatJewsandChristiansshouldberemovedfromArabia.(SuchanexpulsionwasmuchrarerthantheevictionsofJewsandMuslimsfrommedievalChristendom.)SinceUmar’sdecree,Islam’sholiestsiteshavebeenoff-limitstonon-Muslims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hajj:ThepilgrimagetoMecca,whichMuslimswiththephysicalabilityandfinancialmeansshouldperformatleastonceintheirlives.ItisoneofthefivepillarsofIslam.Theothersareshahada(professionoffaith),salat(prayer),zakat(almsgiving),andsawm(fasting).Thehajjtakesplaceduringthe12thlunarmonthoftheIslamiccalendarandfocusesonritualsaroundtheKaaba.Apilgrimagethattakesplaceatanothertimeiscalledtheumra.Around2millionMuslimscarryoutthehajjeachyear. Islam:InArabic,thewordmeans“surrender”or“submission”tothewillofGod.MostWesternersthinkofIslamasoneofthethreemajormonotheisticworldreligions(theothersbeingJudaismandChristianity).ButthehistorianBernardLewisobservesthat“Islam”meansbothareligion(analogousto“Christianity”)andthecivilizationthatdevelopedunderthatreligion(analogousto“Christendom”). Advertisement Advertisement Islamiccalendar:ThefirstyearoftheMuslimcalendaris622A.D.,theyearofMuhammad’sflighttoMedina.TheIslamiccalendarconsistsof12lunarmonths.Commonyearslast354days,andleapyearslast355days. Jihad:AnArabicwordmeaning“tostruggle”or“toexhaustone’seffort.”The“effort”canmeanpreachingIslamandlivingvirtuouslyinaccordancewithGod’scommands.ButitcanalsoapplytoactualfightingtodefendMuslims.Evenmilitaryjihad,however,issupposedtobefoughtwithrespectfortherulesofwar. Advertisement Kaaba:ThemostsacredshrineofIslam,itisacube-shapedstonestructureinMecca.Traditionally,MuslimsbelievetheKaabawasbuiltbyAbrahamandhissonIsmail.OntheoutsideofonecorneristhesacredBlackStone,kissedbypilgrims.TheangelGabrielgavetheBlackStonetoAbraham,accordingtooneIslamictradition;accordingtoanother,thestonewassetinplacebyAdam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Koran/Qu’ran:TheholybookofIslam,recordedbytheprophetMuhammadbeginningintheyear610A.D.MuslimsconsiderittobethewordofGod.IslamteachesthattheChristianandHebrewscripturesarealsoholybooks,thoughtheyhadbecomedistortedovertime.TheKoranistheprimarysourceofIslamiclaw,followedbyhadith(teachingsattributedtoMuhammadthatarenotrecordedintheKoran)andthesunna(thehabitsandpracticesofMuhammad’slife).ThewordKoranmeans“recitation.” Mecca:Islam’smostsacredcity,locatedinwhatisnowwesternSaudiArabia.MeccaisthebirthplaceofMuhammadandthesiteoftheKaaba. Medina:AlsolocatedinwesternSaudiArabia,MedinaisIslam’ssecond-holiestplace.MuhammadmigratedtoMedinawith70Muslimfamiliesin622afterbeingpersecutedbytheMeccanestablishment.ItisalsothesiteofMuhammad’stomb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mosque:TheArabicwordismasjid,meaning“placeofprostration”beforeGod.MuhammadbuiltthefirstmosqueinMedina.AmosqueshouldbeorientedtowardMecca.InmanyIslamicsocieties,mosquesservesocialandpoliticalfunctionsinadditiontoreligiousones. Muslim:InArabic,“onewhosurrenderstoGod”;afollowerofIslam.Thereare1billionMuslimsintheworldand6millionintheUnitedStates. Shii:The“partisans”ofAli,thefourthcaliph,theShiiseventuallybecameadistinctMuslimsect.ThelargestShiiMuslimsectisthe“TwelverShii,”namedafterthefirst12leaders(orimams)ofShiiMuslims.TwelverShiibelievethatthedescendantsofAli,Muhammad’scousinandson-in-law,werethelegitimateleadersofIslam.Shiisbelievethelastimamisinhiding,andtheyawaithisreturn.ShiisarethemajorityinIran,andmanycanbefoundinIraq,Syria,Lebanon,andPakistan.Therearemorethan165millionShiiMuslimsintheworld.(AlsoknownasShiaorShiiteMuslims.) Advertisement Advertisement Sunni:UnlikeShiiMuslims,SunniMuslimsbelievethatIslamicleadershipisvestedintheconsensusofthecommunity,notinreligiousandpoliticalauthorities.Theirnamecomesfromthewordsunna,whichisthoughttomean“middleoftheroad.”ThereligiousscholarKarenArmstrongemphasizesthat,despitetheirdifferences,SunnisandShiitesalikeobservethefivepillarsofIslam.“LikeJudaism,Islamisareligionthatrequirespeopletoliveacertainway,ratherthantoacceptcertaincredalpropositions,”shewrites.“Itstressesorthopraxyratherthanorthodoxy.” Umma:TheworldwidecommunityofMuslims. Wahabbism:ApuritanicalformofIslamthatflourishesprimarilyinSaudiArabia.ItisnamedafterMuhammadibnal-Wahhab,an18th-centuryIslamicreformerwhowantedtoreturnIslamtoitsbeginningsbyemphasizingafundamentalistapproachtotheKoran. Nextquestion? ExplainerthanksKarenArmstrong’sAHistoryofGodandIslam:AShortHistory,BernardLewis’TheMultipleIdentitiesoftheMiddleEast,andEncartaOnline. Tweet Share Comment Advertisement Advertisement