Word or Phrase

  • Abd
    Abd is Arabic for "slave" or "servant;" the term is commonly used to refer to the relationship of a believer to God.

  • Aga Khan
    Aga Khan is the title of the Nizari Ismaili Imams since Hasan Ali Shah (d. 1881). The Aga Khan is a direct lineal descendant...

  • Aga Khan Foundation
    The Aga Khan Foundation is a private philanthropic institution founded by the Aga Khan in 1867 to provide "the Muslim ethic...

  • Ahl al-Hall wa al-Aqd
    This term refers to those qualified to elect or depose a caliph on behalf of the Muslim community. In modern Islamic...

  • Ahl al-Kitab
    This term is Arabic for "People of the Book;" the Quranic reference to Christians, Jews, and others who possess scripture....

  • Akhund
    This is a term of disputed etymology, generally accepted to mean "religious leader." In Pahlavi Iran (1925-1979), the word...

  • Amir
    The term Amir traditionally refers to a military commander, leader, governor or prince. Historically, it has been used as...

  • Amir al-Muminin
    This phrase literally means "Commander of the Faithful." The title was first used by the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab...

  • Ansar
    1. This term is Arabic for "companions" or "supporters." The word refers to the residents of Medina who supported the...

  • Aqida
    This term refers to the Islamic creed or articles of faith, including belief in God, angels, prophets, scriptures and the...

  • Aqiqa
    The aqiqa is a ceremony performed on the 7th day after the birth of a child. According to Prophetic sunna, the baby's head...

  • Asabiya
    This term is Arabic for "social solidarity," with an emphasis on group consciousness, cohesiveness, and unity. Familiar in...

  • Ashura
    Ashura refers to the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar (Muharram). Among the Shia, it is the sacred...

  • Atabat
    This term literally means "thresholds." The Shii shrine cities of Iraq: Najaf, Karbala, Kazimayn, and Samarra-locations of...

  • Ayatollah
    Aysyollah is a Persian term derived from the Arabic,

  • Azhar, al-
    Founded in 970, this Cairene university may have been named for the prophet Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah "al-Zahra" (the...

  • Ahle al-Hadith
    This term refers to Muslims who, following the death of the 3rd Sunni Caliph Uthman b. Affan, called themselves Ahle Sunnat...

  • Abaya
    An abaya is a long, loose cloak or robe which covers a woman's body except for her hands, feet, and head. It is...

  • Adhan
    Adhan is the call to prayer given five times daily; Mu'adhdhin: the person who gives the call.

  • Adat
    Adat refers to a known, common or accepted practice in a specific local. The role of adat or urf in Islamic jurisprudence is...

  • Ahl al-Kitab
    See 'people of the book'.

  • Ahl al-Sunnat wa al-Jamaat

    In Arabic, this term literary means "the people of the Prophet's way and the community". The term has a wide range of...