| A | B |
|---|
| revelation | a vision of divine truth, which according to Islamic tradition was experienced by Muhammad in A.D. 610 |
| shari'ah | Islamic code of law that covers all the moral rules for private and public life |
| imam | a prayer led in a mosque |
| hajj | Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that every able-bodied Muslim is expected to make at last once in a lifetime involving 3 days of prayer, ceremony and sacrifice |
| caliph | Muslim supreme leader; successor of Muhammad, khalifah |
| jihad | Muslim struggle to introduce Islam to other lands |
| Muhammad | Prophet and founder of Islam |
| Muslims | any member of the Nation of Islam, "one who surrenders to God" |
| Abu Bakr | the 1st caliph, he was Muhammad's father-in-law and close friend |
| Ali | Muhammad's son-in-law, the 4th caliph; powerful rival of Mu'awiyah |
| the Rightly Guided Caliphs | the firt 4 caliphs who closely followed Muhammad's example, kept in close touch with the people, and asked for advice from Muslim leaders |
| Umayyads | caliphate dynasty (661 - 750)started by Mu'awiyah when he resisted Ali's authority and took over Egypt, Iraq and eventually the caliphate |
| Abbasids | anti-Umayyad Arabs and Muslims from Iraq and Persia fought the Umayyads and began a new caliphate dynasty (750 - 1258), centered in Baghdad |
| the Arabian Penninsula | the land bounded by the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Caspian and Black Seas, and the Mediterranean Sea |
| Makkah(Mecca) | a crossroads of commerce about 50 miles inland from the Red Sea, site of the Kaaba and the Black Stone of the angel Gabriel, birthplace of Muhammad |
| Mahdinah(Medina) | Muhammad sent 60 Muslim families to Yathrib from Makkah, and these families accepted Muhammad as the messenger of God and ruler of this city |
| Kaaba | Stone building located at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, it is the focal point for Muslim worship, believed to have been constructed by Abraham and visited later by Muhammad |
| Qu'ran | Muslim Holy scripture, believed to be the literal word of Allah |
| Allah | Arabic word for God |
| 5 Pillars | Fundamental beliefs or practices for Muslims |
