Abbasid Caliphate
Descendants of the prophet muhammad's uncle' al-Abbas, the Abbasid's
overthrew the umayyad caliphate and ruled islamic empire from their
capital in baghdad.
Ali
Muhammad's cousin and the husband of his daughter Fatima. Nominated
to succeed Muhammad, and became the caliph.
Abu Bakr
Muhammad's friend. Muhammed told all his subsequent revelations to him.
Battle of Manzikert
The seljuks pressed on into syria and anatolia, administering a
lethal blow to Byzantine power at the battle of manzikert in 1071,
causing the byzantine to fall back on constantinople.
Caliphate
Office established in succession to the prophet muhammad, to rule the
islamic empire; also the name of that empire
Ghana
First known kingdom is the sub-saharan west africa between the sixth
and thirteenth centuries c.e. Also the modern west african country
once known as the gold coast.
Hadith
A tradition relating the words or deeds of the prophet muhammad; next
to the Quran, the most important basis for islamic law
Islam
Religion expounded by the prophet muhammad on the basis of his
reception of the divine reevaluations, which were collected after his
death into the Quran.
Ibn Rushd/Averroes
A Aristotelian philosophical writer.
Khadija
A Quraysh widow that engaged in trade and married Muhammad
Mecca
City in western Arabia; birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad
Arab prophet; founder of religion of islam
Muslim
An adherent of the islamic religion; a person who submits to the will
of God
Medina
City in western Arabia to which the prophet muhammad and his
followers emigrated in 622 to escape persecution in Mecca
Mamluks
Turkic slaves purchased by caliphs from Central Asia and used as a
standing army. Well trained and hardy. Proved an effective but
expensive military force.
Madrasa
A religious college that gained sudden popularity outside Iran, where
madrasas had been known since the 10th century.
Maimonides
Jewish philosopher and astronomer and became one of the most
influential torah scholars and physicians.
Quran
Book composed of divine revelations made to the prophet muhammad
between ca.610 and his death in 632; the sacred text of the religion Islam.
Shi'ites
Muslims belonging to the branch of islam believing that god vests
leadership of the community in a descendant of muhammad's son-in-law
ali. shi'ism is the state of religion of iran
Sunnis
Muslims belonging to the branch of islam believing that community
should select its own leadership. The majority religion in the most
islamic countries
Seljuk Turks
Family that established a Turkish Muslim state based on nomadic power.
Saladin
Took advantage of Nur-al-Din's timely death to seize power and unify
Eygpt and Syria. In 1187 Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Europeans.
Shari'a
The law of islam provides the foundation on islamic civilization. Yet
aside from certain Quranic verses conveying specific divine ordinances.
Sufis
Mystic groups in the twelfth and thirteenth century. The doctrines of
certain Sufi spread from city to city, giving rise to the first
geographically extensive Islamic religion.
Umma
the community of all muslims. a major innovation against the
background of seventh-century Arabia,where traditionally kinship
rather than faith had determined membership in a community
Umayyad Caliphite
First hereditary dynasty of muslim caliphs. From their capital at
damascus, the umayyads ruled an empire that extended from spain to india.
Ulama
Muslim religious scholars. From the ninth century onward, the primary
interpreters of islamic law and the social core of muslim urban societies.