Key Terms

Abrahamic faiths

the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which all trace their origins through a common ancestor, the prophet Abraham

caliph

an Islamic title designating a spiritual and secular leader

caliphate

an area under the control of a Muslim ruler called a caliph

hadith

the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his immediate successors that, along with the Quran, form the fundamental basis for Islamic law

hajj

the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca

hijra

an Arabic term meaning “emigration” that describes a defining moment for early Muslims as they fled Mecca for Medina in 622 CE

imam

the religious leader of Shia Muslims

Islamization

the religious and cultural conversion of those living under Islamic rule

mawali

non-Arab converts to Islam in the early Islamic period who had to be adopted by an Arab tribe as part of the conversion process

Quran

the holy scripture of Islam, which Muslims believe was given to humanity by God through Muhammad

Rashidun

a term meaning “rightly guided” that describes the first four caliphs after Muhammad’s death: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali

Shia

one of the two umbrella sects of Islam, whose members believe leadership of the Muslim community should reside in the family of Muhammad only through his son-in-law Ali

Sunni

the larger of the two umbrella sects of Islam, whose adherents did not require leadership of the community to come specifically from the descendants of Muhammad through Ali

ulama

a class of religious clerics and scholars who act as the primary interpreters of Islamic law

ummah

the community of Muslims