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Those who followed Muhammad and accompanied him from Mecca to Medina in the Hijra in 622 CE.
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Sacred profession of Islamic faith, translated as “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Messenger.” Muslims are called to recite this during each of their daily prayers, and it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
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Daily prayers recited by Muslims and one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
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The direction of prayer for Muslims, which is toward the Kaaba, in the Great Mosque in Mecca.
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Meaning “one nature,” it is a reference to Christians who believe that Jesus Christ has one divine nature and not both human and divine, as in Diophysism.
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Members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Christian religion in Egypt, or a more generic cultural term for Egyptian Christians.
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Annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims are expected to undertake the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able.
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Tradition or custom of the Prophet Muhammad based on his sayings (hadith). It is second only to the Quran in terms of its religious significance as a guide for Muslims.
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(related, dhimmi) (Arabic: People of the Book): A term found in the Quran, designating Jews, Christians, and Sabians as believers in a revealed book, specifically the Bible or Torah. Special protections were extended to those deemed dhimmi or protected ones under Muslim rule, in return for a tax paid (jizya).
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Sanctuary, often a religious sanctuary. Also a reference to forbidden areas.
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The square shrine (draped in black silk embroidered with gold) that sits at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is considered the most holy site in Islam. It is the point of orientation for Muslim prayer.
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The name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, it is also the holy month of fasting (sawm), one of the Five Pillars of Islam (Arkan al-Islam), the basic duties of a Muslim.
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