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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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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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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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The tribe into which the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca. It controlled trade and dominated in Mecca during the time of the Prophet.
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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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“Island” in Arabic, this is a reference to the geographic area across present-day north-central Syria and Iraq that fell between, like an island, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
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The family of the Prophet Muhammad. Today, the monarchies in Jordan and Morocco claim descent from the family of the Prophet and therefore are considered Hashimite kingdoms.
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Giving of alms to the poor. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
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(Arabic: community): The collective community of Islamic people throughout the world.
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Lesser aristocracy that included administrators and tax collectors in the Sassanian Empire, many of whom continued in their occupations even after the Islamic conquest.
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The “doubters,” this is a reference to those in Medina during the Prophet Muhammad’s stay there who doubted the legitimacy of his religious claims and thus his political leadership.
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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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