Sheikh
the ruler of an Arabic tribe, chosen from one of the leading families by a council of elders
Allah
Arabic for God; the supreme god of Islam
Revelation
divine truth
Islam
a monotheistic religion that emerged in the Arabian Peninsula during the seventh century
Submission
act of submitting to the control or authority of another
Muslim
a person who believes in Islam
Quran
the holy scriptures of the religion of Islam
Hijrah
the journey of Muhammad and his followers Madinah in 622, which became year 1 of the official calendar of Islam
Bedouin
a nomadic Arab who lives in the Arabian, Syrian, or North African deserts
Hajj
a pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the requirements of the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
acts of worship every Muslim must perform; this includes belief, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage
Shari'ah
a law code drawn up by Muslim scholars after Muhammad's death; it provided believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives
Caliph
a successor of Muhammad as spiritual and temporal leader of the Muslims
Jihad
"struggle in the way of god", a Muslim's duty to work for the triumph of Islam in the world
Caliphate
the office or dominion of a caliph
Shia
a Muslim group that accepts only the descendants of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali as the true rulers of Islam
Sunni
a Muslim group that accepts only descendants of the Umayyads as the true rulers of Islam
Cosmopolitan
a place or area that contains several different cultures and groups
Vizier
a high government official in ancient Egypt or in Muslim countries
Sultan
" holder of the power," the military and political head of state under the Seljuk Turks and the Ottomans
Bazaar
a covered market in Islamic cities
Dowry
a gift of money of property paid at the time of marriage, either by the bride's parents to her husband or, in Islamic societies, by a husband to his wife
Astrolabe
an instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the positions of the stars
Arabesques
geometric patterns repeated over and over to completely cover a surface with decoration
Minaret
the tower of a mosque from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer five times a day
Muezzin
the crier who calls the Muslim faithful to prayer from the minaret of a mosque