Essential Glossary of Islamic History and Culture

Key Terms of the Islamic World

• Abbasid Caliphate: The third stage of the Islamic Empire (750–1258), ruled by the Abbasid family with its capital in Baghdad.
• Alcazar: A fortified palace where the governors of Islamic cities resided.
• Allah: The Arabic name for God.
• Cadi: An Islamic judge who administered justice according to the rules of the Koran.
• Ditch: A structure used to carry water from a river to crops.
• Diwan: The official responsible for collecting taxes in the Islamic Empire.
• Emir: The governor of an emirate who held political power in a territory, but not religious authority.
• Hajj: The fifth pillar of Islam; the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim should perform at least once in their life.
• Haram: The prayer hall of a mosque where the faithful gather to pray.
• Hegira: The flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 after being expelled. It marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
• Kaaba: A sacred structure in Mecca where Muhammad introduced Islamic rites.
• Koran: The sacred book of Muslims, containing the Word of Allah as received by Muhammad.
• Mecca: The sacred city of the Arabian Peninsula where Muhammad was born c. 570.
• Medina: A city, previously known as Yathrib, where Muhammad took refuge after being expelled from Mecca in 622.
• Mihrab: The most sacred place in a mosque, located in the qibla.
• Minaret: The tower of a mosque from which the faithful are called to prayer.
• Mosque: The primary religious building for Muslims where they gather to pray.
• Muhammad: Allah’s prophet, born c. 570 in Mecca. He began preaching Islam in Mecca, was expelled in 622, returned to conquer it in 630, and by his death in 632, had conquered almost the entire Arabian Peninsula.
• Muslim: Literally "the person who submits to Allah"; the name given to followers of Islam.
• Orthodox Caliphate: The first caliphate of the Islamic Empire, lasting from 632 to 661, with its capital in Medina.
• Qibla: The most important wall of a mosque, oriented toward Mecca.
• Ramadan: The third pillar of Islam; a month during which Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and smoking during daylight hours.
• Souq (Market): The area of an Islamic city dedicated to trade.
• Umayyad Caliphate: The second caliphate, which lasted from 661 to 750, with its capital in Damascus.
• Vizier: The official in charge of the central administration of the Islamic Empire.
• Wali: The person who rules a province of the Islamic Empire.