Key Figures and Concepts in Islamic History

Tariq bin Ziyad

Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād was a Muslim commander who led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D. Under the orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, he led a large army across the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African coast, consolidating his troops at what is today known as the Rock of Gibraltar.

Treaty of Granada

The Treaty of Granada, signed and ratified on November 25, 1491, between Boabdil (the sultan of Granada), Ferdinand, and Isabella, stipulated the surrender of Granada and its territory by a certain time. The conditions were favorable: The Moors were to keep their religious freedom, their civil laws, and their right to leave the country. They were only required to pay the taxes they previously paid to the Moorish King.

Mi'raj

Mi'raj, meaning "ladder" in Arabic, refers to the ascension part of Prophet Muhammad's miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to the heavens. During the Mi'raj, God instructed Muslims to pray five times daily (Salat).

Four Stages of Sufism

Sufism encompasses four stages of practice and understanding: tariqah (the mystical path), haqiqah (Truth), and marifah (Gnosis). Tariqah represents the path leading to the oasis (the experience of truth and reality). Haqiqah is the experience of mystical states in Sufism, an inward experience of God's presence. Marifah is the highest state of revelation, knowledge, and wisdom.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X, an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, articulated concepts of race pride and Black nationalism in the early 1960s. He challenged the mainstream civil-rights movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King, Jr., urging followers to defend themselves against white aggression.

Hadith

A hadith is a statement of the Prophet narrated by his companions and later compiled into collections. Hadith provides context to the verses in the Quran. For example, while the Quran commands Muslims to pray, it doesn't detail how to perform the prayer. Hadith provides these details.

Rumi

Rumi was a 13th-century Persian Muslim poet associated with Sufism in Islam.

Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden, a highly controversial and influential figure in the 20th and 21st centuries, was the spiritual leader of al-Qaeda. He became a symbolic figure in the Arab world after the Soviet withdrawal. Under his leadership, al-Qaeda was responsible for the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Circumcision

Male circumcision is a recommended practice in Muslim tradition. It's crucial to ensure the procedure's safety. It's believed that a man cannot be clean from urine unless circumcised, as urine drops may collect under the foreskin and potentially make his clothes and body impure.

Jihad

Jihad is an Arabic word literally meaning "struggle" or "effort".