Test in islam

'umrah

'umrah is a minor pilgrimage to Mecca which can take place at any point during the year (as opposed to Hajj, which can only take place during the 7th-12th of the last month of the Islamic calendar). 'umrah consists of the same activities as the Hajj in Mecca (assuming ihram and performing tawaf and sa'y), but does not include the activities done outside of Mecca. 'umrah is not considered to be as impressive or vital as Hajj, but is a lesser pilgrimage.

Khadija

Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), whom she met when she was a wealthy merchant and had become prosperous in the management of her own business. Having hired Muhammad(PBUH) as a business agent, Khadijah soon came to see him as a suitable husband. She had been married twice before and had children from each marriage. According to most sources, she was about 40 and Muhammad(PBUH) was about 25 when they got married. Khadijah gave birth first to a boy who was named Al-Qasim, four daughters then followed, named Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. Abdullah was the last child to be born to Khadijah. Al-Qasim and Abdullah died in early ages. She gave Muhammad(PBUH) support and encouragement when he received his first revelations and she was the one who took Muhammad(PBUH) to her cousin Waraqah b. Naufal who confirmed Muhammad's(PBUH) prophethood. She remained loyal to him when many prominent Meccans began to oppose him. While she lived, Muhammad took no other wives and the year she died, Muhammad(PBUH) named the year as "year of Sadness" (619 CE).

Zamzam

When Hagar and Ishmael were sent away by Abraham (on the request of his first wife Sarah) Hagar and the infant Ishmael walked into the desert and became very thirsty. Looking for water Hagar ran between the two hills: Safah and Marwah. After completing the seventh journey between the hills a spring of water split the earth. This spring was the well Zamzam. The well is located very near to the Ka'ba. Drinking from the well of Zamzam is part of the ritual of Hajj.

Hind bt. `Utba

Wife of Abu Sufyan. Her brother and father were killed during the Battle of Badr between pagan Mecca and Muslims, so as revenge she had Wahshi (an Ethiopian slave) kill Hamza at the Battle of Uhud. Although the stories vary, Wahshi or Hind ripped open Hamza so Hind could eat his liver. She was the embodiment of Jahiliyya (age of ignorance). Hind went against Abu Sufyan, she stormed on the battlefield, and resorted to the act of cannibalism to seek revenge. Despite that, she later converted to Islam along with Abu Sufyan. She (and Abu Sufyan) are the ancestors of the Umayyad dynasty (661-750 CE).

Wudu

Wudu' is the ritual ablution acted before each of five daily prayers. Wudu' consists of: Washing both the hands up to the wrists 3 times. Rinsing the inner mouth 3 times. Putting water in your nose and blowing it out 3 times. Washing your face 3 times. Washing your arms up to elbow 3 times wet your hands with water then starting from the front part of your hair rub it down to the back of your hair once. Wiping both ears at once. Washing both feet 3 times. Passing wet fingers between fingers and toes. Passing wet fingers into your beard.

Muzdalifah

open area associated with the hajj that is located near Mecca and between Mina and the Plain of Arafat. It is also the site where pilgrims would collect the 49 or 70 pebbles that they would throw at the three pillars during the Stoning of the Devil ritual.

Eid al Fitr

"Festival of Breaking the Fast." The month long fasting in Ramadan is broken be a celebratory feast that is comparable to the joyous and giving nature of Christmas.

shariah

"God's road to the watering hole." This is the way God guides Muslims on the straight path. God provides four sources to teach people the way they should live, the so-called "usul al-fiqh" or "sources of understanding." The first is through the Qur'an, which teaches many things but is not enough by itself. Sunnah is also a source, which was the example of Muhammad and the way he lived his life - Sunnah is now accessible through hadith collections. Qiyas is a third source, or properly a method. It comes into play when the first two sources are not sufficient, in which case analogies for a particular situation are sought in those sources. Finally, there is ijma'. This is the consensus of the community. It is said that the community will never agree on an error.

Qur'an Dogmas

1. The Qur'an is inimitable - this means that it cannot be copied or imitated in it's original form or Arabic 2. The Qur'an is untranslatable - though the Qur'an can be translated into other languages, as soon as it is translated, it loses it's divine power and beauty 3. The Qur'an is uncreated - this dogma applies more to Sunni tradition than Shiite, but t means the Qur'an has existed for as long as God has existed. Since God is the creator and not the created, his words could not possibly be created - he's always been able to speak. The essence of the book is uncreated even though it's tangible form is created.

Muezzin

A muezzin is an official in Islam who calls all Muslims across the world to prayer five times a day and also at noon on Fridays. "The muezzin's call reminds Muslims that God is greater than whatever worldly activity they may be doing and to put it aside for a brief time of remembrance." The muezzin is a servant of the mosque.

Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr was a companion of the Muhammad(PBUH) since childhood and was very close to Muhammad(PBUH). He was the first adult male to accept Islam without any second thought and hesitation. After the spread of Islam, many slaves embraced Islam and due to entering a new faith, their masters use to torture them brutally. Abu Bakr was the one who got many slaves freed, including Bilal (the first muezzin of Islam). Whenever the non-belivers tried to harm Muhammad(PBUH), Abu Bakr stood in their way showing his true devotion for Islam. He was also the first one to accept without any question of Muhammad's ascension to the heavens and due to this Muhammad gave him the title of 'Al-Sadiq' which means Testifier to the Truth. He also accompanied Muhammad(PBUH) during his Hijrah. After the hijrah, Abu Bakr paid for the land bought to built the Mosque of the Prophet or Masjid-al-Nabi. Abu Bakr was one of the most generous people in Islamic history. One of the example's of his generosity was that, he gave all he had to support the Tabuk expedition saying Allah and his prophet are enough for me and my family. He led the congregational prayers when Muhammad(PBUH) was ill. After Muhammad's(PBUH) death, he played an important role in calming down the emotions of people and also became the first caliph of Islam. Being the head of the Islamic state, he brought unity amongst the Muslims, crushed the false prophets and put an end to rebellions at home and abroad.

Abu Talib

Abu Talib is Muhammad's uncle who became his guardian after his mother died. When Muhammad was younger, a man named Bahira wanted Abu Talib that he should protect Muhammad from the Jews. Abu Talib was Muhammad's biggest supporter and protector. When the Quatyshi leaders in Mecca were showing opposition toward Muhammad and Islam, he stood by Muhammad's side. He died in 619 CE, the same year as Khadijah, which is known as the Year of Sadness.

Ka'ba

According to the Qur'an, the Ka'ba is the first house built for God. It was built by Abraham and Ishmael on the spot where the temple that Adam originally built was located before the flood (under Noah) wiped it away. A central feature of the Ka'ba is the "Black Stone" which is the only remaining stone of the original structure. The Black Stone is meteoric in nature. The Ka'ba is located in Mecca and is circumambulated during the Hajj. The Ka'ba is also the structure that all prayer is oriented towards.

Buraq

Al-Burāq ("Lightning") is a mythological creature in Islam comparable to the Greek pegasus. It is believed that the Buraq was a heavenly creature that transported various Islamic prophets. According to various sources, it is described as a tall, white, handsome-faced, long-eared, bridled male breast, bigger than a donkey but smaller than a mule.

Iblis

Although there is some controversy to the identity of Iblis, he can be viewed as the "Lucifer" of Islam. In the beginning, he was a jinn who rebelled against Allah by refusing to bow to Adam. After Allah punished him, his main goal became to deceive humans and other jinn. Allah cast him out of Heaven, and Iblis was then called "Shaytan" (Satan).

Hadith

Arabic for "report" or "narrative." Hadith are verbatim accounts of what Muhammad has said on any given matter. Hadiths were gathered and sorted during the centuries following Muhammad's death.

Van Gennep

Arnold van Gennep is the German scholar who came up with the rights of initiation. The first stage is separation from your former self. The next stage is transition in which you have no specific status. The final step is reincarnation in which you've become a new person. The journey of the hajj is a good example of this process. You come to the hajj, change into you ihram and are therefore losing your identity. You then are in a stage of no status all while participating in the hajj. Finally when the hajj is over, you receive a new title (al-Hajj) symbolizing that you have gone through the journey.

Battle of Uhud

Battle between a Muslim community from Medina led by Muhammad, and a force led by Abu Sufyan from Mecca (1000 Muslims vs 3000 Polytheists). The Battle of Uhud was won by the Meccans and was a bug setback for the Muslims.

Five pillars

Fasting - No food drink or bodily pleasures during daylight hours, Pregnant women travelers the sick etc do not have to (During month of ramadan) Zakat - Wealth tax 2.5% of surplus wealth given to orphans wayfarer widows the poor and the needy Shahadah- There is no god but god and muhammad is the messenger of god Salat - Five prayers a day Muslims can approach god at any time Hajj - Once in a lifetime (if financially and physically able) Undertaking pilgrimage to the Ka'ba in mecca during pilgramige season performing pilgramage rituals that reconectg the pilgrim with sacred history

Fasting

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. This is important for cleansing your mind, heart, and body, of all impurifications. Helps you to take a step back and see all that Allah has provided for you.

Ghusl

Ghusl is full body cleansing before prayer and is required when any bodily fluids have been released from your body ie sex, menstruation, child birth, using the bathroom etc. as well as after sleep, the death of a Muslim, being unconscious, touching privates, drunkness. All of these are requirments because they are considered ungodly. They are things that God doesn't and can't do, and when praying, you should present yourself to God in your most godly form possible.

Hajj

Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and an obligation placed on every financially and physically able Muslim. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca to pray at the Ka'ba. Hajj must be conducted between the 8th and 12th days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic calendar. The act of Hajj is full of many different rituals including entering into a state of consevration known as Ihram, where men where two white towels and women wear a plain garb that covers there whole body like a chador. The ritual of Hajj also includes: The circling of the Ka'aba seven times (Tawaf). The symbolic running between the two hills Safa and Marwah. The stoning of the devil; and standing on the plain of Muzdalifa/ the mountain of Arafat, as well as a sacrifice and the cutting/clipping of one's hair.

Halakah

Halakhah is a traditionally Jewish term that refers to the Qur'anic content that is law-based. Halakhah makes up roughly five percent of the Qur'an, with the other 95% being aggadah, or story/narrative-based teaching.

I'JAZ

I'jaz is the idea that the Qur'an is unique and cannot be imitated. In it's purist form, it has a beauty and power that no human can ever create. This goes in line with the dogmas of the Qur'an, and is not the say that the actual text cannot be remade. The text is not the purist form of the Qur'an is not written.

Ibn Ishaq

Ibn Ishaq was an Islamic scholar who wrote the first biography of Muhammad starting with Sirat Rasul Allah (Sira) about 100 years after Muhammad's death. His writings were a compilation of traditions from the Prophet Muhammad. His writings were a building block of hadith literature and were referenced often in hadith by other scholars

Ihram

Ihram state of consecration that a Muslim must enter before performing in the hajj or umrah. It requires ritual purity with the cleansing of the body and modesty with the donning on of the white, seamless garment. Emphasis is placed on sanctity with restrictions involving no profane language, killing of animals, quarelling, and/or sexual activity. Men are required to not tie any knots or wear any stiched items as well as body scents, while the women are to uncover their faces. Once they don the white ihram and enter into a state of spiritual sanctification, Muslims can perform rituals of the hajj.

Dua

Informal invocation prayer. It can be preformed during cleansing salat. The idea is that you can reach God and have a conversation with Him at any time. The conversations were not limited to the five daily prayers.

Qira'at

It is recitational modes and literally "readings." Muslims recognize that the Qur'an has different Arabic renditions / recitational modes due to the early limitations Arabic had. When the Qur'an was being written, Arabic (a semitic language) lacked vowels and punctuation to differentiate letters, so instead it focused on 3 letter sets that consisted of consonants. This is referred to scripto defectiva. In the 8th century, Arabic experiences a change from scripto defectiva to scripto plena. Vowels are introduced into the Arabic language. Because of that, there are slight variations called qira'at. Those versions led to variations in recitation, yet Muslims saw it as God's will because His message could not be captured by one word or one version.

Abu Sufyan

Leader of Mecca and the Quraysh tribe at the time Islam was gaining followers. Bitter and violent opponent of Islam, even though he later accepts the religion later in his life.

Surrah

Literally "rows." There are 114 Surahs in the Qur'an and they are subdivided into ayat, verses or literally "signs." They are arranged by approximate length, except the 1st surah. It is also subdivided into 30 equal which allows Muslim to recite the Qur'an during the month of Ramadan. But, Meccan surahs differ from Medinian surahs. Meccan Surahs tend to focus on the tawhid (one-ness of God), shirk (polytheism and associating God's image with idols), and ressurection. It addresses the reader as "O Mankind" or "O People." The styled tends to me short, poetic, and rhythmic. Medinian Surahs tend to focus on revelations on social and legal matter and also on how to actually implement the religion. It addresses the reader as "O Ye who believe" or "O people of the book." They tend to be longer and less rhythmic and poetic.

Mahmud

Mahmud is the elephant from "The Year of the Elephant" (570 CE). In the story, he was supposed to be used as a weapon by Abyssinian general, Abraha, to destroy the Ka'ba, but he kneeled down before it and refused to destroy it. It was at this time that God called on birds to come down throwing clay Abraha and his army. Mecca was saved as a result of devine intervention.

Medina

Medina is a sacred town known as "Madinat ul-Nabi," literally "the city of the prophet. " Previously known as Yathrib, Muhammad and his followers settled here after leaving Mecca. This journey (622 CE ) is known as the Hijra. Muhammad was invited to be a neutral arbitrator between various fighting factions of Arab and Jewish residents. In exchange they pledged to accept and protect Muhammad and his followers as part of the community. These native residents became the first converts of Islam in 620. Medina was the first capital of the ummah.

HIJRA

Muhammad heard that men were planning to assassinate him, so he organized for all of his followers to leave Mecca because it had become too dangerous for them. Muhammad finally left once all of the other Muslims had set out from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina). This is when the Islamic calendar starts, at the gathering of the Muslim community in 622CE.

Muhammad

Muhammad is the most respected prophet of Islam. He was born in 570 during the Year of the Elephant. Throughout his childhood, small miracles happened that indicated he was special. In 610, at the age of 40, he received his first revelation. In a cave on Mt. Hira, the angel Gabriel came to him and told him to read and recite. Despite being illiterate, after the third time of being told to recite, Muhammad was able to do it. This was the beginning of many revelations from which he received the verses of the Qur'an. In 620, the Night Journey happened and Muhammad arrived at the Temple Mount, after which the Ascent to Heaven happened. In 622, Muhammad arrives in Medina. Muhammad dies in 632 after his farewell pilgrimage.

Jihad

Often referred to as the controversial "Holy War" in Western civilizations, jihad is much more than that to a dedicated Muslim (Jihad would be more accurately translated as "the struggle"). Contrary to popular belief, jihad is not only a battle against the enemies of Islam but also an internal battle of one's mind, body, and spirit. Jihad is very spiritually significant in Islam; it helps one maintain spiritual equilibrium with himself/herself. It is often divided into two different categories: the lesser jihad (armed struggle with an external enemy) and the greater jihad (internal struggle with oneself). In a spiritual sense, jihad applies to the daily life of a Muslim. It can be viewed as an integral component of each of the "five pillars of Islam," as it symbolizes one's struggle and overcoming of worldly temptations and desires.

Tawaf

One of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage. During the Hajj and Umrah (minor pilgrimage), Muslims are to circle the Kaaba (most sacred site in Islam) seven times, in a counterclockwise direction.

Salat

One of the five pillars of Islam. It is the five daily mandatory prayers. One in the morning, one at noon, one in the afternoon, one at sunset, and the final one at night. There are certain steps a Muslim takes to make sure the prayer is valid. They must be in clean, modest clothing. Then they preform wudu' or ghusl, depending on the cleanliness of the person. After that, they face in the direction of the Ka'ba and set their prayer rug (or a piece of clean cloth or simply a clean piece of earth). State the intention, niyyah, for the prayer and recite Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest. The Muslim will then change their pose from an upright, standing position to a prostrating position and begin their recitations.

Ijma

One of the four sources ( Qur'an, Sunnah, Qiyas, and ijma') that Allah gave to man so His message / guidance / "way to the watering hole" (shari'ah) could be understood. Ijma' is the consensus of the Muslim community and His community can never agree on an error, thus the opinion of the whole community is correct. The community can either come together and agree on one answer or never oppose the matter and both are seen as the consensus of the whole community.

Eid al Adha

One of the two major festivals in the Muslim calendar. Celebratory feast in which the animals are sacrificed in Mecca during Hajj, as well as elsewhere throughout the world. Animals are slaughtered and prepared and eaten by Muslims. This feast is celebrated worldwide, as Muslims throughout the world are united in this ritual.

Qiblah

Qiblah is the direction in which prayer should be made. Originally qiblah was directed towards Jerusalem, however, the direction was changed to face Mecca after the Prophet Muhammed moved to Medina. The name for the mosque wall facing Mecca/the Ka'ba is known as the qiblah wall - it usually contains a niche known as the "mihrab."

Qiyas

Qiyas is a source of Fiqh or "understanding." It is a method of analogy that is used to understand the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It uses something that is known and compares it to a new situation to provide understanding of that situation. It is related to expanding and interpreting scripture in new and different situations.

Jesus

Said to have been a prophet before Muhammad. In the Qur'an, it explains that he was born of a virgin and did perform many miracles. Similar to Christianity, he was said to have performed many miracles and had the power to raise people from the dead, and this power came from Allah. In Islam, Jesus was not the son of God and did not die for the sins of humanity. He prophesied the coming of Muhammad.

SUmayya

Sumayya was the 1st martyr of Islam. She converted to Islam because she could not stand to bury another child (female infanticide) and Islam was against that practice. This becomes a symbol of the change which Islam brought to their society. It was a shift from a barbaric society to one with humility and grace. She also is a symbol of how far your submission to God should go - you faith should be so strong that you would rather accept death and deny God

Tayammum

Tayammum is a form of ritual cleansing done before Salat, in the event that an individual can not preform wudu' due to a lack of access to water. This dry ablution is preformed with sand or clean earth. As long as the individual's niyyah is good, this is an acceptable replacement to traditional wud

Isra

The Night Journey or Isra is when Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night with the angel Gabriel by way of the mystical creature, Buraq. It happened in the year 620 and it is here where he arrives at the Temple Mount, where the Ascent to Heaven occurs. It is said that during this time he joined Abraham, Moses, and Jesus in prayer, as well as seeing both heaven and hell.

Laylat al-Qadr- Night of power

The Night of Power is the night that Muhammad received the first revelation during the month of Ramadan on Mt. Hira. It was during this night that the angel Gabriel came down to him and told to read and recite.

Qur'an

The Qur'an (The recitation) is the holy book of Islam. It is the verbatim word of God and should not be held by non-Muslims except for the purpose of study (by those interested in the religion). A Qur'an ceases to be the Qur'an once it is translated into a different language or as soon as alternate text, like explanatory text, is introduced besides the original language. The Qur'an was delivered to Muhammed through revelation and was subsequently memorized by Muhammed's disciples. The revelations of the Qur'an were compiled in a text format shortly after the death of Muhammed.

Mecca

The city holds the holiest site in all Islam, the Masjid al-Haram ('Sacred Mosque'), and was declared a site of pilgrimage by the Prophet Muhammad in 630. That was the year of his triumphant return to the city after years of exile in Medina.

Bilal

The first Muslim to perform the call to prayer (muezzin). A slave born in Mecca who became very important to Muhammad. Was freed from slavery by Abu Bakr due to Islam ideals of slavery.

Niyyah

The intent of an individual. It is essential that one's actions are consciously done with the intent to honor Allah. Before salat one must take a moment to focus on their niyyah so that they may pray with conscious intent. If an individual is unable to preform some aspect of a ritual, for example not knowing the direction of the Qiblah for salat, it is not counted against the individual as long as their niyyah was good and they had the intent to preform the ritual in accordance to the will of Allah.

Adhan

The ritual call to prayer. Called five times a day by a muezzin summoning Muslims to preform salat. The Shahada, stating there is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger, is a part of the Adhan. The first muezzin was Bilal Ibn Rabah.

Sunah

The verbally transmitted record of the teachings, deeds and sayings, silent permissions (or disapprovals) of Muhammad, as well as various reports about Muhammad's companions.

610

The year that Muhammad received his first revelation from Allah. While in a cave on Mt. Hira, an angel comes to Muhammad and gives him the first verses of the Qur'an. These revelations continued until 632 and now make up the Qur'an.

Fatima

The youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadijah's four daughters. Fatima is revered by all Muslims because she was very close to the Prophet. She is the only one of his children to give him descendants. Fatima married `Ali and they had four children together: Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab, and Umm Kulthum.

Shahada

There is no god but god and muhammad is the messenger of god. This is the formal declaration of being a muslim, and believing in the qur'an. What this also does is confirm the oneness of god and takes a stance against polytheism. This is a statement of tawhid.

Sa'Y

This is the ritual during the Hajj in which Muslims walk back and forth between two hills in Mecca (Safah and Marwah) seven times. They do this because Hagar, Abraham's wife, also did this when she was left alone in the desert with her son and needed food and water. She traveled between the hills seven times looking for provisions. She returned to her son in the desert and found a well there, now called the ZamZam well. It is seen as a reward to Hagar.

Abrogation

This means to override, cancel out, or supersede. This term applies to the Qur'an because many of its verses are said to be abrogated by later verses. This can be explained by the fact that God gradually changed his people, understanding that it was not realistic to ask them to change from the life they were living to a life of extreme submission to the will of God. The Qur'an changed with time based on the situations of the day. This is why some verses are said to trump other verses. Abrogation makes it important to know the order that the verses were given to Muhammad.

Battle of Badr

Took place in 624. Muslims forces severely out numbered, 300 Muslims vs 1000 Polytheists Meccan's, Heavy loss of nobility on the Meccan side: Abu Sufyan henceforth leader of Meccan opposition expulsion of the jewish tribes of the B Qaynuqa.

Aggadah

Traditionally Jewish terminology used to describe one type of material in the Qur'an. Aggadah refers to teachings that are narrative or story based.

Ulama

Ulama means "scholar" and refers to those who are scholars of Islamic religion. They are "versed theoretically and practically in the Muslims sciences." They are considered highly intellectual. During the period of expansion, the `ulama encouraged the caliphs to pursue imperialistic goals by saying that the "sword verses" abrogated verses in the Qur'an that said jihad was merely defensive war.

Umar

Umar, also spelled Omar, Umar Son of Al-Khattab, born c.583 CE - died 3 November 644 CE, he was one of the most powerful and influential Muslim caliphs and successors in history. He was one of the senior Sahaba of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He succeeded Abu Bakr (632-634) as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate on 23 August 634. He was also an expert Islamic jurist known for his pious and just nature, which earned him the epithet Al-Farooq ("the one who distinguishes between right and wrong"). He is sometimes referred to as Umar I by historians of Islam, since a later Umayyad caliph, Umar II, also bore that name. According to Sunnis, Umar is the second greatest of the Sahaba after Abu Bakr.

Zakat

Wealth tax 2.5% of surplus wealth given to orphans wayfarer widows the poor and the needy. It is the third pillar of islam. This is laid out in the Qur'an: 7-156. It is optional who you can give this charity to, some banks take it out, others banks allow you to give that money as you see fit.

Jahiliyya

ahiliyya (ignorance) is how the time predating the revelation of the Qur'an is described. It marks a stark difference between a time of pagan idol worship and the arrival of the one true God in the Arabian peninsula.

Al-Bukhari

al-Bukhari was a Muslim scholar who wrote a lot of important hadith and was the second most prominent writer of hadith behind Ibn Ishaq. He came about 100 years after Ibn Ishaq, so 200 years after Muhammad's death.

MOUNT OF MERCY

also Plain of `Arafat) site where according to Islamic tradition, Adam and Eve reunited after being banished from the Garden of Eden; also principal location where Muhammad delivers his final verses of the Qur`an in his Farewell Sermon. It Became site for Muslim practice of praying and supplicating to Allah during Judgment Day—they would beseech Allah to forgive their sins and give them personal strength for the future. In this way, the reuniting of Adam and Eve and the Day of Judgment are collapsed into one ritual.

'Uthman

hird caliph to rule after the death of Muhammad. He centralized the administration of the caliphate and established an official version of the Qur'an. 'Uthman is critically important Islamic history because his death marked the beginning of open religious and political conflicts within the Islamic community.

Tawahid

it is the "oneness" or unity of God. It is shown in the shahada, there is not God but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God. It is against shirk or associating God's image with an idol.

Iqra

it means "read!" or "recite!" It relates to the first revelation that Muhammad received in 610 on Mt. Hira. The angel Gabriel came down and told him to recite at which point Muhammad said he could not read. Gabriel told him to read and recite. This exchange happened three times before Muhammad submitted and was able to read and recite despite being illiterate. What's important about the fact that he was illiterate is that the words he was able recite were the exact words of God flowing through him.

Fiqh

iterally "understanding." Fiqh refers to the limited human capacity to fully, reliably and completely know Shari'a ("The Way to the Watering Hole.") Humans can never understand the fullness of God's rule and thus can never actually come to a fully reliable comprehension of God's intentions, but s/he can implement her limited understanding of Fiqh. The four classical sources of Fiqh are Qur'an, Sunnah of Muhammad, qiyas, and ijma'.

Mi'raj

n the year 620 after the Night Journey, Muhammad ascented to heaven from the Temple Mount. He passed by all of the prophet, Adam, John, Jesus, Abraham, Moses, etc. on his way up. When he finally got to the 7th layer of heaven, he met God. God told him that he and the Muslim community must pray 50 times a day. Muhammad went back down to Moses and asked him if that would be okay at which point he tells Muhammad to ask God for less and he does. This exchange continues to happen until God finally says 5 times a day and Moses asks for less. It is here where Muhammad said he doesn't want to challenge God anymore and sticks with 5 times per day.

Mina

n the year 620 after the Night Journey, Muhammad ascented to heaven from the Temple Mount. He passed by all of the prophet, Adam, John, Jesus, Abraham, Moses, etc. on his way up. When he finally got to the 7th layer of heaven, he met God. God told him that he and the Muslim community must pray 50 times a day. Muhammad went back down to Moses and asked him if that would be okay at which point he tells Muhammad to ask God for less and he does. This exchange continues to happen until God finally says 5 times a day and Moses asks for less. It is here where Muhammad said he doesn't want to challenge God anymore and sticks with 5 times per day.

Mu'amalat

part of the halakhah which focuses on jurisprudence found in the Quran, specifically in terms of regulating human obligations to neighbors, friends, family, and fellow human beings. These jurisprudic obligations and injunctions include stipulations about criminal penalties, contracts, trade,war, inheritance, marriage, divorce, and modesty.

Hagar

the maidservant of Abraham's wife, Sarah. While Abraham and Sarah are unable to have a child, Abraham conceives a son via Hagar, Ishmael. When Isaac is born to Abraham through Sarah, she is said to have become hostile towards Hagar and Ishmael, eventually expelling them. Hagar wandered through the desert, desperately low on water, until Allah led her to zamzam, the well around which the city of Mecca grew. During the Hajj, Sa'y is performed to represent Hagar's wandering in the desert in search of water. Ishmael is said to be an ancestor of the Quryash, the tribe to which Muhammad was born.