Download Chapter 8 Identifications By Salman Hamid

Ch. 8 Key Terms
1). Shi’ites – Muslims belonging to the branch of Islam believing that God vests
leadership of the community in a descendent of Muhammad’s son in law Ali. Shi’ism is
the state religion of Iran
2). Sunnis – Muslims belonging to branch of Islam believing that the community should
select its own leadership. Sunnis occupy majority of the religion in most Islamic
countries.
3). Mecca – City in western Arabia; birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, and ritual
center of the Islamic religion.
4). Muhammad – Arab prophet; founder of the religion Islam.
5). Muslim – An adherent of the Islamic religion; a person who submits to the will of
God, in Arabic Terms.
6). Islam – Religion expounded by the Prophet Muhammad on the basis of his reception
of divine relations, which were collected after his death into the Quran.
7). Medina – City in western Arabia to which the Prophet Muhammad and his followers
emigrated in 622 to escape persecution to Mecca.
8). Umma – The community of all Muslims. A major innovation against the background
of seventh century Arabia, where traditionally kingship rather than faith had determined
membership in a community.
9). Caliphate – Office established in succession to the Prophet Muhammad, to rule the
Islamic Empire.
10). Quran – Book composed of divine relationships made to the Prophet Muhammad
which contains the sacred text of Islam
11). Umayyad Caliphate – First hereditary dynasty of Muslim caliphs
12). Abbasid – Descendents of the prophet Muhammad’s uncle Al Abbas, The Abassids
overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate and ruled the Islamic Empire from their capital
Baghdad.
13). Mamluks – Under the Islamic military system, who formed an important part of th e
Abassid Empire
14). Ghana – First known kingdom in sub Saharan West Africa between sixth and
seventeenth centuries.
15). Ulama – Muslim Religious scholars
16). Hadith – A tradition relating to words or deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.