adab A word of many meanings usually connoting courtesy, etiquette, rules and manners, civilisation, culture and literature....
Aga Khan A title granted by the Shah of Persia to the then Ismaili Imam in 1818 and inherited by each of his successors to the Imamate....
Aga Khan Development Network The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a contemporary endeavour of the Ismaili Imamat to realise the ethics and social conscience of Islam through institutional…...
ahl al-bayt Lit. the people of the house, meaning the Prophet Muhammad and members of his household including especially his cousin and soninlaw Ali b. Abi Talib,…...
ahl al-糸温平敬温 Lit. the people of the 糸温平敬温, or summons; a term used by the Ismailis to describe themselves....
ahl al-kitb From Arabic, lit. People of the Book also referred to as ahl al-dhimma (people under protection) a 河顎姻a稼ic term used to designate Jews and Christians…...
al-Azhar A major mosque and institution of learning founded in Cairo by the Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mu平izz (d. 975)....
al-balad al-am朝n A term used in the 河顎姻a稼 for Mecca, translated as the city of security, serenity or salvation....
al-糸偵平朝 al-ma畍d笛d Also al-糸偵平朝 alma畍メ坑笛r. A rank in the Fatimid Ismaili 糸温平敬温 for the chief assistant to al-糸偵平朝 almu畊laq....
al-糸温平敬温 al-hdiya The rightly guiding mission, an expression used by the early Shia and earliest Ismailis, who felt that the caliphate had been wrongfully taken from the…...
al-Frb朝, Ab笛 Na畊r A preeminent Muslim philosopher born in the region known as Turkestan. In Medieval Latin texts, al-Frb朝 was referred to as Alfarabius or Avennasar. Being an…...
温鉛-韓顎姻援偵稼 Lit. The Proof or The Distinguisher between Good and Evil, a name applied to the 河顎姻a稼 and also the title of its 25th chapter....
al-Ghazl朝, Ab笛 畍つmid Mu畍ammad (d. 1111 CE) A noted theologian, jurist and mystic, (1058-1111 CE), whose thoughts and writings had a major influence on the development of Sunni Islam. He was born…...
al-畍allj, 畍usayn b. Man畊Ｅr A Sufi poet and mystic born in Fars (in present-day southern Iran). He is mainly remembered for his proclamation an 温鉛-畍a援援 (I am the truth),…...
al-畍asan b. 平Al朝 The elder of 平Al朝s two sons (d. c. 669) by Fatima, and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad....
温鉛-畍つr温 A mountain near Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad used to withdraw for prayer and where the first verses of the 河顎姻a稼 were said to have…...
温鉛-馨温幣糸鞄笛稼 Lit. licentiate,; a rank in the Fatimid Ismaili 糸温平敬温 structure; an assistant to the regional 糸偵平朝; originally divided into two ranks: 温鉛-馨温幣糸鞄笛稼 al-mu畊laq and 温鉛-馨温幣糸鞄笛稼…...
al-Ma幣m笛n, Ab笛 al-平Abbs 平Abd-Allh (d. 833 CE) The seventh Abbasid caliph (786833 CE), who succeeded his father Hr笛n al-Rash朝d and ruled from 813 to 833 CE. He is known for his support…...
温鉛-馨顎一偵壊庄姻 Lit. ‘breaker’ a junior rank in the Fatimid Ismaili 糸温平敬温 mainly responsible for attracting prospective converts and ‘breaking’ their attachments to other religions....
温鉛-援庄霞偵馨温 Arabic term for the Last Day, the Day of Resurrection. A concept which features prominently in the 河顎姻a稼. Belief in the Last Day features as…...
温鉛-壊鞄温鞄偵糸温 From the Arabic root sh-h-d, lit. the act of bearing witness or the public declaration of belief. It is among the key principles of Islam.…...
al-畊irt al-mustaq朝m From Arabic; lit. the straight path; a 河顎姻a稼ic phrase meaning the straight path. It appears 33 times in the Holy 河顎姻a稼. Conventionally, the phrase has…...
al-平ibadat al-平amaliyya A term in classical Islamic jurisprudence denoting religious practice or acts of worship, i.e., worship performed by bodily actions or good deeds. In most classical…...
Alamut Fortress of the Nizari Ismailis in northern Iran, which fell to the Mongols in 654 AH/1256 CE....
Amazigh A member of the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa. The term ‘Berber’ today is often seen as derogatory and the term by which the group…...
粥馨朝姻 (pl. umar幣) Arabic lit. a prince, a commander, or a leader. In early Muslim history, the word am朝r referred to an army commander. During the…...
am朝r al-mu幣min朝n Commander of the Faithful. A title used for Ali b. Abi Talib and adopted more widely by Sunni caliphs....
温稼畊Ｄr Lit. ‘helpers,’ it refers to the Medinans who supported the Prophet Muhammad and his followers after the hijra (migration) from Mecca to Medina in 622…...
温壊偵壊 Lit. ‘foundation’. Early Ismaili authors, like Ibn 畍awshab (d. 914) and his son Ja平far (d. 2nd half of 10th century) divided history into seven eras,…...
粥壊鞄平温姻庄壊馨 A theological school founded in the 10th century CE by the Sunni theologian and heresiographer 平Al朝 b. Ism平朝l al-Ash平ar朝 (d. 935-936 CE)....
粥壊鞄平温姻庄霞霞温 A theological school founded in the 10th century CE by the Sunni theologian and heresiographer 平Al朝 b. Ism平朝l al-Ash平ar朝 (d. 935-936 CE)....
霞温 A verse of the 河顎姻a稼, (pl. yt). It is the smallest semantically independent 河顎姻a稼ic speech. Cognates of the word ya occur also in Hebrew and…...
Ayatollah From Arabic (yat Ullh), lit. Sign of God; a title used by the Imami Twelver Shiis. The rank of Ayatollah is believed to have been…...
平温糸鉛 (Arabic; derived from the root 平a-d-l; 平温糸鉛 and 平adla meaning justice, fairness). The word is current in the vocabulary of religion, theology, philosophy, and law.…...
平粥逮温姻庄糸温 A branch of the Kharijites (Kharijiyya) founded by Ibn Ajarrad in the 8th century CE, whose adherents lived mainly in eastern Iran....
平温鉛温馨 A flag or sign post. 平Alams are ornate religious standards seen in Shii spaces of worship and during 珂顎畍a姻姻温馨 processions. They are often made of…...
平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib Cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and his son-in-law by marriage to his daughter Fatima; the first Shii Imam and fourth caliph (d. 661)....
平温援鉛 Reason, intellect, mind. This noun does not appear as such in the 河顎姻a稼, although the verb 平aqala is used (as in Q. 2:44, Do you…...
平温援鉛-i kull (Ar. al-平温援鉛 al-kull朝) Universal Intellect or Reason. It is the corresponding term to the concept of nous as used in the Greek Neoplatonism of Plotinus (d. 270). It…...
平温援鉛朝 As a noun, it refers to a proponent of 平温援鉛, a rationalist, an intellectual. As an adjective it means related to 平温援鉛, i.e. mental, intellective,…...
平偵姻庄韓 Lit. one who knows. Used by Sufi authors like Ab笛 平Abd al-Ra畍mn alSulam朝 (d. 1021), 平偵姻庄韓 is one of several technical terms meaning gnostic, mystic,…...
平温姻壊鞄 Throne. The 河顎姻a稼 describes God as the Lord of the Throne (Q. 17:42, etc.), on which He sat himself (Q. 10:3, etc.) and which is…...
平壊鞄笛姻偵幣 An event which is commemorated by many Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam al-畍usayn b. 平Al朝, the grandson of…...
平A畊畊r, Far朝d al-D朝n Mu畍ammad b. Ibrh朝m (d. 1220 CE) A Persian Sufi poet and author born in Nishapur (d. 1220 CE). He is well known for many of his works, including Man畊iq al-畊ayr (The…...
平温敬温馨馨 A term used in classical philosophical literature for the ‘common folk’ or ‘masses,’ who in this usage were contrasted with the ‘elect’ or ‘elite’ (khaww畊)....
平温霞霞偵姻 Lit. ‘rascal, tramp, vagabond’. A term used for the members of an organisation grouped under the concept of futuwwa (chivalry), especially the highway warriors active…...
恢偵恢 Lit. gate or door. In the vocabulary of Fatimid Ismailism, the term was used for the administrative head of the 糸温平敬温 figures in Islamic history....
恢温援偵幣 Lit. ‘subsistence, survival’. Together with the concept of fana, the idea of baqa’ was developed by Sufis such as al-Sarraj (d. 988) and Abu’l Hasan…...
Basmala The standard Islamic invocation, Bismi’llh朝 al-Ra畍mn al-Ra畍ツm derived from the Qur’an, meaning ‘In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.’...
恢偵畊i稼 The inner or esoteric meaning of a sacred text, ritual or religious prescription, often contrasted with 畉h庄姻. See also 恢偵畊i稼朝 岳温幣敬朝鉛 and 京偵畊i稼庄霞霞温....
恢偵畊i稼朝 岳温幣敬朝鉛 Symbolic exegesis of the 河顎姻a稼 based on the claim that there is an inner (恢偵畊i稼朝) meaning behind the external (畉h庄姻朝) text. By extension, it can…...
京偵畊i稼庄霞霞温 Lit. supporters of the 恢偵畊i稼. A perjorative term used by Sunni authors such as al-Ghazl朝 (d. 1111) to refer to those, especially the Ismailis, who…...
Bayt al-畍ikma From Arabic; lit. house of wisdom; best characterised as a research and teaching centre with a library and translation facilities. Located in Baghdad, it was…...
恢温霞平温 (Arabic; derived from b-y-平, meaning to sell or clasp hands). A practice rooted in Arab tradition and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad. It is…...
Berber A member of the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa. The term ‘Berber’ today is often seen as derogatory and the term the group refers to…...
Bibi A word of East Turkish origin which means old mother or a grandmother. It is also used in Persian and Urdu in the sense of…...
Bohra Indian community of Musta平li Ismailis, now found primarily in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, Yemen, Egypt and other parts of the world....
Bukhara A city in modern-day Uzbekistan, Central Asia, known for its Islamic artistic and architectural heritage....
Buwayhids Muslim dynasty of Shi’i persuasion that ruled in Baghdad (945-1062), and was succeeded by the Saljuqs....
Byzantine The late medieval Roman Empire which ruled large parts of Southern Europe and the Middle East from its capital Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), conquered by the…...
caliphate The Muslim political institution or state centred around the caliph, which came to an end, historically, in 1924 with the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire....
Crusaders A term applied to Christian invaders who carried out numerous campaigns to capture Jerusalem and Palestine from the Muslims in the 11th and 14th centuries…...
禽温u糸庄壊 Adherents of a sub-branch of the Tayyibi Ismailis. The Tayyibis are one of the two branches of the Musta平li Ismailis, the other branch being the…...
Dr al-畍ikma Lit. House of wisdom. A scholarly institution founded in Cairo by the Fatimid Caliph-Imam alHakim in 1005 CE. Its building housed a large library containing…...
Dr al-Islm The ‘realm of Islam,’ a term used in classical Islamic jurisprudence to denote regions or countries subject to Islamic law. Often contrasted with the dr…...
Dr al-平Ilm Lit. House of Knowledge, an institution of learning established in Cairo by the Fatimid Imam-Caliph al-畍つkim (d. 1021). See also Dar al-畍ikma....
dawr (pl. 温糸敬偵姻) Cycle, revolution, period. Together with kawr a great age or aeon. It is a division of the cyclical religious history developed by some early…...
dawr al-satr Lit. period of concealment. Al-Q畍朝 al-Nu平mn (d. 974) uses the term dawr al-satr to refer to the period of around 150 years in which the…...
糸偵平朝 Lit. ‘summoner,’ a term for missionary amongst various Muslim communities, especially used among the Ismailis before and during the Fatimid period as well as in…...
糸温平敬温 Lit. ‘summons’, ‘mission’ or invitation to Islam. Amongst Shi’i Muslims, it was the invitation to adopt the cause of the Imamat. It also refers more…...
糸温平敬温t 温鉛-畍a援援 The true mission’ or ‘the true summons.’ A term used by the Ismailis of the pre-Fatimid and Fatimid periods to refer to their 糸温平敬温 activities....
dhikr Lit. the act of reminding; remembrance. The 河顎姻a稼 exhorts individuals to remember God: Oh ye who believe! Remember (udhkur笛) God with much remembrance (dhikran kath朝ran)…...
din In the Qur’an it means a) retribution, judgment (as in yawm al-d朝n, the day of judgement); b) religion in a broad sense. The pair d朝n-糸顎稼霞偵…...
Druze A religious community that arose as an offshoot of the Fatimid Ismailis around 408 AH/1017 CE....
falsifa (sing. faylas笛f) Practitioners of falsafa (Arabic word derived from the Greek philosophia). Falsafa was sometimes identified with the Arabic 畍i一馨温 (wisdom), a term found in the Qur’an.…...
韓温援朝鞄 (pl. fuqah幣, from Arabic root f-q-h meaning to have a correct understanding of matters). A 韓温援朝鞄 is an expert in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). Early in…...
Farman From Persian lit. command, authority, will, permission. At the time of the Ottomans, the word farmn was used in Ottoman Turkish to denote any order…...
Fatima Daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khad朝ja bint Khuwaylid. Also wife of 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib and mother of al-畍asan and al-畍usayn....
Fatimids Major Muslim dynasty of Ismaili caliphs in North Africa (from 909) and later in Egypt (9731171), who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Ali…...
韓庄糸偵幣朝 Also fidw朝. Young devotee who volunteers to sacrifice his life for a cause. Between the 11th and the 13th centuries, 韓庄糸偵幣朝s are known to have…...
赫温恢姻庄艶鉛/干庄恢姻偵平庄鉛 The name of the angel that appears in the Bible as sent by God to Daniel and in the Qur’an as bringing the message down…...
Ghad朝r Khumm (Arabic; lit.: the pond of Khumm): Name of a pool (or marsh) located in an area called Khumm between Mecca and Medina, in present-day Saudi…...
Ghaznavids/Ghaznawids Muslim dynasty which ruled lands from Khurasan in Persia to Northern India (977-1186)....
乙鞄顎鉛偵岳 Exaggerators’ or ‘extremists.’ A term of disapproval in classical Muslim sources against what they regarded as ‘heretical’ exaggeration in matters of doctrine....
乙庄稼偵稼 A Sanskrit word meaning knowledge. In particular, a poetic composition in an Indian language (Sindhi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi or Multani), ascribed to one of the…...
Gospels The Gospel (Ar. al-Inj朝l) is the message transmitted by Jesus. The word literally means good news of Christs appearance in history. In the plural, it…...
畍a糸糸 Lit. ‘edge,’ ‘boundary,’ ‘limit,’; a technical term in Islamic law denoting God’s ‘limits’ or punishments for various crimes mentioned in the Qur’an. Also a technical…...
畍a糸朝岳鞄 Lit. report or narrative, used for the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and in Shii Islam also for those of the Imams....
Hafizis A branch of Musta平li Ismailis. Upon the death of the 20th Imam of the Musta平li Ismailis, the Fatimid Caliph al-mir bi-A畍km Allh, the official Musta平li…...
Hafiziyya A branch of Mustali Ismailis. Upon the death of the twentieth Imam of the Mustali Ismailis, Fatimid Caliph al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, the official Mustali dawa…...
Hajj (Arabic; derived from the root 畍-j-j), meaning to betake oneself to, also, occurs in other Semitic languages. The word Hajj usually refers to the annual…...
畍a援偵幣庄援 Pl. of 畍aq朝qa. A system originating in 9th-century Ismaili texts, and later modified and developed in a Neoplatonic framework by al-Nasaf朝 (d. 943), Ab笛 畍つtim…...
畍aq朝qa (Persian: 畍aq朝qat) The reality. In the writing of philosophers such as Ibn Sina (d. 1037), it means the true nature of something, its essential reality; for Sufis…...
Hashimiyya A Shi’i revolutionary group which emerged in the 8th century CE; also used generally to designate the Abbasids and others who claimed descent from Hshim,…...
haykal n笛rn朝 Lit. temple of light. According to the Tayyibi author Ibrahim al-畍つmid朝 (d. 1162), it is the spiritual body formed by the gathering of the individual…...
鞄温霞笛鉛偵 A technical term in philosophy derived from the Greek hyle (matter), opposed to 畊Ｅra (form). Usually used in the sense of prime matter, being the…...
Hijaz (Arabic; lit. the barrier). A region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea which includes some of the holiest sites and…...
Hijra (Arabic; derived from the root h-j-r, meaning to emigrate ). Technically, the term hijra designates the migration of Prophet Muhammad and his early Muslim community…...
畍i一馨温 A term which in the Qur’an means ‘wisdom’, and later acquired various technical meanings referring to religious, gnostic or esoteric philosophy....
His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV The 49th imam of the Nizari Ismailis, Shah Karim al-Husayni, who succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, in 1957. He led…...
畍ujja (Persian: 畍ujjat) A 河顎姻a稼ic term meaning both proof and presentation of proof. In Shii Islam it designates Prophets and Imams as proofs of Gods presence on earth.…...
畍uq笛q al-damiyy朝n (sing. 畍aqq dam or 畍aqq dam朝) Rights of humans, i.e. private, essentially civil, legal rights or claims. A translation of the modern concept of ‘human rights’....
Hurufis/Hurufiyya A religious order founded by Fa畍l Allh Astarabd朝 in the second half of the 14th century CE in Persia and Anatolia....
畍usayn b. 平Al朝 The younger of the two sons of 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib (d. 680) by Fatima, and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad....
Ibadis/Ibadiyya Adherents of a branch of the Kharijis , named after their leader ‘Abd Allah b. Ibad in the 7th century CE....
庄恢糸偵平 Lit. ‘origination’. Since the Qur’an describes God as ‘Originator’ (bad朝平, see Q. 2:117), Ismaili Neoplatonists such as al-Nasaf朝 (d. 661/1262-1263), al-Sijistn朝 (d. after 971) and…...
鴛恢鉛朝壊 The name given in the 河顎姻a稼 to the Devil, mostly when he is said to have refused to bow down before Adam (Q. 2:34, etc,).…...
Ifriqiya Mediaeval Muslim name for modern-day Tunisia; also the area where the Fatimids founded their state in the early tenth century....
庄逮岳庄鞄偵糸 (derived from the Arabic root j-h-d, meaning to make an effort, exertion, or endeavour.) In Muslim law, the term 庄逮岳庄鞄偵糸 refers to an independent mode…...
Ikhwn al-畊af幣 From Arabic, lit. Brethren of Purity, a group of learned scholars who were based in Basra and Baghdad around the last quarter of the t10th…...
庄鉛畍ツd Arabic word found in polemical Muslim sources, meaning ‘deviation from the straight path,’ but may connote ‘apostasy’ or ‘heresy’. (See 馨顎鉛畍i糸.)...
imam In general usage, a leader of prayers or religious leader. The Shi’i restrict the term to their spiritual leaders descended from 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib…...
Imama/Imamat/Imamate An noun derived from the term Imam, referring to the institution of hereditary spiritual leadership in Shi’i Islam....
Imamis/Imamiyya Adherents of a branch of early Shi’ism which followed the Husaynid line of Imams, which later divided into the Ismailis and Ithna’asharis ....
Ismailis Adherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja平far al-畊diq (d. 765), as his successor....
Ispahbadiyya Refers to the Bawanids (1074-1210 CE), a local dynasty in Tabaristan and Gilan, who used the title of Ispahbadh朝, meaning ‘army chief.’...
Ithna’asharis Lit. Twelvers, the majority branch of the Shii Muslims who acknowledge twelve Imams in lineal succession from 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib, after the Prophet Muhammad.…...
平庄鉛馨 Knowledge, science, learning; also, more specifically religious knowledge. In 皆鞄庄i壊馨 this term also refers to the special knowledge of the Imams....
平庄姻韓偵稼 Cognition, knowledge, gnosis. In one strand of modern Islamic discourse, the term is used for an amalgamated category which includes the mystical experience, sufism, esoteric…...
Jabal Bahr幣 A mountainous region in central Syria between Hama and the mediterranean coastline southwest of Jabal al-Summq....
Jabriya Name applied to those alleged to hold the doctrine of jabr (compulsion), according to which it is not man who actually acts, but only God.…...
Jalayrids A Muslim dynasty which ruled Iraq, Kurdistan and Azerbaijan (1336-1432 CE), and were succeeded by the Qara Qoyunlu....
干温馨温a岳 Assembly or religious congregation; also a term used by the Nizari Ismailis for their individual communities....
干温馨温a岳 Khana Jam平a is from Arabic which means group or community, and khna is from Persian meaning house, lit., the house of the community. It means a…...
Jamat Assembly or religious congregation; also a term used by the Nizari Ismailis for their individual communities....
Janahiyya Adherents of an early Shii group which recognised Ibn Mu平wiya, a descendant of Ja平far b. Ab朝 畊lib, the brother of 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib ,…...
jaz幣ir al-ar畍 Lit. islands of the earth, this phrase was used by the Fatimid Ismaili 糸温平敬温 for the twelve geographical regions in which its mission was active....
逮温噛朝姻温 Lit. island, peninsula or a territory situated between large rivers. Applied to each of the 12 territories in which the pre-Fatimid Ismaili organisation is reported…...
逮庄鞄偵糸 Mostly used in Muslim writing to denote ‘holy war.’ However, in mystical literature, this term was interpreted in its root sense of ‘exertion’ and came…...
Justanid A local Muslim dynasty of Daylam in northern Persia which ruled over Rudbar, Daylam and other surrounding regions at the turn of the 8th/9th century…...
Kairouan A Tunisian city, often transliterated in English as Kairouan, which became the capital city of the Aghlabids and later of the Fatimids ....
一温鉛偵馨 From Arabic, lit. Speech, discussion, argument, translated as philosophical theology, refers to theological reflection using rational philosophical argumentation to study and express the content of…...
kalima Lit. ‘word.’ Used in the Qur’an with several meanings, chief among which is the ‘Divine Word’. It also refers to the formula for the declaration…...
悪温姻恢温鉛偵 A city southeast of Baghdad, it is the site of the martyrdom of Imam al-畍usayn b. 平Al朝, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in 61 AH/…...
KaysanisKaysaniyya Adherents of an early Shii group originally led by al-Mukhtr (d. 687) who recognised Mu畍ammad b. al-畍anafiyya (d. 322/934) as their Imam and 馨温鞄糸朝....
悪温平恢温 In pre-Islamic times, a temple for the worship of traditional gods. After the conquest of and re-entry into Mecca by the Prophet Muhammad, he re-dedicated…...
Khalafiyya A sub-sect of the Ibadiyya branch of the Kharijis, founded at the beginning of 9th century CE....
Khaniqa/khaniqah (pl. Khaniqahh) from Persian, lit. residence. Khaniqa is a term for a Sufi meetinghouse which serves as a residential teaching centre for Sufi disciples. It…...
一鞄温姻偵逮 Land tax established by Caliph 平mar II to be paid by the dhimm朝s on the earliest conquered lands by the Muslims. As more and more…...
Kharijis/Khawarij An early Muslim community, meaning ‘seceders’, who withdrew their allegiance from 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib....
khawass The intellectual elite or elect, often contrasted in classical philosophical literature with the masses (awamm)....
一鞄庄鉛偵韓温/一鞄庄鉛偵韓温岳 The Muslim political institution or state centred around the caliph, which came to an end, historically, in 1924 with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire....
Khojas A term probably derived from the Persian khwja (lord, master). The Khojas are one of the Ismaili communities originating from the Indian subcontinent and now…...
Khojki A script historically developed among the Khojas of the Indian subcontinent to record their literature....
Khorasan The northeastern region of early Islamic Persia, immediately south of Transoxania and west of Badakhshan....
khudvand-i qiymat Lord of the resurrection. Epithet of the Nizari Imam 畍asan (d. 1166), after whose name his followers added the formula 平al dhikrihil-壊温鉛偵馨 (on his mention…...
Khurasan The northeastern region of early Islamic Persia, immediately south of Transoxania and west of Badakhshan....
Khurramiyya A collective term for several early Shii groups in Persia and Transoxania, also known as the Khurramdiniyya....
Khuzistan A province in southwestern mediaeval Persia and Iraq bordering the Persian Gulf in the south....
kun In the 河顎姻a稼, the divine imperative (amr), meaning Be, (as in Q. 2:117: when He decrees a thing, He but says to it: be and…...
kuni-qadar Key terms in early Ismaili cosmology derived from the Qur’anic creative imperative ‘ kun ‘ meaning ‘Be’, and ‘qadar’, which means ‘determinations’....
Kutama A Berber tribe in North Africa who became key supporters of the Fatimids in the 10th century....
madhhab Arabic word with a range of meanings including ‘doctrine’, ‘movement’ and ‘creed’; a system or school of religious law in Islam....
Maghreb/Maghrib Lit. ‘the place of sunset.’ In mediaeval Muslim geography it referred to the western part of North Africa (present-day Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia)....
Magian Adjective from Magi (sing. magus) referring to a member of the Zoroastrian priestly caste in Ancient Persia....
馨温鞄糸朝 Lit., the ‘rightly guided one,’ a name applied in Muslim eschatology to the restorer of true religion and justice expected at the end of time.…...
馨温逮偵鉛庄壊 Pl. of majlis; a term which literally means ‘a place to sit’ and refers to any formal gathering or assembly of peoples....
Mamluks (1250-1517 CE), the word Mamluk is derived from Arabic, and literally means owned or possessed. The Mamluks were slave soldiers, mostly of Turkish origin, who…...
marja平/marja平-i taql朝d (Arabic and Persian; lit. source to follow or religious reference). It is a term usually used for a Shii Ithna’ashari religious scholar, also called 霞温tullh…...
masjid (mosque; pl. masajid) Arabic derived from the root s-j-d, meaning to prostrate. In the early Islamic era, the word masjid meant a place of prayer…...
馨温岳鞄稼温敬朝 Persian term for poems differing greatly in genre and length, normally composed in rhyming couplets....
馨温敬鉛偵 Lord’ or ‘master,’; often used as an honorary epithet, though in early Islam it also meant ‘client’....
Mawlana Hazar Imam (Ar. Mawln al-Imm al-畍つ畍ir) Lit. our lord/master the present Imam. Designation used by Nizari Ismailis for their contemporary Imam, who is His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan....
馨温平畊Ｅm Arabic word meaning ‘infallible’ and ‘immaculate’; these qualities are attributed to the Prophet Muhammad by many Muslims and by the Shi’a to their Imams....
Mina A small town three miles from Mecca, which is the site of special ceremonies performed by Muslim pilgrims to the 悪温平恢温 ....
馨朝岳鞄偵援 A covenant, promise or oath. The notion of such a pledge is rooted in the 河顎姻a稼 and was first given to the Prophet Muhammad. In…...
馨庄平姻偵逮 (Arabic; derived from the root a-ra-ja, meaning to ascend or to mount). The term Miraj has been associated with the Isra. In some sources, they…...
mo平allem-e 畊Ｄdeq (Ar. al-mu平allim al-畊Ｄdiq) The truthful teacher. A concept based on the Shii idea that the Imams are the only authoritative teachers after the Prophet. In the reformulation of…...
Mubarakiyya Adherents of an early Shii group who upheld the Imamate of Mu畍ammad b. Ism平朝l after the death of Ism平朝l b. Ja平far al-畊diq, representing the nascent…...
馨顎韓岳朝 (pl. 馨顎韓岳朝n) An Arabic word derived from the root f-t-y; a jurisconsult who is authorized to give a fatwa. The mufti should have a sound…...
Mughals An Indo-Muslim dynasty (15261858 CE), founded by the Timurid Prince Bbur, a descendent of Genghis Khan and Timur Lang. At their peak, the Mughals ruled…...
珂顎畍a姻姻温馨 First month of the Islamic lunar calendar, often referred to as the ‘month of mourning’ because of the death of Imam Husayn b. ‘Ali at…...
mujtahid From Arabic; derived from the root j-h-d, to make an effort. Mujtahid literally means one who strives for a higher position, usually in scholarship and…...
馨顎鉛畍i糸 In Muslim heresiographical literature, a term of abuse for individuals regarded as religious deviants or heretics (pl. mal畍ida)....
Multan A major city in the province of Sind (today in Pakistan) where the seat of a Fatimid principality was founded in around 958....
馨顎稼偵韓庄援笛稼 (derived from the Arabic root n-f-q, meaning to dissent, disagree or oppose). The term is used in the Holy 河顎姻a稼 for those professing Islam outwardly…...
馨顎姻朝糸 Lit. one who seeks. Sufi 畊ar朝qas developed around the relationship between the 馨顎姻朝糸s and a spiritual master (called murshid, pir, shaykh or 援顎畊b). The first…...
murshid Lit. guide. Spiritual master (see 馨顎姻朝糸). It is the word used for Imam in the Pandiyt-i Jawnmard朝, authored by Imam Mustan畊ir billh II (d. 1480)....
Musafirids A Muslim dynasty which ruled Daylam, Azerbaijan, Arran and Armenia in the 10th and 11th centuries CE, succeeded in Daylam by the Ismailis....
珂顎壊鞄温平温鞄温幣 A local Shi’i Arab dynasty which ruled the town of Hawiza or Huwayza in Khuzistan, Persia, in the 15th century CE....
馨顎壊岳温逮朝恢 Lit. ‘respondent’; a term denoting an initiate to the lowest rank in the Fatimid religious hierarchy....
珂顎壊岳温平鉛庄壊/珂顎壊岳温平鉛庄霞霞温 Adherents of a branch of the Ismailis who supported al-Musta平l朝, the younger son of the Fatimid Imam-Caliph al-Mustan畊ir (d. 1094) as his successor....
珂顎平岳温噛庄鉛温 A term referring to diverse scholars in early Islam who belonged to a rationally orientated school of thought that emphasized precepts such as Divine Unity…...
珂顎平岳温噛庄鉛温/Mutaziliyya A term referring to diverse scholars in early Islam who belonged to a rationally orientated school of thought that emphasized precepts such as Divine Unity…...
nafs Used in the Quran more than 300 times, where its primary meaning is the human self or person. In post-Qur’anic religious literature it came to…...
nafs-i kull A term used in medieval Ismaili and other cosmological doctrines for the Universal Soul. See 平温援鉛-i kull....
Nahj al-Balgha Lit. the way of eloquence. A well-known collection of letters, sermons and sayings attributed to Imam 平Al朝 b. Ab朝 畊lib (d. 661 CE), compiled in…...
najwa A 河顎姻a稼ic term referring to a voluntary contribution to the Prophet Muhammad. Among Ismailis, it was a due offered by converts to Ismailism to the…...
naq朝b (pl. nuqab幣) Lit. chief, leader. In the Fatimid Ismaili 糸温平敬温, the person in charge of each jazra. Also called 畍ujja, 鉛偵畍i援 or yad....
稼温畊ａ坑 Lit. text. In 皆鞄庄i壊馨 , it refers to Muhammads declaration of Ali as his successor, and by extension, to the requirement that each imam should…...
nisba Arabic word for ‘adjective,’ which can also mean link, relationship, ancestry, lineage or origin....
Nizam al-Mulk (d. 1092 CE) Persian vizier (r. 1064-1092 CE) of the Seljuk Empire who served under sultans Alp Arsalan and Malik Shah I. After the assassination of Alp Arsalan…...
Nizaris Adherents of a branch of the Ismailis who gave allegiance to Nizar, the eldest son of the Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mustansir (d. 1094) as his successor....
Nizariyya Adherents of a branch of the Ismailis who gave allegiance to Nizar, the eldest son of the Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mustan畊ir (d. 1094) as his successor....
鰻庄平馨温岳顎l鉛偵鞄庄霞霞温 A Sufi order named after its founder Shh Ni平matullh Wal朝 (d. 1431 CE), which gained popularity in Iran and India....
nubuwwa (Arabic, derived from the root n-b-幣 meaning to utter or to inform), also in the fifth form as tanabba幣a, to claim for oneself the gift…...
稼笛姻/稼看看姻 Lit. light, a term used for God, defined as light in the 河顎姻a稼 in the so-called ‘verse of light’ (yat al-n笛r) Q. 24:35: God is…...
occultation/ghayba (Arabic; means absence); this term is associated with the Ithnaashari Shii Muslim tradition in reference to the hidden state of their twelfth Imam, Mu畍ammad al-Mahd朝.…...
Ottomans/Osmanlis The name of a Turkish dynasty (from late 13th century until 1924 CE). At the height of its power in the 16th century, the empire…...
pir Lit. elder. (like the Arabic shaykh). Spiritual director (=murshid), who may be the founder of a Sufi 畊ar朝qa. The earliest Qasim Shahi Imams were referred…...
qadar Derived from Q. 33:38, etc and often translated as ‘destiny,’ ‘fate,’ or predestination. See 援温畍幣....
Qadarites/Qadariyya Followers of a theological school in early Islam who advocated the doctrine of free will; also the name of a Sufi order founded by 平Abd…...
援温畍幣 Divine decree. In the Qur’an, it does not appear as a noun, but as a verb meaning ‘to decree, determine.’ Together with qadar this concept…...
qalam Reed-pen. The first verse of Q. 68 says: ‘By the pen and what they write’ and Q. 96:4 states that God taught man ‘by the…...
Qarmatis/Qarmatiyya A number of revolutionary movements in early Islam which, while adhering with the Ismailis to the Imamate of Ism平朝l b. Ja平far, were generally opposed to…...
qasida A polythematic poem originating in pre-Islamic Arabia. It has come to refer to any poem of a certain length in Arabic, Persian and Turkish literatures,…...
Qasim Shahis Adherents of one of the main branches of Nizari Ismailis who followed Qsim Shh as the successor to the Imam Shams al-D朝n Mu畍ammad (d. 1310…...
援偵幣庄馨 Lit. riser or resurrector. Used in early Shii thought for a member of the family of the Prophet Muhammad who was expected to restore justice…...
qibla The direction of Muslim prayer towards the 悪温平恢温, indicated in a mosque by a niche called a mi畍rb....
qila平 al-糸温平敬温 The collective name for several Nizari fortresses in Syrias Jabal Bahr幣 after their capture around 535/11401, including al-Khwabi, Rusafa, Maniqa and Qulay平a....
Qizilbash Lit. ‘Red-heads,’ name of Turkish tribesmen and followers of the Safawiyya Sufi order who founded the the Safawid dynasty in Persia in 1501 CE....
Qum A historic city in Iran to the south of Tehran. It is considered by many Shii Muslims as Irans second holiest city after Mashhad. Qum…...
河顎姻a稼 (also Koran. Arabic term meaning, recitation or scripture): Muslims believe that the Holy 河顎姻a稼 contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and…...
援顎畊b Lit. ‘pole’ or ‘pivot’. In mystical literature, such as the writings of al-Tirmidh朝, 平Abd al-Razzq and Ibn 平Arab朝 (d. 1240), it refers to the most…...
姻温壊笛鉛 Lit. ‘messenger.’ A term used in the Qur’an for the apostles of God, including the Prophet Muhammad who is called Ras笛l Allh, the Messenger of…...
姻庄恢偵畊 (pl. rubu畊) An Arabic word derived from the root r-b-畊 meaning to attach or to link; and for in certain Sufi traditions it means strengthening…...
姻笛畍ツn朝/姻笛畍ツn庄霞霞温 As an adjective (r笛畍ツn朝), it means spiritual. As a noun (r笛畍ツniyya, pl. r笛畍ツniyyt or r笛畍ツniyy笛n), it means spiritual beings. In texts such as the Epistles…...
姻顎一笛平 A posture in the Muslim ritual prayer, involving an inclination of the head with the hands resting upon the knees....
R笛m朝, Jall al-D朝n One of the greatest mystical poets of all time, known by the sobriquet Mawln (1207-1273 CE). He was born in Balkh, Afghanistan, and died in…...
sabab (pl. as恢偵恢) Lit. ‘rope.’ It can also denote anything that binds or connects, ‘anything by means of which one gains an end or an object sought.’...
皆温恢平庄霞霞温 A term used in modern scholarship to designate proto-Ismaili groups, especially the so-called Qarmatis, who restricted the number of imams to seven (ending with Mu畍ammad…...
Safavids A major Shi’i dynasty which ruled Persia (1501-1732 CE), and was succeeded by the Afsharids. (See also Qizilbash, Safawiyya.)...
Safaviyya A Sufi order founded by Shaykh Sayf al-Dn in 1252-53 CE, which later became the Safawid dynasty. (See Safawid, Qizilbash.)...
壊温鉛偵馨 A term derived from the same root as that in ‘Islam,’ which conveys several meanings such as peace, safety and salvation. It is a standard…...
Salamiyya A city in central Syria, which was the residence of several early Ismaili imams in the pre-Fatimid period....
畊alt (pl. 畊alawt) A Qur’anic term referring to prayer in general, which later came to be used more specifically for the daily ritual prayer....
Sanhaja A confederation of Berber tribes in North Africa who supported the Fatimids in the tenth century....
Sasanians/Sasanids A Persian dynasty (224651 CE) which ruled over territories that included, at various times, present-day Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, eastern parts of Turkey and parts…...
Sayyid (pl. sda/asyd) Arabic term for lord or master. It is a pre-Islamic term and refers to a person who possesses dignity or enjoys an exalted…...
皆鞄偵韓庄平朝 Followers of one of the legal schools of Islam founded by Ab笛 平Abd Allh Mu畍ammad al-皆鞄偵韓庄平朝 (d. 974 CE)....
壊鞄偵鞄温稼壊鞄偵鞄 Lit. ‘king of kings,’ one of the royal titles in Persia and Mughal India. Also the name of a fortress near Nih, a town in…...
Shamiran A castle in Tarum in Persia ruled by the Musafirids during the 10th and 11th centuries CE....
壊鞄温姻朝韓 (pl. ashrf, shuraf幣) Arabic term meaning noble or honourable. Shar朝f is a pre-Islamic title that was used to denote a free man who would maintain…...
壊鞄温姻朝平温 Lit. ‘the path to be followed’; the standard term used for Muslim law; the totality of the Islamic way of life....
shaykh/sheikh Arabic term for old man, elder or tribal chief; also used as an honorific title for any religious dignitary; in particular a Sufi master or…...
皆鞄庄a/皆鞄庄’庄岳艶 Adherents of 皆鞄庄i壊馨, the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunnism; those who, in addition to following the sunna of Prophet Muhammad, believe in the…...
silsila Lit. chain. A line of spiritual descent linking masters of a Sufi group, going back to the founder of the order and eventually to Prophet…...
Sind/Sindh A province in presentday Pakistan. In mediaeval times, part of the Indus Valley where, in 958, a Fatimid Ismaili principality was established with its seat…...
Sira From Arabic, lit. way of life, way of acting, conduct; as a literary genre, sira means a biography and times of an individual. In the…...
sitr Lit. veil or curtain. The ceremonial curtain behind which the Fatimid imam-caliphs were seated at the opening of an audience and which was then unveiled....
sitr/satr (Arabic; derived from the root s-t-r, meaning to veil, conceal or hide). In Shii, particularly Ismaili history, the word is used in the phrase dawr…...
sufism From ‘sufi,’; an exponent of sufism (in Arabic 岳温畊a敬敬顎韓); the most common term used for the mystical approach to Islam....
sultanate (sal畊ana, pl. sal畊ant) An Arabic word derived from the root s-l-畊; it is a political office created by the Seljuk dynasty (10381194 CE), somewhat parallel…...
Sumras An Ismaili dynasty in Sind based in the city of Thatta that ruled from 1051 for about three centuries....
sunna Custom or practice; particularly that associated with the exemplary life of the Prophet Muhammad, comprising his deeds and utterances as recorded in the 畍a糸朝岳鞄....
Sunnis Adherents of the majority branch of Islam, Sunnism; from the term sunn朝 which means a follower of the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad....
Sura (Ar. s笛ra) A chapter of the 河顎姻a稼, (pl. suwar). Etymologically it is difficult to trace the term s笛ra, but is probably derived from the Arabic root s-w-r,…...
tadhkira A memoir; a genre of Arabic and Persian literature pertaining to the lives of poets, saints and learned people....
Tahirids A Muslim dynasty which ruled Yemen (145401501517); the same name is also applied to unrelated minor dynasties of rulers in Spain, Khurasan and Iraq....
岳温一恢朝姻 Praise or glorification of God (as in Q. 74:3, etc.). The declaration of the formula Allhu Akbar (God is Most Great)....
岳温稼噛朝鉛 Lit. ‘sending down.’ A Qur’anic term (Q. 3:22, etc.). It refers to the revelation of ‘the Book’ as transmitted by the Prophets....
taqiyya Precautionary dissimulation of one’s religious beliefs, especially in time of persecution or danger, a practice especially adopted by the Shi’i Muslims....
畊a姻朝援温/畊a姻朝援温岳/畊a姻庄援温鞄 Way or path; the path followed by mystical schools of interpretation in Islam....
Tarum A region of Persia along the middle course of the river Safidrud before its confluence with the river Shahrud....
tashahhud Lit. ‘testimony.’ The recitation of the shahda, a formal declaration of the Muslim faith, normally recited during the ritual prayers....
岳温壊鞄恢朝鞄 Lit. ‘comparison,’ hence, anthropomorphism. A term used by classical theologians to accuse those who described God by analogy with man’s physical existence, and who understood…...
岳温幣敬朝鉛 The elucidation of the inner or esoteric meaning, 恢偵畊i稼 , from the literal wording or apparent meaning of a text, ritual or religious prescription....
岳温幣敬朝鉛-i 恢偵畊i稼 The esoteric interpretation of a religious text, ritual or prescription. See 恢偵畊i稼朝 岳温幣敬朝鉛....
岳温平畊朝l Lit. ‘stripping’ or ‘denudation.’ A term used mainly by Ash平ari theologians from the 9th century onwards in criticism, especially, of the Mu’tazila and also the…...
The Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Boards (ITREBs) More precisely the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Boards. A contemporary term for local and international boards within the Ismaili community, ultimately accountable…...
Timurids A Muslim dynasty founded by Timur Lang (Tamerlane) which ruled Persia and Transoxiana (13701507 CE)....
Transoxania The region between the Oxus and the Jaxartes Rivers situated in the present-day Republic of Uzbekistan....
ummah Community; people who are followers of a particular religion or prophet. It refers in particular to the Muslims as a religious community....
敬温鉛偵霞温 Friendship or assistance. In Sufism the term is used for qualities that can be translated roughly as sainthood; in Islam, it is used specifically for…...
敬温鉛朝 Saint, friend of God, or patron. In a political context the terms can also mean administrator or ruler (pl. awliy幣)....
敬庄鉛偵霞温 Authority. In Shii Islam, this refers to the authority that the Imam has over his believers....
敬顎逮笛糸 A metaphysical term meaning ‘existence’, employed by philosophically-inclined thinkers such as al-Frb朝 (d. ca. 950), Ibn Rushd (d. 1198), al-Suhraward朝 and Mull 畊adr (d. 1050/1640).…...
畉h庄姻 The outward, apparent or exoteric meaning of a sacred text, ritual or religious prescriptions, from which the 恢偵畊i稼 is educed....
Zanata A confederation of Berber tribes in North Africa who were, in general, opposed to the Fatimids....
Zands A local Iranian dynasty (17511794 CE), founded by Kar朝m Khn Zand who ruled over Isfahan in 1751 CE, and briefly had Shiraz (in present-day Iran)…...
Zanj African slaves who carried out a series of revolts against the Abbasids in Iraq in the second half of the 9th century CE....
噛偵敬庄霞温/噛偵敬庄霞温鞄 (pl. zawy) from Arabic, lit. a corner. It is a Sufi place of worship which might also coincide with a mausoleum of a saint or…...
Zaydis/Zaydiyya Third major branch of Shi’i Islam, after the Ithna’ashari and the Ismailis. The Zaydis are named after Zayd, a grandson of Imam usayn b. 平Al朝…...
畉辧鞄笛姻 Manifestation. In Shii Islam, the term can refer to the manifestation of the Imam after a period of concealment....
