THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

GlossaryHaram: Sanctuary.Hijab: Headscarf worn by Muslim women.Hijaz: The region along the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula.Ibadi: The Ibadi school has origins in and is linked to the Kharijites, but the modern daycommunity is distinct from the 7th century Islamic sect. It was founded after the deathof Prophet Muhammad and is currently practiced by a majority of Oman’s Muslimpopulation. Also found across parts of Africa.Ihsan: Virtue through constant regard to, and awareness of God.Ijaza: Certification.Ijtihad: Independent reasoning, or individual interpretation of the Qur’an.Imam: (1) In both Sunni and Shi’a Islam an imam is the leader of congregational prayerswho may also deliver the Friday prayer (Jum’a) sermon; more generally, a person ofauthority within the community. (2) In Shi’a Islam this exclusively refers to a series ofpeople, descended from the Prophet Muhammad, who by lineage are considered divinelyguided spiritual leaders.Imamate: The position or institution, in Shi’a Islam, that is comprised of a series ofdivinely guided imams.Iman: Faith in God.Islam: Submission to God’s will.Jihad: Struggle. An exertion of effort in any field, not just in war.Ka’ba: The large cubic structure in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, adorned in goldembroidered black fabric, referred to by Muslims as the ‘House of God’. This structuremarks the direction in which Muslims pray and is central to the Hajj pilgrimage whenit is circumambulated, a practice rooted in pre-Islamic Arabia when it contained idolssubsequently removed by the Prophet Muhammad.Khat: Script.Khateeb: One who traditionally delivers the Friday sermon; orator.Khawarij: A group of Muslims in early Islamic history who went against the largercommunity and became outsiders. A term used to describe political deviants.Khums: Literally, 1/5 in Arabic; a religious tax of 1/5 of one’s income owed by followersof Usuli Twelver Shi’a to a very senior cleric.Madhabs: Traditional schools of Islamic legal methodology (e.g. Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi’i,Hanafi, Jafari).Madrassa: The Arabic word for ‘school’. Can refer to a religious school.Majles al Shura: Consultative religio-legislative body.Marja/Marjaiyya: The highest position of authority in the Usuli school of Twelver178