Glossary
��ahadiyyah Meaning “oneness,” the Sufi ideal of Divine Unity
ahl/qawm A people or tribe
ahl al-bayt The family of the Prophet Muhammad
ahl al-Kitab The “People of the Book”; usually referring to Jews and
Christians (see dhimmi)
al-Qaeda Wahhabist organization headed by Osama bin Laden
amir A governor of a Muslim province
Ansar The Helpers; members of Medina’s clans who converted
to Islam
asbab al-nuzul The occasions for or causes of a particular verse being
revealed to Muhammad
Ash‘ari Traditionalist school of Islamic theology
Ashura The tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram and the
climax of the Shi‘ite mourning ceremonies
Aws Along with the Khazraj, one of the two main pagan Arab
clans in Medina
ayah A verse of the Quran
ayatollah Meaning “sign of God”; other than Allamah, the highest
level a Shi‘ite cleric can achieve
baraka Spiritual power