268 Glossary
Basmallah Invocation that opens most chapters (Surahs) of the
Quran: “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful”
batin The implicit, hidden message of the Quran
bay‘ah The oath of allegiance commonly given by the tribe to its
Shaykh
bayt/banu “House/sons,” meaning clan
bid‘a Religious innovation
Caliph The successor to Muhammad and the temporal leader of
the Muslim community
Companions The first generation of Muslims, those who accompanied
Muhammad on the Hijra from Mecca to Yathrib
(Medina); also called the Muhajirun
darvish Meaning “beggar,” a common term for Sufis
dhikr Meaning “remembrance,” the primary ritual in Sufism
dhimmi Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims considered
“People of the Book” and protected by Islamic law
du‘a Informal prayer
erfan Mystical knowledge
fana The annihilation of the self that occurs when a Sufi has
reached a state of spiritual enlightenment
Faqih A Muslim jurist; the Supreme Leader of Iran
faqir See darvish
fatwa A legal declaration made by a qualified Muslim jurist
fikr Mystical contemplation employed by certain Sufi Orders
fiqh The study of Islamic jurisprudence
fitnah Muslim civil war
hadith Stories and anecdotes of the Prophet and his earliest
companions
Hajj The pilgrimage to Mecca
Hakam An arbiter who settled disputes within and between tribes
in pre-Islamic Arabia
Hanif Pre-Islamic Arab monotheist
Hashim The name of Muhammad’s clan
henotheism The belief in a single “High God,” without the explicit
rejection of other, lower gods
hijab Muslim practice of veiling and seclusion of women