Key Figures in the History of Islam
Abbas I, Shah (1588-1629): presided over the zenith of the Safavid
Empire in Iran, building a magnificent court at Isfahan and import-
ing Shii ulama from abroad to instruct Iranians in Twelver Ortho-
doxy.
Abd al-Malik: Umayyad caliph (685-705) who restored Umayyad
power after a period of civil war; the Dome of the Rock was com-
pleted under his auspices in 691.
Abd al-Wahhab, Muhammad ibn (1703-92): a Sunni reformer who
tried to effect a radical return to the fundamentals of Islam. Wah-
habism is the form of Islam practised today in Saudi Arabia.
Abdu, Muhammad (1849-1905): an Egyptian reformer who sought to
modernize Islamic institutions to enable Muslims to make sense of
the new Western ideals and reunify the country.
Abdulfazl Allami (1551-1602): Sufi historian and biographer of the
Moghul emperor Akbar.
Abdulhamid: Ottoman sultan (1839-61) who issued the Giilhane de-
crees which modified absolute rule and made the government de-
pendent upon a contractual agreement with Ottoman subjects.
Abu Bakr: one of the first converts to Islam; a close friend of the
Prophet Muhammad, he became the first caliph (632-34) after
Muhammad's death.
Abu al-Hakam (also known in the Quran as Abu Jahl, Father of Lies):
he led the opposition against Muhammad in Mecca.
Abu Hanifah (699-767): a pioneer of ftqh and the founder of the Hanafi
school of jurisprudence.