Glossary 271shahadah The Muslim profession of faith: “There is no god but
God, and Muhammad is God’s Messenger.”
Shariah Islamic law whose primary sources are the Quran and
hadith
Shaykh The leader of the tribe or clan; also called Sayyid
Shi‘ism The largest sect in Islam, founded by the followers of Ali
shirk To obscure the Oneness and Unity of God in any way
shura A consultative assembly of tribal elders who chose the
Shaykh in pre-Islamic Arabia
Sufism The name given to the mystical traditions in Islam
Sunna The traditions of the Prophet composed of the hadith
Sunni The main or “orthodox” branch of Islam
Surah A chapter of the Quran
Tabiun The second generation of Muslims after the Companions
tafsir Traditional Quranic exegesis
tahannuth Pre-Islamic religious retreat
tajwid The science of Quranic recitation
tanzil Direct revelation handed down from God to Muhammad
tariqah The spiritual path or Way of the Sufi
taqiyyah Cautionary dissimulation practiced by the Shi‘ah
taqlid Blind acceptance of juridical precedent
tasawwuf The state of being a Sufi
tawaf The seven ritual circumambulations of the Ka‘ba
tawhid Meaning “making one,” refers to God’s Oneness and Unity
ta’wil Textual exegesis of the Quran that focuses on the hidden,
esoteric meaning of the text
ta‘ziyeh A public performance reenacting the martyrdom of
Husayn at Karbala
topos A conventional literary theme
Ulama Islam’s clerical establishment
Ummah The name given to the Muslim community at Medina
Umm al-Kitab “The Mother of Books,” the heavenly source of all
revealed scriptures
umra The lesser pilgrimage at Mecca
Valayat-e “The Guardianship of the Jurist”; the religio-political
Faqih ideology founded by the Ayatollah Khomeini