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Glossary
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Glossary of Terms dar al-Islam. Literally, “the abode of Islam”; territories in which Islamic law is, in theory , applicable. The opposite of dar al-Harb (literally, “the land of war”), which refers to all territories in which Islamic law is not applied and/or Muslims are not in political control. Dar al-Islam is differentiated from umma, which refers to the community of Muslims. Dar al-Islam refers to territories under Muslim political control. “Islamdom” is a good equivalent in English. dawa. Literally, “call,” that is, inviting others to Islam; the act of educating non-Muslims about Islam. Also used to invite Muslims to become better practicing Muslims. fatwa. A legal pronouncement made by a scholar capable of issuing judgments on Islamic law. ‹qh. Islamic jurisprudence, which covers all aspects of life. In Sunni Islam, disagreement on authenticity of hadith to use as sources to arrive at a verdict on a particular issue has led to the emergence of several schools of jurisprudence. The four most prominent are Hana‹, Sha‹’i, Maliki, and Hanbali, named after their most prominent founders. Unlike the Sunni-Shia division, these schools do not transform into social and political identities. Most Shia follow the Ja’afri school of jurisprudence, named after their sixth Imam, himself a great jurist. ‹tna. Mischief, dissension, and con›ict within the umma. hadith. Words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. Collected and veri‹ed meticulously, they form the source for determining the sunna, the way of the Prophet. hudna. Truce, armistice, or cease-‹re. In Western parlance, the term is most frequently used in reference to an Israeli-Palestinian truce, particularly one that would involve such organizations as Hamas. ijtihad. Derived from jahada, which means to struggle to attain an objective. The process of arriving at an Islamic legal decision through independent reasoning and interpretation of basic sources, such as the Quran and the sunna. The opposite of taqlid, or following precedent or existing practice without questioning it. A person who has the scholarly credentials to conduct ijtihad is called a mujtahid. imam. Literally, “leader.” In everyday usage, a prayer leader. In the Sunni tradition, a recognized religious leader or teacher. In Shia Islam, a descendant of the Prophet 191 through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali. These descendants were recognized as spiritual leaders of the community. According to Shia belief, the twelfth imam went into occultation and will return at the end of time to inaugurate an era of absolute justice in the world. The Shias believe that all government is illegitimate pending the return of the Mahdi, the twelfth imam. intifada. Palestinian uprising to free the West Bank and Gaza from the Israeli occupation begun in 1967. The ‹rst intifada began in 1987, the second in 2000. jahiliyya. Literally, “state of ignorance.” Refers speci‹cally to the state of being ignorant of Islam, the condition in which Arabs found themselves in Arabian society prior to Islam. Modern Islamist scholars, such as Qutb and Mawdudi, used this term to describe Muslim societies where Islamic law did not prevail. jihad. Literally, “effort” or “struggle.” The term has been conventionally interpreted as armed struggle by Muslims to defend or advance Islam against unbelievers. After a saying of the Prophet, some traditions emphasize “greater jihad,” which means struggle against one’s inner temptations, as opposed to “lesser jihad,” which connotes armed struggle. jihadis. Muslim militants who favor and adopt violence as a means to achieve political ends, often in a transnational context. madrassa. School; more speci‹cally, schools in which religious instruction is offered. Mahdi. The prophesied redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect Islamic society alongside the Prophet Jesus before the Day of the Resurrection. The belief in Mahdi is shared by both Sunnis and Shiites; however, Twelver Shiites believe that the twelfth imam is the Mahdi and will reappear from his hiding. muhajir. Muslim refugee or immigrant who ›ees his/her homeland due to oppression and persecution. The term was initially applied to the Muslims of Mecca who migrated to Medina with the Prophet in 622 CE. Several groups in the past have also been referred to as muhajirs, including Muslim refugees from India who settled in Pakistan after independence in 1947. Sala‹s. Members of the Sunni puritanical movement of sala‹yya. Sala‹s favor a return to the practice of the salaf al-salih (the “righteous ancestors”), the ‹rst three generations of Muslims. Sala‹s are known by their strict interpretation of...