| Term | Definition |
| nomads | move from place to place/bedouins/arab herders |
| oasis | desert area that contains water |
| clans | families of people related by blood or marriage |
| allah | God called in arabic |
| monotheism | belief in one god |
| pilgrimage | journey to a sacred place |
| Islam | monotheistic religion based on the teachings of muhammad |
| muslims | people who believed in this basic principle of islam |
| hijrah | migration to Yathrib |
| qur'an | muslims holy book |
| sunnah | muhammad's words and deeds |
| mosque | building used for muslim worship |
| medina | city of the prophet |
| arabian peninsula | Rub-al-Khali-the empty quarter |