1.
Abraham: the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac
2.
Ali: the fourth caliph of Islam who is considered to be the first caliph by Shiites
3.
Allah: Muslim name for the one and only God
4.
Ashura: Shi'a commemoration of the death of Husayn
5.
Caliph: the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
6.
Five Pillars: beliefs that all Muslims needed to carry out: Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage
7.
Hjira: The date of Mohammad's flight to Medina.
8.
Husain: Iraqi leader who waged war against Iran
9.
Islam: the religion of Muslims collectively which governs their civilization and way of life
10.
Kaaba: (Islam) a black stone building in Mecca that is shaped like a cube and that is the most sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine
11.
Khadija: First wife of muhammad and first to convert to Islam.
12.
Koran: the sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad during his life at Mecca and Medina
13.
Mecca: City in western Arabia; birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, and ritual center of the Islamic religion.
14.
Medina: a city in western Saudi Arabia
15.
Mohammed: the Arab prophet who founded Islam (570-632)
16.
Mosque: (Islam) a Muslim place of worship
17.
Muezzin: the Muslim official of a mosque who summons the faithful to prayer from a minaret five times a day
18.
Muslims: Followers of the religion of Islam
19.
Ottoman Empire: a Muslim empire that lasted from the early 1400s until after WWI
20.
Ramadan: (Islam) a fast (held from sunrise to sunset) that is carried out during the Islamic month of Ramadan
21.
Safavid Dynasty: began in the early 16th century, Shiite Muslim, rulers were Shahs, declined in 18th century
22.
Shi'a: the branch of Islam whose members acknowledge Ali and his descendants as the rightful successors of Muhammad
23.
Sunni: a member of the branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad
24.
Twelfth Imam: ?????????????????
25.
Twelvers: Shi'ite sect that believes there are 12 Imams, and that the final one, the Mahdi, will come back