| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Muslim | One who submits |
| 570-632 CE | Lifetime of Muhammad, in years |
| 610 CE | Muhammad's first revelation; What date did this occur? |
| 620 CE | The Miraj – The Night Journey: What year did this occur? |
| 622 CE | The Hijra – flight to Medina: What year did this occur? |
| Miraj | 620 CE, Night Journey, origin of the five daily prayers |
| Hijra | 622 CE, flight to Medina |
| Medina | Hejaz region, western Saudi Arabia: |
| 632-661 CE | time of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs |
| 680 CE | Death of Husayn, Prophet's grandson; Sunni / Shi'a schism: What Date did this occur? |
| Caliph | Not a prophet, but the Commander of the Faithful; religious/political leader |
| 1000-1200 CE | time of the development of Sufism |
| Sufism | Islamic Mysticism, Focused on achieving direct spiritual connection with God, Poetry and music are central, formed out of discontent with ritualistic practices of the time |
| Hadith | Example, or, to follow by example |
| Khadijah | first wife of the islamic prophet Muhammad |
| Muhammad | 570-632 CE, "Seal of the Prophets", Founder of the Muslim Religion |
| Umma | Arabic for "community" or "nation" |
| Qur'an | The holy book of Islam, Considered to be the word of God (NOT the writings of Muhammad) |
| Four Rightly Guided Caliphs | The first four Muslim leaders after Muhammad – Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali |
| Shi'a | Muhammad's descendants should lead the community, Predominant in Iran and a large minority in Iraq Specifically they believe that Ali should have been the first caliph; he was married to the Prophet's oldest daughter Fatima |
| Sunnis | these muslims hold the belief that the community should decide who will be the best leader, Majority of the Muslim world |
| The Five Pillars of Islam | The essentials of Muslim belief and practice - Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj |
| Shahada | Profession of Faith - "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God", The Islamic creed; recited daily by Muslims, Public recitation = conversion to Islam |
| Salat | Ritual Prayer, Contact Prayer, Prayer five times a day at specific fixed times, Muslims must pray facing the Kabah in Mecca, Involves particular verses and motions, Ablutions are necessary before prayer, The muezzin calls believers to prayer |
| Zakat | Alms-giving - A percentage of one's income is given to the poor; required of those who can afford it |
| Sawm | Fasting, Abstaining from food, drink, and sex from dusk to dawn during the month of Ramadan, Special focus on following the teachings of Islam |
| Hajj | Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime, Involves specific dress and specific rituals, Central ritual: walking around the Kabah 7 times, Commemorates events in Abraham's life, Time of spiritual renewal and unity of the Umma |
| Kabah | sacred stone in the center of Mecca around which muslims are to walk during their pilgrimage |
| Mecca | the center of the Islamic world and the birthplace of both the Prophet Muhammad and the religion he founded |
| muezzin | The person who calls Muslims to prayer five times a day |
| Ramadan | Islamic Holy Month |
| Id al-Adha | Festival of Sacrifice, Commemorates Abraham's submission to God, and his willingness to sacrifice his son, Muslims sacrifice an animal and share with the meat with friends and with the poor |
| Id al-Fitr | Fast Breaking Festival, Marks the end of the period of Ramadan |
| Ashura | Martyrdom of Husayn, Observed by Shi'a Muslims, Commemorates the assassination of Husayn, the Prophet's grandson |
| Sharia | A legal system to determine how Muslims should act in their daily lives |
| The four sources of Islamic law | The Qur'an, Hadith / Sunna, Ijma, Qiyas |
| Ijma | Consensus of the community |
| Qiyas | Analogical reasoning |
| Imam | A spiritual leader, Often leads a mosque/community in prayer and worship, and fulfills other clergy roles, Term also refers to specific Shi'a leaders |
| Mullah / Sheikh | A Muslim learned in Islamic theology and law; an elder, wise man or scholar |
| Ulema | Umbrella term referring to Muslim leaders who have undergone training |
| Dhikr | In Sufism, "Remembrance" of God, Repetition of the 99 names of God |
| Nation of Islam | An Islamic Community Started in the United States, at first exclusively for African Americans |
| Sura | chapters of the Qur'an |
| Wahhabi | form of Islam dominant in Saudi Arabia |
| Mosque | Muslim house of worship |
| Hijab | "to veil" or "to cover", also, the act of veiling or covering |
| Animism | The concept that the spiritual is iminent in the natural world |
| Ancestor Veneration | Ancestors are highly revered and sometimes even feared, They are considered to have become sacred beings who have the ability to help or harm the living, Well-maintained altars/gravesites and specific rituals serve the purpose of honoring and appeasing the dead |
| Cyclical Time | Time is understood in a cyclical manner; individual events and entire eras repeat themselves in large cycles, Time is considered to be repeatable and therefore is relatively unimportant |
| Sacred Time | corresponds to the cycles and rhythms of nature |
| Ceremonies | means of re-telling sacred stories through dance, chants, etc. |
| Rituals | maintain and restore balance with the natural world, Often used to mark rites of passage linked to the individual life-cycle, May involve a means of enhancing religious experience |
| Shaman | Serves as the intermediary between the human and larger-than-human worlds; restores balance between these worlds, May be considered to have special powers of divination, healing, and communication with spiritual beings, Presides over rituals / ceremonies, Provides guidance and wisdom to leaders, Helps heal individuals and the community |
| Taboo | A place, person, action, or thing that is forbidden, requires a ritual to restore balance if violated |
| Totem | an animal sacred to a group of people, usually a kinship group, helps maintain biodiversity, aids in community organization, ensures proper relationships |
| Navajo | "the people" |
| Diné | "the people" in Navajo |
| The Navajo Nation | the Navajo homeland, spanning parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico; it is the largest land area assigned to Native jurisdiction in the United States |
| Navajo sacred landmarks | East: Sisnajin, South: Tso'dzil, West: Dook'oslid, North: Debentsa |
| North: Debentsa | San Juan Mountains (Colorado) |
| West: Dook'oslid | San Francisco Peaks (Flagstaff, AZ) |
| East: Sisnajin | Mount Baldy (Alamos, CO) |
| South: Tso'dzil | Mount Taylor (New Mexico) |
| The Hoop Dance | Visual storytelling; represents respect for and connection with the natural world, The hoop itself represents the earth, as well as the natural cycle of life, Dancers create shapes from nature; the transformation demonstrates the inter-connectedness of all living beings, Common to a number of different Native American traditions |
| hatáálii | Singer, a Navajo Shaman |
| Hózhó | health/well-being/blessing |
| Iikááh | Navajo Sand Paintings, "place where the gods come and go", The sand painting acts as a portal for spirits |
| Changing Woman | the personification of the Earth and the natural order |
| Monster Slayer | Changing Woman's son, He rid of the world of harmful monsters, He left poverty, illness, and hunger alive in order to create compassion in humanity |
| Kinaaldá | A coming-of-age ritual held for girls when they begin menstruation, "Puberty ceremony"; the term refers to both the ritual and the girls, The first one was conducted by Changing Woman; girls are considered to embody her during the ceremony, The ritual involves many regulations and taboos; behavior is very important |
| Yoruba | religion originated in Western Africa, in modern-day Nigeria / Benin Republic |
| Yoruba Cosmogony | At first there was only sky and water, Olodumare sent Obatala to create the earth, which he did using sand and a hen, Obatala named the place where he first touched down Ife; it is considered to be the sacred homeland of the Yoruba people, When Obatala became lonely, he created human beings out of clay; then Olodumare gave them the breath of life |
| Orishas | "Owners of heads", There are hundreds of these Deities, but only a few are important |
| Olodumare | The Supreme Being, A deity of pure spirit, without gender, The creator of all life, Considered to be too important/busy to interact with humans |
| Obatala | Father of the Orishas, Played an important role in creation, "Owner of all the heads"; connected to all humanity, Wears a white robe; associated with purity |
| Yemaya | The Mother Goddess, Loving mother, associated with the ocean, In some traditions, fused with the Virgin Mary |
| Shango | The Sky Father, Warrior god of thunder and lightning, Associated with male power and sexuality |
| Elegba | The Trickster, The messenger between the human and divine worlds, The god of crossroads and beginnings |
| Egungun | Ancestral spirits who have made the transition to the spiritual realm but may still help or harm humans |
| Reincarnation | It may take numerous lifetimes for one to reach transcendence |
| Egungun Ceremonies | Ancestors try to improve the community's behavior |
| Naming Ceremony for newborns | Names are considered to have great significance, Objects/food used have symbolic importance |
| Babalawo | Yoruba priests/shamans, "Father of the secrets", These holy people uses divination to help individuals heal and overcome misfortune |
| "Seal of the Prophets" | a title given to Muhammad by a verse in the Qur'an, Muslims traditionally interpret this verse as meaning that Muhammad was the last prophet |
| Crescent and Star | Unofficial Symbol of Islam |
| Friday prayer service | Mandatory prayer service at midday, Muslims are required to pray at a Mosque during this time |
| Minaret | distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. tall spires with onion-shaped crowns, usually either free standing or much taller than any surrounding support structure |
| Jihad | a noun meaning "struggle.", a religious duty of Muslims, it appears frequently in the Qur'an and common usage as the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of Allah |
| Iikááh | Navajo Sand Paintings |
| Dinetah | the traditional homeland of the Navajo tribe |
| Ife | an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria |
| Ifa | Yoruba divination arts |
| Problems involved in studying indigenous religions | The sheer diversity of traditions, peoples, and languages, Religion is not a separate aspect of life (They are sometimes called "lifeways), The categories/terms we use in religious studies don't always apply, Existing scholarship is biased, Sources for studying indigenous religions are often impermanent |
| Rootedness in the Land | An indigenous community's identity, language, and traditions may be strongly tied to a particular physical location, Loss of that land means the loss of a people's self-understanding, culture, and religious traditions |
| Oral Tradition | No written sacred texts, Traditions are communicated through various verbal and non-verbal means, Storytelling as a sacred art form, Stories communicate important wisdom from one generation to the next, and are used to pass on traditions |
| Navajo Cosmogony | People start out in insect form, and travel on a vine through four worlds until emerging in our world, the fifth world, First Man and First Woman are taught the traditions – how they should behave/act, People and various animals must work together to accomplish their goals, An individual ("Coyote") creates an imbalance with the natural world, leading to tragedy; once the imbalance is corrected, order is restored |
| Navajo Healing Ceremonies | Conducted to maintain and restore balance between the human and larger-than-human worlds, Blessingway, Enemyway |
| Blessingway | Brings blessing and protection |
| Enemyway | Restores balance and harmony |
| Hadith / Sunna | Sayings/actions of Muhammad |
| Fana | "extinction": the sense of loss of self in mystical experience |
| mihrab | the decorated niche inside a mosque that indicates the direction of mecca |
| quiblah | the direction towards mecca; the direction towards which muslims preay |
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