Glossary of Islamic Terms

Abbasids: Second Islamic dynasty, ruled the Middle east from 750-950 CE.
al-Andalus: Name for the western Islamic region, specifically present-day Spain.
bagh: Persian word for garden, used in Persian and Mughal contexts.
caliph (more properly khalifa): Successor of the Prophet and head of the Islamic community. Many emperors claimed also to be caliphs.
emir (also amir): prince or commander
imam: the leader of an Islamic community.
Islam: The name of a religion. Islam, a religion centered on the Qur'an, the word of God as passed through Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. Two major sects exist within Islam: the Sunni and Shi'i sects.
Islamic: Adjective describing objects, buildings, or other things which are related to the religion of Islam. i.e. Islamic cities, Islamic prayer rugs, etc.
iwan: in a mosque, gateway, or other building, the large, central, pointed archway that dominates the facade. Common in Persian and Mughal architecture.
Janissary: In the Ottoman Empire, an elite group of officers and soldiers, loyal to the Sultan.
mahal: Palace, also sometimes used for elaborate rooms.
minaret: Tower, pillar, or other vertical element in or near a mosque which serves as the place from which the call to prayer is made. Not necessarily included in every mosque.
mosque: Islamic place of worship. Each friday at noon, Muslims gather here to pray together and hear the imam speak.
Mughal: The name of the empire that ruled India from 1526 to 1857. Not to be confused with Muslim.
Muslim: a person who believes in Islam. Usually a person, can be pluralized (Muslims).
qibla: name of the wall in a mosque which faces the city of Mecca. Whenever Muslims pray, they face Mecca, the holiest of Islamic cities. Every mosque is oriented toward Mecca, and the qibla wall reasserts that orientation. It is the wall at the back of the prayer chamber, and it usually has one or several mihrabs, or prayer niches in it.
Qur'an: (also transliterated Koran) The holy book of Islam. The text of the Qur'an was told to Muhammed by God.
shah: royal title, used by both Persian and Mughal rulers.
Shi'a: one who believes in Shi'ism. Always a person. Can also refer to the group as a whole: "the Shi'a believe that..."
Shi'i: Adjectival form, describes things connected with Shi'ism. (i.e. a Shi'i mosque, a Shi'i text, etc.)
Shi'ism: one of the major sects of Islam. Shi'as believe in the importance of the family of the prophet as well as the centrality of the Qur'an in Islam.
Sunni: one of the major sects of Islam. Sunnis believe in the primary importance of the Qur'an, with the secondary importance of the sayings of the Prophet, or the hadith.
Umayyads: First Islamic dynasty, ruled 650-750 CE in the Middle East, continued in Spain, 750-1009 CE.