Qatar
Index
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- amir
- Literally, commander. In many
of the Arab states of the gulf, amir often means ruler or prince.
- hadith
- Tradition based on the precedent
of Muhammad's words and deeds that serves as one of the sources of Islamic law (sharia).
- hijra
- Literally, to migrate, to sever
relations, to leave one's tribe. Throughout the Muslim world, hijra refers to the
migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers to Medina. In this sense, the
word has come into European languages as hegira. The year of Muhammad's hijra constitutes
the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
- imam
- Word used in several senses.
In general use, it means the leader of congregational prayers; as such it implies
no ordination or special spiritual powers beyond sufficient education to carry out
this function. It is also used figuratively by many Sunni (q.v.) Muslims
to mean the leader of the Islamic community. Among Shia (q.v.) the word
takes on many complex meanings; in general, however, and particularly when uppercased,
it indicates that particular descendant of the House of Ali who is believed to be
God's designated repository of the spiritual authority inherent in that line. The
identity of this individual and the means of ascertaining his identity have been
major issues causing divisions among Shia. Among the Ibadis of Oman, the imam was
elected to office and was regarded by all as the spiritual leader of the community
and by some as the temporal ruler as well. Claims of various Omani imams to secular
power led to open rebellions as late as the 1950s.
- jihad
- The struggle to establish the
law of God on earth, often interpreted to mean holy war.
- majlis
- Tribal council; in some countries
the legislative assembly. Also refers to an audience with an amir (q.v.)
or shaykh (q.v.) open to all citizens.
- Omani rial
(RO)
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- shaykh
- Leader or chief. Applied either
to a political leader of a tribe or town or a learned religious leader. Also used
as an honorific.
- Shia (from
Shiat Ali, or Party of Ali)
- A member of the smaller of the
two great divisions of Islam. The Shia supported the claims of Ali and his line to
presumptive right to the caliphate and leadership of the world Muslim community,
and on this issue they divided from the Sunnis (q.v.) in the major schism
within Islam. Later schisms have produced further divisions among the Shia over the
identity and number of imans (q.v.). Most Shia revere twelve Imams, the
last of whom is believed to be in hiding. See also Twelve Imam Shia.
- Sunni
- The larger of the two great
divisions of Islam. The Sunnis, who rejected the claims of Ali's line, believe that
they are the true followers of the sunna, the guide to proper behavior composed
of the Quran and the hadith (q.v.).
- Twelve
Imam Shia
- The majority group among Shia
(q.v.), who believe that the Imamate began with Ali, the fourth caliph,
or successor ruler, in Islam. The line continued through his sons until the Twelfth
Imam, who is believed to have ascended to a supernatural state to return to earth
on Judgment Day.
- ulama
- Collective term for Muslim religious
scholars.
- Wahhabi
- Name used outside Saudi Arabia
to designate adherents to Wahhabism (q.v.).
- Wahhabism
- Name used outside Saudi Arabia
to designate official interpretation of Islam in Saudi Arabia. The faith is a puritanical
concept of unitarianism (the oneness of God) that was preached by Muhammad ibn Abd
al Wahhab, whence his Muslim opponents derived the name. The royal family of Qatar
and most indigenous Qataris are Wahhabis (q.v.)
Library of Congress Country Studies
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