Islamic Terms
Allah- The Supreme Being. The name of God.

Hadith -The sacred sayings of Muhammad, handed down by oral tradition and finally written down.

Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca. One of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.

Hegira- Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D.

Islam- "submission to the will of Allah"

Koran- (Qur'an) The inspired word of God given to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

Mecca- The birthplace of Muhammad, and the holy city of Islam.

Medina- Holy city named for Muhammad after he fled there in 622 A.D.

Muhammad- Prophet and founder of Islam. Born around 570 A.D., died 632 A.D.

Moslem- (Muslim) Follower of Muhammad. "one who submits"

Mosque- Islamic place of worship.

Muezzlin- Moslem crier who announces the hour of prayer.

Ramadan- The ninth month of the Moslem year, when Muhammad received the Qur'an from heaven, now a month of fasting.

Salat- Moslem daily prayer ritual. One of the five pillars of Islam.

Shi'ites- Moslem sect which insists that Muhammad's son-in-law 'Ali was Muhammad's rightful successor.

Sufis- Iranian philosophical mystics who have interpreted Islam for themselves.

Sunnites- Largest Moslem sect which acknowledges all of Muhammad's successors.

Surahs- What the chapters of the Qur'an are called.

The Dargah- one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Muslims