Category: Encyclopedia

POLYGYNY

POLYGYNY. The practice of one man simultaneously having several wives is a controversial issue in modern Islamic societies. Before the advent of Islam polygyny was […]

POETRY

POETRY. See Devotional Poetry; and articles on specific languages and literature.

PIR

PIR. A word of Persian origin meaning “old man,” the term pir (Ar., pir) has been taken up into Sufi discourse as a common title […]

PILLARS OF ISLAM

PILLARS OF ISLAM. The foundations (arkan) upon which the religion of Islam rests are known as the five pillars, a belief based in a saying […]

ZIYARAH

ZIYARAH. Literally, “visitation,” ziyarah technically refers to visiting gravesites (ziydrat al-qubur) for the purpose of praying for the dead and remembering death. According to well-documented […]

PILGRIMAGE

PILGRIMAGE. See Hajj; Ziyarah.   HAJJ. Unique among the world’s great pilgrimages, the hajj is in many ways also the most important.

SADR, MOSA AL

SADR, MOSA AL- (4 June 1928 – disappeared in Libya on 31 August 1978), Iranian-born Shi’i cleric of Lebanese descent who made an indelible mark […]

PHILOSOPHY

PHILOSOPHY. From its genesis twelve hundred years ago to today, Islamic philosophy (al-hikmah; alfalsafah) has been one of the major intellectual traditions within the Islamic […]