A messianic movement in modern Islam, the Ahmadiyah has been one of the most active and controversial movements since its inception in British Indiain 1889. […]
Category: Encyclopedia
AHL AL-HALL WA-AL-`AQD
Those who are qualified to act on behalf of the Muslim community in electing a caliph are known as ahl al-hall wa-al-`aqd (less frequently, ahl […]
AHL AL-BAYT
Literally “people of the household,” ahl al-bayt refers to the family of the prophet Muhammad and his descendants. Shi’i Muslims are particularly devoted to the […]
AGRICULTURE
There are thirty-four countries with both significant agricultural sectors and majority Muslim populations. They form a broad band running from west to east across the […]
AGA KHAN FOUNDATION
A private, nondenominational, philanthropic institution established by the Aga Khan, the Isma’ili imam, in 1967 to translate “the Muslim ethic of care and compassion for […]
AFTERLIFE
The reality of the afterlife is integral to an understanding of the Islamic views of both the individual life cycle and the flow of human […]
AFSHARID DYNASTY
A Turcoman line ruling in Iran from 1736 to 1796 was known as the Afsharid dynasty. The empire established by the dynasty’s founder, Nadir Shah […]