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 […]
Tag: encyclopedia
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 […]
AFRICAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
[This entry articulates the themes and values in the languages and literatures of Muslims in sub-SaharanAfrica. Reflecting major linguistic divisions, it comprises two articles: East […]
ABDEL RAHMAN, OMAR
ABDEL RAHMAN, OMAR (b. 1938), more properly spelled `Umar `Abd al-Rahman, Egyptian religious scholar and Islamic fundamentalist leader. Born to a poor rural family in […]