Now the Arabic name for Spain. The word was derived from "Vandalusie", or the country of the Vandals. The Arabs settled in Al-Andalus for seven centuries where they commissioned architectural masterpieces making Al-Andalus one of the most beautiful architectural regions in the Islamic world.

Arab-Islamic dynasty that succeeded the Umayyads in Damascus. After briefly settling in Kufa, the Abbasids founded their capital in Baghdad, moved it to Samarra, and finally returned it to Baghdad. The execution of the last Abbasid caliph by the Mongols in 1258 put an end to a brilliant period of Muslim power. In this section of our Web site, a distinction is made between the Great Abbasids who reigned until the middle of the tenth century AD and their successors who merely had nominal authority.

At the five daily prayer times prescribed by the Qur'an, ablutions are part of the ritual purification which must precede participation in contemplation and the act of prostration and prayer.

Father-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), Abu Bakr was the first caliph, or Muslim leader, after the Prophet Muhammad died. Abu Bakr consolidated several victories in Arabia. Celebrated as being the closest personal friend of the Prophet and as having an unswerving loyalty to him, Abu Bakr had an unshakable belief in every aspect of the prophetic mission. He was known as as-Siddiq, which means the faithful. He led the prayers during the Prophet's last illness.

Abu Bakr’s daughter, A'ishah, was the favorite wife of the Prophet. During the early days of Islam, Abu Bakr used his wealth to help the Muslim community through difficult times and brought freedom to many slaves in the Arabian Peninsula who were persecuted for their belief in Islam. Abu Bakr reigned from 632 to 634 AD. He is considered to be one of the two disciples (the other being Ali ibn Abi Talib) who transmitted from the Prophet the esoteric doctrines later know as Tasawwuf.

The title Agha Khan is given to the chief spiritual leader, or Imam, of the Ismaili Shi’ites. The first person given the title was Abu-l-Hasan Ali Shah. The title was bestowed upon him in 1818 by the then Shah of Persia, Fath Ali. In 1841, this Agha Khan fled Persia after an unsuccessful rebellion against the Shah. The Agha Khan emigrated first to the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan and then to Bombay in India.

The present Agha Khan, Karim, was born December 13, 1936, and is the fourth to bear the title. He is the grandson of Muhammad, the third Agha Khan, who selected Karim to be his successor, thus passing over both the eldest son Ali, who was the father of Karim, and Ali's half-brother Sadruddin. Karim, the present Agha Khan, was educated at Harvard and resides near Paris, France. He is noted for carrying on his grandfather's tradition of charitable work both within the Ismaili community and outside the community.

Arab dynasty in North Africa (Ifriqiya) whose governors were semi-independent of Baghdad. They reigned from 800 to 909 in Tunisia, Sicily and Malta. Their capital, Kairouan, was a vibrant city during that time.

The son of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Fatima, he was assassinated in 680 AD in Kerbala and is venerated by the Shiites.

Cousin of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and the husband of Fatima (the Prophet Muhammad's daughter). He became the fourth Caliph, but the rivalry with Muawiya, governor of Syria, ended in a schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Muawiya founded the Umayyad dynasty of Damascus. Ali was assassinated in Kufa in 661 AD.

The descendants of Ali and Fatima and of al-Husayn, the second son of Ali and Fatima. Later, Ali's followers formed the Shiite branch of Islam, asserting claims to the succession promised to the Prophet's descendants.

From the Arabic al-mowahbidun, which means partisan of Unity. According to the doctrine of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), Ibn Tumart, one of the Almohads, proclaimed the oneness of God. The Almohads, a Berber dynasty which succeeded the Almoravids, reigned in the Maghreb and Al-Andalus (Spain) between 1130 and 1269 AD, with their capital in Marrakesh.

From the Arabic al-Morabitun, which means brotherhood of warrior-monks. This dynasty of Berbers was founded by Yusuf Ibn Tashfin in the Sahara. Ibn Tashfin reigned from 1061 to 1106 AD in Maghreb and also in Andalusia after 1086 AD. The Almoravids preached a strict respect for Qur'anic instructions.

The third figure in the assembly of 'calligraphy virtue' was the 13th-century scribe Yaqut al-Musta'simi who adhered to the geometric principles of Ibn Muqlah and to the strivings of Ibn al-Bawwab for aesthetic grace. Yaqut al-Musta'simi's achievements have been described succinctly by the 16th-century Iranian chronicler Qadi Ahmad: "In the art of writing he followed the tradition of Ibn Bawwab, but in the trimming of the qalam and in the clipping of its nib he altered the manner of the earlier masters...". The cynosure of calligraphers (Yaqut) cut the end of the qalam (the tip of the pen). Thus he altered both the rule and the writing, because writings subordinate to the qalam. For this reason his writing is preferred to that of Ibn Bawwab for its fineness and elegance, and not for the sake of the basic rules; for the essence of writing, it is the same as invented by Ibn Muqlah from the circle and the dot...

Yaqut's innovation was to cut the qalam's nib at an angle, thus enabling him to achieve greater fineness, thinness and linear variability. Often called the sultan of calligraphers, he and his writing have remained quite essential models until modern times.

Yaqut is reputed to have been a very strict tutor, requiring his students to practice long hours. He himself practiced every single day by copying sections from the Qur'an, a routine which he apparently refused to break even when Baghdad was being sacked by Mongol armies in 1258. While the city was still burning, he took refuge in a minaret and, with pen and ink in hand, he practiced writing on a piece of linen. This delightful anecdote, which may well be true, is illustrated in miniature-paintings that depict Yaqut writing at the top of a minaret. Yaqut lived a long life and was a most prolific calligrapher. But his genuine work is extremely rare and is among the most valuable Islamic treasures in existence.

Architectural element composed of arches resting on a series of pillars, piers or columns. An arcade may form a portico.

Instrument which provided a flat representation of the skies, used to determine astronomical data (such as the altitude of the stars or the hour of day) and also used as a navigational aid. In addition, it provided astrological information for the drawing up of horoscopes.

This Turkish word referred to the governor of a town or province entrusted with the upbringing of a young prince.

Independent dynasty founded by the Kurdish leader Salah al-Din or Saladin. The Ayyubids held power from 1171 to 1260 AD in Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, Egypt, Yemen, and the holy cities of Mekka and Medina.