Craig Considine - People of the Book: Prophet Muhammads Encounters with Christians

ahadith/hadith

The Arabic words ahadith (plural) and hadith (singular) relate to the actions, advice, recommendations, and sayings of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

Ahl al-Kitab

The Arabic word that translates as The People of the Book. The Quran refers to Jews, Christians, and Sabians as Ahl al-Kitab who had been given divine books before God revealed the Islamic sacred text to Muhammad starting in 610.

Ahl al-Suffah

The Arabic phrase that translates to, The People of the Bench, a group named after the people that congregated at a stone bench near the colonnade of al-Masjid al-Nabawi. The People of the Bench were mostly farmers or tradesmen, such as Salman al-Farisiy.

al-Ansar

The Arabic word that translates to the Helpers, the title Muhammad gave to the local inhabitants of Medina who welcomed him and his followers after they had migrated from Mecca in 615.

al-Ameen

The Arabic word that translates to the Trusted One, the nickname that the Meccans gave to Muhammad when he was a boy. Muhammads nickname stayed with him into adulthood owing to his reputation as a trustworthy merchant.

al-Habib

The Arabic word that translates to the Beloved, the phrase a person may use when speaking about a close friend or family member.

Al-Lat

The Arabic word that refers to the pre-Islamic goddess worshipped around the Arabian Peninsula; worshipped in Mecca alongside Al-Uzza and Manat.

Al-Masih

The Arabic name that translates to The Messiah. The Messiah is a reference to Jesus.

Al-Madina
al-Munawwarah

The Arabic phrase that translates to The Enlightened City, the name that replaced Yathrib as the official name of the ancient city and location of the second migration.

al-Muminun

The Arabic term that translates to the Believers; generally refers to Muslims specifically but also extends to other monotheistic believers in Muhammads prophethood.

Al-Quds

The Arabic name for Jerusalem that translates to The Holy One.

Al-Uzza

The Arabic word that refers to the pre-Islamic goddess worshipped around the Arabian Peninsula; worshipped in Mecca alongside Al-Lat and Manat.

al-Sadiq

The Arabic word that translates to the Truthful one.

Allah

The Arabic word that translates to God.

Allahu akbar

The Arabic word that translates to God is Most Great, the phrase used by Muslims in prayers and as a general declaration of faith.

amir

The Arabic word that refers to king or an aristocratic noble.

an-saab

The Arabic word that translates to idols, the statues worshipped by pagans in the pre-Islamic period.

aqib

The Arabic word that translates to final; it is also a nickname given to Muhammad as the final prophet of the monotheistic tradition as noted in the Quran.

Ar-Rum

The Arabic word that translates to The Romans, the name the Quran uses to refer to the Byzantines or the Greeks; also the name of the thirtieth chapter of the Quran.

as-salamualaykum

The Arabic greeting that translates to peace be unto you.

asabiyya

The Arabic word that translates to social cohesion through solidarity across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines; first developed by Ibn Khaldun in Muqaddimah (1377).

Augustus/Augusti

The Latin word that translates to majestic, the title given to Roman emperors.

azzan

The Arabic term that refers to the Islamic call to prayer.

badawah

The Arabic term that refers to the nomadic lifestyle found on the Arabian Peninsula.