​IB Exam Material

Ka'bah: holy shrine in Mecca that is considered to be the most sacred place on earth; all Muslim prayer faces the ka'bah; building at the center of the most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Haram.

 

Mecca: "makkah" in Arabic; the most sacred place in Islam, located in Saudi Arabia; each year Muslims make a pilgrimage here as part of hajj; birthplace of Muhammad and the site of Allah's first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

 

Medina: "yathrib" in Arabic; the second holiest site in Islam, also known as "the city of the prophet;" Muhammad is buried here; Muhammad's destination after his flight from Mecca (hijrah), home to the three oldest mosques.

 

Mihrab: a small niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the presence of Allah and always faces the direction of Mecca; Muslims always bow before this when entering the mosque; typically ornately decorated, sometimes designed to give appearance of doorway to Mecca; could be covered in colorful tiles and scripture verses 

 

Muezzin: Islamic official who calls the public to prayer five times daily and on Friday for public worship; servant of mosque chosen for good character; literally translated means "call to prayer."

 

Muhammad: "Seal of the Prophets"; chosen to receive Qur'an from Allah and continues to be highly revered by Muslims; accepted by Muslims to be the last prophet of Allah; converted most of the Arabian peninsula to Islam before his death

 

99 Names ("Asma Al-Husna in Arabic"): ninety nine titles that Muslims call Allah that reveal who Allah is and what qualities he has; meant to show that Allah's greatness and compassion cannot be encompassed by one title or description

 

Qur'an: sacred text of Islam, believed to contain direct words of Allah; comes from Arabic "to read"; has two main sections, the Medinan suras and the Meccan suras.

 

Rasul ("Messenger"): prophet who was in the presence of and is sent by Allah; traditionally, the five rasuls are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad; each preached the same central Islamic beliefs, such as the Oneness of Allah; All Rasuls are Nabis (prophet), but not all Nabis are Rasuls

 

Sadaqa: comes from Arabic "charity"; generally considered to be any act of giving out of compassion or love; also considered proof of a Muslim's faith, over and above the required Zakat 

 

Salat: pillar of Islam; regular prayer that is repeated five times a day; consists of repetition of rak'ah; demonstrating an understanding of major beliefs.