Clear Answers for Common Questions

The Five Pillars of Islam are the core beliefs of the Islamic faith. They are believed to be first in importance in the way one lives one's life. They hold the same type of sacred qualities that the Ten Commandments hold to Jews and Christians. One main difference is ...

The Qur'an is the sacred book of the Muslim religion, believed in the Islamic faith to be the word of God, or Allah, as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad, the last prophet of the Judeo-Christian God. Thus the book is considered divine. The Qur'an is ...

Islam is the fastest growing world religion, with over one billion followers worldwide. At the turn of the 21st century, it was estimated that Muslims would overtake Christians within one hundred years, if Islam continued its astounding growth rate. Despite the fact that it is one of the most popular ...

Ramadhan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, believed by Muslims to be the holiest month of the entire year. Its reverence signifies the revelation of the Holy Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad. During this month, Muslims throughout the world fast from dawn until dusk. The word Ramadhan comes ...

A minaret is a tall, slender tower which is attached to a mosque, a Muslim place of worship. There are a number of uses for minarets, but perhaps the most famous is the traditional call to prayer, which is often issued from the balconies minarets. Many people associate minarets with ...

Hijrah means migration. The term refers specifically to Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina, which occurred in 622 CE. Muhammad’s teachings were not well received in Mecca, which ironically became the most holy of cities to the religion of Islam. With his followers, Muhammad fled to Medina, called ...

A Muslima is a Muslim woman. Not all Muslim women refer to themselves as Muslimas; those who do tend to be younger, and sometimes more socially aware. The use of the term “Muslima” is akin to the use of words like “Latina,” which is used to describe a woman of ...

A Hijood is a piece of sportswear for Muslim women which is designed to help them conform with standards of Muslim modesty while remaining active and retaining their comfort and freedom of movement. Hijoods are manufactured by Ahiida Sportswear, an Australian company which specializes in sportswear for Muslim women, including ...

Muslim women wear head scarves for a variety of reasons, but scriptural teachings, national or local custom, and tradition are three of the most common. Women who choose to cover themselves typically do so as a demonstration of hijab, or “barrier.” Hijab is an Islamic concept that has many interpretations ...

A Burqini™ is a piece of swimwear which is designed to meet the stipulations of appropriate wear for Muslim women. These standards are collectively known as Hijab, and many modest Muslim women comply with them as an expression of religious faith. The development of the Burqini™ represented a major breakthrough ...

A food label is stamped halal if the contents of the food conform with Muslim dietary laws. This certification is analogous to a kosher certification, in that it is provided by a certified third party agency, but kosher food is not necessarily halal, and halal food is not always kosher ...

Islamic financing is a form of financing which conforms with Islamic laws surrounding money and the practice of doing business. Islamic financing is also known as Islamic banking, and numerous financial firms around the world offer Islamic banking to Muslim customers, especially in the Middle East. You don't necessarily ...

Many Muslims around the world practice hijab, which is Arabic for cover, but is extended to mean modesty and privacy. For non-Muslims, hijab is most often associated with the modest clothing that Muslim women wear. In actuality, hijab is practiced by both men and women, and includes other requirements ...

A muhajababe is a woman who wears a veil or headscarf in accordance with Islamic law while still retaining a stylish appearance. This slang term is used in many Muslim countries, and it is also heard in regions of the world with a large Muslim population. Depending on values and ...

When thinking about Middle Eastern etiquette, it is important to remember that the Middle East is incredibly diverse, and it hosts communities which have wildly different rules of etiquette. Although there are a few etiquette tips which hold true throughout the Middle East, it is a good idea to solicit ...

A mufti is an Islamic scholar who has the authority to issue legal opinions known as fatawa about fine points of Islamic law. The role of muftis in modern society varies, with Muslim governments typically having an officially appointed mufti who assists the government, while in other areas muftis are ...

The burqa is a piece of clothing that covers a woman from head to foot. There is an opening for the eyes, but the rest of the body, except the hands, are covered. The garment is usually made of light cloth, and is essentially outerwear for some Muslim women in ...

The niqab is a combination of head covering and scarf, or a one piece scarf that covers everything but the eyes. It usually flows down to the mid-back to cover a woman’s hair, and may flow down to the mid-chest in the front. This head covering can ...

In Islam, a fatwa is a legal decree which is made by someone who has extensive knowledge of Islamic law. Westerners have come to be confused about the precise meaning of a fatwa, thanks to the politicization of fataawa (the plural of fatwa) by extremist activists and organizations. Fataawa can ...

A fakir is a Muslim or Hindu mendicant who travels between villages reciting scripture and performing various physical feats. In some regions, fakirs are a topic of controversy, as some people consider them to be mystics with holy powers, while others suggest that they are simply magicians, using a variety ...

A chador is a loose robe which is worn like a cloak by some Muslimas. Many people associate the chador specifically with Iran, but it is also worn in other parts of the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia. Muslimas typically wear their chadors with the hijab, a headscarf which ...

The title of ayatollah, which means sign of God, is given to Shi'a clerics who have amassed many followers and become experts in religious, ethical, philosophical, and jurisprudence matters. It is the highest rank of Shi'a theologians. Ayatollahs do not exist in the Sunni Islamic sect; Sunni Islam ...

Jihad is the Arabic word for struggle or striving, especially in relationship to becoming a better person spiritually. The Jihad is occasionally called the Sixth Pillar of Islam, since it is the responsibility of all in the Muslim faith to master tendencies that would make them less worthy to Allah ...

The actual differences between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam will probably not seem as dramatic as many non-Muslims presume. There are notable variations in the ways they view their religious leaders and attach meaning to the history of Muhammad's family, however. Cultural and political differences make ...

The caliphs were the early leaders of the Islamic religion and people, appointed after the death of Muhammad in 632 CE. Caliph, sometimes spelled Kalif, means representative or successor, and the caliphate is the early Islamic form of government under the caliph. Sometimes the term caliph is also related to ...

The Ka'aba is an ancient Arabic shrine located in Mecca. It is thought to be the holiest place on earth for the people of Islam, and when people pray toward Mecca, they specifically pray toward the direction of the Ka'aba. Thus Arabs in Mecca north of the shrine ...

Hadith is the collection of the Prophet Muhammad’s statements and actions coupled with the statements and actions of his companions. They are believed to have been collected beginning 150 years after Muhammad’s death in 632 C.E., and it is the basis of jurisprudence for Islamic or Sharia ...

Mecca is the Holy City of Islam, although the city had religious importance before the advent of the religion. It is located in the western region of Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea. Technically, the city is formally known as Makkah al-Mukaaramah, translating into English as “Mecca the Blessed ...

Sufis are adherents of the religion of Islam who emphasize and promote the mystical form of Islamic faith that is known as Sufism. This expression of Islam is based on the writings of Shaykh Adhmad Zarruq, considered by many to be the mystic master of the Sufi faith. His 15th ...

A mosque is a Muslim place of worship, where the faithful gather to pray, participate in community events, and to exchange information with each other. They can be found in a wide range of architectural styles in nations all over the world, including the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, one ...

The whirling dervishes are a sect within the Sufi branch of Islam. They perform a distinctive dance called the sema to honor Allah as part of their religious practices. The sect is well known for this dance, which is performed in flowing robes which create a whirling effect across the ...

The phrase “Peace Be Upon Him” is used by Muslims as a mark of respect and veneration for Muslim prophets and other figures of respect. The use of this honorific is mentioned specifically in the Qu'ran, and also in other supportive texts used by Muslims, such as the Hadith ...

Djenne is a city in Mali. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1988. Djenne is most well-known for the extensive use of adobe in its structures, as well as for the nearly 800-year-old Great Mosque of Djenne. Djenne was first the site ...

The term purdah, meaning “curtain,” is used to describe the traditional seclusion of women in the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia. It is particularly linked with Muslim and Hindu society, although in areas where these religions are a heavy influence, sex segregation is observed by people of all ...

It is difficult to describe the methods to become an imam since the term means different things to the different Islamic sects. For example, anyone who leads prayers at a prayer service is temporarily an imam. To become an imam in this sense, one may merely need to be an ...

The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam for Sunni Muslims and is one of ten branches of religion as prescribed by Shiite Muslims. It requires that all able-bodied Muslims with the financial ability to do so, make, at least once in their lives, a pilgrimage to Mecca. The ...

The word imam is an Arabic word that means “leader.” Depending on the usage of the word and whether or not it is written with a capital “I”, the word can hold many different meanings and connotations. When Imam is capitalized, the word becomes honorific and conveys reverence. As with ...

Qutub Minar is an enormous minaret in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1993. Qutub Minar has the distinction of being the tallest brick minaret in the world, at 238 feet (72m). The site where Qutub Minar now stands appears to have once been ...

Iftar is the meal which is eaten after sunset during Sawm, the fasting which occurs during the month of Ramadan in Muslim tradition. Since people have not eaten at all during the day, they are often quite hungry by the time Iftar comes around, and most people hasten to end ...

Sheikh or sheik is an Arabic word, used before the birth of Islam, to designate elderly male members of a tribe as those deserving respect. It’s comparable to the term Elder in the English language, especially when an Elder’s title conveys not only a person of a certain ...

A muezzin is someone who issues the five daily calls to prayer in a mosque, a place of Muslim worship. The muezzin also issues the calls for Friday prayers. In Muslim communities, the voice of the muezzin is a familiar feature, floating out across the community five times a day ...

The Day of Ashurah, also known as Muharram 10, is a day for remembering Muhammed’s martyred grandson Husayn (also spelled Hussein) Ibn Ali, the day Abraham was born, the day Noah’s ark touched land, and the day the Kaaba (the holiest Islamic place) was built in Mecca. Ashurah ...

Sharia is Islamic law, which is taken from the Qur’an and from other sources depending upon one’s Muslim sect. The law may be applied completely in theocracies, or it may be applied partially, depending upon the country. Some predominantly Islamic countries interpret Sharia and have secular ...

A fez is a traditional hat worn in many Middle Eastern countries. It first became popular during the early 19th century in the Ottoman Empire. The fez is shaped like the lower half of a cone, brimless, and flat on top, and it often features a tassel. The fez is ...

The Hazara are an ethnic minority living primarily in the arid mountainous regions of Central Afghanistan. They can also be found in parts of Pakistan, and a diaspora has scattered other members of this ethnic group to many regions of the world. This ethnic group has historically faced persecution from ...

The term “odalisque” refers to female slaves who served in large households in the region of the Muslim world now known as Turkey through the 19th century. Most famously, odalisques served in the Seraglio of the Ottoman Sultans. Many people have misconceptions about odalisques, in large part thanks to the ...

A turban is a piece of traditional headwear, created by wrapping a length of cloth around the head or around a soft supportive cap. Turbans are widely worn across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, by people of numerous ethnicities and faiths, and they can also be seen in parts ...

A sultan is a secular ruler, usually in an Islamic country. The name came into use as the nation of Islam far extended its territories and relied on secure governance in far away provinces and countries. The sultan, as ruler, was initially inferior to the ruling caliph, but generally governed ...

A sultanate is a sultan's domain, the territory ruled by a sultan, just as a kingdom is a territory ruled by a king. Sultan is the name for an Islamic sovereign. Like a monarchy, a sultanate is a government in which supreme power resides in one person. Some sultans ...

A caliphate is the traditional Islamic form of government, presided over by a caliph, either appointed or elected, who is considered the political leader of all Muslims. It also incorporates a shura, a body similar to a parliament, that represents the will of the people and may elect and/or ...

The Library of Alexandria was a legendary research institution founded by Ptolemy I of Egypt. In the modern era, the Library of Alexandria is probably better remembered for its fate: according to numerous historians, the library was sacked and burned, although probably in a series of events, rather than all ...

Zills are small cymbals which are worn on the fingers of belly dancers; they are known as zagat in Arabic. While dancing, the dancers strike their zills to accentuate the dance or to help establish a clear beat; zills are also used when dancers work the room for tips and ...