(Encyclopedia) Umm al-QaiwainUmm al-Qaiwain&oomacr;m äl-kīwīnˈ [key], sheikhdom (1995 pop. 35,157), c.300 sq mi (780 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on…
(Encyclopedia) Ras al-KhaimahRas al-Khaimahräs äl-khīˈmä [key], sheikhdom (1995 pop. 144,430), c.650 sq mi (1,680 sq km), United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf; the northernmost of the…
(Encyclopedia) Qaddafi, Muammar al-Qaddafi, Muammar al-m&oomacr;äm-märˈ äl-käd-däˈfē [key], 1942–2011, Libyan army officer and dictator. He graduated from the Univ. of Libya in 1963 and became an…
(Encyclopedia) Nizam al-MulkNizam al-Mulknĭzˈəm äl mûlk [key], c.1018–92, vizier (1063–92) under two Seljuk (see Turks) sultans. Of Persian descent, he was early educated in administration, serving…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MajidAbd al-Majidäbˌdäl-mäjēdˈ [key] or AbdülmecitAbdülmecitTurk. äbdülˈ mäjēdˈ [key], 1823–61, Ottoman sultan (1839–61), son and successor of Mahmud II to the throne of the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MalikAbd al-Malikäbˌd&oobreve;l-mälĭkˈ [key], c.646–705, 5th Umayyad caliph (685–705); son of Marwan I. At his accession, Islam was torn by dissension and threatened by the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MuminAbd al-Muminäbˌdäl-mŭˈmĭn [key], d. 1163, founder of the empire of the Almohads. He was the favorite of the Almohad religious reformer Ibn Tumart and became (1130) his…
(Encyclopedia) Yaqut al-HamawiYaqut al-Hamawiyäk&oomacr;tˈ äl-hämäwēˈ [key], 1179–1229, Arab geographer. Born in Byzantium, he was bought as a slave by a merchant, al-Hamawi. He was freed on the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-AzizAbd al-Azizäbˌdäl-äzēzˈ [key] or AbdülazizAbdülazizTurk. äbdülˈäzēzˈ [key], 1830–76, Ottoman sultan (1861–76), brother and successor of Abd al-Majid. The economic and…
(Encyclopedia) Zawahiri or Zawahri, Ayman al-Zawahiri or Zawahri, Ayman al-both: īˈmän äl-zäwäˈrē [key], 1951–, militant Egyptian Islamist. A surgeon by education and training, he became involved…