(Encyclopedia) Masudi, Abd al-Hasan Ali ibn al-HusaynMasudi, Abd al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husaynmäs&oomacr;ˈdē [key], d. 956, Arab historian, geographer, and philosopher, b. Baghdad. He traveled in…
(Encyclopedia) AbbasAbbasäbäsˈ, ăbäsˈ, ăbˈəs [key], d. 653, uncle of Muhammad the Prophet and of Ali the caliph. A wealthy merchant of Mecca, he was at first opposed to the religious movement…
(Encyclopedia) HuseinHuseinh&oomacr;sīnˈ [key] or HusaynHusein–sānˈ [key], c.626–680, Muslim leader, second son of Ali and Fatima (daughter of Muhammad). With the assassination of his father in…
(Encyclopedia) Aga KhanAga Khanäˈgä khän [key], the title of the religious leader and imam of the Ismaili Nizari sect of Islam, originally bestowed by the Persian shah Fath Ali on Hasan Ali Shah,…
(Encyclopedia) BabismBabismbäˈbĭzəm [key], system of doctrines proclaimed in Persia in 1844 by Ali Muhammad of Shiraz. Influenced by the Shaykhi Shiite theology that viewed the Twelve Imams as…
(Encyclopedia) Ibrahim PashaIbrahim Pashaēbrähēmˈ päˈshä [key], 1789–1848, Egyptian general. He was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, governor of Egypt under the Ottoman Empire. Ibrahim conducted (1816…
(Encyclopedia) Navarino, battle ofNavarino, battle ofnävärēˈnō [key], 1827, naval battle resulting from the intervention of the European powers in the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman…
(Encyclopedia) Abu BakrAbu Bakräˈb&oomacr; bäkˈər [key], 573–634, 1st caliph, friend, father-in-law, and successor of Muhammad. He was probably Muhammad's first convert outside the Prophet's…
(Encyclopedia) caliphatecaliphatekălˈĭfātˌ, –fĭt [key], the rulership of Islam; caliphcaliphkălˈĭfˌ [key], the spiritual head and temporal ruler of the Islamic state. In principle, Islam is…
