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Mahgoub, Muhammad Ahmad

(Encyclopedia)Mahgoub, Muhammad Ahmad mo͞ohämˈmäd äkhmädˈ mäˈgo͞o [key], 1908–76, Sudanese political leader. After twice serving as Sudan's minister of foreign affairs (1956–58, 1964–65), he was ele...

Beni Hasan

(Encyclopedia)Beni Hasan: see Bani Hasan, village, Egypt. ...

Jamal, Ahmad

(Encyclopedia)Jamal, Ahmad, 1930–, American jazz pianist, b. Pittsburgh, Pa. He started playing the piano at the age of three and became interested in jazz during the bop era. He began playing professionally at 1...

Muhammad Ahmad

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad Ahmad: see Mahdi.

Ahmad Mirza

(Encyclopedia)Ahmad Mirza äkhmädˈ mērzäˈ [key], 1898–1930, shah of Persia (1909–25), son of Muhammad Ali. The last of the Qajar dynasty, he came to power as a result of a coup against his father. A regent...

Ahmad Shah

(Encyclopedia)Ahmad Shah äkhmädˈ shäˈ [key], c.1723–1773, Afghan ruler (1747–73), founder of the Durani dynasty. His success in commanding Afghan forces in India for Nadir Shah of Iran won him the rule of ...

Farabi, al-

(Encyclopedia)Farabi, al- äl-färäˈbē [key], d. 950, Islamic philosopher. He studied in Baghdad and later flourished in Aleppo as a sufi mystic (see Sufism). He died in Damascus. Al-Farabi was the author of an ...

Ghazali, al-

(Encyclopedia)Ghazali, al- ăl-găzäˈlē [key], 1058–1111, Islamic theologian, philosopher, and mystic. He was born at Tus in Khorasan, of Persian origin. He is considered the greatest theologian in Islam. Al-G...

Mutanabbi, al-

(Encyclopedia)Mutanabbi, al-, 915–65, Arab poet, considered the greatest classical Arabic poet, b. Iraq. His early involvement with a religious cult earned him the sobriquet “the would-be prophet.” He was par...

Mamun, al-

(Encyclopedia)Mamun, al- (Abu al-Abbas Abd Allah al-Mamun) mämo͞onˈ [key], 786–833, 7th Abbasid caliph (813–33); son of Harun ar-Rashid. He succeeded his brother al-Amin after a bitter civil war, but was una...