`AQIDAH. The Islamic creed (`aqidah) as found in the Qur’an is quite simple: the so-called five articles of faith-belief in God, angels, prophets, scriptures, and the Last Day-sum up that creed, and it was only later that more detailed formulations began to appear. Three of the five articles-the first, third, and fifth-are the principal articles;
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The religio-political movement known as Ansar (“companions”) was named after the supporters of the Sudanese Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad ibn `Abdallah (d. 1885), who were disbanded in 1898 following their defeat by the Anglo-Egyptian army. Their surviving commanders were imprisoned, and the children of the Mahdi and of Khalifah `Abdallahi were kept under surveillance. The Mahdi’s
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Meaning assembly, meeting, or association, anjuman has played in important role in the political and cultural life of twentieth-century Iran. It gained currency during the Constitutional Revolution (190519o9), when many political action groups emerged to support different ideologies. The anjumans were modeled on a semi-secret society founded by Malkom Khan in 1858 which aimed to
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A system of law founded on interpretation of Islamic texts and practice and applied in the courts of colonial British India, Anglo-Muhammadan law was often referred to simply as “Muhammadan” law. The system’s roots lay in the earliest colonial legal structures established by the British after their conquest of Bengal in the late eighteenth century.
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Angels are mentioned in the Qur’an both as individuals and as a group and appear to have been known to Muhammad’s listeners. They are described in the Qur’an (35.1) as having two, three, or four wings, as having hands (6.93), and not eating (25.7). They are sent as messengers from God, and may intercede with
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Turkey was governed from 1983 to 1991 by the Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party), better known by the Turkish acronym Anap. It was formed in April 1983 after the military regime that had seized power on 12 September 198o allowed the return of electoral politics. The junta, which had ruled as the National Security Council (NSC),
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A title created early in Islamic history and adopted by a series of Muslim polities to the present day, amir al-mu’minin means “Commander of the Faithful.” Early medieval Muslim historians report that the term was used in reference to those in positions of command over Muslim forces during the initial period of conquest, both during
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From the Arabic root amara (“to command”) amir is traditionally defined as military commander, leader, governor, or prince. Although the word amir is not found in the Qur’an (its root appears once as ulu’alamr (those in authority) in surah 4.59, 83), it does have Islamic origins. Although different shades of the meaning of amir can
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