Islam in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives - Islamic Books ...

3 5 4Islam i n World Cult u r e sGod as it was conveyed to the Prophet Muhammad over the course of histwenty-two year mission (610–632) in Mecca and Medina. At first delivered inoral recitations, the Qur’an was later written down and arranged into the Arabictext that Muslims around the world use today.Ramadhan (1)See S a w m ; Islamic Lunar CalendarSabean (8)The people and language of the south Arabian kingdom of Sheba, which existedfor 1,300 years before coming to an end in the sixth century C.E. Its alphabetis widely regarded as the earliest S e m i t i c writing system.Sahih (1)The term often used to refer to the two major compilations of h a d i t h , b yBukhari (d. 870) and Muslim (d. 875). The Arabic term s a h i h literally means“sound” or “reliable.”Salafis (1, 2)A term usually used to refer to the original companions of the Prophet.“Salafi” has also become the name for a range of movements in modern Islamthat promote the further Islamization of society through an agenda of restoringIslamic values and practices to their “pure” state—that is, as they are imaginedto have been during Muhammad’s lifetime. Since the late nineteenthc e n t u ry, various groups espousing such positions have been active in variousparts of the Arab world as well as in more distant Muslim societies. In Arabic,s a l a f literally means “forefathers” or “ancestors.”Salat (1)The five daily prayers conducted at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset, andevening. It is the second of the Five Pillars of Islam.Sasanid Empire (1)A Persian state that ruled much of the Middle East during the period of latea n t i q u i t y. It rapidly collapsed after the invasion of Muslim armies in the yearsimmediately following the death of Muhammad.Sawm (1)The Muslim practice of fasting during the Islamic lunar month of Ramadhan.From dawn to dusk each day of that month, Muslims refrain from eating,drinking any liquids, smoking, and many other behaviors. S a w m is the fourthof the Five Pillars of Islam.