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| Ashuraa': | The tremendous events in which Al‑Husain (a.s.) lost his life in defense of the integrity of Islam against the forces that would have led to its disintegration (the government of Yazid). |
| Abdul Malik: | A ruler (Khalifa) of Benu Umayya, son of Marwan, a good but cruel administrator. |
| Abu Bakr: | The first Khalifa of the Al‑Khulafaa Al‑Rashidoon. |
| Abu Dhar Al‑Ghifari: | A highly respected Companion of the Prophet (pbuh). |
| Abu Hanifa: | Head of the Hanafi School of Thought, who was a student in the Institute of Ahlul Bayt. |
| Jabir Al‑Ansaari: | A highly respected Sahaabi (Companion), who lived to deliver a message from the Prophet (pbuh) to Al‑Baaqir. |
| Abu Muslim: | The capable leader who led the massive revolt in Khurasan (Persia) against Benu Umayya leading to their extinction. |
| Abu Zainab: | Because of fear of retaliation of Benu Umayya many scholars used to refer to Imam Ali as Abu Zainab. This lasted over a certain period of time. |
| Ah'kaam: | The detailed rules and regulations of the Shari'ah, according to the Ij'tihaad of the Jurist. |
| Ahlul Bayt: | Fatima and the Designated twelve Imams from Ali to Al‑Mahdi (a.s.), who safeguarded the teaching of Islam and conferred it to the Ummah as Muhammad (pbuh) had taught it. |
| Al‑Ah'kaam: | The detailed rules and regulations of the Shari'ah, according to the Ij'tihaad of the Jurist. |
| Al‑Bak'kaa' | One of the nicknames given to Zainul Abideen meaning the one who cried a great deal |
| Al‑Baqii: | The area in which many of the Designated Imams and Sahaaba are buried |
| Al‑Hajjaj Al‑Thaqafi: | One of the cruelest of rulers, who [in the name of consolidating power in the hands of Benu Umayya] inflicted an unimaginable degree of suffering on the people. |
| Al‑Hasan: | Son of Ali and Fatima, the second Imam, he was poisoned by Mu'awiya. |
| Al‑Hijaz: | The area near Medina and Mecca, was an intellectual center for about two centuries. |
| Al‑Husain: | Son of Ali and Fatima, the third Imam, the hero of Karbala, by whose sacrifice he saved Islam as a whole. The Muslim Ummah is indebted to him. |
| Al‑Jah'ni: | The person who killed Ammar Ibn Yasir knowing that the Prophet (pbuh) had described the killer of Ammar and the fighters with him (group of Mu'awiya) as pernicious or people of malice. |
| Al‑Ju'fi: | A close associate of Al‑Saadiq and a highly regarded person. |
| Al‑Khulafaa Al‑Rashidoon: | The four Khalifas who followed the Prophet (pbuh): They were Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman, and Ali. |
| Al‑Makki: | An associate of Imam Al‑Baaqir and a highly regarded person. |
| Al‑Mansoor: | The second ruler (Khalifa) of Benu Abbas and the effective establisher of their rule. |
| Al‑Masjid Al-Umawi: | The ornate Masjid built in Damascus by Benu Umayya. |
| Al‑Mughira: | A Sahaabi of ill‑fame, more interested in his personal pursuits. |
| Al‑Mukhtar: | The leader of a movement which took over Iraq after the happenings of Karbala and took revenge from the killers of Imam Al‑Husain. |
| Al‑Muqdad: | A highly revered Sahaabi (Companion). |
| Al‑Qasim: | Grandfather of Al‑Saadiq, the son of Muhammad who was the son of Abu Bakr. Al‑Qasim was also known for his high learning. |
| Al‑Qiyas: | (The analogy) Methodology of thought often referred to by Abu Hanifa's school of thought. |
| Al‑Raa'y: | (The Opinionated) Methodology of thought often referred to by Abu Hanifa's and some other schools of thought. |
| Al‑Rasikhoon fi Al‑Ilm: | Quranic description of those persons highest in Islamic knowledge, meaning Ahlul Bayt. |
| Al‑Saffah: | The first ruler (Khalifa) of Benu Abbas. |
| Al‑Sajjad: | Imam Zainul Abideen, so called because of his frequent Sujoods. |
| Al‑Sawaad: | Iraq, because its soil was so rich and productive that it was black, and its land was crisscrossed by canals for cultivation. |
| Al‑Sheikh: | Because of fear of retaliation by Benu Umayya many scholars used to refer to Imam Ali as Al‑Sheikh. This lasted over a certain period of time |
| Al‑Tawwaboon: | People from Iraq who felt guilty after the happenings of Karbala, vowed to fight Benu Umayya and die in the cause to take revenge for Al‑Husain. |
| Al‑Thamali: | A highly revered student of Zainul Abideen and Al‑Baaqir |
| Al‑Zuhri: | A highly revered scholar and graduate of the Institute of Ahlul Bayt who was the teacher of Al‑Shafi'i and Al‑Hanbali in later years. |
| Ali: | Imam Ali was the second man after the Prophet, the first Ma'soom Imam, and father of Al‑Hasan and Al‑Husain. Benu Umayya, as their State policy, enforced cursing Ali on the pulpits for as long as they ruled (except for Omar son of Abdul Aziz). |
| Ammar son of Yasir: | A highly revered Sahaabi (Companion). |
| Anatolia: | The rugged mountainous area in Asia Minor [Turkey today]. |
| Ansaars: | People of Medina who supported and bolstered Muhammad (pbuh). |
| Asmaa': | The mother of Ibn Zubair. She was the daughter of Abu Bakr. |
| Ayah: | Verse of the Holy Quran. |
| Ayah of Tat'heer: | Ayah on behalf of Ahlul Bayt (Ali, Fatima, Al‑Hasan, and Al‑Husain). It specified their Ismah. |
| Baghdad: | The town built by Al‑Mansoor to be the capital for the Abbasi regime. |
| Basrah: | A town in south of Iraq which became an intellectual center. |
| Benu Abbas: | Descendants of Ibn Abbas [who was a highly scholarly person tutored by Ali (a.s.)]. Benu Abbas established their rule after toppling Benu Umayya. |
| Benu Hashim: | The family or the clan of Muhammad (pbuh). |
| Benu Marwan: | The dynasty of rulers who were the descendants of Marwan. |
| Benu Sufyan: | The dynasty of rulers who were the descendants of Sufyan. |
| Benu Umayya: | A clan in Mecca who were the adversaries of Muhammad (pbuh), then accepted Islam. Afterwards they became the rulers of the Islamic nation. They consist of Benu Sufyan and Benu Marwan. |
| Books of Usool: | The famous 400 basic books written by the graduates of the Institute of Ahlul Bayt and were used as references afterwards. |
| Bukhari: | The famous person who collected the Hadiths after a high degree of scrutiny. His book is one of Al‑Sihaah Al‑Sittah. |
| Byzantine: | The Christian superpower of the time which was conquered by the Muslims |
| Constantinople: | Metropolitan center and the capital of the Byzantine empire, called Istanbul today. |
| Corpus of Islamic knowledge: | The books Imam Ali wrote after the Prophet (pbuh) had died. They were to become the very source of reference for the Imams afterwards. They were voluminous, dealing with all aspects of Islam. |
| Damascus: | Town in Syria and the capital of the Islamic Nation during Benu Umayya rule. |
| Designated Imam: | The Designated Imams (12) from Ali to Al‑Mahdi (a.s.) who safeguarded the teachings of Islam and conferred it to the Ummah as Muhammad (pbuh) had taught it. |
| Du'aa: |
Prayer or supplication, can be said in any language and at any time. |
| Du'aas: | Pleural of Du'aa. |
| Egypt: | A well known country in Africa and a seat of learning. |
| Epistle of rights and obligations: | Writings of Zainul Abideen about the rights and obligations of the individual, ideally speaking. |
| Ghulaat: | The exaggerationists who falsely attributed un‑Islamic attributes to some Imams. |
| Hadith: | Saying and recommendation of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). |
| Hamidah: | Wife of Imam Al‑Saadiq, said to be Spanish or from North Africa |
| Hanafi: | School of thought as led by Abu Hanifa. |
| Hanbali: | School of thought as led by Ibn Hanbal. |
| Haram: | What is Islamicly unlawful and not allowed, and is punishable. |
| Hasan Al‑Basri: | A highly respected scholar in Basrah, who attended the Institute during Zainul Abideen's time, was supported by Benu Umayya since he did not regard their rule as Illegal from Shari'ah viewpoint. |
| Hijaz: | The area near Medina and Mecca, was an intellectual center for about two centuries. |
| Ibn Aas: | A General in Mu'awiya's camp, a very deceptive and self‑serving person. |
| Ibn Abbas: | Highly scholarly person, tutored by Ali (a.s.). |
| Ibn Al‑Hanafiyah: | Son of Imam Ali, who worked on behalf of Zainul Abideen when Zainul Abideen was in seclusion. |
| Ibn Huj'r Al-Kindi: | A revered Sahaabi (Companion) who was killed by Mu'awiya because he refused to curse Imam Ali. |
| Ibn Jundub: | A revered student and scholar of Al‑Saadiq who graduated from the Institute of Ahlul Bayt. |
| Ibn Muljim: | The person (a Khariji) who killed Imam Ali with a poisoned sword. |
| Ibn Muslim: | A student scholar of Imam Al-Baaqir. |
| Ibn Omar: | A learned person who was the head of a school in Medina. |
| Ibn Tawoos: | A student of Zainul Abideen and a highly respected scholar. |
| Ibn Ziyad: | The governor of Kufa appointed by Yazid to suppress the people and force them to fight Imam Al‑Husain. |
| Ibn Zubair: | Son of Zubair who claimed the Khilaafah but lost after a few years of turmoil, was killed in Mecca and his body hanged by Al‑Hajjaj. |
| Ibrahim Ibn Ashtar: | A companion of Ali and a great military leader. He was poisoned by Mu'awiya. |
| Imam Ali: | Imam Ali was the second man after the Prophet, the first Ma'soom Imam, and father of Al‑Hasan and Al‑Husain. Benu Umayya, as their State policy, enforced cursing Ali on the pulpits for as long as they ruled (except for Omar son of Abdul Aziz). |
| Iraq: | Iraq as a province was the bread basket of the Middle East, also called Al‑Sawaad because its soil was very rich and productive, and its land was crisscrossed by canals for cultivation. |
| Isma'eel: | The first son of Al‑Saadiq, died in his thirties. |
| Ismah: | Means that Allah has safeguarded all the Prophets and the Specified Imams after Prophet Muhammad from, a) religious error, b) sin, and c) forgetfulness. |
| Jabir Ibn Hayyan: | A renowned student of Al‑Saadiq, known for his prolific writings, including chemistry and Algebra. |
| Jabriah: | Believers in absolute predestination. |
| Jahiliya: | Way of life before Islam. |
| Jahiliya times: | Times of Jahiliya. |
| Jamal Battle: | Major battle against Ali the Khalifa by insurgents led by A'isha, Talha, and Zubair. |
| Jiziah: | 20% levy of taxation on the non‑Muslims, used for their protection and defense. |
| Jumu'ah Salat: | Obligatory Salat on Friday noon. |
| Kalaam: | The science of theological logic, usually dealing with basics of faith. |
| Karbala: |
The fateful tragic confrontation between Jahiliya and Islam in which Islam triumphed but at the expense of the life of Imam Al‑Husain and his camp. |
| Khalifa: | The Islamic ruler of the Ummah. |
| Khariji (deviators): | The group that was in Ali's camp, decided to stop the fight in Siffin, then defected and blamed Ali for Siffin consequences. They rose against Ali and caused a great deal of turmoil in the Ummah for many centuries. |
| Khilaafah: | Rulership of the Islamic Ummah, supposed to be representing Muhammad (pbuh) after him. However, with the advent of Benu Umayya the Khilaafah became as a mundane rulership no longer based on Taq'wa. |
| Khurasan: | An area in Persia from which the general revolt against Benu Umayya took place. |
| Khutba: | Sermon, (usually) before Salat. |
| Kufa: | Kufa was the new capital of the Islamic Ummah during the times of Ali, and it became an intellectual center for 2‑3 centuries. |
| Ma'soom: | See Ismah, a person whom Allah safeguards from religious error, sin, and forgetfulness, (Prophets and the 12 Imams). |
| Maaliki: | A school of thought headed by Anas Ibn Malik. |
| Majlis: | A social meeting to inform people about and discuss the happenings of Karbala. |
| Malik Ibn Anas: | Founder of the Maaliki School of thought, and a student of the Institute of Ahlul Bayt. |
| Marwan: | The person who undermined the Islamic Ummah during the Khilaafah of Uthman, killer of Talha in Jamal Confrontation, and later became Khalifa through the use of force. |
| Marwan the Ass: | The last of Benu Umayya rulers, spent much of his time fighting. His last battle was at the Zaap Battle after which he was arrested then beheaded. |
| Masjid Al‑Nabawi: | The Mosque of the Prophet (pbuh). |
| Mawaali: | Usually the converts to Islam, but also a bought servant. |
| Medanese: | Of Medina. |
| Medina: | The major town in which Islam grew and from which it spread under the leadership of the Prophet (pbuh). |
| Mu'awiya: | The man from the Umayya clan who produced many unwholesome changes to Islam, worst of which was changing the mode of Khilaafah to monarchy. |
| Mu'tazila: | Believers of an ideology who believed in the Creation of the Quran. At first they were part of the Murji'ah but later they separated from them. |
| Mubaahala: | The Quranic challenge to the Christians who came from Najran to question the Prophet (pbuh). |
| Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr: | Son of Abu Bakr and a close devotee of Ali. His granddaughter was Umm Farwa, the mother of Al‑Saadiq. |
| Muhammad Ibn Al‑Hanafiyah: | Son of Imam Ali, who worked on behalf of Zainul Abideen when Zainul Abideen was in seclusion. |
| Muharram: | The month in which Karbala happenings took place. |
| Munaafiq: | Waverer or hypocrite. |
| Munajaat: | Poetic whispered personal supplication. |
| Murji'ah: | An ideology encouraged by Benu Umayya since it held to the notion that Benu Umayya's rule was legitimate from Shari'ah viewpoint. |
| Mus'haf Fatima: | Tafseer of the Holy Quran as written by Imam Ali. |
| Musa Al‑Kadhim: | The son of Imam Al‑Saadiq. |
| Omar Ibn Sa'ad: | The leader of the forces in Karbala that killed Imam Al‑Husain and others in his camp in the worst manner imaginable. |
| Persia: | The seat of great superpower before Islam, and the area from which sprang the revolt that toppled Benu Umayya. |
| Piety‑minded: | The community that evolved as spearheaded by Zainul Abideen, became powerful in their call for Islamic practices. They consisted of the school of Ahlul Bayt, Ibn Omar, Ibn Abbas, Al‑Basri, and many others. |
| Qadariyah: | Believers in unlimited free will. |
| Qum: | Seat of learning in Persia, an intellectual center. |
| Sahaaba: | Companions of Prophet (pbuh). |
| Saheefa Al‑Sajjadiya: | Du'aas of Zainul Abideen, very poetic and appealing, often named as the Zaboor of Islam. |
| Saheefa of Ali: | The books of Hadith as Imam Ali had recorded them after the Prophet (pbuh) had died. They form part of the Corpus of Knowledge Imam Ali left. |
| Sakeena: | Daughter of Imam Al‑Husain, witnessed Karbala and died in Damascus. |
| Salman Al‑Farsi: | A highly revered Sahaabi (Companion). |
| School of Ibn Abbas: | Islamic school of thought as led by Ibn Abbas, the student of Imam Ali. |
| School of Ibn Omar: | Islamic school of thought as led by Ibn Omar. |
| Shafi'i: | The founder of the Shafi'i school of thought, whose teacher (Al‑Zuhri) was a graduate of the Institute of Ahlul Bayt. |
| Shahr Banu: | Mother of Zainul Abideen and daughter of Yazdajird, the last Persian emperor. She died in child birth. |
| Shari'ah: | Islamic Constitution in the Quran. |
| Shi'a or Imamah‑Asserters: | Believers in the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh) as passed down by Ahlul Bayt, and that Imamah is an indispensable part of the Islamic faith. |
| Shimr: | The despicable person who slay Imam Al‑Husain. |
| Shoora: | The wise consultative mode to reach decisions or form a government. |
| Siffin: | Site of the battle imposed on Imam Ali by the defiant Mu'awiya. |
| Siffin Battle: | The battle imposed on Imam Ali by the defiant Mu'awiya. |
| Sind: | An area in India conquered by early Muslims. |
| Sujoods: | Performing prostration in worship of the Creator. |
| Surah: | Chapter of the Quran. |
| Syria: | Country and seat of power of the Byzantines, was conquered by Islam then became the seat of political power of Benu Umayya. |
| Tafseer: | Interpretation of the Holy Quran. |
| Talha: | A Companion who was a renouncer against Imam Ali, was killed by Marwan at the Jamal Confrontation. |
| Taq'wa: | Absolute consciousness of the creator, the perfection of execution of the Islamic injunction. |
| Tawwaboon: | People from Iraq who felt guilty after the happenings of Karbala, vowed to fight Benu Umayya and die in the cause to take revenge for Al‑Husain. |
| The Golden Chain of Narration: | The narration of Hadith and other Islamic matters by the persons of Ahlul Bayt. |
| Transoxania: | Central Asia conquered by early Muslims. |
| Ulu Al‑Amr: | Persons in charge of us religiously as the Quran has delineated, meaning Ahlul Bayt according to the Shi'a or Imamah‑Asserters. |
| Umm Farwa: | Mother of Al‑Saadiq and great-granddaughter of Khalifa Abu Bakr. |
| Umm Salama: | Wife of the Prophet and the one who was entrusted with the Corpus of Knowledge when Imam Al‑Husain left Medina for Karbala. |
| Ummah: | Islamic society. |
| Wasit: | Town built by Al‑Hajjaj to be his headquarter, since he was very unwelcome in Kufa. |
| Yahya, the son of Zaid: | A highly revered person who led an uprising against Benu Umayya in Iran |
| Yazdajird: | The last emperor of the Persian empire, whose one daughter was the mother of Zainul Abideen, and the other daughter was the wife of Muhammad son of Abu Bakr. |
| Yazid: | The despicable ruler who was imposed by his father (Mu'awiya) on the Islamic Ummah, and who was the cause of tremendous suffering. Of his progeny other Yazids ruled the Ummah later on, each was also evil in character, pleasure loving playboy. |
| Yemen: | The country in south west area of Arabia. |
| Zaap River: | The site of the fateful and last battle in which Benu Umayya lost their rule. |
| Zaboor or the Psalms of Islam: | See Al‑Saheefa Al‑Sajjadiya. |
| Zaid Ibn Ali: | Brother of Imam Al‑Baaqir, a highly revered person who led a revolt in Iraq and lost his life. |
| Zainab: | The heroine of Karbala, sister of Imam Al‑Husain, who focused the people's minds on Karbala and its importance for Islam. |
| Zandeeqs: | Agnostic or atheist. |
| Zoroastrians: | A wide spread religion in Persian at the time of the advent of Islam. |
| Zubair: | A Companion of the Prophet (pbuh) and a renouncer, leader in Jamal Confrontation against Ali. Declined to fight. |
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