AIM Armed Islamic Movement. The Khartoum-headquartered umbrella organization of Islamist terrorist organizations—those committed to both local causes (the overthrow of regimes in their own countries) and global pan-Islamic causes.
Allah The word for God in Arabic and all other languages used by Muslims.
Bayan A doctrinal manifesto or policy statement.
Dua A prayer-sermon read in mosques instructing the believer how to answer the Call of Islam (Dawah). An Islamist dua often addresses contemporary and political issues, not just religious issues.
Emir A religious-military leader whose legitimacy and power as a leader are derived from his success on the battlefield rather than from his formal religious stature.
Fatwa—A decree issued by a religious leader/scholar or a group of religious leaders (either as individuals or as an Islamic court). Fatwas usually provide guidance to the believers on addressing and meeting challenges. Believers are obliged to do what the fatwa tells them to do.
The Hajj Pilgrimage to Islam’s holy shrines in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia. Every Muslim is expected to make at least one Hajj in his/her lifetime.
HAMAS Acronym in Arabic for the Islamic Resistance Movement—the Sunni Islamist terrorist movement operating in Israel, the Israeli-held territories, and the areas controlled by Yasir Arafat’s Palestinian Authority.
HizbAllah Originally the name of the Lebanon-based, Iran-sponsored Shiite terrorist organization; the name means “party of God.” Currently the name HizbAllah is used to signal strong sponsorship and control by Iran for any terrorist organization whether it is local, such as HizbAllah of the (Persian) Gulf and HizbAllah Palestine, or international, such as HizbAllah International.
Hizb-i Islami Originally the name of the Afghan Islamist organization led by Gulbaddin Hekmatiyar and sponsored by the ISI; the name means “Party of Islam.” Later used by several other Afghan and “Afghan” Islamist movements as well.
Imarat (singular: Imarah) The Arabic term for an area, such as a country, region, or district, headed by an emir.
Intifadah Term that means literally “shaking off” (the flu, bugs, etc.). In the late 1980s the term was adopted into the Islamist and later all-Muslim lexicon as a definition for a grassroots popular uprising such as the one then occurring in the Israeli-administered territories.
ISI Inter-Service Intelligence, the powerful intelligence service of Pakistan that is considered a state within a state.
Islamic Jihad Generic name for the elite strike forces of several Islamist terrorist organizations—both Sunni and Shiite—used to convey messages and claim responsibility for terrorist operations without implicating the organizations and sponsoring states actually responsible.
Jihad Term that means literally “striving”; used by Muslims to describe holy war and related support activities (funding, weapons acquisition, etc.). Although in modern and moderate Arabic and Persian jihad is now used to define major undertakings (“construction jihad” to rebuild war-devastated Iran, for example), the militant Islamists still cling to the original and narrow definition of jihad—“holy war against the enemies of Islam”—as the sole meaning of the word.
Kaffir (plural: Kufr) Term that means “un-Islamic” or “apostate.”
Khilafah An all-Islamic unified state that is the ultimate objective of the Islamists; popularly spelled caliphate.
Mahdi The term used for the religiously driven leader of an Islamic violent uprising/revolt aimed at establishing an Islamic government; the literal meaning of the term is “guide.”
Mawlavis Religious leaders and guides who can also wield power and even be rulers. This term is used specifically to describe the Muslim leaders in South Asia, whose interpretation and implementation of the laws and principles of Islam are strongly influenced by regional peculiarities.
Mujahideen Those who wage the jihad; Islam’s holy warriors.
Mullahs Religious leaders and guides who can also wield power and even be rulers. This term is used to describe the conservative and radical leaders who follow the all-Islamic generic teachings (for example, the religious leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran).
Muslim Brotherhood A worldwide conservative Islamist organization dedicated to propagating the “true” and “fundamental” teaching of Islam in the religious field, the social field (by providing social services, education, etc.), and the political field (by establishing Islamic regimes). Originally established in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has since become the core organization of Sunni Islamism all over the world.
Non-Islamic Activities, beliefs, and opinions of non-Muslims (“infidels”) that are in disagreement with the teaching of Islam but are perpetrated for the benefit of their holders. For example, a Christian praying in church is performing a non-Islamic act.
PIO The Popular International Organization, Turabi’s first international Islamist organization (see chapter 2).
Pushtunwali The traditional and tribal code of behavior of the Pushtun tribes of Pakistan and Afghanistan. These patterns of behavior have an even stronger impact on society than traditional Muslim law or, for that matter, the laws of the states of Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Sharia The traditional law of Islam based on the teachings of the Koran and related sacred works. The Sharia cannot be changed, only reinterpreted to meet contemporary challenges.
Sheikh Originally the Arabic term for a leader of a subnational blood-related group—that is, an extended family, clan, or tribe. The title is based on heredity, but succession is not automatic from father to son. Usually after a sheikh dies, a council of elders transfers the title to the most deserving member of his immediate family, which can be a brother, nephew, or other relative. In modern times the term has also been used as an honorific title for learned individuals whose knowledge, guidance, and leadership are highly respected by their followers and the public at large. The exact circumstances under which an individual is recognized as a sheikh vary among communities and countries. Among the modernist Islamists, the title sheikh is usually given to leaders recognized for their piety, knowledge, and authority.
Shiite Islam The second largest branch of Islam, named after the followers or partisans of Imam Ali (Shiite means “partisans” or “followers”). The Shiites consider the divinely guided Imam Ali and his descendants as the only legitimate successors of the Prophet, Muhammad. The Shiites formed as a distinct religious-political community in the second half of the seventh century in the aftermath of an extremely violent struggle for power over the Islamic world. Consequently the Shiites include the practice of jihad and the sanctification of martyrdom as Pillars of Faith in addition to the commonly accepted Five Pillars of Faith. Although political power is assigned to Ali’s descendants, supreme authority is in the hands of the ulema, with the spiritual leader considered the ultimate authority of the state and the community. Iran is the only distinctly Shiite state. Significant Shiite communities with distinct sociopolitical character are found in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Sunni Islam The majority of Muslims are Sunnis. In defining its character, Sunni Islam puts the main emphasis on following the Koran, Islam’s holy book, and the Sunnah, which can be translated as “message,” “legacy,” “way,” or “example,” of Prophet Muhammad and adhering to tradition as precedent setting. Sunnis obey the Sharia—the code of laws that regulates daily behavior and social relations as well as issues of property and commerce. They accept the Five Pillars of Faith as tenets of their belief. The Sunnis believe that since the death of Prophet Muhammad, no man has served as a divine go-between between Allah and humankind (and so they reject the distinction of Imam Ali, which is part of Shiite belief). They also believe in the participation of the community of Muslims in choosing their leaders, starting with the popular selection of Abu Bakr as the Prophet’s successor. At present the main differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam lie in the principles of judicial decision and jurisprudence (including civil law issues), the character of the holidays, the essence of their relationship with infidels, and details of the practice of prayer and other aspects of the rituals.
Taliban A term that literally means “pupils” or “students” and is used for the students of religious schools who are politically and militarily active in militant Islamist organizations. The Taliban is also the common name for the current leadership of Afghanistan because most of the leaders are former students and teachers in such religious schools and the core of the armed forces is made up of former students.
Ulema The senior religious authorities of a community (state) who together constitute the supreme authority as far as guidance, jurisprudence, and legislation are concerned. In countries with Islamic governments (Saudi Arabia, Iran) the ulema constitute a supreme authority whose approval the government seeks for major political moves and whom the government rarely crosses.
Un-Islamic Originally activities, beliefs, and opinions of non-Muslims (“infidels”) that are in disagreement with the teaching of Islam and are perpetrated in order to adversely affect Muslims. For example, a Christian praying in a mosque and/or trying to convert Muslims to Christianity would be performing an un-Islamic act. However, Islamists also use the term un-Islamic to describe activities by secular Muslim leaders (“apostates”) that are considered anti-Islamic and detrimental to Islamist causes. For the militant Islamists such un-Islamic acts are sins deserving the death penalty (the assassination of President Sadat of Egypt is attributed to his un-Islamic activities).