Amal —the Shiʿi reform group founded by Musa al-Sadr; Hezbollah’s main political rival in the Shiʿi community
ʿAshura —literally, “the tenth”; refers to the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, when the Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was martyred at Karbala
ayatollah — literally, “sign of God”; refers to the learned Shiʿi scholars eligible to render ijtihad
Baʿth — literally, “renaissance”; refers to the Arab nationalist party, which has had pro-Iraq and pro-Syrian branches in Lebanon
al-dahiya — “the suburb”; usually understood in Lebanon to refer collectively to the southern suburbs of Beirut, where the Shiʿa predominate
al-daʿwa — “the call” to Islam, a reference to the Shiʿi party (Hizb al-Daʿwa) founded in Iraq in 1958
fatwa (pl., fatawa) — a religious ruling or opinion issued by a Muslim cleric
Husseiniya — a building used especially during Muharram for honoring Imam Hussein and members of his extended family, including his sister Zaynab
ijtihad — a religious interpretation by a qualified Shiʿi scholar, usually an ayatollah
imam — the term used in Shiʿi Islam to refer to one of the twelve male successors to the Prophet, beginning with Imam ʿAli and ending with the Twelfth Imam, who is believed to be in occultation (a state of being present but unseen). Sometimes, in a Shiʿi village for instance, the title imam simply refers to a local religious figure.
Jabal ʿAmil — the venerable Shiʿi heartland in southern Lebanon that extends into the southern Beqaa valley
majlis (pl., majalis) —literally, a place of sitting; a term often used to mean “parliament” or to refer to the gatherings of Shiʿa during Muharram to reflect on the meaning of Karbala
marjiʿ al-taqlid —literally, a “source of imitation”; a leading mujtahid who is considered a reliable source of ijtihad by many Shiʿa (for instance, Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah of Lebanon or ʿAli Sistani of al-Najaf, Iraq)
mujtahid — a cleric who is qualified to do ijtihad
Shaikh — a term of respect, often used to refer to learned Islamic scholars
Shariʿa —Islamic law
taʾifiyya — confessionalism or sectarianism
taʿziya — in Lebanon, this refers to a mourning ritual (whereas in Iran it often refers to the dramatic performance of Hussein’s martyrdom and events surrounding the Karbala epic)
timthiliyya — a performance, as in the dramatic re-creation of the tragedy of Karbala
ziyara (pl., ziyarat) — a visit to the tomb or to a site associated with one of the twelve Shiʿi Imams or to other significant descendants of the prophet
zaʿim (pl., zuʿama) — political boss, usually with the connotation of a figure who dispenses patronage in exchange for support