9781422279724

Words to Understand in This Chapter

Allah— Arabic name used for God in Islam in preference to the word for “God”; has no plural and no gender-distinctive characteristics. prophet— a man or woman who acts as a messenger from God. Qur’an— the holy book of Islam, believed to contain Allah’s actual words, as revealed to Muhammad. Shi’a Islam— a Muslim sect whose members believe that Ali and his descendants were the legitimate successors to the Prophet Muhammad. Shiites, as they are known, make up between 15 and 20 percent of the total Muslim population. Sunni Islam— the majority sect of Muslims, making up about 80 percent of the total population. Sunnis believe that they are following the proper path that was set out by Muhammad and the early Islamic community.