Glossary

The 313 Companions - They are the companions of Imam Al-Mahdi who will pave the way for his rise. Ahmed, the successor of Imam Al-Mahdi, is the first of the 313.

Ahl al-Bayt - People of the House, or family. In the Islamic tradition it refers to the household of the prophet Muhammad and his progeny through his daughter Fatima Zahra's marriage with the Prophet’s cousin Ali. Their sons, Hasan Ibn Ali and Hussain Ibn Ali, were Prophet Muhammad's grandsons, pbut.

Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the Prince of Believers - He is the cousin of Prophet Muhammad pbuhap and the first of the twelve Imams. He is known as the “Prince of Believers” (Amir al-Mumineen), which is a title that belongs only him and is familiar to all Muslims.

Dysfunctional clerics - The dysfunctional clerics are those who have perverted the religion instead of preserving it, although it is their duty to do so. They have fallen for worldly desires and are misguided and as a result, misguide their followers. Practicing clerics, as opposed to dysfunctional ones, are those who have followed guidance from God in preserving the religion. They work by the knowledge they have learned, that is, they practice what they preach.

Fatimah - Fatima al-Zahra pbuh was daughter who was closest to Prophet Muhammad pbuhap. She was the wife of Ali Ibn Abi Talib pbuh, and the only child of Prophet Muhammed to have children that survived into adulthood. After Abu Bakr was elected as leader at Saqifah, Ali Ibn Abi Talib refused to give him allegiance. Abu Bakr sent a group of men toforce Ali to swear allegiance, and Fatima refused to allow them to enter her home. One of them then forcefully pushed the door open, crushing Fatima against a wall. This broke her ribs, causing her to miscarry her unborn child. She died a few months later as a result of her injuries.

Hussain Ibn Ali - The third Imam and son of Ali Ibn Abi Talib pbuh. He stood up against an oppressive regime during his time. He and his companions consisted of approximately seventy-two men whofaced an army of tens of thousands. Al-Hussain refused to give allegiance to Yazid; what resulted was a massacre that nearly completely eliminated the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad pbuhap. Al-Hussain emerged and endured as a symbol of resistance against oppression, and it is true to this day. Islam was allowed to continue through the lineage of the Imams, because through Al-Hussain’s revolution, people were able to understand the oppression that the Imams experienced, and support them.

Imam - In Shia Islam, the title “Imam” refers to a divinely appointed leader. The twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to the prophet Muhammad.

Jinn - Supernatural creatures mentioned in Islamic theology and also mentioned frequently in

the Quran (for example, see Chapter 72 of the Quran titled “The Jinn”). The jinn are also mentioned in other texts.

The Mahdi - Translates to "the guided one", a title for the divine leader who will appear in the End Times to establish justice and rid the world of evil. For Shia muslims, the Mahdi is the twelfth Imam, Muhammad Ibn al-Hassan pbuh (born in 869), who went into Occultation in 941 and will reappear in the End Times.

Al-Qaim - "The Riser" in English, another title for the Mahdi.

Satan - Satan does not always mean Lucifer, but sometimes, evil in general: "Satan here means evil (and the defect of darkness) and it does not mean Iblis as some imagine.... This Satan (meaning evil) is the darkness which no creation is free from, as the light that has no darkness within is God Almighty." The Journey of Moses pbuh to the Junction of the Two Seas (English book), 26 and 28.

Saqifah - Its significance lies in the fact that it was a assembly of some companions of Prophet Muhammad who gathered immediately and hastily after his death. They took it upon themselves to choose a successor to the Prophet pbuhap, a controversial decision that is believed to have created the earliest division in Islam between the Sunni and Shia sects.

Sharia - Sharia law, or Islamic law is the religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition.

Shura - A reference to the same event that happened at Saqifa. The word translates as “council”. In Islam it is recommended that all decisions be made in consultation with others, unless it is a matter that God Almighty has ordained. We believe that, while it meritorious to conduct Shura for worldly affairs, the matter of selection of a leader for a nation is up to God and not the people.

Sunnah - The word Sunnah is an Arabic word meaning "tradition" or "way." For Muslims, Sunnah often means "the way of the prophet" or “the way of God”.

The Supremacy of the People - A reference to any system where the leader of a nation or country is elected by people as opposed to being elected by God, with the laws being written by man.

The Supremacy of God - A system of government whereby the leader is elected by God, the laws come from God, and this divine law is implemented by the divinely appointed leader.

The Vicegerent - The vicegerent, or khalifa in Arabic, is a divinely appointed leader charged with the duty of leading people in religious and worldly affairs. The first vicegerent, as stated in the Quran, is Prophet Adam pbuh. The vicegerency is passed through the line of prophets and their

successors, and there is always a vicegerent in every time period. The word khalifa is also commonly translated as “caliph” or “successor.”