Glossary: Al-Ghazali

Al-Khulafa' Al Rashidun: rightly guided Caliphs, refers to the first four leaders of Islam after the
prophet Muhammad
Ash'arite: Sunni Muslim group, also refers to the strand of theology underpinning the Sunni Muslim
group
Hellenism: Greek culture and philosophy
Ibadi: Shi'a Muslim group, moderate reform group from the Khajirite group
Imam: leader of Shi'a Muslim group
Isma'ilite: Shi'a Muslim group, also refers to the strand of theology underpinning the Shi'a Muslim
group
Khajirites: Shi'a Muslim group
Khanqah: monastery like community in the Sufi movement
Metaphysics: a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of existence
Mujaddid: inspired teacher/leader of the Shi'a Muslim group
Mysticsm: spiritual movement seeking inner knowledge and insight
Nizamiyya college: highly esteemed institute of Islamic scholarship
Shari'ah: Islamic law
Shi'a: group within Islam
Sufi: a member of the Islamic mystical movement known as Sufism
Sufism: mystical movement of Islam
Sunni: group within Islam
Syllogism: an exercise in logic using two premises to prove a third point
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