Gulf Cooperation CouncilThe Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The council's main headquarters is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The Charter of the GCC was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution.
UlamaIn Islam, the ulama (ˈuːləˌmɑː; Ulamā; singular Ālim) also spelled ulema (feminine singular alimah; plural aalimath) are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam, including Islamic doctrine and law. By longstanding tradition, ulama are educated in religious institutions (madrasas). The Quran and sunnah (authentic hadith) are the scriptural sources of traditional Islamic law. Students do not associate themselves with a specific educational institution, but rather seek to join renowned teachers.
IjtihadIjtihad (ˌɪdʒtəˈhɑːd ; اجتهاد ijtihād, ʔidʒ.tihaːd; lit. physical or mental effort) is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question. It is contrasted with taqlid (imitation, conformity to legal precedent).
RiyadhRiyadh (riːˈjɑːd, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' ar.riˈjaːdʕ Najdi pronunciation: er.rɪˈjɑːðʕ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. It is the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula, and is situated in the center of the an-Nafud desert, on the eastern part of the Najd plateau. The city sits at an average of above sea level, and receives around 5 million tourists each year, making it the forty-ninth most visited city in the world and the 6th in the Middle East.
Afonso de AlbuquerqueAfonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (1453 – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean and built a reputation as a fierce and skilled military commander. Albuquerque advanced the three-fold Portuguese grand scheme of combating Islam, spreading Christianity, and securing the trade of spices by establishing a Portuguese Asian empire.
Ibadi IslamThe Ibadi movement or Ibadism (al-ʾIbāḍiyya, alʔibaːˈdʕijja) is a school of Islam. It has been called by some the third branch of Islam, along with Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. The followers of Ibadism are known as the Ibadis. Ibadism emerged around 60 years after the Islamic prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD as a moderate school of the Khawarij movement, although contemporary Ibāḍīs strongly object to being classified as Kharijites.
Suleiman the MagnificentSuleiman I (Süleyman-ı Evvel; I. Süleyman; 6 November 1494 - 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver (Ḳānūnī Sulṭān Süleymān) in his realm, was the tenth and longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566. Under his administration, the Ottoman Empire ruled over at least 25 million people. Suleiman succeeded his father, Selim I, as sultan on 30 September 1520 and began his reign with campaigns against the Christian powers in Central Europe and the Mediterranean.
ZakatZakat ( زكاة; zaˈkaːt, "that which purifies", also Zakat al-mal zaˈkaːt alˈmaːl زكاة المال, "zakat on wealth", or Zakah) is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam as a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer (salat) in importance. Eight heads of Zakat are mentioned in the Quran. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, zakat is a religious duty for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth to help the needy.
Least developed countriesThe least developed countries (LDCs) are developing countries listed by the United Nations that exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development. The concept of LDCs originated in the late 1960s and the first group of LDCs was listed by the UN in its resolution 2768 (XXVI) on 18 November 1971. A country is classified among the Least Developed Countries if it meets three criteria: Poverty – adjustable criterion based on Gross national income (GNI) per capita averaged over three years.
TariqaA tariqa (or tariqah; طريقة ALA-LC) is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking haqiqa, which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a murshid (guide) who plays the role of leader or spiritual director. The members or followers of a tariqa are known as muridin (singular murid), meaning "desirous", viz. "desiring the knowledge of God and loving God" (also called a faqir).
