RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS

RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS. Sunni Muslims see the first four successors of the Prophet as caliphs who were “rightly guided” or “following the right path,” and […]

RIFA’IYAH

RIFA’IYAH. The Sunni Sufi order known as the Rifa’iyah played an important role in the institutionalization of Sufism. In all likelihood, until the fifteenth century […]

REVOLUTION

REVOLUTION. In contemporary Islamic discourse, there are various terms that bear on the social-science concept of revolution as a rising up against constituted authority. However, […]

REVIVAL AND RENEWAL

REVIVAL AND RENEWAL. The Arabic terms ihya’ (revival) and tajdid (renewal) are often used in the context of modern Islamic movements, but they also have […]

REVELATION

REVELATION. At the basis of Islam is the idea that God periodically reveals his will, providing precise information to guide human affairs and to lead […]

REPUBLICAN BROTHERS

REPUBLICAN BROTHERS. In 1945 a small group of Sudanese led by Mahmud Muhammad Taha organized the Republican Party to oppose both the establishment of a […]

REPUBLIC

REPUBLIC. The political label of “republic” or aljumhuriyah is one without great apparent controversy in the Islamic world. The reason for this is twofold. First, […]

RELICS

RELICS. The remains of holy persons may serve as a focus for devotional practices in Islam. These relics include the physical remains of holy persons-the […]