Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Baladhuri, al- äl-bäläˈᵺo͝orē [key], d. c.892, Arab historian. One of the most important Arab historians, he spent most of his life in Baghdad and enjoyed great influence at the court of the c...

(Encyclopedia) Shafi'i, al- (Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i), 767–820, Islamic jurist. Raised and educated in Mecca and Medina, he taught in Egypt and Baghdad. His teachings laid the groundwork for the...

(Encyclopedia) Al Shabab or Al Shabaab [key], [Arab.,=the youth], Islamic fundamentalist militia based in Somalia. One of several hardline Somali Islamist militias, Al Shabab has operated primarily in southern and ...

(Encyclopedia) Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 1937–, emir of Kuwait (2020–). He was governor of the Hawalli region (1962–78), then served as interior minister (1978–88), defense minister (1988–91), minister of l...

(Encyclopedia) Ghazali, al- ăl-găzäˈlē [key], 1058–1111, Islamic theologian, philosopher, and mystic. He was born at Tus in Khorasan, of Persian origin. He is considered the greatest theologian in Islam. Al-G...

(Encyclopedia) Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah jāˈbĕr är-äkhˈmäd ä-säbäˈ [key], 1926–2006, emir of Kuwait (1977–2006). A member of Kuwait's ruling Sabah family, he was the third son of Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber a...

(Encyclopedia) Qusayr, Al äl ko͞osārˈ [key], town (1986 pop. 19,997), E Egypt, on the Red Sea. The ancient Leucus Limen, it was once a major Egyptian port and the focus of several trade routes. It was formerly k...

(Encyclopedia) Kindi, al- (Abu Yusuf Yakub ibn Ishak al-Kindi) äˈbo͞o yo͞oso͝ofˈ yäko͞obˈ ĭbˈən ēshäkˈ ăl-kĭnˈdē [key], 9th cent. Arab philosopher, b. Basra (now in Iraq). He studied at Basra and ...

(Encyclopedia) Al Hillah äl hĭlˈlä [key], city (1987 pop. 268,834), provincial capital, central Iraq, on a branch of the Euphrates River. It was built (c.1100) largely of material taken from the nearby ruins of ...

(Encyclopedia) Al Kufah äl ko͞oˈfä [key], town, S central Iraq. Founded (638) by Caliph Umar I, it was one of the two Muslim centers (the other was Basra) of the early Ummayad caliphs. ...