Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Qaida, Al: see Al Qaeda.

(Encyclopedia) Al Qaida: see Al Qaeda.

(Encyclopedia) Al-Battani ălˌbətēˈnēəs [key], b. before 858, d. 929, Arab astronomer and mathematician. He is best known in astronomy for his improvements and corrections of the Ptolemaic tradition. His Kitab...

(Encyclopedia) Jazirah, Al, Sudan: see Gezira, Al. ...

(Encyclopedia) Qayrawan, Al kīrwänˈ, Fr. kĕrwäNˈ [key], city (1994 pop. 102,600), NE Tunisia. It is a sacred city of Islam. Founded in 670 by Uqbah bin Nafi, an Arab leader, it was the seat of Arab governors i...

(Encyclopedia) Yahya Khan, Agha Muhammad äˈgä mo͞ohämˈmäd yäˈyä khän [key], 1917–80, Pakistani general and president (1969–71). He fought with the British in World War II, and rose through the Pakista...

(Encyclopedia) Biqa, Al ĕl bēkäˈ [key], upland valley of Lebanon and Syria, 75 mi (121 km) long and 5 to 9 mi (8–14.5 km) wide, between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges; highest part of the Rift Valley comp...

(Encyclopedia) Qur'an or Koran kōrănˈ, –ränˈ [key] [Arab.,=reading, recitation], the sacred book of Islam. Revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad in separate revelations over the major portion of the Prophet...

(Encyclopedia) Jinnah, Muhammad Ali məhämˈəd älēˈ jĭnˈə [key], 1876–1948, founder of Pakistan, b. Karachi. After his admission to the bar in England, he returned to India to practice law. Early in his ca...

(Encyclopedia) Unser, Al (Alfred Unser, Sr.) ŭnˈsər [key] 1939–2021, American automobile racing driver, b. Albuquerque, ...