Theology
All schools of theology believe in tawhid--that there is only one of these.
God
The two unimpeachable sources of Islamic law are sunna and this source.
the quran
This figure, the Prophet's cousin, Shiites consider the rightful successor the Prophet Muhammad.
'Ali b. Abi Talib
The chain of transmission before the text of a hadith is known as this.
isnad
The name of the Prophet's daughter, and his cousin 'Ali's wife.
Fatimah
This theological school believes in the supremacy of reason--that reason, applied correctly, is sufficient to determine what one needs to get into heaven.
Mu'tazilites
When a Mufti, or jurisconsult, is asked a question, he issues, this--a response derived from the rules of jurisprudence.
fatwa
The largest group of Shiites is known by this term.
Twelvers or Imamis
This group holds that the intellect of prophets and Imams is not like ours--they have divine intellects that give them access to special knowledge.
Twelvers
al-Husayn
This theological school emphasized that references to God's physical features must have be metaphorical--God could not possible have a face or a hand.
Mu'tazilites
qiyas
The Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 was led by this figure, the author of "The Rule of the Jurist" (Walayat al-faqih)
Ayatollah Khomeini
fiqh
The Prophet's tribe is Quraysh. This is the name of his clan.
Hashim
Both Asha'rites and Mu'tazilites agree that creation consists of atoms and accidents. This group holds that atoms do not persist over time, but are created anew every moment.
Asha'rites
This law school is today prevalent in North Africa. It's founder, however, was from Medina.
Maliki law school
This Shiite group initiated an Imamate in Yemen that last over a millennium. They believe for an Imam to be genuine he has to successfully hold power.
Zaydis
This theological school holds that the truth of the Quran and Sunna should be defended through reason and argument.
Asharites
The name of the Prophet's uncle who raised him, and who was also 'Ali's father.
Abu Talib
The Mu'tazilites argued that the Quran was created because they wanted to avoid the position that there was a plurality of this:
a plurality of eternals.
The basis of the analogy is the consideration of an old case, with a new case to see if they share this--what is translated as "the effective cause."
'illa
This group believes that behind the exterior world there lies, a truer, hidden reality to which their Imam and his followers alone have access.
the Ismailis
A tradition that has been transmitted by so many channels as to be considered unimpeachable is known as this.
mutawaatir
This descendant of the Prophet is considered the founder of the Twelver Shiite law school.
Ja'far al-Sadiq