The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1108 page)

), with the clear expectation that in due course all will be unified in the single ’umma of God's intent. In the mean time, that quest for community is much complicated by the imposition, during the colonial period of European expansion, of nation-states. The caliphate, which had created the great
dynasties
of the past (e.g. the
Umayyads
, the
‘Abbasids
, culminating in the
Ottomans
) lingered on in Turkey, but was abolished in 1924 during the attempt to establish Turkey as a secular state. The resulting ambiguities in countries where Muslims are in a majority (e.g. over the extent to which shar
‘a law should be introduced or extended), and the many problems for the recovery of authentically Muslim life in a world of rapid change, have not yet been resolved.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Islamic law
:

see
SHAR
‘A
;
FIQH
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Islands of the immortals
(blissful home of the immortals)
:

see
FANG-SHIH
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Ism
‘
l
(eldest son of Abraham)
:

see
ISHMAEL
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Ism
‘
liy(y)a
or Ism
‘
l
s
.