The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (83 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
12.28Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Ahl al-Mantalka
(Arab., ‘people of the girdle’).
Copts
and Syrian Jacobites, so called as a mark of humility (cf.
HABIT, RELIGIOUS
), but also as a sign of humiliation, from the Muslim insistence that Christians in Egypt should wear a girdle, in order to be identified.
Ahl al-Suffa
.
A group of poor Muslims, who were given permission by the Prophet
Mu
ammad
to live in a corner of the
Mad
na
mosque. Later generation of Muslims, especially the
S
f
s
, venerated the pious and ascetic character of the ahl al-Suff
as a model for themselves.
Ahl al-Sunna wa’l-jam
‘a
(non-Shi‘ite Muslims)
:
see
SUNNA
.

Other books

Liberty's Last Stand by Stephen Coonts
Daisy's Perfect Word by Sandra V. Feder, Susan Mitchell
Contra el viento del Norte by Glattauer, Daniel
First Into Action by Duncan Falconer
Falling Off the Map by Pico Iyer
Sheer Bliss by Leigh Ellwood
The Children Of Dynmouth by William Trevor
Jane Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen