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Abu Musa

(Encyclopedia) Abu Musa, island (2010 est. pop. 1,868), c. 4.6 sq mi (12 sq km), E Persian Gulf, disputed between Iran, who occupies it, and the United Arab Emirates. Strategically…

Abu Ghraib

(Encyclopedia) Abu Ghraib or Abu GhuraybAbu Ghuraybäˈb&oomacr; grĕb [key], infamous prison located in the town of Abu Ghraib, c.20 mi (32 km) W of Baghdad, Iraq. Built by British contractors in…

Abu Muslim

(Encyclopedia) Abu MuslimAbu Muslimäˈb&oomacr; m&oobreve;sˈlĭm [key], c.728–755, Persian leader of the Abbasid revolution. By political and religious agitation he raised (747) the black…

Khalifa ibn Zaid Al Nahayan

(Encyclopedia) Khalifa ibn Zaid Al Nahayan, 1948–, Emirati ruler. The son of Sheikh Zaid ibn Sultan Al Nahayan of Abu Dhabi, he was named crown prince and chairman of Abu Dhabi's defense department…

Abu Bakr

(Encyclopedia) Abu BakrAbu Bakräˈb&oomacr; bäkˈər [key], 573–634, 1st caliph, friend, father-in-law, and successor of Muhammad. He was probably Muhammad's first convert outside the Prophet's…

Abu al-Abbas as-Saffah

(Encyclopedia) Abu al-Abbas as-SaffahAbu al-Abbas as-Saffahäˈb&oomacr; äl-äbäsˈ äs-säfäˈ [key], d. 754, 1st Abbasid caliph (749–54). Raised to the caliphate by the armed might of Abu Muslim, he…

Abu Said ibn Abi al-Khair

(Encyclopedia) Abu Said ibn Abi al-KhairAbu Said ibn Abi al-Khairäˈb&oomacr; säˈĭd ĭˈbən äbēˈ äl-khīrˈ [key], 967–1049, Persian poet, a Sufi and a dervish. He was the first to write rubaiyat (…

Boko Haram

(Encyclopedia) Boko Haram [Western education is sinful], Nigerian Islamic fundamentalist militia, officially Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad [people committed to the propagation of the…

Abu Hanifa

(Encyclopedia) Abu HanifaAbu Hanifaäb&oomacr;ˈ hänēˈfä [key], 699–767, Muslim jurist. He founded the Hanafite system of Islamic jurisprudence, which gives the judge considerable discretion when…

Abu Nuwas

(Encyclopedia) Abu NuwasAbu Nuwasäˈb&oomacr; n&oomacr;wäsˈ [key], c.750–c.810, Arab poet, b. Ahvaz, Persia. He spent most of his life in Baghdad. High in favor with the caliphs Harun ar-…