Glossary beginning with M

the glossary
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Click one of the letters above to be taken to a page of all terms beginning with that letter.
mahabba

The Arabic word for both earthly and spiritual love.

majnun

Mad, crazy (literally ‘possessed by jinn’).

maqtaʿ

The last verse or several verses of a qasida in which the poet praises himself using his takhullus, or pen-name.

masnavi

In Persian literature, a poem of indefinite length with a meter of 11 syllables and a rhyme that can change with each line. Usually, but not exclusively, devoted to didactic or spiritual themes.

Maulana

‘Our lord’, a term of respect for a spiritual leader.

mihrab

An arch or niche-shaped architectural feature in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca, towards which the congregation prays.

Miʿraj

The term used for the mystical ascent of the Prophet Muhammad to the heavens.

muraqqaʿ

A luxurious album of illustrations and calligraphy.

musahib

Linked by spirit, not blood; a ‘blood’ brother.