Glossary beginning with M
- mahabba
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The Arabic word for both earthly and spiritual love.
- majnun
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Mad, crazy (literally ‘possessed by jinn’).
- maqtaʿ
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The last verse or several verses of a qasida in which the poet praises himself using his takhullus, or pen-name.
- masnavi
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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
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‘Our lord’, a term of respect for a spiritual leader.
- mihrab
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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
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The term used for the mystical ascent of the Prophet Muhammad to the heavens.
- muraqqaʿ
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A luxurious album of illustrations and calligraphy.
- musahib
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Linked by spirit, not blood; a ‘blood’ brother.