I-L

Il: “Clan”

Imám: Title of the twelve shí’ah successors of Muhammad. Also applied to Muslim religious leaders.

Imám-Jum’ih: The leading imám in a town or city; chief of the mullas; the Muslim leader who recites the Friday prayers in the mosque.

Imáms: Title of the twelve Shi'ih successors of Prophet Muhammad.

Imám-Zadih: Descendant of an imám, or his shrine.

Insh‘allah: Arabic meaning 'God willing'.

International Teaching Center: An institution established by the Universal House of Justice in 1973 to bring to fruition the work of the Hands of the Cause of God in the Holy Land and to provide for its extension into the future. The duties of the International Teaching Center include coordinating and stimulating the activities of the Continental Boards of Counselors, serving as the liaison between them and the Universal House of Justice, keeping fully informed of the condition of the Baha’i Faith throughout the world, and stimulating the development of social and economic life both within and outside the Baha’i community. The membership of the International Teaching Centre comprises the surviving Hands of the Cause and also nine Counsellors appointed by the Universal House of Justice. The scat of the International Teaching Centre is located at the Baha’i 'World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Its Counselor members are appointed to a five-year term.

‘Iraq: Part of the Turkish Empire in 1862. Now an Arab Kingdom with Baghdad as its capital.

Isaiah: A Hebrew Prophet of the eighth century B.C.; also a book of the Bible.

Isfahan: An important city in central Persia.

Ishqabad: (also Ashkhabad) Capital of present-day Turkmenistan, site of the first Baha’i Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.

Islam: Literally ‘Submission to the Will of God’: The name given to the religion of Prophet Muhammad, upheld by Baha’is as divine in origin.

Jubbih: An upper coat

Kaaba or Ka'bih: Ancient shrine at Mecca. Now recognized as the most holy shrine of Islám. Literally means “Cube”: The cube-shaped building in the center of the courtyard of the great Mosque at Mecca which contains the Black Stone. It is the goal of Islamic pilgrimage and the point toward which Muslims turn in prayer.

Kad-Khuda: Chief of a ward or parish in a town; headman of a village.

Kalantar: “Mayor”

Kalim: “One who discourses”

Karbila: A city about 55 miles southwest of Baghdad on the Euphrates. It is viewed as a Holy city by Shi’ih Muslims since Imam Husayn was martyred and buried there. It is considered in Islam as one of the two “supreme shrines”, the other being Najaf.

Karbila’i: A Muhammadan who has performed the pilgrimage to Karbilá.

Karim: Arabic, means Honorable.

Kawthar: A river in Paradise from which all other rivers flow. Part of its waters are fed into a great lake on the shores of which the souls of the faithful rest when they have crossed the terrible bridge which is laid over the midst of Hell.

Khan: “Prince,” “lord,” “nobleman,” “chieftain.”

Khanum: Literally lady, wife. When it appears after a woman's given name, it is an honorific meaning "gentlewoman."

Khaybar: A mountainous district on the northwest border of India.

Kheiralla, Ibrahim George: (1849-1929) Syrian Christian who became a Baha’i around 1888. He migrated to the United States in 1892 and began to teach the Faith in New York. In 1894 the Faith began to establish itself in North America through his classes. He began to question the authority of 'Abddu’l-Baha after February 1900 and eventually broke with the Baha’i Faith, creating a crisis in the Baha’i community.

Khidr: Name of a legendary immortal saint in Qura’n.

Khutbiy-i-Tutujiyyih: Title of an epistle in theology written by Imam 'Ali.

Kitab-i-‘Ahd: Means, ‘The Book of the (or My) Covenant’, Baha’u’llah’s will and testament, written in His own hand. It designates ‘Abdu'l-Baha as His successor and the one to whom all should turn for guidance after Baha’u’llah’s death.

Kitab-i-Aqdas: Means, ‘The Most Holy Book’, (Kitab, Arabic means "book"; Aqda, Arabic means "Most Holy"), revealed in Acre in 1873, it is the chief repository of Baha’u’llah’s laws and is considered by Baha’is to be the charter of a future world civilization

Kitab-i-Iqan: Means: 'The Book of Certitude'. Revealed by Baha’u’llah in Baghdad in 1862 in response to questions from one of the Bab's uncles about the validity of his nephew's claim to be the Qa’im (Literally He Who Arises: a reference to the Twelve Imam in Shia Islam)

Knight of Baha'u'llah: Title initially given by Shoghi Effendi to those Baha'is who arose to open specified new territories to the Faith during the first year of the Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963) and subsequently applied to those who first reached the remaining unopened territories on the list at a later date.

Koran(Qur’an): Arabic, means literally ‘the reading; that which ought to be read’, the holy book of Islam, revealed in Arabic to Mohammad. It is comprised of 114suras, or chapters.

Kufih: A city on the west hank of the Euphrates, which has now entirely disappeared.

Kulah: The Persian lambskin hat worn by government employees and civilians.

Lamp of God, The: The spiritual light shed by God's prophet.

Land of Ta: Phrase used in the writings of Baha’u’llah to refer to Tehran, Persia.

Lavassan: A rural district lying to the east of Tihran.

Lawh-i-Fu’ad: Tablet to Fu'ad Pasha, Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Lawh-i-Ra’is: Baha'u'llah's Tablet to the Grand Vizir 'Ali Pasha.

Leaf or Leaves: a poetic term used in the Baha’i writings to refer to female members of the Baha'i community

Lesser Peace: A political peace to he established by the nations of the world in order to bring about an end to war. Its establishment will prepare the way for the Most Great Peace, a condition of permanent peace and world unity to be founded on the spiritual principles and institutions of the World Order of Baha’u’llah and signalizing humanity's coming of age.

Letters of the Living: Refers collectively to the first eighteen individuals who independently recognized and believed in the Bab. The first Letter of the Living was Mulla Husayn; the last was Quddus. Tahirih was the only female Letter.

Letters of Unity: Apostles of the Prophet Muhammad.

Leviathan: An unidentified aquatic monster; whale or serpent.

Local Spiritual Assembly: The local administrative body of the Baha’i community ordained in the writings of Baha’u’llah. Its nine members are elected annually from among the adult membership of the community and serve for one year. The Assembly oversees the affairs of the community. Its decisions are made after consultation.