Lexicon

The head of an village or neighborhood in many Arab countries as well as Turkey or Cyprus, usually chosen by consensus or some participatory method such as an election; an Arabic word whose literal meaning is “chosen.” Can be styled as a first or last name together with the individual's given name (e.g., Mukhtar Ahmad or Ahmad Mukhtar). 

Classification of land under Ottoman and British law denoting privately owned land; individuals able to prove cultivation for 10 years were given a title (koshan) of ownership

A group of Palestinian Jerusalemite Muslim women, numbering in the hundreds, who consider it their religious and sacred duty to serve as self-appointed volunteer protectors of al-Aqsa Mosque. Deriving their name from the Arabic word ribat, “fortress,” the Murabitat (sing. Murabita) work as a civic committee and dedicate their lives to protecting al-Aqsa. They also organize Arabic literacy and Quranic recitation classes in the mosque and arrange daily transportation services between the mosque and several surrounding Palestinian towns. 

Some Murabitat also monitor Jewish visitation to al-Aqsa, trying to prevent Jewish prayer in the area, in accordance with the long-established Status Quo. 

The Murabitat have repeatedly been detained and imprisoned. In 2015, Israeli authorities declared the group illegal and banned its members from al-Haram al-Sharif during visiting hours. 

See also Murabitun. 

A group of Palestinian Jerusalemite Muslim men, numbering in the hundreds, who consider it their religious and sacred duty to serve as self-appointed volunteer protectors of al-Aqsa Mosque. Deriving their name from the Arabic word ribat, “fortress,” the Murabitun (sing. Murabit) work as a civic committee and dedicate their lives to protecting al-Aqsa. They also work to increase scholarly learning of Islamic principles and support those who want to perform i‘tikaf.  

The Murabitun also monitor Jewish visitation to al-Aqsa, trying to prevent Jewish prayer in the area, in accordance with the long-established Status Quo. 

The Murabitun have repeatedly been detained and imprisoned. In 2015, Israeli authorities declared the group illegal and banned its members from al-Haram al-Sharif during visiting hours. 

The term Murabitun applied to many different groups throughout history, first in Africa, then in Spain. 

See also Murabitat. 

Classification of land added under British Mandate law denoting lands under the control of the government by treaty, convention, agreement, or succession; lands acquired for public purpose; collectively held land, such as by a village

Founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest, oldest, and most influential Islamist society in the world. Its mission is to Islamize society. It advocates a return to the Quran and the Sunna as the basis for a healthy modern Islamic society. It works to this end through legal, social, and political means. It has Brotherhood affiliates in Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, and Bahrain, and wields influence also in North Africa.

The governor of a mutasarrifate, an Ottoman administrative district. See also Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem. 

An Ottoman administrative demarcation, also known as the “sanjak” of Jerusalem, created in 1872 for the province of Jerusalem. The mutasarrifate included Jerusalem, Jaffa, Hebron, Beersheba, and Gaza, and, along with the sanjaks of Nablus and Acre to the north, formed the geographic region known as Palestine. Previously, the district had been part of the Damascus eyalet, a larger administrative division, but was separated and administered directly by Istanbul in 1841 before officially receiving its independent status in 1872. The mutasarrifate was dissolved upon Britain’s occupation of Palestine in December 1917.

In Islamic law, a person who supervises or takes over the management of a waqf. This person serves as a manager, looking after and maintaining the property. The mutawalli also ensures that the beneficiaries receive the intended benefits of the waqf. The mutawalli is appointed by the waqif upon the establishment of the waqf. Islamic law determines how successor mutawallis are appointed.