Lexicon

A spice blend made of dried herbs, often thyme or marjoram, with sumac and roasted sesame seeds

An Islamic financial term denoting a form of almsgiving and one of the five pillars of Islam. According to Islamic law (sharia), Muslims whose assets meet the minimum threshold must donate a defined portion of their total assets to those in need, such as the poor, orphans, and those suffering from debt. It applies to various forms of wealth, such as money, gold, livestock, and agricultural produce. The amount is 2.5 percent or one-fortieth of an individual’s total assets. Zakat is treated as a means of reducing poverty by redistributing resources among all community members. It is not required in all countries.

An Islamic religious building, often associated with Sufism. Literally meaning “corner,” this institution serves as a center for religious education, spiritual retreat, and community gatherings. Zawiyas are places where practices such as dhikr, meditation, and other spiritual exercises are performed. 

A typical zawiya includes a mosque for communal prayers, living quarters for residents and visiting students or travelers, and spaces for teaching and studying. They may also house the tombs of Sufi scholars. 

Zawiyas are found throughout the Muslim world, especially in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, often situated in rural areas or on the outskirts of cities. Once plentiful throughout Jerusalem’s Old City, only a few still exist, such as Zawiyat al-Hindiyya, Zawiyat al-Afghani, and Zawiyat al-Naqshbandiyya. 

A Sufi building in Jerusalem established by the Ottoman governor Muhammad Pasha in 1633. Located in Jerusalem’s Old City, on the northern side of Tariq Barquq, between Bab al-Ghawanima and Tariq al-Wad, this zawiya hosts gatherings of dhikr. 

It is also known as Zawiyat al-Qadiriyya, after the Sufi sheikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (d. 1156), founder of the Qadiriyya Sufi order. The zawiya, however, is not exclusive to Qadiris, and members of different Sufi orders attend gatherings there. 

For the last few decades, Jerusalem-based Afghans have been living there and managing the building. It is largely financed by the waqf set up by Muhammad Pasha in the 17th century. 

See also Zawiyat al-Hindiyya, Zawiyat al-Naqshbandiyya. 

A Sufi establishment dating to the early 13th century. Zawiyat al-Hindiyya is thought to have been established by the Muslim saint Baba Farid (d. 1265), who hailed from India and belonged to the Chishti Sufi order. Baba Farid came to Jerusalem shortly after the city was reclaimed from the Crusaders. He spent 40 days in the lodge that would become Zawiyat al-Hindiyya. Since then, it has attracted Muslim locals and travelers, who go there for dhikr. 

The zawiya is located on a street named after it within the ancient walls of Jerusalem’s Old City and is funded by the Indian government. Many Indians have lived in the zawiya, thus providing a space in Palestine where Indian culture has flourished. 

See also Zawiyat al-Afghani, Zawiyat al-Naqshbandiyya. 

A Naqshbandi Sufi center in Jerusalem’s Old City, located on the Via Dolorosa. The zawiya was established by and continues to be under the care of a family that traces its lineage to the famous hadith scholar Imam al-Bukhari. The Bukhari family came to Jerusalem from Bukhara in Uzbekistan and founded the zawiya sometime in the early 17th century, during the Ottoman rule of Palestine. 

Their current descendants run the zawiya and keep in it heirlooms and manuscripts that document the building’s history as well as that of the family. 

See also Zawiyat al-Afghani, Zawiyat al-Hindiyya. 

The English name for one of the seven open gates in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. See also Bab Haret al-Yahud. 

See The Gates of the Old City for more detailed information and other names for this gate.