MSc revision

• Dome of the Rock


  It was built in Jerusalem in around 694 CE and is one of oldest Islamic monuments/mosques
• Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik


  The leader who made the Dome of the Rock in 691 CE
• Dome of the Rock


  • It's built on a high platform that used to be a center in Roman times
  • It's built to remember a special night (called Isra' wa al-Miraj) when Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) went on a journey and ascended to the sky
  • It has pretty marble/moasic and a big dome with beautiful decorations and words from the Quran
• Ibn Batuta: 'The Dome of the Rock is one of the most amazing buildings, and it's important for history and religion'
• Julfar


  The port town located near Ras Al Khaimah
• Navigation


  The method of tracking someones movement across land or sea by use of compasses, or charts based on observation of landmarks or the stars
• Qibla wall


  The wall in which the mihrab or niche is placed to indicate the direction of prayer to Mecca
• Mihrab


  The niche or rounded indentation in the qibla wall that indicates the direction of prayer toward Mecca
• Al-Aqsa Mosque

  The mosque built in around 704 CE, near the Dome of the Rock, known as the farthest mosque because of its distant location from Mecca
• The construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque begun shortly after the construction of the Dome of the Rock
• Al Bidiya Mosque

  Located in the Emirate of Fujeirah, it is one of the UAE's oldest mosques, built in the 1400s but may have been in use as a site for a mosque for several centuries before that
• Importance of Dome of the rock in Islamic civilization

  • It symbolizes the spiritual and historical connection of Muslims to Jerusalem
  • It marks the spot where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven
  • It has an octagon shape, golden dome, and intricate mosaics
  • It is important to the rich cultural, religious, and architectural heritage of Islamic civilization
• Ahmad bin Majid


  A legendary Arab navigator and cartographer from the 15th century, who made significant contributions to the maritime heritage of the UAE through his expertise in navigation techniques, including the use of stars, currents, and winds
• When Muslims reached Al-Andalus in Spain


  They built the famous Cordoba Mosque, begun in 784 CE
• Both the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque of Cordoba are famous for the use of alternating black and white voissoirs in the arches
• Verbal standards


  Rules and values of the society like customs and traditions that people follow according to their culture, not written down but taken for granted and handed over from generation to generation
• Verbal standards

  • Respect
  • Generosity
  • Hospitality
  • Care
• Written standards


  Those written down and are hard to change or amend as it requires strict measurements and procedures
• UAE

  A constitution federation established in December 1971, a political body consisting of partially self-governing states under a certain government
• UAE is considered a federation because each emirate has a self-government under a certain government, and it guarantees all UAE citizens equal rights, opportunities, safety and security and local justice
• Articles in the UAE constitution


  • Article 1: UAE is a federation, independent consisting of the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah
  • Article 21: Private property shall be protected
  • Article 24: The basis of the national economy is social justice
  • Article 25: All persons are equal before law without discrimination between the citizens in regards to race, nationality, religious belief or social status
  • Article 26: Personal liberty is guaranteed to all citizens
  • Article 28: An accused shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a legal and fair trial
• Federal National Council (FNC)


  Plays a crucial role within the UAE government system by serving as a legislative body that represents the interests and voices of the citizens, acting as a forum for discussing national policies, proposing legislation, and providing feedback on government initiatives
• Authorities in federal government


  • Legislative: People who have the power to make new laws or alter existing ones
  • Executive: Responsible to apply or approve the rules which the legislative defines, implement, support and enforce the rules made by the legislative authority
  • Judiciary: Executes the justice in state and makes sure that all laws are obeyed by the citizens, the legal branch of the government that hears cases of disputes and crimes and gives verdict
• Federal authorities

  • The federal supreme council: Draws up the general policies and approves various federal legislations, consists of the rulers of seven emirates
  • The UAE president: Head of the state, supreme commander of the armed forces and the chairman of the supreme council and the supreme petroleum council
  • The federal council of ministers/the cabinet: Executes all internal and external affairs of the federation as written in the UAE constitution and the federal laws
  • The federal national council: The consultative council, the parliamentary body of the UAE, its main function is passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws
  • The federal judiciary: Determines which laws and policies are constitutional or allowable and which are not in cases of conflict
• Relationship between the Federal Supreme Council and the President of the UAE


  • The President is elected from the Supreme Council and is its head, so there is a close and effective working relationship between the two
  • The role of the President is important in a federal system because the President is also a leader of one of the emirates
• Composition of the federal national council

  • 40 members, 20 selected by the citizens and 20 nominated by the rulers of the state
  • Seat allocation based on population/popularity: Abu Dhabi - 8 seats, Dubai - 8 seats, Sharjah - 6 seats, Ras Al Khaimah - 6 seats, Fujairah - 4 seats, Ajman - 4 seats, Umm Ul Quwain - 4 seats