Jamia (جامعة ''jāmi‘a''; also ''jamiya''
'h'' is the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
word for ''gathering''. It can also refer to a book
Al-Jami'a
Al-jāmi'a () meaning "the Inclusive" is a book that Twelver Shias believe was dictated by Muhammad to Ali.
Ja'far al-Sadiq refers to it as a scroll (''ṣaḥīfa'') that is 70 cubits long and was dictated by the Prophet Muhammad and written ...
or a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, or more generally, a university. In the latter sense it refers in official usage to a
modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
, based on the
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
model, as opposed to the medieval
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
.
["Djamia", in '' Encyclopaedia of Islam'', 2nd edition, Brill, 2012] The term seems to be a translation of "university" or the
French "université" and emerged in the middle of the 19th century; the earliest definite use in this sense appears in 1906 in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.
References
Islamic terminology
{{Islam-studies-stub
