The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (143 page)

(d. 944 (AH 333)).
Contemporary of
al-Ash‘ar
, and founder (like him) of an important school of orthodox, conservative theology, which admitted a place for human reason, but not a paramount one. The differences between Ash‘arites and Maturidites were reckoned as thirteen, of which the most substantial was the former's emphasis on the absolute power of the will of
All
h
, and the latter's emphasis that humans have freedom and responsibility.

 
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Almemar
.

Platform in
synagogue
where the reading stand is placed. In
Ashkenazi
circles, it is usually described as the
bimah
, and among the
Sephardim
as the
tebah
.

 
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(Arab.,
al-muwwa
id
n
, ‘those who espouse Oneness’). Spanish name of a Muslim dynasty in N. Africa and Spain, 1130–1269 (AH 524–667). Their name summarizes their character as protestants against the lax style of prevailing Islam, especially under the
Almoravids
. They derived their inspiration from
ibn Tumart
, but it was his successor, ‘Abd al-Mu’min, who extended territorial control. In 1170 (AH 566) Muslim Spain fell to them. The ‘Almohad arch’ is sometimes interpreted as a physical manifestation of s
ra 94 in the
Qur’
n
, The Grand Mosque in Seville, the Giralda, is now a cathedral, but still illustrates the vision. After their defeat at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 (AH 609), their eclipse was only a matter of time.

 
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