A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah. Civilization and the environment. Civilization is the antithesis of nomadism. In linguistic terms, the term is applied in various ways. It is intended to denote progress. Among many people, it has come to predominantly signify progress in the material realm. However, civilization and progress differ in their true essence according to the scales of Islam and its Shari'ah from how they are measured by the standards of disbelief and ignorance, whether in the West or the East. A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.