AQA GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

The text used at the Pesach Seder to guide its rituals and retell the Exodus story.

The Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, obligatory for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it.

Jewish law: the rules and practices that guide Jewish life and apply the commandments.

Permitted under Islamic law, including food that meets Islamic dietary requirements.

A person devoted to worshipping the one God rather than idols; Ibrahim is described as a hanif.

The monkey deity whose devotion, strength and selfless service help Rama rescue Sita in the Ramayana.

An Islamic term meaning forbidden by Allah.

The historical Sikh gurdwara in Amritsar, Punjab, India, also known as Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple.

Intense hostility towards a person or group.

A crime motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person because of their identity, such as their race, religion, disability or sexuality.

Ego or self-centredness: putting ‘I’ and personal desires at the centre of life, creating a barrier to awareness of God.

A fire ritual in which offerings such as grains and ghee are placed into a sacred fire while mantras are chanted.

The ceremony marking the end of Shabbat and its separation from the ordinary working week.

A cantor who leads the congregation in prayers, which may be spoken, sung or chanted.

The state of eternal happiness and loving union with God, free from sin, suffering and death.

The state of eternal separation from God resulting from freely persisting in serious sin and rejecting God’s merciful love.

A relationship between people of opposite sexes, such as a man and a woman.

The leading Jewish priest, who questions Jesus and declares that his answer is blasphemy in Mark’s trial account.

Muhammad’s migration from Makkah to Madinah, where he became the leader of a Muslim community.

Whether a reported person or event belongs to actual history; for a miracle story, whether the event really happened.

The Hindu festival of colours, celebrating spring, devotion and the victory of good over evil.

The bonfire celebration on the first night of Holi, recalling the destruction of Holika and the survival of Prahlad.

A Christian act of worship using bread and wine to commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper and his saving death, also called the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper.

The innermost sacred room of the Jerusalem Temple, separated from the rest of the Temple by a curtain and entered only by the High Priest.

The sacrament of ordination through which a man becomes a deacon, priest or bishop and receives grace for his ministry.

The third person of the Trinity, understood by Christians as God present and active in believers' lives.

A war believed by its supporters to be sanctioned or commanded by God, for example to defend a faith or secure religious territory.