Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

The ‘eternal light’ kept lit near or above the Ark, symbolising God’s continuing presence.

The Prophets: the section of the Tenakh containing historical accounts and prophetic teachings about God and the covenant.

The second main division of the Christian Bible, containing writings about Jesus Christ and the faith and life of the early Church.

Liberation from greed, hatred and delusion, and from the cycle of rebirth; also called nirvana.

A statement of Christian faith used by many denominations, expressing belief in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A Mahayana Buddhist tradition in which chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is the central practice for bringing forth Buddhahood.

An Islamic marriage, through which a couple make a recognised commitment to married life.

A veil worn over the face. Some Muslim women wear it as an expression of modesty.

Brahman understood without attributes: ultimate reality beyond limiting qualities or forms.

The cessation of suffering through the complete ending of craving; the Third Noble Truth.

The minimum level of qualifying wealth at which a Muslim becomes liable to pay Zakah.

The Sikh flag displayed prominently outside a gurdwara, identifying it as a Sikh place of worship.

The daily discipline of reciting specified Sikh prayers at morning, evening and bedtime.

The intention to carry out an act of worship sincerely for Allah.

A member of an Ismaili Shi’a tradition that recognises a continuing line of living hereditary Imams, whose modern leaders hold the title Aga Khan.

Writing intended to explain real events, experiences or ideas rather than tell an invented story.

Worship which does not depend on a prescribed liturgy or set wording, although it may still have a planned order.

An understanding of ultimate divine reality as formless and beyond individual personality, rather than as a divine person.

Prophethood: the status and role of people chosen by Allah to communicate his guidance.

A family consisting of two parents and their child or children.

The Arabic name for Noah, an early messenger of Allah whose preaching and experiences are described in the Qur’an.

An experience of awe, wonder or fear in the presence of something believed to be holy or divine.

A vision experienced as an appearance outside the person's mind. Calling it objective describes how it is experienced; it does not establish that its divine origin has been independently verified.

A religious duty understood as something a believer must do, rather than an optional expression of devotion.

A Japanese festival honouring ancestors, traditionally linked to Mokuren’s wish to relieve his deceased mother’s suffering.

The concealment of an Imam; particularly the continuing concealment of the twelfth Imam in Twelver Shi’a belief.

A gift presented as an expression of respect, gratitude or generosity in religious practice.