Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B key terms

The sacred cube-shaped building in Makkah towards which Muslims face when praying.

A Jewish mystical tradition which includes teachings about God, creation and redemption.

A prayer praising God, a form of which is recited by mourners during communal worship.

An Islamic tradition of reasoned theology that uses arguments to explain and defend religious beliefs.

The age of spiritual and moral decline in the Hindu cycle of ages, which some Hindus use to explain the prevalence of conflict.

Pleasure or desire, a Hindu goal of life that should be pursued without undermining dharma.

Intentional action that has moral consequences; also commonly written as karma.

Sweet blessed food distributed during worship, expressing the equality of those who receive it.

A Buddhist discourse teaching boundless loving-kindness towards all living beings.

Actions and their consequences, which influence the soul’s future journey through rebirth.

The spiritual path of performing right action without attachment to personal rewards or the results of that action.

Acting without selfish attachment to the rewards or results of an action.

A Sikh description of God meaning Creator Being or Creative Being: the source of all existence who continues to sustain creation.

Compassion: concern for the suffering of others, together with a desire to relieve it.

The Jewish dietary laws governing which foods may be eaten and how they are prepared and combined.

A ceremony following Vassa in which lay Buddhists offer robe cloth and other necessities to the monastic community.

A name meaning ‘princess’, used by female Sikhs to express Sikh identity, dignity and equality.

Respect for human dignity, including concern for people’s basic needs.

The sincere intention and inner commitment with which a person prays, rather than merely saying the words.

A Jewish marriage contract recording commitments within the marriage.

The Writings: the section of the Tenakh containing poetry, wisdom and historical writings, including the Psalms.

A steward entrusted by Allah with responsibility for caring for the world and its inhabitants.

The community of initiated Sikhs, established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, whose members undertake a disciplined Sikh way of life.

One of the five changing aspects of human existence: form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. Khandha means a ‘heap’ or aggregate; skandha is an alternative spelling.

The Buddhist discourse that identifies the five aggregates and distinguishes them from the five clinging-aggregates.

A collection of short Buddhist texts containing basic teachings and training rules, including the rule to refrain from taking life.

A religious payment particularly associated with Shi'a Islam, used to support religious and community needs.