Key terms & definitions

A festival greeting meaning ‘Have a blessed Id’.

An object of worship. Belle uses it metaphorically for money because wealth has become Scrooge’s highest priority.

Worship of an idol rather than God. Jane uses this religious idea to describe making Rochester the centre of her existence.

The worship of idols or other gods instead of the one God.

The Muslim Festival of Sacrifice, remembering Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah.

The Muslim festival of breaking the fast, marking the end of Ramadan.

A Shi’a Muslim festival celebrating the belief that Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor at Ghadeer Khumm.

An improvised explosive device: a makeshift bomb, often concealed and used to attack troops or vehicles.

An improvised explosive device: a bomb assembled outside conventional military manufacturing, which may be concealed and triggered remotely.

A statement meaning that each of two conditions implies the other, so both directions must be true.

The evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan.

Rock formed when molten rock cools and solidifies, either beneath the Earth's surface or after eruption.

A lack of knowledge or understanding. It can make someone dependent on other people’s explanations, but does not mean that they lack kindness or practical ability.

A lack of understanding of the true nature of existence, which conditions the process leading to suffering in Buddhist teaching.

An inter-governmental organisation: an organisation formed by member governments to work on shared aims. The World Bank and IMF are examples.

The sacred state entered by pilgrims for Hajj, associated with ritual preparation, special clothing and restrictions on behaviour.

Consensus; in Sunni legal reasoning, the agreement of qualified scholars on a religious ruling.

The disciplined effort of a qualified scholar to derive a ruling from Islamic sources.

The opening expression of the Mool Mantra, meaning that there is one God.

Divine inspiration, through which Shi’a Muslims believe Imams receive guidance; distinguished from the prophetic revelation received by Muhammad.

The historical status assigned to a child born outside marriage, which could bring social stigma and restrictions on inheritance.

A person described as born outside a legally recognised marriage. Disagreement over the validity of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn led some people to question Elizabeth’s right to rule.

A state of poor physical, mental and/or social well-being.

The provision of visible light so that objects and surroundings can be seen.

An appearance or experience that leads someone to believe something different from reality.

An appearance that is misleading when taken to be exactly what it seems.

The shape produced by a transformation.

A media representation of a social group, often conveying a particular idea or stereotype about its members.

The width and height of an image, measured in pixels.

The alteration of an image, for example through cropping, retouching or changing its colours, which can affect its meaning.