Untitled Flashcards Set

Bible

Derived from the Greek word 'biblia,' meaning 'books.'

Byblos

An ancient Phoenician city that traded in papyrus.

Scriptures

Early hand-written books that are considered sacred texts.

Sikhism

One of the world's youngest religions, which has its own holy scripture.

Supreme truth

Beliefs revealed in the sacred texts of major religions.

The Quran

The holy book of Islam, believed to be the revelations to the Prophet Muhammad.

Abrahamic religion

A religion that reveres Abraham, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Surah

The chapters of the Quran, which vary in length and topic.

Ayat

Verses of the Quran that make up each surah.

Juz

Thirty equal sections of the Quran used for study during Ramadan.

Meccan chapters

Quranic chapters written during Muhammad's time in Mecca.

Medinan chapters

Chapters written after Muhammad's pilgrimage to Medina.

Al-Kawthar

The shortest surah in the Quran, composed of three verses.

Al-Baqara

The longest surah in the Quran, containing 286 verses.

Concordance

An index that lists each usage of every word in the Quran.

Vedas

The earliest literary records of Indo-Aryan civilization and sacred texts of India.

Wisdom

The meaning of the word 'Veda,' indicative of knowledge or vision.

Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana

The sage who documented the Vedas.

Chaturveda

The collective term for the four Vedas.

Samhita

The collection of hymns in each Veda.

Brahmanas

Ritualistic texts that include religious duties within the Vedas.

Aranyakas

Forest texts meant for meditation by ascetics in the Vedas.

Upanishads

The concluding texts of the Vedas, containing essential teachings.

Sanatana Dharma

The universal religion that all Hindus follow.

Tripitakas

The canonical scriptures of Theravada Buddhism, meaning 'three baskets.'

Sutras

Buddhist texts that are teachings or sermons of the Buddha.

Theravada

One of the two major schools of Buddhism that does not accept Mahayana scriptures.

Mahayana

The other major school of Buddhism that considers the Theravada canon to be authentic.

Vinaya-pitaka

The basket of discipline in the Pali Tipitaka, containing rules for monks.

Abhidhamma-pitaka

A philosophical analysis work attributed to the Buddha in the Pali Tipitaka.

Pali Canon

The scriptures used by the Theravada Buddhist tradition.

Guru Granth Sahib

The holy scripture of Sikhism, considered the eternal Guru.

Prakash ceremony

A ceremony to invoke the presence of the living Enlightener before reading the Guru Granth.

Ardas

A prayer petitioning the Guru before reading the Guru Granth.

Hukam

A random verse read from the Guru Granth to determine divine will.

Sukhasan ceremony

A ritual performed to close the Guru Granth Sahib at the end of worship.

Gurbani

The words of the Guru as mentioned in the Guru Granth.

Raag

A classical musical system corresponding to the hymns of the Guru Granth.

Laridar

An ancient style of writing where words are connected without separation.

Pad ched

Modern text format where individual words are separated.

Bhagat Minstrels

Musical performers who contributed hymns to the Guru Granth.

Gobind Singh

The tenth Guru of Sikhism who declared the Guru Granth as his successor.

Siri Guru Granth Sahib

The respected scripture of the supreme enlightener in Sikhism.

Sikh Gurus

The significant spiritual leaders in Sikhism whose teachings were compiled in the Guru Granth.

C.E.

Common Era, used as a time reference in historical context.

Islamic World

The global community of Muslims who follow the teachings of the Quran.

Muhammad

The prophet of Islam through whom the Quran was revealed.

Angel Gabriel

The figure believed to have transmitted Allah's revelations to Muhammad.

Caliph Abu Bakr

The first caliph who ordered the compilation of the Quran into one book.

Enlightenment

The ultimate spiritual realization in Buddhism.

Buddhist scriptures

Teachings and texts considered authoritative in Buddhism.

Sikh worship

Ceremonial practices centered around the Guru Granth Sahib.

Historical records

Documents kept by ancient societies, which are often limited in Hinduism.

Mantradrasta

Seers who were believed to have received the Vedic hymns.