Judaism, Islam, Daoism Vocab

World Religions

Judaism

Covenant

a sacred agreement between God and the Jewish people that is upheld by following the rules/laws of God. Upholding this agreement is the way for people to strengthen their relationship with Him.

Kosher

means “fit/ proper” and refers to the Jewish dietary laws that dictate what foods people are allowed to eat and how it must be prepared/consumed in order to be considered “pure”

Messiah

the future Jewish King who is believed to be a descendent of David and who will bring peace and redemption to the Jewish people during the Messianic Age

Olam Ha-Ba

means “world to come” and refers to the afterlife or a future state of existence in which the world is considered to be perfect. Happens after the Messiah comes and God’s day of judgement (Messianic Age)

Mitzvot

the Jewish commandments or instructions that Jews must observe in their daily life

Shabbat/Sabbath

a weekly day of rest and spiritual renewal that is observed by Jews from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday (The Jewish Day of Rest). This is to honor the story of how God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th

Shema

a significant Jewish prayer that is a declaration of faith and love of God, which is recited in the morning and evening

Talmud

a text in Judaism that is a collection of of discussions and teachings from Rabbis that add on to the Torah and Mishnah

Torah

the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or The Tanakh that contains the laws, history, and teachings of Judaism

Yetzer Ha-Tov

the good inclinations, or choices that follow God’s will, that can be made by Jews to strengthen their relationship with God and honor the covenant

Yetzer Ha-Ra

the bad inclinations that may be made by people, or things that go against God’s will. Represents the inherent human condition to do evil

Islam

Hajj

the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a journey that must be made by Muslims at least once in their lifetime if they are able. This is one of the five pillars

Jihad

means “striving/ struggling” and refers to the duty of Muslims to overcome challenges or obstacles in a person’s life (often internal)

Salat

the mandatory ritual prayer performed 5 times a day, one of the five pillars

Sawm

refers to the practice of fasting in Islam, especially during Ramadan, another one of the five pillars

Shahadah

the declaration of Islamic faith to affirm one’s belief in Tawhid and the acceptance of Muhammad as the Messiah

Shirk

refers to a grave sin that is made when one accepts multiple deities other than God, goes against Tawhid

Tawhid

means “the oneness of God” and is the foundational belief of Islam that emphasizes the unity of God, also expressed in Shahadah

Ummah

refers to the global Muslim community that emphasizes the unity and collective identity of Muslims

Yawm ad-Din

refers to “the day of judgement” or the final day when humanity will be resurrected and judged by Allah for their actions in their life

Zakat

an obligatory act of charity in Islam (charitable tax on wealth) that requires all Muslims to donate part of their wealth to people in need, one of the five pillars

Daoism

Dao

means “the way” and represents the natural order of the universe and the source of existence. This is the path one should follow to live in harmony with nature

Daodejing

the foundational text of Daoism that explores the concept of the Dao and how humans can align themselves with it

De

represents the inherent virtue and power of the Dao or the natural order of the universe, or one’s inner power/strength/integrity

Fu

a basic Daoist concept that means to return to the roots. This term refers to the flow of the Dao and existence

Pu

“uncarved wood” which signifies the natural, unformed state of things, representing unlimited potential of people who live with the Dao

Qigong

a practice that combines gentle movements and breathing techniques or meditation to cultivate ones Qi or internal energy for spiritual well-being

Taichi/Tajiquan

a martial art practice that embodies the concept of Yin and Yang and wu wei that aims to align one’s body with the Dao

Wu-Wei

a core concept in Daoism that means inaction to align oneself with the natural flow of life and getting rid of expectations

Xian

refers to people who have reached immortality achieved through spiritual self-cultivation

Yin and Yang

fundamental principles of that describe the the opposing yet complementary forces of the universe, signifying the need for balance and harmony in the universe, represents the duality of existence