Word Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

Abdu'l Baha

(ab DUL BAAHA)

Eldest son of Baha'u'llah. After his father's death, he continued spreading the Baha'i Faith in Europe and North America.

Allah

(AH lah)

The Muslim name for God.

"The term 'Allah' in Arabic simply means the One and Only True, Universal God of all. To think that Allah is different from God, with a capital 'G' is no more valid than saying the French Christians worship a different god because they call him 'Dieu'" (from Bridge Building Between Christians and Muslims by Dr. Jamal Badawi.)

Amrita

(om REET a)

A special sweetened water used in the initiation process into the Sikh order of the Khalsa.

(the) Bab

(bab)

A prophet in the Baha'i faith who proclaimed he had a mission from God.

Baha'i

(ba HI)

A world wide faith. Baha'is believe that humankind is one family created by God. They believe in the:

• Oneness of God
• Oneness of religion
• Oneness of humankind

Baha'is believe that the purpose of life is to know and worship God and to work for the good of humankind.

Baha'u'llah

(ba ha UL ah)

The founder of the Baha'i Faith.

Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, a Muslim and one of the Bab's followers, became known as Baha'u'llah (The Glory of God). He is revered by Baha'is as the Promised One of whom the Bab had spoken.

Bhati

(BAH tee)

Hindu word for "devotion," expressed during worship at the temple.

Bodhisattva

(bod his SAT va)

A spiritual guide in Buddhism. The bodhisattva is one who has reached enlightened understanding, and delays final enlightenment to help others along the spiritual path.

Buddha

(BOO dah)

"Buddha" is a title of honor, meaning "Enlightened One."

The historical Buddha, Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is said to have been born in India in 635 BCE (before the common era).

Buddhist

(BOO dist)

A person who follows or adheres to the teachings of the Buddha.

Challah

(HAH lah)

A sweet braided bread served during a Jewish Shabbat dinner.

Dharma

(DAR ma)

The sermons and teachings of the Buddha.

Eid

(EED)

Eid means "a recurring happiness or festivity" and Muslims celebrate two Eids: Eid ul Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking and Eid al Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice.

Ganesha

Hindu god of success.

Granthi

(GRAN tee)

A designated reader, to read the Sikh scriptures during worship.

Gurudwara

(GU RUD wa ra)

A Sikh temple and community center.

Guru Gobind Singh

(goo roo go bind SING)

The tenth and final guru, or teacher, in Sikhism. Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, the Sikh brotherhood.

Guru Nanak

(goo roo na NAK)

Founder of Sikhism; received a divine revelation from God in India in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries CE.

Hare Krishnas

(hah ree KRISH NA)

Native-born American Hindus who are members of the International society of Krishna Consciousness.

Hindu

(HIN doo)

A philosophy or way of life with roots in India. Also a person who follows or adheres to the teachings of Hinduism.

Islam

(IS lam)

One of the three monotheistic, Abrahamic faith traditions.

The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the one true God worthy of worship.

Jumah

(JOO mah)

Friday, the Muslim day of worship.

Khalsa

(KAL sa)

The Sikh brotherhood.

Kiddush

(KID dush)

A prayer in Judaism.

Kirtan

(keer TON)

Singing the praises of God, a central aspect of Sikh worship.

Kol Nidre

(coal NID ra)

In Judaism, a special evening service during Yom Kippur, where people pray and confess their sins.

Krishna

(KRISH NA)

A Hindu legend says that Lord Krishna loved Radha and liked to play practical jokes on her and her friends, like spraying them with colored water.

Lakshmi

(LOK shmee)

A Hindu goddess, protector of business people.

Langar

(LAN gar)

A free kitchen which is always part of the Sikh gurudwara. Everyone is welcome at the meal.

Makkah [Mecca]

(MEK a)

The place where the prophet Muhammad was born, now in present day Saudi Arabia.

Muslims who are physically and financially able to do so, are called on to make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a lifetimes, during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.

Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is connected not only with the life of the prophet Muhammad, but also, and even more importantly for the pilgrimage, with Abraham, the spiritual father of Muslims.

Muhammad

(mu HAH mad)

The Prophet Muhammad, born in Makkah [Mecca] in present day Saudi Arabia in 570 CE, is viewed by Muslims as the supreme model for humanity.

An Arab and a descendant of Abraham, he received the divine revelations of Allah contained in the Muslim scriptures, the Holy Qu'ran [Koran], over a period of twenty-three years.

Mosque

(MOSK)

An Islamic place of worship.

Muslim

(MUZ lum)

A person who follows or adheres to the teachings of Islam.

Prashad

(pra SHOD)

A Sikh bread - made of wheat, flour, sugar, and water - served at the gurudwara during worship.

Qu'ran

(ko RAN or ko RAHN)

The book, written in the Arabic language, containing the divine revelations of Allah received by the prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan Mubarak

(RAH ma don moo BAR ak)

Muslim greeting at the beginning of Ramadan which means, "Have a blessed and happy Ramadan!"

Ramayana

(rah ma YAH NA)

An epic poem from India that tells the whole story of Lord Rama who had been in exile for fourteen years. According to the poem, the people of Ayodhya (in northern India) lit hundred of lamps in honor of his return.

Hindus celebrate his return each year during Diwali.

Ridvan

(RID van)

The "Garden of Paradise" in which Baha'u'llah gathered the followers of the Bab and revealed to them that he was the Promised One of whom the Bab had spoken.

Sangha

(SANG a)

The community of Buddhist monks and nuns.

Sha'ban

(shah BAHN)

The month preceding Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.

Shabbat

(Sha BAHT)

The Jewish Sabbath which begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday.

Worship services are held in the synagogue on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Shiva

(SHEE va)

Hindu god, the Destroyer.

Siddhartha

(sid Aar tha)

Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha after his enlightenment.

Sikh

(SEEK)

A person who follows or adheres to the teachings of Sikhism.

Singh

(SING)

In Sikhism, the name Singh, which means "lion," is added to the name of every man initiated into the Khalsa. The name Kauai, meaning assistant, is added to women's names.

Sri Guru Granth

(sree GUH roo GRANTH)

The Sikh name for their holy scriptures.

Suhoor

(soo HORE)

A light meal, like bread and fruit, eaten by Muslims before sunrise during the month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day.

Synagogue

(SIN a gog)

A Jewish place of worship and education.

Torah

(TOR a)

The Jewish Books of the Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

Torah means "teaching" and is, in part, a record of God's covenant and the implications of the covenant for human life in society.

Veda

(VEE da)

The Vedas are a Hindu collection of ancient hymns and chants recited orally in verse.

Each Veda has an associated literature called Brahmanas (rituals) and Upanishads (explorations of deeper understandings of the universe).

Veda can also mean more generally the wisdom and authority of the whole Hindu tradition.

Vishnu

(VISH nu)

Hindu god, the Sustainer.

Zak at ul Fitr

(zack at ul FITR)

A special offering given by Muslims for those in need.