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madresseh |
A school attached to a masjid (mosque) where
children are taught Arabic, the Qur'an and aspects of Muslim
life. |
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Magen
David |
Literally 'the Shield of David',
the representation of two interlaced equilateral triangles
forming a six-pointed star, a symbol of Judaism. |
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Mahabharata (The
great epic of the Bharatas) |
A Hindu poem, the longest epic poem in the
world‚ which tells of the war between two clans, the Kauravas
and the Pandavas. The central and best known part of the epic
is the discourse delivered by Krishna to the hero Arjuna known
as the Bhagavadgita. |
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Makkah / Mecca |
Alternative spelling (preferred by Muslims)
of city in Saudi Arabia often spelt Mecca; the birthplace
of the prophet Muhammad. |
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Mahavira |
Literally 'great hero', a title applied to
the founder of the Jain tradition Vardhamana (circa 599 to
467 BCE). |
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Mahayana |
('Large Vehicle'). One of the major schools
of Buddhism, a development of thought and practice that arose
from the 1st century CE onwards. |
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Mahesh |
Hindu name for God (the Destroyer). |
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Maimonides |
Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (or Moses Maimonides
1135 -1204). The great Jewish philosopher, codifier of Jewish
law and physician. |
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mandir |
Literally 'abiding place'‚ or 'dwelling'; the
common word among Hindus for what in English is often referred
to as a Hindu temple. A mandir is the sanctuary of one or
more deities. |
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mantra |
In Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism a word, phrase
or verse which is spoken or chanted repetitiously as a prayer
or aid to meditation. |
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Mary |
In Christianity, the mother of Jesus. Described
since the 4th century as the Mother of God. |
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masjid |
Literally a place of prostration‚ Arabic word
for mosque. |
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maya |
In Hinduism,and Sikhism a belief that our normal
perceptions of the world are illusions. |
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Medinah |
City in Saudi Arabia to which the Prophet Muhammad
and his companions fled from persecution in Makkah. |
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meditation |
Various techniques of stilling or focussing
the mind in order to enter altered states of consciousness
or union with a deity or ultimate spiritual reality. |
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mela (jormela) |
A Sikh festival which is not a Gurpurb. |
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menorah |
The seven-branched lamp that is the universal
symbol of Judaism, after one that existed in the Temple. |
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Methodism |
Grew out of the 18th century Evangelical Revival
led by Anglican priests John Wesley and George Whitefield
and became a separate denomination. Methodism is most numerous
in the USA. Worship combines formal and informal elements,
and there is a strong emphasis on social action. |
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mezuza |
Small parchment scroll in a case fixed to the
right hand door post of doors to Jewish homes and every room
in a Jewish home except the bathroom and toilet. |
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mikva |
A Jewish ritual bath. |
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Miri-Piri |
Guru Hargobind's two swords. Hargobind became
Guru after the murder of Guru Arjan Dev by the Mogul emperor
Jehangir. When presented with the woolen cord (seli) that
was the mark of Guruship, he refused, saying that the seli
suited a time of peace, but that this being a time of war
he would instead wear two swords. The sword Miri, worn on
his left side, was the sign of his worldly leadership; Piri,
worn on the right, was the sign of his spiritual leadership. |
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mission |
From a Latin word meaning 'to send'. A group
of persons sent by a church to evangelise. |
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mitzvah; pl. mitzvot |
A rule in the Torah which also carries the
sense of a good deed and an honour. There are 613 mitzvoh
in the Torah. |
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moksha |
In Hinduism the goal of existence, which is
liberation from the round of rebirths (i.e. samsara). |
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Montefiore (Sir
Moses 1784-1885) |
A British Jewish communal leader and philanthropist. |
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Mormon |
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, a religious movement founded by the visionary
Joseph Smith in the USA in the 19th Century. The movement's
headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah. |
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Moses |
Biblical figure regarded by Jews as the greatest
of the prophets. |
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mosque |
Common English term for the Masjid (Islamic
place of communal worship.). |
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Muhammad (pbuh) |
(570 to 632 CE) regarded by Muslims as the
'seal of the prophets' i.e. the final Messenger of God; Muslims
hold that the Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,
who was himself illiterate. |
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Mujtahid |
In Shi'a Islam (of the Usali school) the highest
religious authorities; every individual believer must adhere
to the religious pronouncements of a Mujtahid by whom the
khums tax is collected. |
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Mul Mantar |
The opening hymn of the Guru Granth Sahib and
the basic statement of Sikh belief about God, it begins with
the assertion, "There is only one God, Truth is His name." |
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murti |
Literally 'material form'. Representation of
a Hindu deity. A murti is a living image of a deity, which
is fashioned according to traditional canons of form and beauty,
as well as posture. |
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Muslim Aid |
A Muslim charitable organisation for the relief
of poverty and for development work. |
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myth |
In religious studies usage, a story that may
or may not be historically based and which has importance
in a religious tradition. |
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