The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2458 page)

(Heb., prayer). The Jewish
‘Amidah
prayer; also (for the
Sephardim
), the
Prayer
Book. Tefillah is also one of many terms (but the most common in the Bible) for prayer in general. The Hebrew root means ‘to think, entreat, judge, intercede’, and the reflexive means ‘to judge oneself’, and ‘to pray’. With a strong emphasis on
blessings
and
benedictions
, Jewish prayer eventually (
c.
8th/9th cent. CE) led to the compilation of prayer books. If possible, Jews should pray facing in the direction of Jerusalem. Mu
ammad initially followed this custom as well (see
QIBLA
).

 
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see
DEW, PRAYER FOR
.

 
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Tefillin
.

Jewish phylacteries. According to Exodus 13. 1–10, 11–16; Deuteronomy 6. 4–9 and 11. 13–21, a
Jew
must bind ‘these words for a sign upon your hand and a frontlet between your eyes’. This commandment is fulfilled by binding two small leather boxes containing these scriptural passages around the head and left arm by means of leather straps.

 
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(1621–75 CE).
Ninth Sikh
Gur
, poet and
martyr
. Ty
g Mal, youngest son of Gur
Hargobind
and N
nak
, was born in
Amritsar
and earned the name Tegh Bah
dur, meaning ‘hero of the sword’.
Since the dying Gur
Har Krishan
had indicated that his successor would be an older man from Bak
l
, twenty-two local
So
h
s
claimed the succession. According to tradition, Tegh Bah
dur's gur
ship was discovered and proclaimed by Makha