Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

س،ص S

Sabeel سبيل

path, way, avenue, same as Sirat

Sabirin or Sabiroon صابرين أو صابرون

people who are patient and steadfast, who persevere

Sabr صبر

patience, steadfastness, perseverence

Sadaq or Sedaq صداق

same meaning as mahr , dower

Sadaqa صدقة

(singular) charity offered voluntarily; plural:sadaqat

Sadeed صديد

pus collected from bleeding wounds and served to the sinners in hell to drink when they ask for water to quench their thirst

Safa صفا

a mound near the Ka'bah referred to in the Qur'an as one of the spots held sacred by Allah. It is in conjunction with Marwah .

Safh صفح

pardon, forgiveness, excuse

Sahaba صحابة

companions of the Holy Prophet Muammed; singularsahabi

ahifa صحيفة

page, tablet, scroll, parchment, manuscript, written document

Sajda سجدة

prostration

Salat or Salah صلاة

Salat is an Arabic word which mean: a spiritual relationship and communication between the servant/being and his Creator.Salat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is performed five times a day at these times:fajr (pre-dawn or pre-daybreak),dhuhr noon,'asr (afternoon), maghrib (sunset) and'isha' (late night).Salat is to be performed with mental concentration, verbal communication, vocal recitation, and physical movement to attain spiritual upliftment, peace of mind, harmony with the soul and with the Creator and concord. Congregational prayer services are held on Fridays at noon which they include a sermon (Khutbah) delivered by a religious leader (Imam) calledkhatib . To perform thesalat ritual, a Muslim has to first perform the ablution (wudhu' ). He/she should make sure about that cleanliness of the body, clothing, and place before performing thesalat .

Salatul-`Id صلاة العيد

late morning prayers comprised of tworek`at (prostrations) performed on the first day of `Id al-Fitr (the feast of fast-breaking) which signals the end of the fast of the month of Ramadan

Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi sallam عليه وعلى اله و سلم صلى الله

This is an expression which Muslims articulate whenever the name of Prophet Muhammed (ص) is mentioned or written. The meaning is: "May the blessings and the peace of Allah be with him (Muhammed (ص))".

Saqifah or Saqifa or Saqeefa سقيفه

a shelter from the sun, a shed with a roof. The companions of the Prophet ( ص) met in such a place in Medina known as "Saqifat Bani Sa`idah "سقيفة بني ساعد ه to "elect" the first successor to the Prophet ( ص). The attendants actually represented a fraction of the Muslim community of the time and many dignitaries boycotted that "elections" and later cast doubts about its legitimacy, igniting a division among the Muslim the effects of which can still be felt even in our times and in all times to come. Many books have been written about this "saqifa" incident, and the controversy will most likely never dissipate. On p. 215, Vol. 2 of Tabari'sTarikh (Dar al-Amira for Publication and Distribution, Beirut, Lebanon, 1426 A.H./2005 A.D.), we are told that the sacred body of the Prophet ( ص) remained without being buried for three full days because some people were arguing with each other at thesaqifa of Bani Sa'idah about who should be the successor to the Prophet ( ص). How many Muslims were there when the Prophet ( ص) was buried? On p. 408, Vol. 6/2 (combined edition published in 1427 A.H./2006 A.D. by the Ihyaa al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, Qum, Iran) of al-Majlisi'sBihar al-Anwar بحار الأنوار , we read precise details about who gave the Prophet ( ص) his burial bath and buried him. The sacred body of the Prophet ( ص) was given the burial bath by none other than his son-in-law, cousin and the man whom he raised in his lap: Ali ibn Abu Talib ( ع). A handful of the Prophet's closest relatives and true companions buried him, and these included, in addition to Ali, Aws ibn Khawli, "Abu Talhah" Zaid ibn Sahl, al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib and his son al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah and Usamah ibn Zaid ibn Harithah. As for the rest, they were too busy fussing and arguing, almost fighting, with each other about who would be the next caliph to be concerned about burying the Prophet of Allah ( ص)…

Saraya سرايا

(plural) military campaigns personally ordered by Prophet Muammed (ص); singular:sariya

Sarmadi سرمدي

eternal, everlasting, perpetual

Sawm صوم

Sawm or Siyam implies a total abstinence from partaking of food, water or any liquid, smoking, intercourse, etc. from dawn till sunset for one whole lunar month. Sawm (fasting) takes place during the ninth month of the lunar calendar called Ramadan. It is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Sa'yee سعي

the going back and forth seven times between the Safa and the Marwa during the hajj or umra It symbolizes Hajar's search for water for her son Ishmael.

Sayyid سيد

leader or chief; also: a descendant of the Prophet (ص).

Shafeer شفير

brink, verge, brim, edge

Shafee` شفيع

intercessor, preemptioner, one who intercedes on behalf of another. May the Almighty accept the Prophet of Islam ( ص) as our Shafee` and yours, Allahomma Ameen.

Shahada شهادة

martyrdom; it also means testimony, declaration of faith. A person must recite theshahada in Arabic to convert to Islam. Theshahada in Islam is:Ashhadu an La Ilaha illa-Allah wa anna Muhammedan Rasul Allah , that is, "I testify that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammed (ص) is the Messenger of Allah." Other meanings for this word: certificate, testimonial;Shahadat Ashum شهادة أسهم أو حصص : share certificate or scrip;شهادة أسهم الحامل : share-warrant to bearer;شهادة أسهم امتياز : certificate of preferred stock;شهادة اكتتاب (بأسهم) : stock certificate;أمان (سفينه) شهادة : certificate of safety (of a ship/vessel);شهادة ايداع : certificate of deposit;تأسيس شهادة : certificate of incorporation;تسجيل سفينه شهادة : certificate of registry;تفريغ شهادة : unloading certificate;سوابق شهادة : certificate of police record (criminal record)

Shaheed or Shahid شهيد

a martyr, someone who dies in the way of Allah

Shahr شهر

month

Sihr صهر

relative by marriage, an in-law

Shiite or Shi`i شيعي

a Muslim following the Sunna of the Prophet (ص) as reported by the Prophet's immediate family, the Ahl al-Bayt (ع). The number of Shiites is estimated to range between 25% and 35% of the entire Muslim population of the world, but little is known about their beliefs for many reasons. Worse is the fact that their beliefs are often misrepresented, distorted, falsified and unjustifiably attacked by some of their ignorant Sunni brethren. This has been going on for centuries. There are many Shiite sects which include: الشيعه الجعفريه الاثنا عشريه the Twelvers, that is, the Shi`a Ja`feri Ithna-Asheris (the Twelvers, followers of the fiqh of Imam Ja`fer al-Sadiq (ع) who constitute the majority of Shiites of the world),الزيديه the Zaidis who follow Zaid son of Ali son of al-Hussain son of Ali son of Abu Talib (ع) who live mostly in Yemen;الاسماعيليه the Isma`ilis who mostly live in Turkey,العلويه the Alawis or Alawides who live in Syria, andالبهره أو البحاريون the Buhris or Biharis who live in India.

Shaikh or Sheikh شيخ

The word Shaikh is a title of an elderly person or a religious leader. This title is also given to a wise person, and it means, in this case, a mentor.

Shaitan or Shaitan شيطان

Shaitan (Satan) is the source of evil in the world. The plural name is Shayatin, devils or demons. His other name is Iblis or Eblis which means "one who has lost everything".

Shakk شك

doubt, uncertainty, suspicion. In the Holy Qur'an, 49:12, we are told to avoid being too suspicious because sometimes suspicion/doubt can be a sin.

Shari` شارع

street, road, thoroughfare;Musharri` مشرع legislator, lawmaker; Shar` شرع law, doctrine, canon; Shir`a شرعه law, precept, concept ; Musharri` مشرع legislator, lawmaker, jurist ; Shari`a شريعه Islamic legislative system ; Shar`i شرعي legitimate, lawful, legal, rightful, related to the Shari`a

Shari'a or Shariah شريعه

The root of this word is "shara'a". Some other derivations of it are:shar' ,shir'a andtashri' . Shari'a is the revealed and canonical laws of the Islamic faith. The Holy Qur'an and the sacred Sunna of the Prophet (ص) are the sources of the Shari'a, Islam's legislative code;Shar`iyya شرعيه legitimacy, legality

Sharr شر

evil, mischief;Shirreer شرير evildoer, mischief-maker, baneful, pernicious

Shiqaq شقاق

discord, dissension

Sinn سن

literally, it means "tooth" or age such as: الادراك سن : age of discretion (or mature realization, of distinguishing between right and wrong, lawful and lawful, etc.), البلوغ (الرشد) سن age of (physical) maturity, adolescence, الحداثه سن age of minors, الحضانه سن  age of nurture, of nursing, الرشد سن legal age, full age, الرضا سن age of consent.

Shirk شرك

polytheism, the belief in the existence of partners with Allah. Shirk can also encompass any object that a person may regard as being higher in status than Allah. It is the most serious of all sins and can never be forgiven.

Shubha شبهة

(singular) doubt, suspicion; plural:shubuhat

Shura شورى

consultation

Siddiq or Siddeeq صديق

one who testifies to the truthfulness of a prophet

Sifah سفاح

cohabitation with a woman without a marriage contract, unlawful according to Islam and other divine religions, fornication or adultery.

Sin al-Bulugh or al-Boloogh سن البلوغ

This is the age of maturity and puberty. It is the age at which a Muslim is considered to be an adult and, hence, becomes accountable for his/her actions and responsible for the Islamic duties and obligations. There is no fixed age for that in terms of years, and it is decided by three signs: having menstruation or monthly period for girls, and being physically mature, encountering wet dreams growing pubic hair, or reaching the age of fifteen, whichever comes first for boys,.

Sin at-Tamyiz سن التمييز

This is the age of distinguishing. This age is used infiqh to decide the age before which the mother has the right to keep the child after divorce. It varies from one person to another. The age is reached when the child can take care of himself or herself and no longer needs an adult to help him take care of himself/herself. In some Islamic schools of thought, it is seven years for the boy and nine for the girl. The girl is given longer time so that she can learn more about women's habits.

Sira or Seera سيره

collective writings of the companions of the Prophet (ص) about him, his personality, his life story, ways of handling different situations…, etc. is calledsira . Among famous collectors ofsira are: at-Tabari, Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham.

Sirat صراط

path, highway; same assabeel (sabil ). As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem الصراط المستقيم : The Straight Path is the one mentioned in Surat al-Fatiha and in numerous other verses under different other names, and it is a plea to the Almighty made by the faithful:الْمُسْتَقِيمَ إِهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ Guide us (O Lord!) to the Straight Path" (Qur'an, 1:6), thus praying Allah Almighty to keep their feet firm as they pass on it so it may lead them to happiness in this life and salvation in the life to come. All souls in the hereafter without any exception have to pass over it, and it is described as a bridge, a path, a passage that stretches from Hell to Paradise; only those who successfully cross it will enter Paradise, the ultimate goal of all believers where they will stay forever. Imam Ja'fer al-Sadiq (ﻉ), as recorded on p. 41, Vol. 1, of Tabatabai'sAl-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an الميزان في تفسير القرآن , was asked once about the meaning of this verse; so he said, "It means: Guide us to upholding the path that leads to Your pleasure, that ends at Your Paradise, that prohibits us from following our own desires and thus deviate, or follow our own views and thus perish." By the way, Tabatabai's full name is: Muhammed Husain ibn Sayyid Muhammed ibn Sayyid Husain ibn Mirza Ali Asgher Tabrizi Tabatabai, the judge. He was born in 1892 in Tabriz and died in Qum in 1981. His 21-Volume exegesis,Al-Mizan , is only one of his numerous works. The edition utilized for this book was published in 1991 by Al-A'lami Foundation of Beirut, Lebanon. Hujjatul-Islam Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, recognized scholar and founder of the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania, may Allah fill his resting place withnoor نور , spent years of his blessed life translating some volumes of this valuable exegesis into English. In hisTafsir , al-Ayyashi quotes Imam Ja'fer al-Sadiq (ﻉ) as saying that as-Sirat al-Mustaqeem is the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (ﻉ).As-Sirat al-Mustaqeem is referred to in verse 61 of Surat Ya-Sin (Ch. 36), in verse 52 of Surat al-Shura (Ch. 42), in verse 16 of Surat al-Ma'ida (Ch. 5), in verses 126 and 161 of Surat al-An'am (Ch. 6), in verses 70 and 174 of Surat al-Nisaa (Ch. 4), in verse 42 of Surat al-Hijr (Ch. 15), and in other verses where it is described as theSabeel , another word for path, leading to the Almighty.

Abdul-Rahman ibn Muhammed al-Hassam quotes Ahmed ibn 'Eisa ibn Abu Maryam quoting Muhammed ibn Ahmed al-'Arjami quoting Ali ibn Hatim al-Minqari quoting al-Mufaddal ibn Omer as saying, "I asked Abu Abdullah (Imam al-Sadiq (ﻉ)) about the Sirat, and he said, 'It is the Path to knowing Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, and there are two such paths: one in the life of this world, and one in the life hereafter. The Sirat in this life is the Imam whose obedience is incumbent; whoever knows him in this life and follows his guidance will be able to pass on the (other) Sirat which is a path over hell in the hereafter, and whoever does not know him in this life, his feet will slip away from the Sirat in the hereafter, causing him to fall into the fire of hell."' This is recorded on pp. 13-14 ofMa'ani al Akhbar معاني الأخبار and also on p. 66, Vol. 8, ofBihar al Anwar بحار الأنوار . It is when you come to this Sirat, and you most certainly will, that you will find out how well you performed your prayers, fast and other religious obligations in the life of this world, how you dealt with your Maker, family, relatives and other members of the society. As-Sirat al-Mustaqeem is the straight path over hell, a fire more intense in heat than boiling molten brass, and it has seven bridges over it: Each is three thousand years in length: one thousand to vertically ascend, one thousand to horizontally cross, and one thousand to descend. It is thinner than a human hair, sharper than the sharpest sword and darker than the darkest night inside a tunnel. Each bridge has seven branches, and each branch is like a long lance with sharp teeth: each servant of Allah will be confined on each and every one of them and be asked about all the injunctions the Almighty had required him to perform during his lifetime on this planet. In the first of such stops he will be asked about belief and conviction,shirk شرك (polytheism) and hypocrisy. In the second he will be asked about prayers, what they entail, how to perform, and whether he performed them properly and on time. In the third he will be asked aboutzakat , its types, and whether he paid it or not. And it is in the fourth that he will be asked about the fast... It is there and then that he will realize whether he upheld this important obligation or not, whether he offered charity or not, and whether he regretted and repented his sins during the month of Ramadan or not. In the fifth he will be asked about thehajj , pilgrimage, and'umra , why he did not perform them, or why he failed to perform them properly, and how they must be performed. In the sixth he will be asked aboutwudu (ablution) andghusul , how he performed them, which one is compulsory and which is optional. Finally, in the seventh, he will be asked about how kind he was to his parents and kin, and whether he did injustice to any human being. In the absence of sufficient optional good deeds such as offering charity, helping a needy Muslim, performing optional prayers or fasts..., etc., if one gives the wrong answer to any question in any of these stops, he will be prone to fall into the pit of hell underneath..., as Abdel-Jabbar al-Rubay'i tells us in his bookAl- Tathkira fi ahwal almawt wal akhira التذكرة في أحوال الموت و الآخرة , having collected such details from various books ofhadith and Sunnah. He adds saying, on p. 130, that the bridges will be shaken by the weight of crossing people who will climb on top of each other, causing these bridges to move like a ship tossed by a wind storm in the midst of the sea.

As-Sirat separates Paradise from hell. With reference to those who will fall into hell, the Almighty says the following:أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَار؟ِ "Have you not considered those who have changed Allah's favor into blasphemy and caused their people to fall into the abode of perdition?" (Holy Qur'an, 14:28) where the "abode of perdition" connotes Hell;وَمَن يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَى " … upon whomsoever My wrath descends shall fall therein" (Holy Qur'an 20:81) where the "fall" here means falling into Hell;فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى "Whoever follows My guidance will not lose his way nor fall into perdition" (Holy Qur'an, 20:123);وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى "… Nor will his wealth benefit him when he falls headlong (into the pit of fire)" (Holy Qur'an, 92:11). So, if one is found as having been derelict in performing any of his obligations, the angels questioning him will try to find out whether he somehow made up for it with optional good deeds. Once he is cleared, he will be escorted into Paradise. It is to such stopping and questioning that the Almighty refers when He addresses His angels toوَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُم مَّسْئُولُونَ "Stop them, for they must be questioned" (Holy Qur'an, 37:24).

On p. 133, Vol. 17, of his book titledAl-Mizan ,`allama Tabatabai quotes various views regarding what the questions on this Sirat will be. He says that some scholars are of the opinion that they will be asked about the Unity of Allah, while others believe it will be about thewilayat ولاية of Imam Ali (ﻉ), but he also concedes that such stopping and questioning will take place on the Sirat over hell. On p. 107 of al-Saduq'sA1-Amali لأماليا , and also on pp. 64-65, Vol. 8, of al-Majlisi'sBiharal Anwar بحار الأنوار , al-Waleed quotes al-Saffar quoting Ibn 'Eisa quoting Muhammed al-Barqi quoting al-Qasim ibn Muhammed al-Jawhari quoting Ali ibn Abu Hamza quoting Au Busayr quoting Abu Abdullah Imam Ja'fer al-Sadiq (ﻉ) as saying, "People will pass on different levels on the Sirat, and it is thinner than hair and sharper than the sword. Some will pass as swiftly as lightning, while others will pass as fast as a horse, while some of them will crawl on it, some will walk on it, while some others will pass hanging, so the fire will consume some of their body parts and leave others." Imam Abu Ja'fer al-Baqir (ﻉ) is quoted on p. 65, Vol. 8, of al-Majlisi'sBihar al-Anwar as saying, "When the verse saying 'And hell is brought that Day' was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﺹ) was asked about what it meant, so he (ﺹ) said, 'The trusted Spirit (Gabriel) has informed me that when Allah, the One and only God, resurrects all people and gathers their early generations and the last, hell will be brought by a hundred thousand angels, very stern and mighty angels, and it will be coming roaring, inhaling and exhaling. The force of its exhalation is such that had Allah not delayed them for the reckoning, it would have caused everyone to perish. Then a flame will come out of it and encircle all humans, the good and the bad, so much so that any servant of Allah, be he an angel or a prophet, will call out: `Save me, O Lord, save me,' except you, O Prophet of Allah, for you will call out: Save my nation, O Lord, save my nation!"' Muqatil, `Ataa and Ibn Abbas are among the greatest traditionists in the history of Islam without any contention. They are the ones who transmitted theahadith أحاديث of the Messenger of Allah (ﺹ) for all posterity. All three of them, as stated on p. 67, Vol. 8, ofBihar al Anwar , have interpreted the verse saying:  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ يَوْمَ لا يُخْزِي اللَّهُ النَّبِيَّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove your ills and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, the Day that Allah will not permit the Prophet and the believers with him to be humiliated. Their light (noor نُورُهُمْ ) will shine before them and on their right hands, while they say, 'Lord! Perfect our light for us, and grant us forgiveness, for You have power over all things”" (Qur'an, 66:8) to mean: "Allah will not torment the Prophet (that Day, the Day of Judgment)," and the phrase "and those who believed with him" to mean that He will not torment Ali ibn Abu Talib, Fatima, al-Hassan, al-Husain, peace be with them, al-Hamza, and Ja'fer, Allah be pleased with them, that "their light runs before them" means "Their light shall illuminate the Sirat for Ali and Fatima seventy times more so than light in the life of this world." Their light will then be before them as they continue to cross. The intensity of their light will be indicative of theiriman بِأَيْمَانِهِمْ , conviction. Others will follow. "Members of the Ahl al-Bayt (ﻉ) of Muhammed (ﺹ) will pass over the Sirat like swift lightning. Then they will be followed by those who will pass like a speedy wind. Then there will be those who will pass as fast as a racing horse. Then another group of people will pass in a walking pace followed by those who will crawl on their hands and bellies, and finally by those who will crawl on their bellies (with extreme difficulty). Allah will make it wide for the believers and very narrow for the sinners." Then these narrators interpret the verse saying:رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا "Lord! Complete our light for us" to mean "complete it for us so that we may be able to pass on the Sirat."

Ibn Shahr Ashub, in hisManaqib Ali ibn Abi Talib مناقب علي بن أبي طالب , comments, as quoted by al-Majlisi on the same page, saying, '"The Commander of the Faithful (ﻉ) will pass in a howdah of green emeralds accompanied by Fatima on a conveyance of red rubies, and she will be surrounded by seventy thousandhuris , as fast as lightning." On p. 182 of hisAmali , al-Tusi quotes al-Fahham quoting Muhammed ibn al-Hashim al-Hashimi quoting Abu Hashim ibn al-Qasim quoting Muhammed ibn Zakariyya ibn Abdullah quoting Abdullah ibn al-Muthanna quoting Tumamah ibn Abdullah ibn Anas ibn Malik quoting his father quoting his grandfather quoting the Prophet (ﺹ) saying, "On the Day of Judgement, the Sirat will be spread over hell. None can pass over it except one who carries a permit admitting thewilaya (mastership) of Ali ibn Abu Talib (ﻉ)." Also with reference to the Sirat, Abu Tharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him, is quoted by both al-Majlisi on p. 67, Vol. 8, of his bookBihar al Anwar , and by al-Kulayni on p. 152, Vol. 2, of hisAl-Kafi , as saying, "I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﺹ) say, 'The edges of our Sirat on the Day of Judgment will be kindness to the kin and the returning of the trust. When one who is kind to his kin and faithful to his trust passes (over the Sirat), he will make his way to Paradise, but when one who is unfaithful to the trust and severs his ties with his kin passes, none of his good deeds will avail him, and the Sirat will hurl him into hell." There are so many references tonoor نور , divine celestial light, throughout the Holy Qur'an, in thehadith , and indu'a , supplication. It is the light of guidance whereby the Almighty guides whomsoever He pleases both in the life of this fleeting world and in the hereafter. Such light will be most sorely needed especially in the life hereafter. The reader is reminded that the intensity of his light, be it during the period of thebarzakh برزخ , when most graves will be almost as dark as hell, during the time when people are judged on the Day of Judgment, or as one passes over the Sirat..., all depends on the depth and sincerity of his conviction, on hisiman ايمان . No good deeds, no matter how great, will avail him as will his sincere and deep conviction regarding the Unity (توحيد tawhid ) and Justice (عدل `Adl ) of the Almighty, the truth which He revealed to His prophets (نبوة Nubuwwah ), and that we will most certainly be resurrected and judged (Ma'ad معاد ), so that one will be either rewarded or punished.

There will be no sun in the life hereafter as we know it, nor will there be electricity; so, one's own light will be his guiding star. Everything in the life hereafter will have a light of its own; there will be no reflection, nor can one walk in the beam of another's light, nor can one be benevolent and give of his light to another; it is non-transferable! There will be no giving. The time of giving is right here, in this life, folks; so, it is now your golden opportunity to give your all to your Maker, to worship Him and obey Him as He ought to be worshipped and obeyed - or at least try; pay Him His dues, and be aware of your responsibilities towards His servants, the believing men and women, and to all mankind, your extended family, regardless of their creeds, for they are your brothers and sisters in humanity Give others of what Allah has given you; pray for your believing brethren; be kind to everyone; do not hurt the feelings of anyone. Think well of others so that they may think well of you, too. Observe the fast in months other than the month of Ramadan in order to remind yourself of the hunger from which others, especially indigent Muslims, suffer, and give by way of charity; otherwise, keep everything to yourself, hoard, treasure, and be forever damned. Hell is characterized by its darkness, yet its residents will still be able to see things, and whatever they will see will not please them at all. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala keep us all away from it and keep it away from us,Allahomma Ameen اللهم آمين

Nobody in the entire lengthy history of Arabia has ever been known to be more courageous and daring, when confronting his foes on the battlefield, than Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ﻉ) who was the right hand of the Messenger of Allah (ﺹ). Ali was the man who single-handedly uprooted the main gate of the fort of Khaybar of Medina's Jews of the time, that is, in the year 628 A.D., a gate so heavy it required forty men to close or open. Ali (ﻉ) once was suffering acutely from an inflammation of the eye, and he was in extreme pain, screaming, the hero that he was. The Messenger of Allah (ﺹ) visited him and saw him scream, so he asked him whether he was suffering from an acute pain or whether it was due to his frustration and agony. The Imam (ﻉ) said, "How intense my pain is! I have never felt such pain...," whereupon the Prophet (ﺹ) said to him, "When the angel of death comes to take away the soul of a disbeliever, he brings with him a rod of fire whereby he takes his soul away. It is then that hell itself will scream because of the intensity of his pain and suffering." Having heard him say so, the Imam (ﻉ) stood up then sat and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Please repeat what you have just said, for it has made me forget my own pain." Then the Imam (ﻉ) asked the Messenger of Allah, "Will the soul of any member of your nation be taken away as you have described?" The Prophet (ﺹ) answered, "Yes! The soul of an unjust ruler, or of one who consumes the wealth of an orphan, or of one who falsely testifies [will be thus taken away]." The disbeliever referred to in this tradition is one who is unfair to Allah, Glory to Him and Exaltation, regarding one of the commandments which He has required him to uphold, one who does not recognize the Prophethood of Muhammed (ﺹ) and his sacred Sunnahالسنة النبوية الشريفة or anything required by Islam; such is the disbeliever.

You can reduce the agony of your death, or that of your loved one, by offering charity, fasting, or prayingnafl (optional) prayers. Among such prayers is one performed in tworek'ats ركعات ; in eachrek'a , you should recite Surat al-Fatiha once and al-Ikhlas thrice. The intention for that prayer is to pray it seeking nearness to Allah. Once you complete it, you supplicate to the Almighty thus: "O Allah! Send blessings to Muhammed and the Progeny of Muhammed and send the rewards for these tworek'ats ركعات to so-and-so", naming the dead person, be he/she one of your parents, or both of them, or anyone else. How about you send it as a gift to all Muslims, alive and dead? Imagine how many rewards you will then get, if your imagination can really grasp it! Never underestimate the extent of kindness and mercy of the Almighty; they are unlimited, infinite, and His doors of mercy are always open; how Great He is! If you fast either a few days or all of the months of Rajab and Sha'ban, according to your ability, the Almighty will reduce the agony of your death and the pain of loneliness in the grave. If you are truly concerned about these matters, and you most definitely should be, the month of Ramadan is your golden opportunity to earn as many blessings as Allah enables you to. It is an opportunity that may not recur, for nobody knows when his/her turn comes to die. We pray the Almighty to enable us to cross over His Sirat with hardship only in the life of this world, and without any hardship in the life hereafter, to forgive our sins, and to accept our fast and repentance,Allahomma Ameen اللهم آمين .

Sirwal سروال

long under garment worn by the Arabs

Siwak سواك

a piece of tree branch or root used as a toothbrush, also calledmiswak

Siyam صيام

Islamic fast, abstention from eating, drinking, smoking, intercourse or just speaking

Subhanahu wa ta'ala سبحانه و تعالى

This is an expression used by Muslims use whenever the name of Allah is pronounced or written. It means: "Praise to Allah above having any partners, the most Exalted One above having a son". Muslims believe that Allah has neither partners nor offspring. Sometimes Muslims use or articulate other expressions when the name of Allah is written or pronounced. Some of these expressions are: "'Azza Wa Jall", that is, He is the Mighty and the Majestic; "Jalla Jalaluh", His Greatness is Great.

Suffa صفه

a raised platform that was used by the Prophet as a welcoming point for newcomers or destitute people, rows of rooms accommodating poor and indigent Muslims who had no houses of their own. They were adjacent to and formed part of the Prophet's masjid , mosque, at the time.

Suoor or Suhur سحور

time or meal taken before daybreak in preparation for fasting during the day

Suhuf صحف

pages or manuscripts

Sujud or Sujood سجود

The root of those word issajada , prostration to Allah, usually done during one's daily prayers. When in the position ofsujud , a Muslim praises Allah Almighty and glorifies Him.

Sulan سلطان

ruler who rules in the name of Islam, a Muslim monarch

Sunan سنن

plural ofsunna , a highly commended act of worship or way whereby a Muslim seeks nearness to Allah

Sunna or Sunnah سنة

In general, the word Sunna means: way of life, habit, practice, customary procedure, action, norm and tradition followed by tradition. Usually, the word Sunnah refers to what Prophet Muhammed (ص) had said and done or approved of when said or done by someone else. It includes the Prophet's sayings, practices, living habits, etc.. Thehadith reports on the Sunna. The two major legal sources of jurisprudence in Islam are the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Sura or Soorah سوره

The Qur'an is composed of 114 chapters orsuras . The plural ofsura issuwar سور , chapters.

S.W.T.

These letters are acronyms for "Subhanahu wa Ta'ala". When the name of Almighty Allah is pronounced, a Muslim is expected to show his veneration to Him. The meaning of this statement is that Allah is too pure to have partners or sons or any family members or relatives.