glossary 417Sabre:physical and mental endurance. In addition, in Islam sabre is widened to
include endurance on continuously and devotionally obeying God’s orders and
commands, endurance on staying on the right path without being led astray,
endurance in military combat with the enemy, and endurance in calling people
to do good and abandon evil.
Sabour:the person who practice sabre.
Sarf: money exchange. A buying and selling of currencies.
Sawàfìland: crown estates or fiefs. The term referred to the land the ownership
of which was transferred to the state because of mainly: (a) the desertion of the
land by the original owners on the Islamic conquest, (b) the death of non-Muslim
landowners in wars against Muslims without leaving heirs, and (c) the death of
the landowner, Muslim or non-Muslim, without leaving heirs. Initially the land
was regarded as belonging to Muslims in general, represented by the state, but
beginning from the Umayyad onward that changed and the ownership of the
land was gradually transferred to individuals.
Shafi"ì: a follower of the Shafì"i School of thought. The school was founded by
Muhˆammad Idrìs al-Shafì"i (767–819) who was born in Ghaza. The school strikes
a balance between the Màlikì, the upholders of Sunnah, and the Hˆanafì, the
upholders of opinion. Al-Shafì"i who was a disciple of Màlik adopted a balanced
approach between the two.
Sharì"ah:the body of the Islamic sacred law as based on the Qur"àn, the Sunnah
and Jurisprudence.
Sheikh: elder. A titular head who was chosen by the members of the clan by
virtue of his seniority in age, experience, wisdom and other personal qualifications
and who represented the clan in relation to other clans but did not have the
absolute authority in all matters regarding the clan. In serious judicial matters
and in questions of inter-clan conflict he would have to consult with a council
consisting of the heads of the families in the clan.
flùfìsm:(Adj. Sˆùfì):purity of self. The state of the complete renouncement of
worldly life for the sake of worshiping God, which included abstention from wear-
ing soft clothing and wearing instead harsh surface wool, suf, clothing.
Suftajah: money order. A credit instrument issued to a creditor to enable him to
use it or cash it at another predetermined venue and at the future date. Also,
suftaja were issued “payable to bearer”.
Sukùk: (singular sakk): deposit certificate. A document or certificate, which evi-
dences the undivided pro-rata ownership of underlying assets—the Sak (singular
of Sukuk) is freely tradable at par, premium or discount.
Sunnah: the prophet’s way. The Sunnah, or Traditions, represents what the Prophet
is reported to have said, done and agreed to be done during his lifetime. As a
source of the Sharì"ah, the Sunnah is divided into three main elements: (a) the
Prophet’s sayings, (b) his practice and (c) his approval of others’ practices. The
Prophet’s sayings were not God’s words, though they were inspired by God, and
were said to clarify rules and provide further details of the Qur"ànic verses. To
avoid confusion between the Qur"ànic texts and the Prophet’s sayings, the Prophet,
while arranging for the writing of the Qur"àn, instructed his companions not to
write his sayings and directing them to erase whatever had been written, letting
his sayings be transmitted only verbally. Muslims, therefore, were able to differentiate
between the divine texts, the Qur"àn, and the Prophet Sayings and practice,Aœàdìth
or Aœàdìth. The first attempt to collect the Aœàdìthin writing took place in the
reign of the Umayyad caliph Umar ibn Abel-Azìz in the mid eighth century.