PATHEOS PRESS
SHOP
FIND A PLACE OF WORSHIP
Glossary of Terms: S
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sadaqa
"Alms,” the practice of special charity in Islam; spontaneous or voluntary giving of alms
Safavid
Iranian dynasty (1502-1736) which established Shiite Islam as the state religion; this was a major factor in the emergence of a unified national consciousness among various ethnicities
Salaam
"Peace"; salam alaikum (“peace be upon you”) is found in the Quran, and is the common form of greeting in Muslim countries
Salafism
Salafism
Salat
Daily ritual prayer that is the duty of all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam; also spelled Salah
Samaa
Sama'a
Samhain
Samhain
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a traditional school of religious thought that was transmitted from teacher to teacher.
Sanhedrin
official Jewish council in Palestine during Roman rule; served judicial, political, and religious functions
Sankirtan
In ISKCON, a group devotional practice of common worship.
Sawm
“Fasting;” any religious fast in Islam, but particularly the fast of the month of Ramadan
Sayyid
dynasty rulers in India from 1414-1421; identified themselves as sayyids, or direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad
Sect
religious body with certain characteristics, such as extreme emphasis on some teachings rather than on others; sometimes pejorative term for heretical group
Seijin Shiki Adults Day
Seijin Shiki (Adults' Day)
Seth
spirit entity channeled (contacted) by Jane Roberts (1929-1984); taught that we create our own reality by our thoughts and anticipations
Setsubun Sai
Setsubun Sai
Sevener Shiites
Minority subset within the Ismailite sect of Shiites; they reject the majority belief in Twelve Imams, believing that the seventh (imam Muhammad ibn Ismail) was the last
Shahada
Short, two-part statement that sums up the essence of the Muslim faith: "I confess that there is no deity but God, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God"
Shahid
"One who testifies or witnesses"; Often refers to martyrs whose death bears witness to the faith
Shaitan
In Islamic myth, an unbelieving class of jinn (spirits); also the name of Iblis, the devil; also spelled Shaytan (Arabic)
Shaman
Religious person who performs spiritual services associated with the spiritual realm; also healers and diviners
Shariah
Canonical law of Islam, systematized during the 8th-9th centuries CE; rests on four bases: 1) Quran, 2) sunna (legal custom), 3) ijma (universal agreement), and 4) qiyas (analytical reasoning)
Shavuot
Shavuot
Shaykh
Shaykh
Shaykh
Shaykh
Sheikh
Arabic title of respect dating from pre-Islamic antiquity; given to leaders of religious orders, colleges, tribes, or villages; also spelled shaykh
Shekinah
"presence" (Hebrew), Jewish theological term referring to the divine presence in the world
Shen
Shen
Shenming
Shenming
Shichigosan
Shichigosan
Shiite
Member of the smaller (10%) of the two major branches of Islam (Sunnism is the larger); in early Islamic history, Shiites supported the power of Ali (Muhammad’s in-in-law) as the fourth caliph
Shirk
“Making a partner;” in Islam, idolatry, polytheism, and the association of God with other deities; the Quran stresses that God does not share his power with any partner
Shmini Atzeret
Shmini Atzeret
Shu
Shu
Shubun sai
Shubun-sai
Shura
Shura
Shushan Purim
Shushan Purim
Sikha
A tuft of hair left unshaven on the top the head, a practice of Hindu priests (Brahmins) and monks.
Silsila
Silsila
Sima Qian
Great Chinese astronomer and historian (2nd Century BCE); helped reform Chinese calendar and wrote the Shiji (a grand history of China)
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Soteriology
"teaching about salvation," belief in a divine savior (such as Isis, Christ, Buddha, or Rama) who intervenes on behalf of humans to exalt them from an unfortunate condition.
Sri Krishna Jayanti
Sri Krishna Jayanti
St Andrews Day
St. Andrew's Day
St Benedict Day
St. Benedict Day
St Brighid of Kildare
St. Brighid of Kildare
St Georges Day
St. George's Day
St Lucys Day
St. Lucy's Day
St Michael and All Angels
St. Michael and All Angels
St Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas Day
St Patricks Day
St. Patrick's Day
St Pauls Day
St. Paul's Day
St Peter and St Pauls Day
St. Peter and St. Paul's Day
St Stephens Day
St. Stephen's Day
St Valentines Day
St. Valentine's Day
Station of Abraham
Part of pilgrimage route, opposite the door of the Kabah
Sufism
Mystic Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find divine knowledge and love through direct personal experience of God
Sukkot
Sukkot
Sunna
Lit. “custom”; Body of traditional social and legal custom and practice of the Muslim community; The acted and spoken example given by the Prophet
Sunnite
A follower of the largest branch of Islam (encompassing 85-90% of all Muslims); Sunnites regard their sect as mainstream and traditionalist, as opposed to the minority sect, the Shiites
Surah
A chapter in the Quran; each of the 114 surahs encompass one or more revelations received by Muhammad from God
Surah
A chapter in the Quran; each of the 114 surahs encompass one or more revelations received by Muhammad from God
Follow us on: