The Language of the Future
Sufi Terminology
by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi

Order by: Arabic English

'alam al-izzah
World of Sovereign Power

('Alam al 'izzah). The World of Sovereign Power.

'alam al-jabarut
World of the All-Powerful

('Alam al Jabarut). The World of the Source. It is the Reality of Muhammad linked to the level of the Attributes. Within this World are the pools or reservoirs of non-manifestation from which Existence gushes forth. These pools are the Light of Muham...

'alam al-khalq
World of Creation

('Alam al khalq). The Universe of creation which takes its existence in proximity to a secondary cause. It is the visible world or world of witnessing.

'alam al-khayal
World of Imagination

('Alam al khayal). This is the isthmus in which the friends of Allah encounter each other. Within this World the murid may encounter the Murshid, from whom powerful and decisive lessons are transmitted. It is here that the friends may receive instruc...

'alam al-lahut
World of the Divinity

('Alam al Lahut).The Realm of the Divinity. This is the life force which permeates every existent thing.

'alam al-malakut
World of Dominion

('Alam al Malakut). The World of Dominion, Power, Will and Knowledge. The Kingdom of inwardness. The realm of vision. The hdden world. The universe of subtle forms. This world denotes the Divine Attributes. The gardens of this World are made radiant ...

'alam al-mulk
World of Matter

('Alam al mulk). The World of matter is the Kingdom of outwardness. The Realm of event. The macrocosm.

'alam an-nasut
World of Humanity

('Alam an Nasut). The World of the five human senses.

'alam saghir
Small world

('Alam saghir) contains all the worlds in latent form. This world is Man himself.

'alam ash-shahadah
World of sensible experience

(Alam ash Shahadah). The World of sensible experience. The visible.

'alam ash-shahadat
World of Witnessing

('Alam ash Shahadat). The World of Witnessing. This is within the Imaginal Realm where spirits become corporealized and appear to Prophets and saints in visions. It is also called 'Alam-i-shuhud.

'alam-i-sufli
World of the lower universes

('Alam-i sufli) The Lower Universes. The World of Corporeal Bodies.

'alam-i-ulwi
World of the high universes

('Alam-i 'ulwi). The World of the Spirits. There is a relationship between the World of the Spirits and the essence of man's heart. Through this relationship, which is a secret of Allah, the heart of a purified man may soar towards that spiritual rea...

'alama
Sign

('Alama). Sign or omen or mark. The cosmos ('alam) is a sign and a mark ('alama) of Allah. It is a proof of Allah. But a mark denotes only that which is limited, so the cosmos does not denote His Essence, only the knowledge that He exists. Every sign...

Alastu birabbikum
Am I not your Lord?

(Alastu bi Rabbikum?) (The Qur'an 7:171). These words were spoken in Pre-Eternity when Allah addressed the as yet 'non-existent' sons of Adam. This Primordial Covenant is called by the Sufis 'The Day of Alast'.