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

ar-rahmaniyyah
Mercy, The Blessed

(Ar Rahmaniyyah). The Compassionate Beatitude or the Blessed Mercy. Ar Rahmaniyyah stands, as it were, at the centre between the Unknowable Essence and the Names of the Qualities, which face the creation.


See also: The Blindness Descent of Being ''I am Ahmad without the 'M'' Isthmus Names of the Divine Activities Unseen
(Tanazzul/tanzil). The Descent of Being by means of the Divine Revelation. This is the descent of the Absolute from Total Inwardness, through the various degrees, to Outward Manifestation. The beautiful Hadith Qudsi says, "I was a Hidden Treasure and I loved to be known and so I created the creations and through Me they knew me". Man's descent through the Five Presences, from inward non-manifestation within the Knowledge of Allah to outward manifestation within the world, is known as the spiritual ascent of composition ('uruj at-tarkib). His Return Journey back through the Five Presences to Allah, is known as the spiritual ascent of decomposition (mi'raj at-tahlil). The Divine Revelation makes Its Descent (tanazzul) in order for man to ascend along that Pure Radiation of Divine Light back to the Sacred Source. 'Allah took a handful of His Light and said to It 'Be! Muhammad.' And It was'. The descent (tanazzul) of Being is through the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself, through his Reality (al haqiqat al Muhammadiyyah). And the ascent to Being is through the Holy Prophet. Allah Almighty becomes known through His Beloved Prophet Muhammad. May Allah Bless him and give him Eternal Peace.
(Barzakh). Barrier or isthmus or separating partition. The barzakh is the symbol of an intermediate state. It is something which separates two other things while never going to one side. It is the barrier between the known and the unknown, the existent and the non-existent. Imagination is the most excellent barzakh in that it is 'neither this nor that', or 'both this and that', or the realm of 'He/not He' (Huwa/la Huwa). "It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed" (25:53) .
(Ghayb). The Mystery or the Non-Manifested or the Unseen. The Unknowable or the Mystery of Mysteries. The hadith, "Nothing is like Him" refers to al ghayb. It is His Incomparability. It is all that is beyond reach of our vision. Al ghayb is all that Allah veils from you because of you, not because of Him. To attain to 'The Unseen', the slave and lover is told, 'Leave aside your self and come!' And, when he obeys, it is Allah Who Sees Allah.

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