The Language of the Future
Sufi Terminology
by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi
talib
Seeker on the Path
(Talib). A seeker on the Spiritual Path. He is also called mutasawwif. He is the one who strives, through self-mortification, to reach the level of the Sufis. He is not a Sufi.
(Riyada). Throughout the initial stages of the Journey of Return to Allah, when the traveller is in a condition of disequilibrium, he is required to exert himself in spiritual struggle and ascetic discipline (riyada). By applying himself to the discipline of his ego and opposing its desires, he may come to a greater understanding of his purpose in life. With Allah's Grace this will bring him to a state of greater harmony and balance. As with all of the methods of the higher teaching, ascetic discipline is a 'means' and not an 'end in itself'. When perfect balance is attained the knower of Allah replaces his asceticism with moderation. The greatest riyada of the knowledgeable slave is to refrain from denying Allah in any form and from delimiting Allah by Incomparability. Allah is absolutely incomparable with any declaration of His Incomparability, because such a declaration delimits Allah!
(Mujahadah). The spiritual struggle and endeavour against the passions and downward-pulling tendencies of the lower self. Mujahadah is the ceaseless combat called the Greater Holy War. The war is fought with the celestial weapons of the Remembrance of Allah. The mature ones of the Path, those who 'know Allah', say that mujahadah is child's play! The real work of Men is Divine Knowledge.
Purified One. The name Sufi applies to the man or woman who has purified his heart through the Remembrance of Allah, travelled the Path of Return to Allah, and arrived at True Knowledge. There are many seekers of Wisdom and Truth, but only the Realized One whose search was solely for Allah, deserves the name Sufi. Yet paradoxically, the one deserving of the name would never deem himself worthy of such an honour. Because he has attained such a high degree in his Knowledge of Allah he knows, with Certainty, that 'the slave is the slave and the Lord is the Lord'.
