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

umma
Community

(Umma) refers specifically to the community of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). He is the Seal of the Prophets. The Message which he delivered to the humanity, through the Final Revelation The Qur'an, and through his own perfection, is alive and fresh and dynamic. The Final Revelation and the Seal of the Prophets have no end. Both of them contain the keys to the endless unfolding of Knowledge of the Absolute. The entire humanity is the umma of the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha. Within his perfect and complete Teaching are the vital aspects of the Teachings of all the previous Prophets and Messengers of Allah. But Muhammad al Mustapha completed and perfected the Way of Returning to the Beautiful Face of Allah. Each and every human is a member of the community of Muhammad al Mustafa (May Allah shower him with His Eternal salutations and blessings and give him Peace). "This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you and have chosen for you as your religion Islam" (The Qur'an 5:3).


See also: Ahmad Beautiful Model Means Messenger of Allah Muhammad Mustapha People of Allah People of the Practice Practice of the Holy Prophet Prophet Qasim Qur'an
This is the celestial name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). Ahmad is 'the most praiseworthy of those who praise Allah'. His praise, which is none other than The Qur'an, is the complete and most elevated of all praises. All praises are gathered together in his praise. When he was asked, "Are you the One?" the Holy Prophet answered, "No! I am Ahmad without the M". On his Ascension to the Divine Presence he heard the words, "Stop, Oh Muhammad, your Lord is praising you". Before this stage he was 'the most praiseworthy of those who praise Allah'. Then he became 'the praised one'.
(Uswa hasana). The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the beautiful model. Through his perfect example man is given the means of drawing closer, and yet closer, to Allah. The degrees of such nearness depend upon the manner and attitude in which one follows the beautiful model. Those who love Allah and His Messenger more than anything, more than life itself, are the slaves who follow Muhammad al Mustapha in their outer lives and in their inner realities. To approach Allah, the slave must first meet the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This meeting is a Mystery. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, the beautiful model, becomes the slave's inner reality through the unveiling of the Reality of Muhammad. The hadith says, "Who has seen me has seen Allah".
(Wasila) indicates the means through which man can come close to Allah. "Seek the means of approach to Him" (The Qur'an 5:35). The one and only wasila is the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). There is no other means to ascend from the physical realm to the Divine Presence. The seeker traverses the first stages of the Journey of Return to Allah with the direct aid and under the protection of his Murshid. These are the stages of spiritual struggle, ascetic discipline and abstinence. Through the Grace of Allah the murid may attain to annihilation in the Murshid. But, no one will meet Allah before meeting the Prophet. The murid can advance no further towards Allah Almighty unless he travels with the wasila. The lover does not reach Allah through being a lover. He only reaches Allah through being the Beloved of Allah, and there is only one Beloved of Allah and that is Muhammad al Mustapha. The only way up is within him. Because the Reality of Muhammad has been unveiled to the slaves and true followers of the Master Muhammad, they are drowned and annihilated in him. (The stairs to ascend to the top floor) Using the means - 'by the baraka of. . . '
(Rasulllah). The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). Through the radiant light of the Messenger, Allah sends to mankind the message of His Own Pure Light. "Allah took a handful of His Light and said, 'Be Muhammad!'. And it was". Each and every incoming thought, whether praiseworthy or blameworthy, is a 'messenger' from Allah. Through constantly keeping watch over his heart the knower is never unmindful of these messengers. Allah says in The Qur'an, "Now there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst your own selves" (The Qur'an 9:128). The lover, slave and knower of Allah is also the lover, slave and knower of the Messenger of Allah (Rasulullah), the Beloved of Allah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). Once you know Allah, then you will know who Muhammad really is! The ecstasy within the breast of this lover-slave-knower is the Messenger of Allah (Rasulullah). He is the messenger who will take him back to Allah.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the Glory of the Universe, the Best of Creation, the Seal of the Prophets and the friend of those who truly love him. He is from the Light of Allah and all of existence is from his light. He is the key to unlock the Mystery of Existence and he is also the treasure of Existence. He is the key to Allah's Mercy and the key to Paradise. Muhammad al Mustapha is the niche and the goal of the wayfaring lover and the burning rapture within his breast. He is the Beloved of Allah. He owns the Banner of Praise and the Station of Glory. Outwardly he is the Perfect Slave and inwardly he is The One. When the Reality of Muhammad has been unveiled to the lover his heart prostrates before the sheer beauty of this most Noble Sanctuary.
The Chosen One. The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the Chosen One of Allah. From Pre-Eternity he was chosen to be the one through whom the Hidden Treasure would become manifest. From Pre-Eternity he was chosen to be the Beloved of Allah. From Pre-Eternity he was chosen to be the Glory of the Universe and the Best of Creation and the Perfect Man. In being a Prophet when Adam was still between water and clay he was chosen to have Firstness. In being the Seal of the Prophets, the one to deliver the perfected religion to humanity, he was chosen to have Lastness. Allah chose to give him two of His Own Most Beautiful Names - The All-Clement (ar-Rauf) and The All-Compassionate (ar-Rahim). In following in the footsteps of Muhammad al Mustapha, in clinging to him and loving him more than life itself, the slaves of Allah are brought near and drink the wine of Divine Love.
(Ahl Allah). This title embraces the entire humanity, but there are many degrees within the Ahl Allah. These are the various levels of 'knowing Allah', for it is in knowing Allah that one is brought near to Allah. Amongst humanity there are people who do not want to know Allah, and there are people who do not know Allah, and people who do want to know Allah and at the higher levels there are the people who do know Allah. The men of this last group, the knowers of Allah ('arifin), occupy numerous ascending levels in their 'knowing'.
(Ahl al Sunna). These are the sincere and truthful followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). They endeavour to apply the Prophet's Practice to each moment of their existence. In knowing that he is their 'Beautiful Model' and their 'means of approach to Allah'. The Ahl al Sunna strive to follow not only the outward form of his profound Practice but also to penetrate the inward meanings.
(Sunnah). The profound Science of Beautiful Moral Behaviour based upon the beautiful model of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). Following the form of, and contemplating the meaning within, the sunna are the most profound ways in which man can prepare himself to receive Divine Knowledge.
(Nabi). A Prophet is a friend of Allah (Wali) who possesses unique knowledge of the Unseen Worlds. Allah has sent 124,000 Prophets to humanity to show them the Way of Returning to Allah. The Prophets are under the Command of Allah to invite people to their particular way (or religion). The teachings of these religions are varied in keeping with the different peoples to whom they were directed, yet the Source of all is One, Allah. Each Prophet and each religion reveals a specific Face of the Absolute. Muhammad the Chosen One is the Final Prophet of Allah - May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace. The universal message which he delivered is the perfect and complete religion. It is for all of humanity, not being limited exclusively to one group of people.
The Distributor. The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is The Distributor. The Light of Muhammad is from the Light of Allah and all of creation is from Muhammad's Light. He is the Master and Teacher of all of creation to whom he distributes his Light. And Light is Knowledge. The Holy Prophet prayed, "O! Allah, make me into Light!" and he also prayed, "My Lord! increase me in Knowledge". Each one of the Masters of the higher teaching, who are his Inheritors and spiritual family, receive directly from him their portion of Divine Knowledge. They, in their turn, distribute their portion amongst their murids. If the murid advances beyond annihilation in his Murshid to annihilation in the Messenger, he too will receive his portion of Divine Knowledge directly from Qasim, the Distributor, the Holy Prophet himself.
The Recitation or The Reading. The Qur'an is the Final Revelation from Allah to humanity. This Sacred Book contains all the keys with which to open the endless unfolding of Knowledge of Allah. The Qur'an is that which brings together (qur'an), and it is also that which differentiates (furqan). Seeing furqan without qur'an is seeing only multiplicity and is therefore associating other gods with Allah. Seeing only qur'an without furqan is denying the secondary causes (asbab) and therefore limiting Allah. The First Word, 'Iqra' , of the Final Revelation, which descended upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) through Jibril, the Archangel of Revelation, (Peace be upon him), opened for mankind the Perfect and Complete Way of Return to Allah.

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