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

yaqzah
Alertness

(Yaqzah). Awake and alert and aware. After having woken from the sleep of heedlessness and neglect, the slave must be in a state of constant alertness. He must be always prepared to receive whatever Allah Wills to send to him, whether it be His stern rebuke or His Loving-kindness. It is understanding what Allah 'says' in His rebuke.

See also: Annihilation Death Kindness, Gentleness and Grace of Allah Negligent Preparedness Receptivity Sleep Spiritual courtesy of the Truth

Annihilation ( fana' )

(Fana'). Self-annihilation or self-effacement or dissolution or passing away from self. Through being joined to Allah, the Real; man is annihilated from himself - the 'limited existence' of the traveller is overpowered by the 'absolute existence' of Allah, so that the traveller becomes unaware of his own self and the creation. Fana' is the last stage on the ascent to Allah. When travelling to the Source, the seeker passes through different levels of fana', each of which brings him closer to his Goal. There are hundreds, even thousands, of fana's. Every time a form of ignorance is removed to be replaced by knowledge, the murid has experienced fana'. He has tasted the annihilation of an ignorance. And, every moment of existence is in fact a moment which is pregnant with its own particular knowledge. So, for the aware one, each moment can be a fana'. However, within the higher teaching of Tasawwuf  there are three major types of fana', through which the murid must travel if he is to reach the Absolute. These are Annihilation in the Murshid/Spiritual Guide, Annihilation in the Messenger and Annihilation in Allah.

Death ( maut )

(Mawt). This refers to that type of death which is the removal of oneself from one specific condition to another condition. Within the higher teaching there are four deaths which the traveller (salik) must undergo on his Journey to Allah. These are the red death which is connected to controlling one's anger and refraining from retaliation; the white death which is connected to hunger, asceticism and a moderate way of life; the green death which is connected to the discarding of outward self-adornment and the assumption of inner adornment through the beautiful character traits (husn al akhlaq); and the black death which is connected to a selfless attitude of love and compassion to all of the creation, regardless of their ingratitude or hostility. All of these deaths take place through the spiritual struggle of the traveller.

Negligent ( al-ghaflah )

(Ghaflah). To be negligent or heedless or unconscious of Allah. From the viewpoint of the higher teaching, al ghaflah indicates a state which, at times, may overcome some of the lesser knowers. In this state they succumb to such a state of heedlessness as to utter phrases which should be kept concealed. Perfect spiritual courtesy (adab) towards Allah is preserved when the knower keeps His secret within himself.

Preparedness ( isti'dad )

(Isti'dad) is closely connected to receptivity (infi'al). It is the readiness to receive what Allah Wills to send. This 'preparedness' was established in Pre-eternity through the Most Holy Emanation (Al Fayd al Aqdas) which gave the preparedness to the archetype itself.

Receptivity ( infi'al )

(Infi'al). Receptivity or passivity or readiness to be acted upon. The receptivity of the existent entity is closely related to its preparedness. Such a receptivity or passivity is necessary if the murid is to 'travel' along the Spiritual Path, under the direction of his Murshid. And this condition of receptivity was established in Pre-Eternity, at the Covenant.

Sleep ( nawm )

(Nawm). The hadith says, "Man is asleep and when he dies he wakes". The Sufi is the one who has died to self and is awake in the Supreme Self. Once man has awoken there is no more sleep. Within mystical poetry and Sufi songs the lover often complains to the Beloved Who has taken away his sleep and given him no rest for his limbs. In every moment of his existence each cell of the lover's body is restlessly pursuing the Beloved. Or sometimes this wakefulness is inexpressibly sweet "When You are here we stay up all night and when you are away I can't sleep. Praise be to Allah for these two insomnias!" This term may also refer to the two ordinary kinds of sleep which are experienced by man. One is the type in which there is rest and ease from weariness, and the other is the type in which dreams occur. The second type is a transferral from the manifest side of sense perception to its nonmanifest side.

Spiritual courtesy of the Truth ( adab al-haqq )

(Adab al Haqq). This spiritual courtesy requires a knowledge of the hierarchy of existence, in which each and every existent has its own right or truth. The man who possesses 'spiritual courtesy of the Truth' understands 'The Real through Whom Creation takes place'.

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