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

zill
Shadow

(Thill). Man is situated between the Sheer Light of Being and the utter darkness of non-existence, between good and evil. He is a mixture of light and darkness. The light which is within man derives from his own essence which is turned towards Allah. When man relates himself to Allah Almighty, Allah receives him. Light is that through which man perceives. When Allah discloses Himself to one of His lovers, it is the light perceiving the Light. Allah sees Himself. None sees Allah but Allah. The heart is overwhelmed by the Radiance of Allah's Light. Man carries this light within his own shadow. The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha said, "I am from the Light of Allah and the whole world is from my light". The entire creation is the shadow of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace).


See also: Being Boy Darkness Evil Goodness If not for you, If not for you (Oh, Muhammad) Knowers of Allah Light Light of Muhammad Perception People of unveiling and finding Reality of Muhammad Self-disclosure
(Wujud). Being, existence or finding. When considered as 'being', wujud designates Allah's Own Reality and Essence. When considered as 'existence', wujud designates the things found in the cosmos. When considered as 'finding' wujud designates the subjective experience of finding Allah or having awareness of Allah. The Verifiers and the People of Unveiling and Finding continually and everlastingly find Allah both in the cosmos and within themselves.
(Thulmaa). Non-existence or nothingness is pure darkness. Creation is the isthmus between the Light of Allah and the darkness of non-existence.
(Sharr). In itself evil is pure non-existence and denotes those things which cannot receive and accept the Divine Mercy. Knowledge is light and light is existence, therefore evil is ignorance which is darkness and non-existence. Allah, as All-Possibility and Absolute Perfection, demands the manifestation of sharr, for without it the perfection would be imperfect through being limited. What appears to be evil is the actual relationships which exist between the contrary Names.
(Khayr). Allah is the Sovereign Good. All goodness derives from Allah. Allah is not Goodness because He Wills to be Goodness, but rather He Wills Goodness because Goodness is what Allah Is in His Essence. Khayr is everything that is positive, useful, profitable and beautiful. It is what leads man to his felicitous home.
(Al 'Arifin/'Urufa). They see and recognize Allah wherever they look. The knowers are bewildered. But this is not the bewilderment of being lost, rather it is the bewilderment of having found Allah. They know that He cannot be known. The knowers are nothing because they are everything.
(Nur) is the created light which radiates from the Uncreated Light of Allah. When this light enters the heart it drives away the existent order thereby annihilating the inner eye from witnessing 'other-than-Allah'. For unveiling to take place the Light which comes from Allah must coincide with the light within the heart. If there is darkness within the heart, then it will not be able to match the Light from Allah. In such a case there is no unveiling, and Knowledge of Allah does not arrive in that heart. It is the Remembrance of Allah which polishes the heart and allows it to be filled with light. The Source of this Pure Light is the Absolute Darkness of the Essence Itself. The most complete and penetrating light is the light through which is unveiled what Allah means by the forms seen by the imagination in dreams.
(Nur Muhammadiyya). "Allah took a handful of His Light and said 'Be! Muhammad'". From this pre-existent Light of Muhammad (nur Muhammadiyya) all of the spheres were created. It is the Light of Muhammad that enables the traveller to advance towards the Reality of Muhammad (al haqiqa al Muhammadiyyah). Without the cooling nature of this light the salik would not advance, or if he did advance he would be burned-up. The differentiation between the Light of Muhammad (nur Muhammadiyya) and the Reality of Muhammad (al haqiqat al Muhammadiyyah) is within the degrees of the descent of Being, from the Inward Non-manifestation of the Hidden Treasure to the outward manifestation of the cosmos.
(Idrak). "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth" and it is through the Light of Allah that all perception takes place. "Allah took a handful of His Light and said to it, "Be! Muhammad'". The creation, which is the outward manifestation of the Hidden Treasure, is seen and known through the Holy Prophet Muhammad. But, only the knowers know that they are seeing it through the Reality of Muhammad. Without him all is darkness. 'Light the world, too long in darkness, with Muhammad's radiant name'. The Chosen One, Al Mustapha, said, "Who has seen me, has seen Allah". Existence is the Reality of Muhammad. For perception to take place there must be light.
(Ahl al Kashf wal Wujud). These are the knowers. They have passed beyond the veils which stand between themselves and their Lord and they stand perpetually in His Presence.
(Al Haqiqat al Muhammadiyya). This is 'The Reality of realities'. It is the first descent of Being from the Beyond of the Beyond. It is the Station of True Love and the stage of 'Or Nearer'. Just as man is unable to look directly into the physical sun because its brilliance would burn away his sight, so too is he unable to look at the Divine Sun because Its Pure Radiance would burn away his very existence. And just as the sun can only be viewed through a thin covering of cloud, so too the Divine Sun can only be seen through the Greatest Veil which is the Reality of Muhammad. The heart which has been infused with knowledge of The Reality of Muhammad soars to Allah Almighty. It takes the lover on the wings of overwhelming love ('Ishq) and longing (Shawq) to the Divine Presence. When Prophet Noah saw the condition of the flood and he was afraid of the sinking of the ark, he used the intercession of Allah for the safety of the Ark (al Wasila). Allah told him to write on the mast the mixing of the Name of Allah and Muhammad (Alif Mim Lam)
(Tajalli) means Allah's unveiling of Himself to His creatures. The Divine Self-disclosures are never repeated and they are never ending. They are the lights of the Unseen which are unveiled to hearts. They are the signs which Allah has placed within ourselves in order that He may be seen. Each tajalli pours more light and still more light upon whomsoever it falls, for Eternity. The mountain of the lower self is blown to pieces in the tajalli of Allah. The differences that occur within the various Sufi orders do not indicate disagreement or argument amongst the Masters. Each human is unique, and each tajalli is utterly unique, therefore no two people ever experience the same tajalli. But, those who have tasted know, and those who have not tasted do not know. Tajalli is beyond words. Tajalli is bewilderment.

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