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

hadarat al-dhatiyyah
Presence of the Essence

(Al Hadarat al Dhatiyyah). The Presence of the Essence is the Absolute Unknowableness, Sheer Being, Pure Ipseity, the Unknown of the Unknown. This is the Presence of the Mother of the Book. Below it, in the Presence of the All-Compelling, the Mother of the Book becomes the Inscribed Book (al Kitab al Mastur), in that it appears as chapters.

See also: Essence Incomparability Inscribed Book Mother of the Book People of the Essence Unseen

Essence ( dhat )

(Dhat). The Essence. This is Allah in Himself without regard to His creations, His Attributes or His Names. The Essence is beyond knowledge or conceptualization. Allah warns us of this aspect of Himself. The Essence is Absolute Blindness, the Hidden of the Hidden, the Unknown of the Unknown. This is the World of Absolute Non-manifestation.

Incomparability ( tanzih )

(Tanzih). Incomparability or Transcendence or Unknowableness or Remoteness. Tanzih is to declare that Allah transcends every quality or attribute possessed by His creatures. The word tanzih derives from the word nazzaha, which means to keep something away from anything contaminating or impure. The rational faculty declares Allah's Incomparability, but this is only half of the Absolute Truth, because Allah has both Transcendence and Similarity (tashbih). Allah says in The Qur'an, "Nothing is like Unto Him" (42:11). This is Allah's Incomparability (tanzih). But the same verse continues, "and He is the all-Hearing, the all-Seeing". This is Allah's Similarity (tashbih). The Absolute Truth is Allah's Incomparability and His Similarity. The 'knowers through Him' know Allah through Allah, by combining the declaration of His Incomparability (tanzih) with the affirmation of His Similarity (tashbih). Allah as the Essence Itself is Utterly Incomparable, while Similarity is attributed to Allah as the Divinity.

Mother of the Book ( umm al-kitab )

(Umm ul Kitab). This is the Eternal Prototype of the Revealed Book. It is the unfathomable depth of the Divinity and the endless unfolding of Knowledge of Allah. The Perfect Man is a book. He is the epitome of the Mother of the Book.

People of the Essence ( adh-dhatiyun )

(Al Dhatiyun). 'Those who have realised the Essence' are the slaves of Allah who drink directly from the Fountain of Camphor in Paradise. They are the People of Solitude of the Absolute Essence. Their love of Allah, being total and utter, remains constant in the face of opposites, because for them the opposites are joined. There is only Unity. There is only Allah as He is in Himself.

Unseen ( al-ghayb )

(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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