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

hikma
Wisdom

(Hikma). Justice ('Adl) is 'putting everything in its proper place'. Wisdom (Hikma), which is closely connected to justice, is 'to act as is proper to each situation'. To be able to act in such a manner it is necessary to have discernment of relationships. Wisdom is the perfect balance of knowledge and practice. It is the sign of the perfect friends of Allah and is possessed, in its highest degree, by the People of Blame (Al Malamatiyya).


See also: Correlations Discrimination Divine knowledge Friends of Allah Justice People of blame Perfection Perfect Man Spiritual courtesy Work
(Idafa). Correlations or relationships. The Divine Names demand relationships because the Divine Names are what make the cosmos manifest. The Powerful (Al Qadir) demands the object of power (Maqdur). The Merciful (Ar Rahman) demands an object of mercy (Marhum). The Lord (Rabb) demands a vassal (Marbub).
(Furqan). Discrimination or separation. The Qur'an is 'that which brings together' (The Qur'an), and it is also 'that which differentiates' (furqan). Seeing only its furqan aspect without seeing its Qur'an aspect is seeing only multiplicity. This is associating other gods with Allah. Seeing only its Qur'an aspect without seeing its furqan aspect is denying the secondary causes. This is limiting Allah.
(Ma'rifa) is a light which Allah casts into the heart of whomsoever He Wills. This is the true knowledge which comes through unveiling, witnessing and tasting. This knowledge is from Allah, it is not Allah Himself, because He Is Unknowable in His Essence. The triad on the Sufi Path of Return is comprised of Fear, Knowledge and Love. Fear leads to Knowledge which leads to Unconditional Love of Allah. It is said that spiritual struggle is child's play while ma'rifa is men's work.
(Awliya). The friends of Allah. These are His Saints. Their knowledge is not derived from reflection. Allah has purified them of that type of knowledge. They possess the opening of unveiling through Allah, the Real, Himself. The awliya are those with unbroken awareness of Allah. These Perfect Men have attained to the highest of all human degrees.
('Adl). Justice is putting everything in its proper place. Outward justice concerns what is between oneself and others. Inward justice concerns what is between oneself and Allah.
(Al Malamatiyya). These are the Perfect Ones. Their exteriors never disclose the reality of their interiors. They are those who know and are not known. Al malamatiyya are Allah's perfect slaves, Allah's perfect lovers, Allah's perfect knowers. They manifest His All-Comprehensive Name 'Allah', without a trace of Lordship. Allah has placed their 'blaming self' over them as a protection against self-conceit or satisfaction. They are the greatest of the Sufis. They are in constant submission and surrender to the Will of Allah. A Murshid (Spiritual Guide) who is one of the malamatiyya is the perfect Murshid and his murids often attain to Manliness. The Master of the cosmos, the Best of Creation, Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace), who is a Malamatiyya, is their Master.
(Ihsan). Excellence or perfection or sanctifying virtue or spiritual beauty. Ihsan has three degrees: 1).To do the good that should be done with one's property, words, acts and states. 2). To worship with total presence like one was actually seeing one's Lord. 3). To contemplate Allah in all things, at all times and always. Perfection is the third rung on the seven-runged ladder of Knowledge. These seven levels are Islam, Iman; Ihsan; 'Ilm al yaqin; 'Ayn al yaqin; Haqq al yaqin; Islam. (Surrender, Faith, Perfection, Knowledge of Certainty, The Eye of Certainty, The Truth of Certainty and Total Surrender and Submission).
(Al Insan al Kamil). He is the viceregent of Allah, through whom Allah contemplates His Own Name-derived Perfection. The Perfect Man has actualized the divine form and in carrying the Trust has fulfilled his reason for being. It is through the Perfect Man that Allah enters the world. Al Insan al Kamil is also one of the names given to the Supreme Isthmus. Man consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. The cosmos also consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. Its spirit is the Perfect Man. Without him the cosmos is likened to a discarded body.
(Adab) is spiritual courtesy and gracious behaviour of the Path and perfect refinement of words and deeds. Adab is giving each thing and each moment its proper due. The science of the higher teaching is based upon adab, which encompasses all of human life. It extends from right behaviour with regard to the Sacred Law (Shari'a), right behaviour with one's fellow travellers, proper conduct towards the teaching and one's teacher, and reaches to unceasing spiritual courtesy to Allah Himself. The proper courtesy towards the Law is to stay within its boundaries, the proper conduct with regards to good actions is to complete the action and disconnect from it. Adab with regard to the Real is knowing what belongs to oneself and what belongs to Allah. Each moment and each situation has it's own adab. It has been said that the higher teaching is all adab and the greater your understanding and implementation of proper conduct is, the higher you are in the teaching.
('Amal). Work or action or practice. When faith and practice are combined with godfearingness then knowledge will be gained. The knowledge which brings man closer to Allah is not merely theoretical knowledge. Felicity is attained only when knowledge and practice (work, action) are combined. On the Journey of Return to the Source the traveller (salik) is required to put into practice every knowledge gained during his travelling. This will lead to further unveilings of knowledge, for in the words of the Holy Prophet Muhammad "He who acts upon what he knows, Allah will make him inherit that which he does not know".

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