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

ijmal
Undifferentiated mode

(Ijmal). Within the Knowledge of Allah all of the immutable entities are differentiated. Allah distinguishes each entity and does not see them as undifferentiated. The root of the cosmos is Allah, and the cosmos itself is the manifestation of the Divine Names. All that we actually see is the Names. The human is the outward form of all of the Names in undifferentiated mode (ijmal), and the cosmos is the outward form of the Names in differentiated mode (tafsil).

See also: Differentiated mode Great Man Names Small world

Differentiated mode ( tafsil )

(Tafsil). Differentiated mode. The Divine Attributes manifest themselves in a boundlessly differentiated mode within the cosmos. The root of the cosmos is Allah, and the cosmos itself is the manifestation of the Divine Names. All that we actually see is the Names. The human is the outward form of all of the Names in undifferentiated mode (ijmal), and the cosmos is the outward form of the Names in differentiated mode (tafsil).

Great Man ( insan kabir )

(Insan Kabir). This term is applied to the universe, the macrocosm. The signs of Allah are on the horizons, in the macrocosm, and within ourselves, the microcosm. The universe is the great man (Insan Kabir) and man is the small world or universe ('Alam Saghir).

Names ( asma' )

(Asma). Names. The Names designate permanent 'aspects' of the Essence. Every Name has a meaning and a form. The meaning of every Name is Allah. It is only through the Names, all of which are Allah's, that we have access to Knowledge of Allah. The Divine Names seek the Perfect Man (Insan al Kamil) to be their perfect locus of manifestation. Through their seeking him and their requiring his existence the knower comes to understand the nobility and grandeur of the Perfect Man.

Small world ( 'alam saghir )

('Alam saghir) contains all the worlds in latent form. This world is Man himself.

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