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

'ilm-ul-dhawq
Knowledge of Tasting

('Ilm ul Dhawq). This Knowledge is specific to the People of the Spiritual Path (Tariqa). It is that knowledge which comes through direct experience. Those who have tasted know. Those who have not tasted tasted do not know.


See also: Bewilderment God given Inspiration Opening Knowledge of Allah Reasoning and demonstration Reflection Taste
(Hayrah). Bewilderment, perplexity or wonderment. Hayrah indicates a moment of utter perplexity, when the mind ceases to function, unable as it is to resolve or find an answer to a particular spiritual impasse. At such a blessed time, for it is by the Grace of Allah that such bewilderment was reached, the murid must attempt not to panic or give up. Out of this knot of bewilderment a spiritual reality is given the opportunity to unravel and reveal itself in shattering clarity. The Ultimate bewilderment is that possessed by the knowers and lovers of Allah. They are utterly bewildered because they have found Allah and in finding Allah they know that He is Unknowable yet in each moment they are opened to a fresh and new Knowledge of Allah! 'So, Glory be to Allah Who is known only through the fact that He is not known!'
(Ilham). Divine inspiration or effusion. Ilham is an blowing in of the Holy Spirit into the heart of a Prophet or a Friend of Allah. Ilham is distinct from Revelation which is specific only to the Prophets of Allah. The Divine Ilham is the immense spiritual force through which the Friends of Allah speak their words of Wisdom, write their books of Knowledge, sing their songs of Divine Love. Only the purified heart which has been sanctified through the remembrance of Allah is worthy of this inblowing of ilham. The Verified Shaykh can recognise the one into whom it is blown and the work of creative inspiration which results from that inblowing. The Word of Allah descends firstly as Revelation (wahy), secondly as Inspiration (ilham) and thirdly as Incoming Thoughts (khawatir).
(Fath). This is one of the forms of direct knowledge by which Allah 'opens the door' to the Unseen World. It is the direct knowledge of Allah disclosing Himself to the heart. This 'opening through tasting' is a knowledge which belongs exclusively to the People and the Elect of Allah.
('Ilm bi Allah). This is the knowledge which is embraced in the heart. The heart is the sacred place where man encounters Allah. The more the heart is polished with the Remembrance of Allah the greater is its capacity to receive Knowledge of Allah.
(Istidlal) is the lower of the two ways leading to knowledge of Allah. The higher way is that of the friends of Allah; i.e. unveiling, tasting, opening, insight and witnessing.
(Fikr). Reflection or the power of thought and cogitation. It is the ability to put together the details accumulated by the senses and acquired through the imagination. Fikr is a quality possessed only by man, and even though it is one of the means through which he can obtain knowledge of Allah, ultimately, True Knowledge of the Absolute comes through 'unveiling', 'opening', 'taste', 'insight' and 'witnessing'.
(Dhawq). Taste or direct spiritual experience. This is the first stage of the experience of Allah's Self-disclosure. It is followed by 'drinking' and 'quenching' and sometimes by the final stage 'intoxication'. Those who have tasted know. Those who have not tasted do not know. Without direct tasting there can be no Knowledge of Allah.

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