The Language of the Future
Sufi Terminology
by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi
lawa'ih
Gleams of Light
(Lawa'ih). The gleams which become visible to one's secret being and the glimmers of the light of the Essence that show themselves when one's vision is not limited by baseness or animality.
(Hayawaniyyah). Creation is a hierarchy. Each entity has its own level which indicates its position within that hierarchy. The animals occupy their own level and in so doing they fulfil and complete all the requirements demanded by that level of manifestation. Man was created to become the locus of manifestation for the All-Comprehensive Name 'Allah'. He has been given the choice to return to Allah either as a 'human being' who has fulfilled his 'reason for being' or as a mere human who has the qualities of an animal. In this latter case he may be described by the word hayawaniyah - animality, because he has fallen beneath his own hierarchical level.
(Basirah). Insight. The basirah is the inner eye which perceives the World of the Unseen. Man's basirah is veiled and covered with a rust which can only be removed through the sincere practising of the Remembrance of Allah. Insight is one of the forms of direct knowledge of Reality.
(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.
(Nurani). Within the cosmos, which is the realm of opposites, that which is luminous (nurani) stands in opposition to that which is dark (thulmani). All is relative, and while the angels are luminous when compared with corporeal things they are in fact dark and dense in relationship to the Infinite Light of Allah. The lovers of Allah drink a luminous wine which is handed directly to them from the Cupbearer.
(Sirr). The secret or mystery is a subtle substance of Allah's Grace. It is the innermost consciousness, the point of secret communication between the Lord and His slave. It is the hidden place where Allah manifests His mystery to Himself.
(Sirr al sirr). The Mystery within the Mystery. The Breath within the Breath. This is the greatest subtlety through which Allah isolates Himself from His slave.
(Mushahadah). Witnessing or vision. Mushahadah is one kind of direct knowledge of Reality. This witnessing occurs in various ways. Some of the travellers and Men of the Path witness Allah in the things. Some witness Allah before or after or with the things. And some witness Allah Himself. And, because Allah never discloses Himself in the same form in two successive moments to any thing, the witnessing (mushahadah) is infinite and endless. This is one of the kinds of bliss experienced by the people of the garden.
