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

mahjub
Veiled

(Mahjub). That which is veiled. Allah, the Real, is veiled from those amongst His creation who, never seeing that He is Reality, see only the 'other' (ghayr). The veil (hijab) hangs between Allah and them. Not only is He veiled from them but their sights and insights are also veiled. They do not see Allah. The spiritual work, the alchemical transformation which takes place under the direction of the Spiritual Guide (Murshid) is the tearing down and burning up of the veil, so that only the Glorious and Radiant Face of Allah is seen. But, that which is veiled is only unveiled to those who are qualified to see. Allah has veiled Himself with Himself. "If the reality of the Sufi was to be unveiled he would be worshipped".

See also: Bewilderment Eye of Certainty Inner eye Knowers of Allah Other Other than Allah People of unveiling and finding Veil

Bewilderment ( hayrah )

(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!'

Eye of Certainty ( 'ayn al-yaqin )

('Ayn al Yaqin). The Eye of Certainty. In the triad of the Knowledge of Certainty the Eye of Certainty the Truth of Certainty, the Eye of Certainty could be likened to actually seeing the light of the flames of a fire, after having merely heard a description of that fire. This is the stage of knowledge before being consumed by the flames themselves (Truth of Certainty). The Eye of Certainty is the inner eye or insight. The opening of this 'eye is a miracle and a mystery and it only comes about through the Mercy of the All Merciful. It is Allah's gift to His slave through His Infinite Grace. The seven levels of knowledge through which the traveller must pass on his Journey of Return to the Source are Surrender, Belief, Perfection; Knowledge of Certainty, Eye of Certainty and unconditional surrender with Knowledge.

Inner eye ( basirah )

(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.

Knowers of Allah ( 'arifin )

(Al 'Arifin/'Urufa). They see and recognize Allah wherever they look. The knowers are bewildered. But this is not the bewilderment of being lost, rather it is the bewilderment of having found Allah. They know that He cannot be known. The knowers are nothing because they are everything.

Other ( al-ghayr )

(Ghayr). The 'other'. Allah is the Name that stands for the Unknowable Essence and also the Name that stands for the Divinity. The 'face' of the Unknowable Essence is turned away from creation, but the 'face' of the Divinity is turned towards us. Allah, as the Divinity, demands the existence of the 'other'. His Names bear witness to this reality in that The Powerful (al Qadir) demands the 'other' as an object of power (maqdur). Yet, in Reality, the 'other' is 'He/not He' ('Huwa/la Huwa').

Other than Allah ( ghayr Allah )

(Ghayr Allah). 'Other than Allah' is the cosmos and all that it contains. To be 'other than Allah' is to be imperfect, but this 'imperfection' is in itself Perfection!

People of unveiling and finding ( ahl al-kashf wa'l-wujud )

(Ahl al Kashf wal Wujud). These are the knowers. They have passed beyond the veils which stand between themselves and their Lord and they stand perpetually in His Presence.

Veil ( hijab )

(Hijab). A veil or curtain. Everything that hides the object of your search from your eye. Hijab hides Allah from man, the outer form of a thing veils its inner meaning. In the initial stages of the Journey of Return to the Source the traveller is veiled by the outward aspect of existence from its inward aspect. In the middle stages, which are dominated by spiritual intoxication, he is veiled by its inward aspect from its outward aspect. In the later stage, where spiritual sobriety dominates, neither inward nor outward aspects veil him from Allah, Who he sees everywhere. Allah has precious friends Whom He does veil from the rest of His creation through His jealousy for them. And He has 'veiled ones' who must be concealed because the Light which emanates from them is so dazzling that it would burn away the sight of the viewer. "If the reality of the Sufi was to be unveiled he would be worshipped".

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