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

manzur
Object of vision

(Manzur). For the Perfect Men of Allah the Object of vision is always Allah Who they perceive through the forms of the creation.


See also: Coming down Disease Face to face vision Gleams of Light Knowers of Allah Mutual waystation Passionate love of Allah Red Sulphur Remembrance-secret Subtle Centres Unseen Remembrance, the most secret of secret Witnessed, The
(Tadalli). This is the descent of Allah to a mutual waystation. Allah's slave, having attained that same waystation through coming close (tadani), now has vision of Allah.
(Marad). A disease or illness. Those conditions which are regarded as health by the common people may be regarded as disease by the People of Perfection. The common people who fulfill their religious obligations towards Allah, yet do not see Allah in everything, are considered to be in a healthy condition. However, if one of the People of Perfection loses vision of Allah, even for a moment, he considers himself to be in a diseased condition.
('Iyan). This term suggests that there are still two faces to have vision of each other. The lover is not yet lost in the Beloved, absorbed by the camphor or drowned in the Ocean. He is still looking.
(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.
(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.
(Munazala). This is situated at a point between the ascent of the slave and the descent of the Real. Vision of Allah occurs in this munazala.
('Ishq). Intense, overflowing and passionate love of Allah. Some say that 'ishq cannot arise without actual vision of the Beloved. 'Ishq is the highest stage before absorption in Allah. It is as rare as the red sulphur. It burns away everything of the lover ('Ashiq) transforming him into the beloved. After annihilation in Allah and absorption in Allah, where all is blindness and there is no longer any vision, the lover is separated from the Beloved and his 'ishq burns afresh. Passionate love of Allah is without limit.
(Kibrit Ahmar). This term is used to indicate a highly personal spiritual realization or a vision of great rarity. The Red Sulphur is the sought-after and rare working principle which turns base metal into gold. Finding one's Spiritual Guide/Murshid is often referred to as 'finding the red sulphur'. Finding the hidden treasure within one's own secret is the Red Sulphur. Finding the Red Sulphur is rare, yet some of the great friends of Allah have found it in abundance! The universal meaning of Sulphur is the Divine Command.
(Dhikr al khafi). Secret remembrance. This is the vision of the light of the beauty of Unity. The silent remembrance which is subtle, delicate and infinitely sweet.
(Lata'if). This term generally refers to the subtle essences (or centres) in the body. The cleansing of the subtle centres forms the spiritual struggle of the Path. The cleansing of each separate latifah marks a stage in the Journey of Return. Lata'if also defines the subtleties within the being of the knower and lover of Allah. The mystical vision during the spiritual concert prepares a thousand of these lata'if within the ecstatic.
(Ghayb). The Mystery or the Non-Manifested or the Unseen. The Unknowable or the Mystery of Mysteries. The hadith, "Nothing is like Him" refers to al ghayb. It is His Incomparability. It is all that is beyond reach of our vision. Al ghayb is all that Allah veils from you because of you, not because of Him. To attain to 'The Unseen', the slave and lover is told, 'Leave aside your self and come!' And, when he obeys, it is Allah Who Sees Allah.
(Dhikr akhfa al khafi). The most secret of secret remembrance. This is the secret dhikr. It is the beautiful mutual remembrance between Allah Almighty and his slave, who is both a knower and a lover. It is the vision of the Reality of Absolute Truth. Allah says "And the Remembrance of Allah is greater". We cannot remember Allah unless He firstly remembers us. This is a gift of Grace from Allah to His slaves. The heart is overwhelmed when engaged in this dhikr because Allah's Remembrance is greater.
(Mashhud) is what the heart retains from the form of the Divine Self-disclosure. It is the object seen in mystic vision.

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