Lawhun Mahfuz (The Supreme Preserved Tablet) and What Lies Before This article explains the meaning of Metaphysical Realms Lawhun Mahfuz (The Supreme Preserved Tablet) and What Lies Before in Sufism. Lawh is literally a board to write on, and the Lawhun Mahfuz is the immaterial board or tablet on which God...
Metaphysical Realms This article explains the meaning of Metaphysical Realms such as The ‘Arsh (The Supreme Throne of God), The Kursiyy (The Supreme Seat of God), Sidratu’l-Muntaha (The Lote-Tree of the Furthest Limit), and Al-Baytu’l-Ma‘mur (The Prosperous House) in Sufism. The ‘Arsh (The Supreme Throne of God) Literally meaning an arbor,...
Women In Sikhism The role of women in Sikhism is outlined in the Sikh scriptures, which state that women are equal to men. The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. Woman can participate...
Haqq (the Truth), Haqiqa (the Genuine) and What Lies Beyond This article is about Haqq (the Truth), Haqiqa (the Genuine) and What Lies Beyond. Literally meaning what is true, established and constant, haqq (the truth) denotes that an utterance, an act, or a creed is totally in agreement with what...
The Horizon Of “the Secret” And What Lies Beyond This article explains the meaning of Metaphysical Realms (The Horizon Of “the Secret” And What Lies Beyond) in Sufism. I am aware that I am not able to write and speak about this topic as it should be written and spoken about. My...
Khushu And Hurma (Reverent Awe And Respect) This article explains the meaning of Khushu And Hurma (Reverent Awe And Respect) in Sufism. It is a significant attainment and Divine favor that one is able to utterly annihilate themselves in respect of their carnality and egotism and traverses the distance originating...
The Initiate From A Different Perspective An initiate is one who follows a way. In Sufi terminology, the word “initiate” denotes one who walks toward God with a certain discipline in order to please Him, thus neutralizing the tendencies in their nature that lead them away from God, or trying...
Talib, Murid, Salik, Wasil (The Seeker, The One Who Wills, The Initiate, The One Who Has Reached) This article explains the meaning of Talib, Murid, Salik, Wasil in Sufism. God is the ultimate goal and human beings are travelers on the road to Him; there are as many paths that...
Khulla (Sincere Friendship) Khulla means sincere friendship. It can also denote brother/sisterhood, or loyal friendship. Some have interpreted khulla as penetrating into the depth of something to change its nature, or enveloping it from all sides so that it gains a second nature. The Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace,...
Waridat And Mawhiba (Gifts And Favor) This article explains the meaning of Waridat and Mawhiba (Gifts and Favor) in Sufism. Mawhiba (favor) literally means benevolence, kindness, and extra Divine bounties, while waridat (gifts) denotes what occurs to or emerges in one’s heart as a Divine gift. The Sufis use them...
Subuhat-i Wajh (The Flood Of God’s Facial Light) This article explains the meaning of Subuhat-i Wajh (The Flood Of God’s Facial Light) in Sufism. The subuhat-i Wajh (the flood of God’s Facial Light) is the flood of light that God Almighty causes to pour out so that He may eliminate...
Nazar And Tawajjuh (Attention And Regard) This article explains the meaning of Nazar and Tawajjuh (Attention and Regard) in Sufism. Even though they appear to have the same meaning and, in fact, suggest certain common feelings and ideas, the concepts of nazar (attention)—which means looking (at), taking into consideration, and...
Karama (Wonder) Before explaining karama (Wonder), since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles. Derived from the root verb A-Ja-Za, meaning “that which people cannot imitate,” a mu’jiza (miracle) is the extraordinary state, event, word or...
‘Aql (Reason) ‘Aql (Reason) means understanding, perception, sober-mindedness and prudence, as a term, ‘aql is a Divine light with which a person can perceive the things that cannot be comprehended with external senses. There have been some who view ‘aql as a faculty abstract of matter but which acts in collaboration...
Wijdan (Conscience) This article covers Wijdan (Conscience) in Sufi terminology. Literally meaning the essence of human existence and a person’s perception of themselves, wijdan (conscience) is a spiritual mechanism composed of the willpower, which chooses between good and evil, the spiritual intellect (fuad), which is the inner, most essential dimension...
Fayd And Tajalli (Effusion and Manifestation) This article covers Fayd and Tajalli (Effusion and Manifestation). Fayd literally means the effusion of blessings, profusion, abundance, and increase. Giving existence to something and equipping it with all the particularities and necessities of being existent, and favoring a person with inspirations and spiritual...
Ilm Ladun (The Special Knowledge from God’s Presence) What is meant by ilm ladun (The special knowledge from God’s Presence), is knowledge of the Unseen or knowledge of mysteries, or knowledge which God imparts into one’s heart and the truths occurring to it. Primarily included is the knowledge of all the...
Wahy And Ilham (Revelation And Inspiration) Wahy and Ilham (Revelation and inspiration) are two subjects that have been much discussed in Islamic religious sciences, as well as by Sufis, as they are each an important dimension of effusion and manifestation. The Sufis have mostly recollected Revelation and inspiration when manifestation...
Al-A‘yanu’th-Thabita And Al-‘Alamu’l-Mithal (Archetypes and the World of Representations or Ideal Forms) This article covers Al-A‘yanu’th-Thabita and Al-‘Alamu’l-Mithal (Archetypes and the World of Representations or Ideal Forms). In Sufi terminology, archetypes are the established, existential origins of things in the realm of Divine Knowledge. They consist of the manifestations of the...
Ahadiya And Wahidiya (Uniqueness Or Absolute Oneness And Unity) This article covers Ahadiya And Wahidiya (Uniqueness Or Absolute Oneness And Unity). Ahadiya literally means oneness, or singleness, without having a second or like. It denotes oneness in order to emphasize uniqueness, or that God is One Who has no like....