Al-Awwal, Al-Ahir, Az-Zahir, And Al-Batin The First, The Last, The All-Outward and The All-Inward This article covers Al-Awwal, Al-Ahir, Az-Zahir, and Al-Batin. Al-Awwal (the First) means the One Who is the First of all, without having a beginning, and Who brings all other existent things and beings into existence. Meaning the...
Wahda And Kasra (Unity And Multiplicity) This article explains the meaning of Wahda and Kasra (Unity and Multiplicity) in Sufism. Like the Divine Names the First and the Last, and the All-Outward and the All-Inward, the concepts of unity and multiplicity are, with respect to their literal meanings, opposite to...
The Saviour Awaited By Our Generation The author sees young people as The Saviour Awaited By Our Generation. Our young people are living in and through a most distressing period. The neglect of past centuries has brought to fruit the successive calamities we are experiencing now. The young have been...
Salik (Initiate) A salik (initiate) is a traveler who follows a way to a goal and makes efforts to meet with God. The way of traveling differs according to the capacity, abilities and gifts with which each individual has been favored. Some are extraordinarily attracted and taken by God Himself...
Dervish Dervish is a word that means poor, destitute one. Even though it is used for the poor and helpless in worldly terms, in Sufi terminology it is used for those who are aware of their poverty and helplessness before God. Although poverty and helplessness in worldly terms are associated...
Another Way Of Journeying And Initiation This article covers Another Way of Journeying and Initiation. Some make spiritual journeys by refining and developing the inner faculties, while others purify the carnal self within, causing it to take certain steps. In both these ways, suffering for certain periods is essential to...
The Distance Between Two Bows Or Nearer This article explains the meaning of The Distance Between Two Bows or Nearer in Sufism. This metaphoric Qur’anic expression concerns God’s Messenger‘s unparalleled nearness to God during his Ascension. From the viewpoint of Sufism, it denotes rising beyond the horizons of Divine acts...
The Universal Man This article describes al-insanu’l-kamil (The Universal Man or The Perfect Man) in Sufism. Also known as the perfect man (al-insanu’l-kamil), the universal man is the brightest mirror of God’s acts, Names, Attributes, and even His Essential Qualities that qualify Him as God. There is a rule that...
Irshad And Murshid (Guidance And the Guide) This article explains the meaning of Irshad and Murshid (Guidance and the Guide) in Sufism. Guidance is defined in different ways, among which are directing to the right path, awakening hearts to the Ultimate Truth, helping feelings and thoughts reach God by removing...
Safar (Journeying) Literally meaning being transported from one place to another, Safar (journeying) in the language of the Sufis is described as being freed from living a restricted life with carnal or bodily concerns and bounds, and turning to God on the horizon of the heart. It can be viewed...
Samt (Silence) This article explains the meaning of Samt (Silence) in Sufism. Literally meaning avoiding speech and keeping silent, samt is used by the Sufis to describe keeping silent or preferring silence in self-possession to avoid the useless or harmful utterances that one can make while speaking. Aware of the...
Farq (Distinguishing) In the language of Sufism, farq (distinguishing) has been interpreted as making a clear distinction between unity and multiplicity. To give a longer and more explicit definition, distinguishing means the discernment of the created, despite having perfect knowledge of the Creator, and despite being among people at the...
Jam’ (Absorption) Jam’ (absorption) literally means coming and bringing together. In the language of Sufism, it means fixing all one’s feeling, sight and consciousness on the Truth, to the extent that one is absorbed in Him and does not feel the existence of the world with all that is in...
Yaqada (Wakefulness) In the language of Sufism, yaqada (wakefulness) means that an initiate must be aware, careful and sensitive with respect to God’s commandments at the beginning of the journey, and, without falling into any confusion, must be straightforward in thought, preserve spiritual balance, and act with insight in the...
Chila (Suffering) This article covers the definition of Chila (Suffering). Denoting abandonment of all (worldly) pleasures and delights, and the affliction and hardship one bears when overcoming corporeality, chila (suffering) is used to express an initiate’s spending at least forty days in strict austerity and self-discipline in the name of...
Mujahada (Striving) According to people of the heart, mujahada (striving) means doing what is required by having been endowed with will-power. It includes struggling against the carnal self and seeking ways to defeat it, always preferring to fulfill the religious obligations without neglecting even the secondary ones, when they clash...
Sohba And Musahaba (Conversation And Communion) This article explains the meaning of Sohba and Musahaba (Conversation and Communion) in Sufism. Sohba (Conversation) means making effective speeches to direct people to the Almighty, enlightening others with words and thoughts, using other’s good opinions of oneself to guide hearts to eternity, and...
Tafrid (Individuality) Tafrid (individuality) means seclusion from society or going into retreat to devote all one’s time to worshipping God. More particularly, it denotes that even when initiates have attained states or stations that others cannot, they never see themselves as such, because of their conviction that whatever attainment they...
Wujud (Finding And Existence) Wujud (finding and existence) is not what is meant in Qur’anic statements like the following: They assuredly find that God is One Who truly returns the repentance of His servants with acceptance and extra reward, and All-Compassionate (especially toward His believing servants) (4:64); He will find...
Tajrid (Isolation) This article covers Tajrid (Isolation) in Sufi terminology. Literally meaning to separate, abstract, peel away, or to isolate oneself from every occupation and engagement, tajrid (isolation) denotes the state where one isolates oneself from worldly things and abandons all carnal or bodily desires. It also denotes turning away...