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

Order by: Arabic English

i

iqamat al-salat
Standing for the prayer

(Iqamat as-Salat). Standing for the obligatory prayer. At such a time all Supererogatory acts of worship are forbidden.

iqan
Assurance

(Iqaan). Assurance or certainty.

iqbal
Receive

(Iqbal). 'Receive' or 'turn towards'. When Allah created the Intellect He said to it 'Receive' (iqbal) (or 'turn towards [Me]'.) When it had received He said to it 'Transmit' (or 'turn away [from Me]') and it transmitted. The First Intellect is synon...

iqra'
Read

(Iqra'). 'Read' or 'Recite'. This profound word was the first word of Revelation from Allah to His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). From the moment that 'iqra' entered the world mankind was given the op...

irada
Desire

(Irada) is the pain of love in the heart. There is no free choice involved with desire because when it fills the heart the lover is overwhelmed. He is compelled to seek the Beloved with all of his being. The murid is 'the one who desires Knowledge of...

al-iradat al-hubbiyya
Desire of Love

(Iradat al Hubbiyya). It is through this desire of love that Allah turns His attentiveness towards the possible thing and brings it into existence. The desire of love is the motivating force through which the Hidden Treasure was made manifest.

Is'haq
Isaac

(Is'haq). The Prophet Isaac, (Peace be upon him) through whose Word descended the Wisdom of Divine Truth (al hikmat al haqqiyyah).

isharah
Indications

(Isharah). Symbolic allusions (or hints). The Sufis express themselves through these symbolic allusions thereby communicating with those men who have 'tasted' and recognize their message. Isharah exists in the state of nearness to Allah when the hear...

'ishq
Passionate love of Allah

('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 th...

'ishq-i-haqiqi
True Love

('Ishqi Haqiqi). This is the stage of the First Descent of Being and is also known as 'Or Nearer', The Veil of Glory and the Reality of Muhammad. Only the Love of Allah is True Love. It is the Love which made manifest the Hidden Treasure. True Love i...

'ishq-i-majazi
Illusory Love

('Ishqi majazi) is love for everything that is other-than-Allah, that is, love for illusion. But Allah is the Object behind every object of love. Illusory love is in itself an illusion because Only Allah Is.

ishtibah
Perplexity

(Ishtibah) is the perplexity which is experienced when endeavouring to determine truth from falsehood.

al-islam
Islam (A)

The Surrender. The Journey of Return to Allah is from the first Islam which is merely verbal submission, through the levels of ascent to the second and Real Islam, which is total and unconditional surrender with knowledge and love to the Will of All...

islam-i-majazi
Metaphorical Islam

(Islami majazi). This term is a synonym for the sin of secretly joining a partner with Allah. Within this metaphorical Islam the worshipper joins his own 'I-ness' to the Oneness of Allah and in so doing commits the hidden association of partners to ...

al-ism
Name

(Ism) is The Name. The Name implies that which is Named. Al ism refers to the particular Divine Name which determines the immediate state of the heart of the slave.