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

Order by: Arabic English

Bliss
na'im

(Na'im). The ultimate bliss (and this awaits the friends of Allah in His Garden) is the one that is renewed at each succeeding instant. This is the eternal unfolding of knowledge which is experienced by Allah's Friends. It is their ever-renewed enco...

Blowing
nafkh

(Nafkh). The breathing or blowing through which the cosmos came into existence. And this breathing is Allah's. Divine Inspiration (Ilham) descends upon the slave through this nafkh. The 'blowing in' is never ending.

Blowing in
nafth

(Nafth). Blowing or inblowing, as with the breath. The knowledge of the mysteries, which is beyond reason, reaches the heart through the blowing of the Holy Spirit. This knowledge is specific to a Prophet or one of the friends of Allah.

Book
kitab

(Kitab) The Great Silence became qualified with letters. The letters formed into words. The words gathered into sentences and the sentences into a book. It is said that each part of every existent thing is a 'letter' of Allah, and each creation is a ...

Book - Inscribed
al-kitab al-mastur

(Kitab al Mastur). This Book is within the Presence of Compelling. This is the Presence of the First Unveiling where the Mother of the Book begins to enter into chapters and details. This is the Presence of the Reality of Muhammad. Here is where the ...

Book -The
al-kitab

(Kitab). The Holy Qur'an is The Book

Boredom
malal

(Malal). For the knower ('arif) and the lover ('ashiq) of Allah there can be no boredom, either in this world or the next, because of the ever renewing Self-disclosures with which Allah floods their hearts in each instant.

Bowing
ruku

(Ruku'). The bowing posture of the ritual prayer. The ruku' is the outward bodily symbol of an inner reality. It symbolizes both the traveller's arrival at 'The Self that Blames' and also the second rung (faith) on the ladder towards Knowledge.

Boy or slave
ghulam

(Ghulam). The traveller who has attained to annihilation in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace), becomes permeated with an extremely high degree of love, honour and respect for the Beloved of Allah. A new kn...

Breaking of habit
kharq al-'ada

(Kharq al 'ada). This is another expression for the type of miracle performed by the friends of Allah. However, the Verifiers (al Muhaqqiqun) say that a miracle is a 'bringing into existence' rather than 'a breaking of habit', because a 'habit' is s...

Breath
nafas

(Nafas). Breath or instant. Nafas is the indivisible moment in which every existent in the cosmos undergoes a new creation. The spiritual energy (barakah) of the Sufi Path is transmitted on the breath of the Murshid. It is only through receiving the ...

Breath of the All Merciful
nafas ar-rahman

(Nafas ar-Rahman). The Breath of the All Merciful. This exceedingly beautiful term indicates the evanescent nature of existence in its state of constant change and renewal. It is the Supreme Isthmus and the very substance of the universe is the Breat...

Breathe
tanfis

(Tanfis). To air or to comfort or to cheer up or to relieve or to remove sorrow. And all of this comes to be through the Breathing of Allah.

Breathing
tanaffus

(Tanaffus). This refers specifically to the Divine Breathing, which is synonymous with the Word of Command "Be!" ("Kun!"). Allah's 'breathing out' is His 'sending out' what was in His Interior to the Exterior by means of the Word "Be!". Allah Himsel...

Breaths
anfas

(Anfas).