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

Order by: Arabic English

World of similitudes
'alam al-amthal ('alam al-mithal, 'alam al-khayal)

('Alam al amthal / 'Alam al mithal / 'Alam al khayal).The world of analogies and images. This is the World of Imagination. It is the isthmus in which the mystery of cosmic ambiguity can be unlocked. It is the place of 'He/not He'.

World of Sovereign Power
'alam al-izzah

('Alam al 'izzah). The World of Sovereign Power.

World of the All-Powerful
'alam al-jabarut

('Alam al Jabarut). The World of the Source. It is the Reality of Muhammad linked to the level of the Attributes. Within this World are the pools or reservoirs of non-manifestation from which Existence gushes forth. These pools are the Light of Muham...

World of the Breaths
'alam al-anfas

('Alam al anfas). The world of the breaths. Life itself. The breaths are counted. Man's final breath terminates his stay in 'alam al anfas.

World of the Divinity
'alam al-lahut

('Alam al Lahut).The Realm of the Divinity. This is the life force which permeates every existent thing.

World of the high universes
'alam-i-ulwi

('Alam-i 'ulwi). The World of the Spirits. There is a relationship between the World of the Spirits and the essence of man's heart. Through this relationship, which is a secret of Allah, the heart of a purified man may soar towards that spiritual rea...

World of the lower universes
'alam-i-sufli

('Alam-i sufli) The Lower Universes. The World of Corporeal Bodies.

World of the Unseen
'alam al-ghayb

('Alam al ghayb) is the Invisible World of the Unseen.

World of the Unseen (Verified)
'alam al-ghayb al-muhaqqaq

('Alam al ghayb al muhaqqaq). The Verified World of the Unseen.

World of Witnessing
'alam ash-shahadat

('Alam ash Shahadat). The World of Witnessing. This is within the Imaginal Realm where spirits become corporealized and appear to Prophets and saints in visions. It is also called 'Alam-i-shuhud.

World, external or outer
afaq

(Afaq). The external or outer world.

Worlds
'awalim

('Awalim). Universes or worlds.

Worship
'ibada

('Ibada). Worship and service of Allah with absolute obedience and love. Man was created in order to 'know' Allah. Therefore the essential meaning of worship is Knowledge of Allah. Allah says in The Qur'an, "I created jinn and men only to worship (kn...

Worshipped
al-ma'bud

(Ma'bud). The worshipped. That which is worshipped, the ma'bud, of necessity demands a worshipper. Without the worshipper there cannot be the worshipped. The Worshipped is only and always Allah. The worshipper is the entire cosmos.

Worshipper of the moment
'abid al-waqt

('Abid al waqt). He is the man who, having found Allah's Self-disclosure in each and every indivisible moment, worships and surrenders to the One Who IS the moment.