Lutf - see 'Gentleness'.
(Tawfiq). Divine Aid or success. In reality all noble and valuable works are the result of Divine Aid because 'there is no success except with Allah' . It is Divine Aid that enables the traveller to take each step of the Spiritual Journey. Without A...
Purified One. The name Sufi applies to the man or woman who has purified his heart through the Remembrance of Allah, travelled the Path of Return to Allah, and arrived at True Knowledge. There are many seekers of Wisdom and Truth, but only the Realiz...
(Al Sufi lam yukhlaq). The sufi is uncreated. To become homesick for the Real Home, that Divine and Tranquil Centre at the very Heart of man's being, is to be greatly blessed, for such a homesickness is a gift from Allah; it is the Grace of Allah. An...
(Qawwal). During the 'spiritual concert' (sama') the qawwal may be the means through which the hearer finds Allah in ecstasy. When this occurs it is true sama' because sama' is a bird which flies from Allah to Allah - Allah is the singer and Allah i...
(Qawwali). A Sufi song and music. Through the rhythms of qawwali the listener may be opened to inrushes of knowledge and awareness through which he reaches ecstasy. If he 'finds' Allah within this ecstasy then he has experienced the true 'spiritual c...
Tasawwuf - see 'The higher teaching'.
(Shams). The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the Sun of the Celestial Secrets. The existent entities are the shadows cast by his Radiant Splendour. He is the Sun of the Morning Light. 'Light ...
(Nafl). Nafl is something in excess of what is expected. It is a booty, bounty or gift.
(Nawafil al Khayrat). Through the Infinite Grace of Allah the sincere practising of the nawafil al khayrat may result in the spiritual perfection in which the slave's hearing, sight, speech etc. are negated. He then hears, sees and speaks through Al...
(Nafila -pl. Nawafil). The supererogatory works (nawafil) are derived from the obligatory works which are their roots. A nafila is an act of worship and service through which the slave draws ever-closer to his Lord. Mankind is the supererogatory wor...
(Muhayminiyya). To supervise. The representatives of Allah have the responsibility of supervising all those beneath them. And within the Sufi hierarchy there are levels of supervision. Some of the Divine Names supervise other Divine Names. There is a...
(Du'a'). Du'a is the private and personal supplication of the slave to his Lord. "Your Lord has said Call upon Me and I will answer you" (The Qur'an 2:260). "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman (the Merciful), By whatever name ye call upon Him, (it ...
(Mustanad). Support (or reality) of a thing. Everything in the cosmos can be traced back to the Divine Names. The support or reality of each existent thing is a Divine Name. Therefore, all things have a support within the Divine Knowledge. We are all...
(Mustanad al ilahi). The Divine support (or reality). Every quality of the creature is firmly rooted within or supported by the Creator. He is its Divine support.
