(Wali). He is a Sufi saint. He is the one whom Allah has chosen as His friend. The wali is under Allah's dome, and nobody knows him except Allah. If any among the commonality declares war upon one of Allah's friends, then does Allah declare war upon that person.
(Awliya). The friends of Allah. These are His Saints. Their knowledge is not derived from reflection. Allah has purified them of that type of knowledge. They possess the opening of unveiling through Allah, the Real, Himself. The awliya are those with unbroken awareness of Allah. These Perfect Men have attained to the highest of all human degrees.
(Al Malamatiyya). These are the Perfect Ones. Their exteriors never disclose the reality of their interiors. They are those who know and are not known. Al malamatiyya are Allah's perfect slaves, Allah's perfect lovers, Allah's perfect knowers. They manifest His All-Comprehensive Name 'Allah', without a trace of Lordship. Allah has placed their 'blaming self' over them as a protection against self-conceit or satisfaction. They are the greatest of the Sufis. They are in constant submission and surrender to the Will of Allah. A Murshid (Spiritual Guide) who is one of the malamatiyya is the perfect Murshid and his murids often attain to Manliness. The Master of the cosmos, the Best of Creation, Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace), who is a Malamatiyya, is their Master.
(Nubuwwa). The Prophecy of Institution came to an end with the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). The Divine Command and Sacred Law were cut off with him. This type of Prophecy reached the hearts of all the Prophets through the Angels of Revelation who cast the Knowledge into their hearts. During the descent of the Revelation the Prophets and Messengers had the combined vision of both the 'angel' and the 'casting'. Allah has locked the door of such Prophecy. However, there is still the general prophecy and the prophecy of sainthood which is possessed by Allah's friends. This is the prophecy through which Divine Knowledge is cast into the hearts of the friends. Unlike the Prophets and Messengers, the friends only have vision of either the 'angel' or the 'casting'. They never have the combined vision. Had it not been for this general prophecy and prophecy of sainthood the door to Knowledge of Allah would have been cut off permanently, leaving mankind without direct access to Allah. Through the Inheritors of the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha mankind is enabled to reach Knowledge of Allah, here and now. The Prophets were not appointed to unfold the mysteries. That is the work of the Friends of Allah. The outer Teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, through which he is a Prophet, is the Law. His inner Teaching, through which he is a friend, is Reality. This is one of the meanings within his saying, 'I am Ahmad without the 'M'.
(Nabi). A Prophet is a friend of Allah (Wali) who possesses unique knowledge of the Unseen Worlds. Allah has sent 124,000 Prophets to humanity to show them the Way of Returning to Allah. The Prophets are under the Command of Allah to invite people to their particular way (or religion). The teachings of these religions are varied in keeping with the different peoples to whom they were directed, yet the Source of all is One, Allah. Each Prophet and each religion reveals a specific Face of the Absolute. Muhammad the Chosen One is the Final Prophet of Allah - May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace. The universal message which he delivered is the perfect and complete religion. It is for all of humanity, not being limited exclusively to one group of people.
(Wilayah/Walayah). Wilayah is the sainthood of the great friends of Allah (awliya). It is a Divine gift and the height of human perfection. The distinguishing mark and basis of sainthood is gnosis, not holiness or piety. The friend upon whom sainthood is bestowed has no choice in this. All is the Grace of Allah. The degree of his Knowledge of Allah, through which his sainthood descended, is also a gift from Allah. Wilayah is privacy with Allah. This privacy is indicated in the words of Muhammad al Mustapha, may the Salutations of Allah be upon him and peace, "There is a time for me with Allah, in which neither the nearest angel nor a sent Prophet is contained". Wilayah is 'seeing Allah through Allah'. The Friends of Allah, those upon whom wilayah has been bestowed, open up what the Prophets left closed. They are the mouthpieces of the Prophets. Through them the fragrant musk and the sweet honey of the Teaching of the Holy Prophet Muhammad continues to fill the world. Within wilayah there is an hierarchical order at whose peak is the Pole.
