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

riya'
Showing off

(Riya'). Ostentation or hypocrisy or showing-off. Spiritual states are gifts from Allah and spiritual stations are earned. The descent of the states and the acquiring of the stations is through Allah's Grace and His Mercy. Riya' is one of the greatest barriers on the Path of Return to Allah. When the slave knows with certainty that he is a slave, his shame before his Lord will prevent him from attributing anything of Goodness to himself. Perfect spiritual courtesy towards Allah preserves him from such showing-off. In an attempt to prevent even the slightest hint of ostentation from entering their worship, the People of Blame conceal their deeds and their spiritual states from men. The man who has not tasted yet speaks as though he has tasted is guilty of one of the worst forms of riya'. He is a hypocrite. Those who have tasted know and those who have not tasted do not know. The riya' of the knower is better than the sincerity of the seekers (murids). Leaving an action because of people is a form of showing off and performing actions because of people is a form of polytheism. Sincerity is that Allah frees you from both.

See also: Beautiful Model Humility Hypocrite Obstacle People of blame Pretender Receive Servitude Slave Spiritual courtesy Tasting

Beautiful Model ( uswa hasana )

(Uswa hasana). The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the beautiful model. Through his perfect example man is given the means of drawing closer, and yet closer, to Allah. The degrees of such nearness depend upon the manner and attitude in which one follows the beautiful model. Those who love Allah and His Messenger more than anything, more than life itself, are the slaves who follow Muhammad al Mustapha in their outer lives and in their inner realities. To approach Allah, the slave must first meet the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This meeting is a Mystery. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, the beautiful model, becomes the slave's inner reality through the unveiling of the Reality of Muhammad. The hadith says, "Who has seen me has seen Allah".

Humility ( khudu' )

(Khudu'). There can be no true advance along the Spiritual Path without humility. However, it is the hardest quality to assume. Man is not easily humbled.

Hypocrite ( munafiq )

(Munafiq). The hypocrite manifests the form of a man of faith in his outward practice, but his inner dimension is devoid of belief and faith. Hypocrisy is making the form manifest without the meaning. It is the work of the lower self. The Murshid distributes spiritual work to his murids in accordance with each one's aptitude to receive. Without the Wisdom of such distribution the murid would run the risk of becoming a hypocrite. The murid may receive good news through a dream-vision, but due to the state of the murid's lower self, the Murshid does not yet reveal the meaning by interpreting the dream. The good news is kept back till such a time when the murid is able to receive it with gratitude, honour and respect, his ego no longer having the aptitude to become inflated by it.

Obstacle ( qayd )

(Qayyad). An obstacle or limitation which may be encountered on the Journey to Allah.

People of blame ( al-malamatiyya )

(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.

Pretender ( mustawif )

(Mutsawwif). The one who pretends to have mystic knowledge. Through such pretence the mutsawwif becomes a danger to himself and others. While being held firmly in the grip of his own lower self, this pretender alleges that he can guide others to their Higher Self. The seeker must be on the alert when searching for an authentic Spiritual Guide. When the actions and words of the mutsawwif are weighed in the Scale of the Sacred Law and when his conduct is measured against the 'beautiful model' of the Holy Prophet Muhammad it is easy to discern that he is a fraud.

Receive ( iqbal )

(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 synonymous with the Supreme Pen, which is none other than the Reality of Muhammad. The terms 'receive' and 'transmit' indicate the function of Mediator or Supreme Barzakh between the Unseen World and the World of manifestation.

Servitude ( 'ubuda )

('Ubada). Servitude and bondage. This is the fulfilment and consummation of slavehood ('ubudiyya) when the slave loses himself in the Will of his Lord. 'Ubada is 'the Nearness of obligatory works' which is one of the four stations of Perfection. To realize 'ubuda is to be gifted with a very high degree of Knowledge of Allah. To know that 'the slave is the slave and the Lord is the Lord' is the supreme form of spiritual courtesy towards Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the Beloved of Allah and His Chosen One. No one is more perfect than him. No one can attain to his Knowledge. Yet Allah says in The Qur'an, "Glory be to Him Who carried His slave by night" (17:1). The slave is in bondage ('ubuda). Bondage is Perfection. Bondage is Knowledge.

Slave ( al 'abd )

('Abd). The slave (and worshipper) is the one who is in a state of total and utter submission to the Will of Allah. After having been annihilated in Allah where all duality vanished and distinctions were erased, he returns to creation with perfect courtesy and with the Truth of Certainty that 'the Lord is the Lord and the slave is the slave'. When 'abd is translated as 'servant' it carries the implication that the servant can leave the service of his Master, if he so desires. However, the 'slave' is in total bondage, being utterly dependent upon his Master. All buying and selling transactions have been terminated. The slave belongs to Allah, completely, perfectly and unconditionally.

Spiritual courtesy ( adab )

(Adab) is spiritual courtesy and gracious behaviour of the Path and perfect refinement of words and deeds. Adab is giving each thing and each moment its proper due. The science of the higher teaching is based upon adab, which encompasses all of human life. It extends from right behaviour with regard to the Sacred Law (Shari'a), right behaviour with one's fellow travellers, proper conduct towards the teaching and one's teacher, and reaches to unceasing spiritual courtesy to Allah Himself. The proper courtesy towards the Law is to stay within its boundaries, the proper conduct with regards to good actions is to complete the action and disconnect from it. Adab with regard to the Real is knowing what belongs to oneself and what belongs to Allah. Each moment and each situation has it's own adab. It has been said that the higher teaching is all adab and the greater your understanding and implementation of proper conduct is, the higher you are in the teaching.

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