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

as-sattar
Concealer, The

(As-Sattar).The Concealer or Veiler. Allah created the Perfect Man to be His place of Manifestation in the cosmos. Having created him Allah then veiled Himself from the creatures. Were He to become manifest there would be no need for the Perfect Man. However Allah is never veiled from The People of Unveiling and Finding (Ahl al Kashf wa'l-Wujud). They know that He is the Outwardly Manifest (az-Thahir) and the Inwardly Hidden (al Batin).

See also: Divine things 'If not for you, If not for you (Oh Muhammad)' Knowers People of Allah People of unveiling and finding Perfect Man Reality of Muhammad

Divine things ( al-ilahiyyat )

(Al Ilahiyyat). The root and origin of every existent thing is Allah. Each entity comes from within Allah's Knowledge. The cosmos itself is nothing but the manifestation of the Hidden Treasure. It is the manifestation of Allah's Names. Even though the existent things reflect the Names the Divine Face or Aspect is not clearly reflected in all the existents. Every existent thing is a face of the Absolute, but only the Pure and Perfect Men reflect the Divine Face. The one whose inner-eye has been opened, the knower, can easily discern the Face of the Divine from the Face of the Absolute.

People of Allah ( ahl Allah )

(Ahl Allah). This title embraces the entire humanity, but there are many degrees within the Ahl Allah. These are the various levels of 'knowing Allah', for it is in knowing Allah that one is brought near to Allah. Amongst humanity there are people who do not want to know Allah, and there are people who do not know Allah, and people who do want to know Allah and at the higher levels there are the people who do know Allah. The men of this last group, the knowers of Allah ('arifin), occupy numerous ascending levels in their 'knowing'.

People of unveiling and finding ( ahl al-kashf wa'l-wujud )

(Ahl al Kashf wal Wujud). These are the knowers. They have passed beyond the veils which stand between themselves and their Lord and they stand perpetually in His Presence.

Perfect Man ( al-insan al-kamil )

(Al Insan al Kamil). He is the viceregent of Allah, through whom Allah contemplates His Own Name-derived Perfection. The Perfect Man has actualized the divine form and in carrying the Trust has fulfilled his reason for being. It is through the Perfect Man that Allah enters the world. Al Insan al Kamil is also one of the names given to the Supreme Isthmus. Man consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. The cosmos also consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. Its spirit is the Perfect Man. Without him the cosmos is likened to a discarded body.

Reality of Muhammad ( al-haqiqat al-Muhammadiyyah )

(Al Haqiqat al Muhammadiyya). This is 'The Reality of realities'. It is the first descent of Being from the Beyond of the Beyond. It is the Station of True Love and the stage of 'Or Nearer'. Just as man is unable to look directly into the physical sun because its brilliance would burn away his sight, so too is he unable to look at the Divine Sun because Its Pure Radiance would burn away his very existence. And just as the sun can only be viewed through a thin covering of cloud, so too the Divine Sun can only be seen through the Greatest Veil which is the Reality of Muhammad. The heart which has been infused with knowledge of The Reality of Muhammad soars to Allah Almighty. It takes the lover on the wings of overwhelming love ('Ishq) and longing (Shawq) to the Divine Presence. When Prophet Noah saw the condition of the flood and he was afraid of the sinking of the ark, he used the intercession of Allah for the safety of the Ark (al Wasila). Allah told him to write on the mast the mixing of the Name of Allah and Muhammad (Alif Mim Lam)

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