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

waqfah
Stop

(Waqfah). Standing or pausing or holding back. Within the stillness and silence of the moment of pausing, the slave may be addressed by Allah. It depends upon the slave's preparedness and receptivity and ultimately upon the Grace of Allah to His slave.

See also: Inspiration Preparedness Receive Receiving knowledge Receptivity Revelation Speech without words

Inspiration ( ilham )

(Ilham). Divine inspiration or effusion. Ilham is an blowing in of the Holy Spirit into the heart of a Prophet or a Friend of Allah. Ilham is distinct from Revelation which is specific only to the Prophets of Allah. The Divine Ilham is the immense spiritual force through which the Friends of Allah speak their words of Wisdom, write their books of Knowledge, sing their songs of Divine Love. Only the purified heart which has been sanctified through the remembrance of Allah is worthy of this inblowing of ilham. The Verified Shaykh can recognise the one into whom it is blown and the work of creative inspiration which results from that inblowing. The Word of Allah descends firstly as Revelation (wahy), secondly as Inspiration (ilham) and thirdly as Incoming Thoughts (khawatir).

Preparedness ( isti'dad )

(Isti'dad) is closely connected to receptivity (infi'al). It is the readiness to receive what Allah Wills to send. This 'preparedness' was established in Pre-eternity through the Most Holy Emanation (Al Fayd al Aqdas) which gave the preparedness to the archetype itself.

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.

Receiving knowledge ( talaqqa )

(Talaqqa). Receiving the knowledge which descends upon the slave from Allah. Such a receiving is not a taking. The hands of the slave are upturned and opened in readiness to receive whatever Allah Wills to send. The hands should never reach forward in expectancy to take these gifts from Allah. The Divine Mercy pours down like rain. The drops fall into the opened hand. Grasping fingers cannot catch them.

Receptivity ( infi'al )

(Infi'al). Receptivity or passivity or readiness to be acted upon. The receptivity of the existent entity is closely related to its preparedness. Such a receptivity or passivity is necessary if the murid is to 'travel' along the Spiritual Path, under the direction of his Murshid. And this condition of receptivity was established in Pre-Eternity, at the Covenant.

Revelation ( wahy )

(Wahy) is specific to the Prophets of Allah. It is the descent of the angel of Revelation upon the hearing and the heart of the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. Wahy was terminated with the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). He is the Seal of the Prophets and the Seal of the Messengers. Revelation is experienced by the friends of Allah but it is not the same revelation (wahy) as that which descends upon a Prophet or a Messenger. Such a revelation descends into the heart of a friend but his hearing does not define the speech and his imagination does not give it form. The hadith says, "Nothing remains of prophecy but heralding visions". The Word of Allah descends firstly as revelation, secondly as inspiration and thirdly as incoming thoughts.

Speech without words ( kalam-i-dhati )

(Kalam-i -dhati). This Speech is Allah's Speech. It is the Speech of the Essence Itself. Kalam-i-dhati is the Speech of the Source and the Source is the Great Silence. The People of the Essence, Allah's perfect slaves who are drowned in the Source Itself, speak in a silent and wordless language. Their spiritual affinity is total because each one of them drinks directly from the Fountain of Camphor in Paradise and has become one with the camphor. When the drop enters the Ocean there is no necessity for words to be spoken. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) said, 'He who knows Allah, his tongue becomes silent'. Kalam-i-dhati is the stage of union. Speech without words (kalam-i-dhati) becomes manifest through Speech with words (kalam-i-tafsili).

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