The Language of the Future
Sufi Terminology
by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi
wilayat 'amma
Sainthood of the masses
(Wilayat 'amma). General sainthood. This sainthood is the sanctity which is common to the sincere and faithful believers. It is distinct from, and on a far lower level, than the sainthood of the Elect of Allah.
(Mu'min). The believer or the one with faith (Iman). On the seven runged ladder to Knowledge of Allah, the believer occupies the second rung, that of Iman. Such a believer is now safe from the hellfire, but his ascent to the Divine Presence still reaches above him. From the stage of mu'min he then endeavours to attain the spiritual virtues of Ihsan and become a muhsin.
(Iman) is to feel secure and safe. Iman is belief, and it is the verbal expression of that belief and it is putting that belief into practice. It is the second rung on the ladder to perfection: verbal surrender (Islam), faith (Iman), perfection (Ihsan), the Knowledge of Certainty ('Ilm al Yaqin), the Eye of Certainty ('Ayn al Yaqin), the Truth of Certainty (Haqq al Yaqin) and Unconditional surrender with Knowledge (Islam).
(Deen). The word deen indicates the 'life transaction' between Allah and Man. It is not merely religion in the constricted and limited sense which the word has assumed in these times. This 'life transaction' is between Allah and man, between the Creator and the created, the Limitless and the limited, the One and the many. 'Life transaction' means every facet, every aspect of life - from the smallest detail to the greatest action. Every moment of a man's life should be impregnated with the awareness of Allah - life is meaningless and futile without such an awareness. Islam, the Perfect and Final Revelation, is the Straight Path to this awareness of the Source. And the higher teaching is the Living Heart of Islam - the Heart from which flows the life-giving nourishment to every soul in the manifested world.
(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'.
(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.
