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

awrad
Spiritual work

(Awrad). This is the spiritual work undertaken by the murid with the direct permission of his Murshid. The awrad consists of units of dhikr, in the form of repetition of Divine Names, Qur'anic verses and sacred litanies. Within tariqa it is the actual doing of the awrad which results in a gradual and beautiful inner transformation. However the degree of spiritual transformation depends, firstly and ultimately upon the Grace of Allah, but also upon the purity of intention and sincerity of the murid. The Murshid distributes the awrad, but it is the murid who is required to do the awrad.

See also: Intention Permission Remembrance Seeker Sincerity Spiritual Guide

Intention ( niyya )

(Niyyah). The Perfect Man is the first in intention and desire through Allah, making him the intended aim and final cause of the creation of the world. From the side of creation all acts of obedience to Allah require purity of intention. Without pure intention there can be no sincerity of word or deed. Regardless of the outcome of the act it is still that initial intention which carries the weight. In reality, both the act and its result are Allah's!

Permission ( idhn )

(Idhn). Permission of one in authority. It is always the higher authority that gives permission to that which is lower. Therefore within the Spiritual Path this permission always comes from The Highest Authority - Allah. Permission (idhn) for the murid to undertake spiritual practices is given by his Murshid. In reality this permission descends from Allah Almighty through His Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) and then into the hearts of the Noble Mashayekh of the Spiritual Paths. It is this Supreme Permission that permeates the spiritual practices and infuses them with their powerful barakah.

Remembrance ( dhikr )

(Dhikr). Remembrance, invocation or glorification of Allah, through the repetition of one of His Names or a phrase to His Glory. True dhikr is a spiritual state in which the one who remembers (dhakir) concentrates all of his physical and spiritual powers upon Allah so that his entire being may be united with the Absolute. It is the fundamental practice of the Sufi Path and may be undertaken in solitude or in gatherings. Specific breathing patterns are central to the effectiveness of the dhikr.

Seeker ( Murid )

(Murid). The one who desires Allah. The murid is the seeker of Reality who is under the direction of a Spiritual Guide (Murshid). He has entered the company of those who concentrate upon Allah through the Remembrance of His Most Holy Name 'Allah'.

Sincerity ( ikhlas )

(Ikhlaas). Sincerity and purity of intention. Without this noble quality man is unable to advance towards his Lord or live in harmony with the creation. With it he is able to traverse great distances and attain to great heights of knowledge. The core of ikhlaas is the purification of the intention to the highest degree. It is the 'eye' of the intention. A man must ensure that his sincerity is only directed towards Allah, since a man may be sincere in his devotion to the Devil as well. Imam al Junayd said that "Ikhlaas is to speak the truth when only a lie will save you". Dhun Nun al Misri said "Truthfulness is the sword of Allah, it is never put on anything but it cuts it through". Abu Ya'qub asSusi said "If they have witnessed the sincerity in their sincere actions, then they need to be sincere in their sincerity". It has been said that the hardest thing for the ego is sincerity because he does not have any part in it. The difference between ikhlaas and truthfulness is that truthfulness is the tree and sincerity is the branch. Sincerity can only be manifested by entering the realm of actions.

Spiritual Guide ( murshid (shaykh, pir) )

(Murshid/Shaykh/Pir). The Murshid is a True Inheritor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). After having been taken to the Divine Presence during his ascension the slave has been returned, by Allah, to the creation to guide and perfect the still imperfect ones. He was taken up as a slave and returned as a slave and Murshid. The qualities of an authentic Murshid are those of his own Master and Teacher, the Holy Prophet himself. The sacred connection between a Murshid and his murids was established in Pre-Eternity and continues into Eternity. Because of the Murshid's own spiritual attainments his murids have the possibility of becoming travellers. The perfect Murshid is of The People of Blame and his murids sometimes also attain Perfection. For the murid, the Murshid is one of the 'signs on the horizons', the outward of his own inward. What he sees in the mirror of his Murshid is a reflection of what is within his own self. He may also see within the Murshid the good qualities and excellent character traits which are yet latent in himself.

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