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

Jabr - see 'Compulsion'.

(Huda). It is Allah Who guides whoever He wants to Himself. The journey from the circumference to the Centre is under Divine Guidance and is specific to the people of yearning who travel the Spiritual Path. When He wants to join someone to Himself He guides them to His saints.

(Idlal). Man has been given the choice as to which path he takes on the return journey to his Origin. In this life he can make the Journey of Return to his Sacred Centre under Divine Guidance which is manifested in the Prophets of Allah and His friends. But, he can be prevented from making the journey in this life due to Misguidance (Idlal) which is manifested in Satan and his friends.

(Qurb al fara'id) is the second lowest of the four stations of Perfection. The slave who performs the obligatory works attains this proximity. While retaining his own properties his reality is annihilated in Allah. Allah manifests Himself with His Name, the Outward, so that the lover remains hidden within Allah. The subject and agent is Allah and the lover's hidden presence is manifested by his becoming Allah's faculties. The lover becomes the Beloved's sight, hearing . . .

(Qurb an-nawafil) is the lowest of the four stations of Perfection. The slave who performs the supererogatory works attains this proximity. While retaining his own reality he is completely dominated by Allah's Oneness and becomes qualified by His Attributes. Allah manifests Himself with His Name, the Inward, so that He remains hidden within the lover. The agent and subject is the lover and Allah's Presence within him is manifested by Allah becoming the lover's faculties. The Beloved becomes the lover's sight, voice etc.

(Fara'id) are those acts which are to be performed or avoided and which Allah has made incumbent and unequivocally necessary for His slaves.

(La Takrar fil Tajalli). This expression indicates that there is never any repetition in Allah's Infinite Self-disclosures (Tajalli). This is 'the renewal of creation in each instant' (Tajdid al Khalq fil-Anat). Allah does not unveil Himself in the same manner in two successive moments to any two creations within His creation. Each instant is fresh and new. This never repeated Self-disclosure is what the knower of Allah witnesses in his own heart. Because each moment is utterly unique the requirements of that particular moment are also unique. The knower of the moment does not resort to old reactions or past experiences when facing and fulfilling the demands of the moment. His heart receives spontaneous (Ikhtiyar) knowledge from the Source Itself. This is the 'the renewal of creation in each instant'. The Slave, Knower ('arif) and lover ('ashiq) takes his knowledge directly from al Hayy, the Living. He drinks from the Water of Life (ab-i-hayat) which is ever fresh and ever renewed.

(Nawafil al Khayrat). Through the Infinite Grace of Allah the sincere practising of the nawafil al khayrat may result in the spiritual perfection in which the slave's hearing, sight, speech etc. are negated. He then hears, sees and speaks through Allah. This is the Nearness of supererogatory works.

(Abi Hayat). This Water springs from the Divine Name "The Living" (Al Hayy) and symbolises Knowledge of the Absolute. The one who drinks the Water of Life finds eternal life through Al Hayy.