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

karam
Generosity

(Karam). Within qawwali music and mystical poetry the lover often complains to, and pleads with his Beloved to be true to His Attribute of Generosity. Sitting bereft and wretched in the dust of the Beloved's street, the lover impatiently waits, with patience, unexpectantly watching, with expectancy, for a glance, a message, a mere hint of the Beloved's generosity. And because generosity is one of the noble character traits of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace), it has become the code of behaviour for his true followers and slaves, and is exemplified by the heroic generosity or chivalry known as futuwwah. On a personal level, generosity is to give of the material world to those who are in need of it and going forward towards Allah because of your need of Him.


See also: Boy Beautiful character traits Beautiful Model Chivalry Follower Friend of Allah Madness Overflow Sufi Singer Sufi Song
(Husn al Akhlaq). The beautiful character traits with which the Holy Prophet Muhammad was sent and of which he is the perfect embodiment. The assuming of these beautiful character traits is the alchemical work of the Islamic Spiritual Path. Under the direction of a qualified Master (Murshid, Shaykh, Pir) the disciple (murid/seeker) is given the means by which he can transform his base character traits into the beautiful and noble ones and, in so doing, fulfill his 'reason for being'.
(Uswa hasana). The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the beautiful model. Through his perfect example man is given the means of drawing closer, and yet closer, to Allah. The degrees of such nearness depend upon the manner and attitude in which one follows the beautiful model. Those who love Allah and His Messenger more than anything, more than life itself, are the slaves who follow Muhammad al Mustapha in their outer lives and in their inner realities. To approach Allah, the slave must first meet the Holy Prophet Muhammad. This meeting is a Mystery. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, the beautiful model, becomes the slave's inner reality through the unveiling of the Reality of Muhammad. The hadith says, "Who has seen me has seen Allah".
(Futuwwah). Chivalry. This is 'heroic generosity', a code of honourable conduct following the examples of the Prophets, saints, sages, friends and lovers of Allah. It is exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). With regards to chivalry: There is a sign of chivalry – His condition does not change nor does he feel the need to change his conduct when he sits with the people of chivalry. The one who sees the people of chivalry and he does not feel shy from them with regards to his conduct and his actions, that is chivalry. (There is no pretencewithin him or his actions).
(Tabi'). This term refers to the one who is a follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). A follower strives to emulate his perfect and beautiful character. A friend of Allah is always a follower (tabi') of the Prophet Muhammad and is never independent of his guidance. To be a true tabi' is to be greatly blessed. To be utterly dependent upon our Master, Sayyiduna Muhammad, is a gift from Allah.
(Wali). He is a Sufi saint. He is the one whom Allah has chosen as His friend. The wali is under Allah's dome, and nobody knows him except Allah. If any among the commonality declares war upon one of Allah's friends, then does Allah declare war upon that person.
(Junun). Temporary madness can arise due to the force of an 'inrush' which overpowers the senses. Majnun's longing and love for Layla, which rendered him 'insane', is one of the Sufis best-loved symbols of the lover's obsession with the Beloved. The lover who has been intoxicated by the Beloved's Name is good for nothing else! It appears to the world that he has lost his wits, but in truth he has become wise.
(Afada) To overflow or emanate. Creation is an overflow or an emanation from the the Breath of the All Merciful. Allah is 'the Giver' and His Beloved Prophet Muhammad (who is the Greatest Teacher) is 'the Distributor'. The Inheritors of the Prophet (the Spiritual Masters, the Perfect Men) receive their knowledge as a direct overflow or emanation from the vast and immense heart of the Prophet himself. This endless overflow then passes to the murids.
(Qawwal). During the 'spiritual concert' (sama') the qawwal may be the means through which the hearer finds Allah in ecstasy. When this occurs it is true sama' because sama' is a bird which flies from Allah to Allah - Allah is the singer and Allah is the hearer. The barakah surrounding and emanating from the qawwal and his musicians is extremely potent. Its effect upon an audience can be profound even when the members of that audience are ignorant of, and oblivious to, the reality within the singer and the music. For the one who has been prepared and purified, through spiritual struggle and the Remembrance of Allah, the speech of the qawwal can send his heart soaring towards the spiritual realm, where a thousand subtleties and delicacies are opened to him.
(Qawwali). A Sufi song and music. Through the rhythms of qawwali the listener may be opened to inrushes of knowledge and awareness through which he reaches ecstasy. If he 'finds' Allah within this ecstasy then he has experienced the true 'spiritual concert'.

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