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

khudr
Greenness

(Khudr). This term indicates a state of expansion (Bast) during which the heart of the lover is overflowing with the Beauty of Allah (Jamal).


See also: Expansion Intimacy Lover-Passionate Names of Beauty Nearness Spiritual Concert
(Bast). An involuntary state of expansion, within the state of unveiling, which engulfs the heart with ineffable joy and love. It results from the Self-disclosure of Allah's Beauty and carries with it a feeling of acceptance, mercy and intimacy with Allah.
(Uns) is a spiritual state in which the heart becomes permeated by Love and contemplates the Beauty of Allah and His Gentleness, Mercy and Forgiveness. The state of intimacy is ineffably sweet and indescribable. It may descend upon the listener at the 'spiritual concert' causing him to fall into an ecstasy in which he finds Allah. The People of hearing experience this intimacy because they hear only Allah, at all times and in all sounds. During the Journey the traveller may initially experience brief periods of such intimacy. But through the Grace of Allah, after much journeying and purification and after many unveilings and tastings, the lover will always feel close to Allah, even when Allah keeps him at a distance!
(Asma Jamaliyyah). The Names of Beauty. These Names relate to Allah's similarity) and are demanded by the fact that Mercy precedes Wrath and Light erases darkness. The Names of Beauty include such Names as The Friend (al Wali), The Subtle (al Latif), The All Merciful (ar-Rahman). When a traveller is under the influence of a spiritual state in which a Name of Beauty dominates he is filled with ineffable sweetness and joy.
(Qurb). Proximity or nearness to Allah. Qurb is the reality of the Station of Perfection, 'Two Bows' Length'. It is the limit of the slave's ascent before annihilation in Allah. One of the bewilderments of the Journey is that through having knowledge of his distance from Allah the slave is actually brought near. Slavehood indicates this distance which brings nearness. The slave must cling to perfect courtesy by honouring and respecting the Truth that, 'the slave remains the slave and the Lord remains the Lord'.
(Sama'). The spiritual concert or 'audition' or 'listening'. This term refers specifically to the Sufi gatherings where music and song are employed as a means of opening the heart to inrushes of knowledge and awareness. During the spritual concert, the listener may experience ecstasy and find Allah, The Real within that ecstasy. However, before true ecstasy can be experienced the listener must be spiritually mature, having been prepared through discipline and perpetual Remembrance of Allah. Without this initial contraction of spiritual endeavour the expansion of ecstasy will not be real. The Spiritual Concert is not suitable for the novice. True Sama' is a bird which flies from Allah to Allah. Allah is the singer and Allah is the hearer. At this Divine Feast the singer and the hearer become One.

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