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

mafatih al-ghayb
Keys to the Unseen

(Mafatih al Ghayb). The Keys to the Unseen, which are with Allah. With the Keys to the Unseen His great friends are given the means with which to open further doors to Higher Knowledge of Allah, the Absolute.


See also: Friends of Allah Greatest absence from self Knowledge of the Unseen Man Presence of the Essence Sainthood Self-disclosure in the Unseen Unseen Wisdom of the Unseen
(Awliya). The friends of Allah. These are His Saints. Their knowledge is not derived from reflection. Allah has purified them of that type of knowledge. They possess the opening of unveiling through Allah, the Real, Himself. The awliya are those with unbroken awareness of Allah. These Perfect Men have attained to the highest of all human degrees.
(Ghaybiyyatul Kubra). The greatest absence from self. This absence is indicated by His Words, "By no means can you see Me", (The Qur'an 7:143). Only Allah sees Allah. "When Allah is there, you are not".
('Ilm al Ghayb). This Knowledge is a gift of Allah's Grace which He gives to whosoever He Wills.
(Bashar). Bashar is 'man made of flesh' or mankind. Bashar alludes to the 'tenderness' (al mubasharah) with which Allah kneaded man between His Two Hands; "I am about to create man (bashar)... " (The Qur'an 15:28).
(Al Hadarat al Dhatiyyah). The Presence of the Essence is the Absolute Unknowableness, Sheer Being, Pure Ipseity, the Unknown of the Unknown. This is the Presence of the Mother of the Book. Below it, in the Presence of the All-Compelling, the Mother of the Book becomes the Inscribed Book (al Kitab al Mastur), in that it appears as chapters.
(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.
(Tajalli ghayb). This is the Self-disclosure of the Essence within Itself. Here is 'where' the Absolute reveals Itself to Itself. This is the First Appearance of the Self-consciousness of the Absolute. This Self-disclosure of the Absolute is also called The Most Holy Emanation.
(Ghayb). The Mystery or the Non-Manifested or the Unseen. The Unknowable or the Mystery of Mysteries. The hadith, "Nothing is like Him" refers to al ghayb. It is His Incomparability. It is all that is beyond reach of our vision. Al ghayb is all that Allah veils from you because of you, not because of Him. To attain to 'The Unseen', the slave and lover is told, 'Leave aside your self and come!' And, when he obeys, it is Allah Who Sees Allah.
(Al Hikmat al Ghaybiyyah) which is contained in the Word of the Prophet Job (Peace be upon him).

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