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

mahfuz
Protected by Allah

(Mahfuz). Protected and guarded and preserved. The great saints are guarded and protected by Allah. Allah is jealous for His lovers, desiring that their love be for Allah Alone. So Allah Almighty guards their hearts against the entry of the 'other'. And, the slave preserves and guards and protects his spiritual courtesy towards Allah by constantly keeping Allah's secret concealed within himself.

See also: Jealousy Lordship Negligent Perfection Perfect Man Servitude

Jealousy ( al-ghayrah )

(Ghayrah). There is a jealousy for the sake of the truth which is directed towards the overstepping of limits. And there is a jealousy which is the concealment of inner and outer secrets. The Jealousy of Allah is His tenaciousness in holding His friends (awliya) who are His precious possessions.

Lordship ( rububiyya )

(Rububiyya). The cosmos has two basic levels which are expressed in various ways - that of the Real and the creation, Independence and poverty, Lordship and slavehood. It is the existence of Lordship which demands slavehood. Lordship is the most exalted level and slavehood is the lowest level. There is nothing more lowly than to be subject to the locus of nothingness and to stand in need of another for one's own existence.

Negligent ( al-ghaflah )

(Ghaflah). To be negligent or heedless or unconscious of Allah. From the viewpoint of the higher teaching, al ghaflah indicates a state which, at times, may overcome some of the lesser knowers. In this state they succumb to such a state of heedlessness as to utter phrases which should be kept concealed. Perfect spiritual courtesy (adab) towards Allah is preserved when the knower keeps His secret within himself.

Perfection ( al-ihsan )

(Ihsan). Excellence or perfection or sanctifying virtue or spiritual beauty. Ihsan has three degrees: 1).To do the good that should be done with one's property, words, acts and states. 2). To worship with total presence like one was actually seeing one's Lord. 3). To contemplate Allah in all things, at all times and always. Perfection is the third rung on the seven-runged ladder of Knowledge. These seven levels are Islam, Iman; Ihsan; 'Ilm al yaqin; 'Ayn al yaqin; Haqq al yaqin; Islam. (Surrender, Faith, Perfection, Knowledge of Certainty, The Eye of Certainty, The Truth of Certainty and Total Surrender and Submission).

Perfect Man ( al-insan al-kamil )

(Al Insan al Kamil). He is the viceregent of Allah, through whom Allah contemplates His Own Name-derived Perfection. The Perfect Man has actualized the divine form and in carrying the Trust has fulfilled his reason for being. It is through the Perfect Man that Allah enters the world. Al Insan al Kamil is also one of the names given to the Supreme Isthmus. Man consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. The cosmos also consists of a body and a spirit which governs it. Its spirit is the Perfect Man. Without him the cosmos is likened to a discarded body.

Servitude ( 'ubuda )

('Ubada). Servitude and bondage. This is the fulfilment and consummation of slavehood ('ubudiyya) when the slave loses himself in the Will of his Lord. 'Ubada is 'the Nearness of obligatory works' which is one of the four stations of Perfection. To realize 'ubuda is to be gifted with a very high degree of Knowledge of Allah. To know that 'the slave is the slave and the Lord is the Lord' is the supreme form of spiritual courtesy towards Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace) is the Beloved of Allah and His Chosen One. No one is more perfect than him. No one can attain to his Knowledge. Yet Allah says in The Qur'an, "Glory be to Him Who carried His slave by night" (17:1). The slave is in bondage ('ubuda). Bondage is Perfection. Bondage is Knowledge.

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