The Language of the Future

Sufi Terminology by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi

'ubuda
Servitude

('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.

See also: Beautiful Model Boy Limit Means Nearness Night of Power People of the Practice Perfection Restriction and limitation Slave

(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".
Beautiful Model

(Hadd). Limit or definition signifies the distinction between the slave and his Lord. After having emerged from the ecstasy of Union with the Beloved, the knower disciplines his self and sets limits upon it in order to hold tightly to the reins of perfect courtesy.
Limit

(Wasila) indicates the means through which man can come close to Allah. "Seek the means of approach to Him" (The Qur'an 5:35). The one and only wasila is the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustapha (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). There is no other means to ascend from the physical realm to the Divine Presence. The seeker traverses the first stages of the Journey of Return to Allah with the direct aid and under the protection of his Murshid. These are the stages of spiritual struggle, ascetic discipline and abstinence. Through the Grace of Allah the murid may attain to annihilation in the Murshid. But, no one will meet Allah before meeting the Prophet. The murid can advance no further towards Allah Almighty unless he travels with the wasila. The lover does not reach Allah through being a lover. He only reaches Allah through being the Beloved of Allah, and there is only one Beloved of Allah and that is Muhammad al Mustapha. The only way up is within him. Because the Reality of Muhammad has been unveiled to the slaves and true followers of the Master Muhammad, they are drowned and annihilated in him. (The stairs to ascend to the top floor) Using the means - 'by the baraka of. . . '
Means

(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'.
Nearness

(Laylat al Qadr). The Night of Power occurs during one of the last odd numbered nights of the Month of Ramadan. It was on this night that the archangel Garbirel made his initial appearance to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). With the first word of Revelation, "'Iqra!" ("Read!"), The Holy Qur'an descended into the Prophet's heart. This descent of Allah into the world corresponds to man's ascending towards Allah in the Night of the Ascension.
Night of Power

(Ahl al Sunna). These are the sincere and truthful followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). They endeavour to apply the Prophet's Practice to each moment of their existence. In knowing that he is their 'Beautiful Model' and their 'means of approach to Allah'. The Ahl al Sunna strive to follow not only the outward form of his profound Practice but also to penetrate the inward meanings.
People of the Practice

(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).
Perfection

(Hasr). This is the condition of the representative of Allah. The khalifah of Allah cannot say, 'My viceregency releases me!'. His viceregency limits him because Allah's viceregent is His true slave. The slave became a slave through having his heart expanded with Knowledge of his Lord. Such an expansion does not bring freedom, or rather, it brings the freedom of knowing that limitations rule! But these are limitations set upon himself, not upon his Lord. The khalifah is a knower who, in recognising Allah in every Self-disclosure, never restricts or limits Allah.
Restriction and limitation

('Abd). The slave (and worshipper) is the one who is in a state of total and utter submission to the Will of Allah. After having been annihilated in Allah where all duality vanished and distinctions were erased, he returns to creation with perfect courtesy and with the Truth of Certainty that 'the Lord is the Lord and the slave is the slave'. When 'abd is translated as 'servant' it carries the implication that the servant can leave the service of his Master, if he so desires. However, the 'slave' is in total bondage, being utterly dependent upon his Master. All buying and selling transactions have been terminated. The slave belongs to Allah, completely, perfectly and unconditionally.
Slave
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