The Language of the Future

Sufi Terminology by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi

ayat
Sign

(Ayat). A miraculous sign. The miraculous signs of Allah are within us and they surround us. Ayat also means verse. Each verse (ayat) of The Qur'an is a miraculous sign (ayat). The recitation and contemplation upon these miraculous signs may take the reciter and contemplator back to the Source of his own being - back to Allah Almighty.

See also: Book Concentration Emptiness Great Man Inward Knowledge of the Outward Self evident Speech

(Kitab) The Great Silence became qualified with letters. The letters formed into words. The words gathered into sentences and the sentences into a book. It is said that each part of every existent thing is a 'letter' of Allah, and each creation is a 'word' of Allah, and each life is a 'sentence' of Allah and each world is a 'book' of Allah. We read the book to gain Knowledge of Allah. The world is a book and the human is a book. In these two books we can read the signs of Allah, 'on the horizons and within ourselves', which will enable us to ascend to the Great Silence once again.
Book

(Muraqabah). This term applies to the vigilant concentration, with all the power of mind and thought and imagination, and the examination through which the slave carefully keeps guard over himself. During his muraqabah the slave observes how Allah becomes manifest both in the cosmos and within himself.
Concentration

(Takhliyah). Before the purification of the heart and the secret are achieved there must be an emptiness (takhliyah). Such an emptiness is attained ultimately through the Grace of Allah but also through the sincere observance of the spiritual work. And one must be in a state of inward emptiness before the heart can be filled with the Lights of Knowledge which are contained within The Qur'an. The slave is bereft and poor, destitute and in need of Allah. He is empty of everything save Love of Allah.
Emptiness

(Insan Kabir). This term is applied to the universe, the macrocosm. The signs of Allah are on the horizons, in the macrocosm, and within ourselves, the microcosm. The universe is the great man (Insan Kabir) and man is the small world or universe ('Alam Saghir).
Great Man

('Ilm al Thahir). This term generally applies to that knowledge possessed by the Doctors of Law. However, because Allah is the Inwardly Hidden (Al Batin) and the Outwardly Manifest (Al Thahir), to attain to True Knowledge of Allah, knowledge of both the inward and outward are necessary.
Knowledge of the Outward

(Kalam) is speech or words. The Source, Allah, is the Great Silence. In the process of descent, the Supreme Silence is firstly qualified with letters which then appear as words. The words become a sentence or sign which then appears as a form or book. The world is a book and the human is a book. In these two books we can read the signs of Allah, "on the horizons and within ourselves", which will enable us to ascend, and dwell once again, in the Great Silence.
Speech
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