The Language of the Future

Sufi Terminology by Murshid F.A. Ali ElSenossi

Arabic words starting with U

'ubbadu'l waqt
Worshippers of the moment

('Ubbad ul waqt). These are the knowers who worship Allah in every moment of Time. Self-disclosure never repeats itself. In each moment Allah reveals Himself anew. Therefore the worshippers of the moment never limit or restrict Allah in any moment of...

'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...

'ubudiyya
Slavehood

(Ubudiyya). What is slavehood? To leave that which is yours and to be steadfast upon that which you have been commanded. Slavehood is the state of the one who is drawing near to Allah through acts of devotion. 'Ubudiyya is 'the Nearness of supereroga...

'ulama
Scholars

('Ulama). These are the learned masters or the men of outward knowledge. The 'ulama are the scholars of exoteric Islam while the knowers of Allah are the Masters of esoteric Islam. However, at times 'ulama can also indicate the inward knowers.

'uluww
Sublimity

('Uluww). Sublimity and transcendence. 'Uluww is the Sublimity and the Transcendence which belong to Allah Alone.

'Uluww
Transcendence

'Uluww - see 'Sublimity'.

'ulwi
High

('Ulwi). This is the opposite pole to low (sufli). In making his descent, from the state of non-manifestation within the Knowledge of Allah to the state of manifestation within the cosmos, man was cast down to the "lowest of the low'". This is the pl...

'unsuri
Elemental

('Unsuri). That which is elemental, meaning those things which are composed of the four elements.

'uqala al-majanin
Rational madmen

('Uqala al majanin). Inrushes of knowledge and awareness come from Allah to His slave. The manner in which the slave receives these inrushes depends upon the level he occupies. At the first level the inrush is greater than the slave's strength of so...

'uruj
Going up

('Uruj). This is the ascent of the traveller from the Causal World to the World of Similitudes, then to the World of Spirits, then to the Reality of Muhammad and, ultimately, through the Grace of Allah, to the Essence Itself.

'uruj at-tarkib
Ascent of composition

('Uruj at tarkib).The supra-formal spiritual ascent of composition (which is actually a descent), during which man journeys from inward non-manifestation within the Knowledge of Allah to outward manifestation within the world. Man's Return Journey to...

'Uzair
Ezra

('Uzair). The Prophet Ezra (Peace be upon him) through whose Word descended the Wisdom of Apportioning Fate (al hikmat al qadariyyah).

ulfa
Familiarity

(Ulfa). This is one of the waystationson the Journey of Return. In this waystation the traveller is joined to a group of the Messengers from whom he receives certain sciences and knowledge. Through these newly unveiled knowledges he is able to distin...

umm al-kitab
Mother of the Book

(Umm ul Kitab). This is the Eternal Prototype of the Revealed Book. It is the unfathomable depth of the Divinity and the endless unfolding of Knowledge of Allah. The Perfect Man is a book. He is the epitome of the Mother of the Book.

umma
Community

(Umma) refers specifically to the community of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). He is the Seal of the Prophets. The Message which he delivered to the humanity, through the Final Revelation The Q...

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