(Al 'Aaly). The High above all. One of the beautiful Names of Allah.
(A'la). This term is applied as with the opposing attitudes peculiar to those who are called the 'higher' people and the others who are called the 'lower' people. The differences between the 'higher' and 'lower' are in degrees of Knowledge of Allah....
(Al 'Aleen). Those of a higher order. The superior spirits. The angels closest to Allah. 'Aleen are those spiritual beings who, due to their luminous constitution, transcend, by their own essence, being 'elemental'.
(Tasawwuf). Also known as the science of the self, tasawwuf is based upon the Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). It is known in the West as Sufism or Islamic mysticism. Tasawwuf is the acquisi...
Isharah - see 'Indication'.
(Haram). This word is specific to the two sanctuaries in Mecca or Medina. Mecca is the place of the House of Allah, where the slave stands alone before his Lord. Mecca is total inwardness and bewilderment. Mecca is Reality. Medina is the home of the...
(Khashya). This is the type of terror and awe and dread which brings man near to Allah. It is the awe of Allah's Majesty, His Incomparability and Utter Unknowableness.
(Al Qudsi). He is the one who is illuminated by the Divine Attributes and is in unceasing contemplation of the Divine consciousness.
(Hadith Qudsi).These are the Sacred Words of Allah Almighty speaking through the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May the Salutations of Allah be upon him and Peace). They are a separate type of Revelation to that of the Qur'an. The Sayings (Holy sayings and P...
(Ruh al Quddus). Every existent entity has a created spirit which constitutes its form. The spirit is to the form as the meaning is to the word. The created spirit has a Divine Spirit which constitutes it and this is the Ruh al Quddus. Man has a bo...
(Watan). Homeland or place of origin or abode or realm. The Ultimate Homeland is that placeless place to which the slave returns and retires. It is the Great Silence which is found when the slave has become 'no thing'. His existence is the blissful n...
(Abru). The greatest honour which has been bestowed upon man is his innate capacity to know and love Allah. Only the Perfect Men actualize this inherent potential, thereby fulfilling their reason for being and becoming the honoured slaves of Allah.
(Raja') is the anticipation of Allah's Mercy (which actually surrounds us constantly, but is rarely perceived). During estrangement and separation, the lover is stretched to the extremity in his hope that the Beloved will either 'arrive' or 'speak'...
(Yas). The state of utter hopelessness which is experienced during contraction. When the lover is contracted, having 'lost' his vision of the Beloved, his hopelessness is acute. And, even though he knows, with certainty, that this is merely a tempora...
(Dar). House or abode or dwelling. When a murid is engaged in spiritual warfare and struggle his physical body is the 'abode of warfare' (Dar-ul-Harb). Within this abode there reside Allah's enemies; all the infidels, unbelievers and tyrants. They mu...
Back