World of Tasawwuf
In the time of the Prophet, Tasawwuf was a reality without a name, today Tasawwuf is a name, but few know its Reality
A
abadiat
submission
abd
the 'root' of the arabic word for servant or slave
abdal
substitute, or replacement; used to designate a rank in the heirarchy of saints in tasawwuf
abid
worshipper
adab [adaab]
correct behaviour, inward and outward; inner courtesy manifesting as graciousness in right action.
Excellent manners.
adha
see Eid al adha
adhab
the torment, suffering or affliction inflicted by Allah Almighty in order to punish unbelief
adhan [adhaan, azan]
the public call or prayer summons to prayer
adl
justice, in every sphere of life
adnin
arabic name for the graden of eden
'aff
the characteristic of Allah Almighty to be merciful
afrad
it means literally the 'single ones', and refers to hadiths where the second link in the isnad contains no more than a single name of a tabi
ahl al bayt
'the people of the house' --- the immediate family and descendants of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam
ahl as suffah
the people of the bench; the poor and needy amongst the noble Companions of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam, who lived on a verandah in a courtyard next to his house in Madinah
ahwal [sing.hal]
Lit. 'status.' Referring to spiritual states of ecstasy or illuminationachieved by the help of Allah, as one progesses along the path of tasawwuf
ajal
Lit. 'appointed time,' 'moment of death' or 'lifespan.' all things including human beings, have their ajal, determined by Allah Almighty
akhafi
the most hidden
akhbar [sing. khabar]
news, message, information. in hadith terminology it means 'report.'
akhirah [akhir, akhirat]
the 'hereafter,' Life after Death. one of the the key fundamental beliefs of Islam, 7 motivation for being a Muslim.
akhlaq
conduct, character, attitudes and ethics
alam
world
alif lam meem
arabic letters which occur at the start of surahs, 2,3,29,30,31 & 32
'alim
a learned man, of Islamic legal and religious studies, a faqih
Allah
the muslim term for God, the Almighty One, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Source from which all things seen and unseen emanate and return
Allah ta'ala
Allah, the Most High
Allahu Akbar
'Allah is the Most Great', used in Muslim prayers and as an expression of loyalty towards God or encouragement to Muslims in many circumstances. see Adhan
amal
concept of action
amal al hasanah
good deeds, those actions which result in the creation of husn
amana
trust in Allah
amin
the trustworthy. al amin --- a title given to the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam when he was a young man by the People of Makkah
amir [ameer]
Lit. 'One who Commands'. leader, commander, head of a community, source of authority in any given situation
amir al mu'mineen
'commander of the faithful' -- a title of respect given to the Caliph. Hadrat 'Umar ibn Khattab radi Allahu ta'ala anhu was the first to bear this title
amr
divine planning
amr
'at God's Command' -- the statement of acceptance of the Divine Will for us
anbiya
the plural form of Nabi
ansari [pl. ansar]
anyone of the noble Companions of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam from the inhabitants of Madinah who embraced and supported Islam
anza
a spearheaded stick, used by the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam when praying. He stuck it into the ground in front of him, slightly to the right, to cut his praying-area off from the world
aql
the intellect, the faculty of reason
araf [al araf]
the partition between heaven and hell (7 :44)
arafa [arafat]
a plain 15 miles to the east of Makkah on which stands the 'Jabal ar-Rahmah', the 'Mount of Mercy.'
arif
'one who knows' --- the knowledge of the self, the gnostic, the knower
arkan
a pillar
ascetic
see zahid and zuhd
ashab
companion --the title given to the earliest converts of Islam, see sahaba
ashiq
lover
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B
bashar
human being
batin
inner truth
bay'ah [bait, bayt]
pledge, oath of allegiance with a shaykh, murshid
bid'at [bidah]
innovation
C
charms
see ruqya
chilla
spiritual retreat/seclusion, usually forty days
chisti visit link
Famous Sufi Order mainly of the Indian sub-continent, made famous by Khawaja Muin al-Din Hasan Chisti (May Allah be pleased with him)[d.1142-1236CE] His shrine lies in Ajmer in India and attracts millions of visitors each year, including many non-muslims
F
fana, [fanah]
'passing away', annihilation
fakr
poverty
fakir [faqir]
a dervish, sufi, salik
fikr
contemplation
G
geebat, [gheebah]
backbiting, gossip, idle or loose talk
ghaybat
absence from self
gnosis
'to know' ---knowledge of God, see ma'rifat
gnostic
'freind of God' --- see 'arif
H
hal
emotion
halal
jaiz; permissible, allowed
halaqa
group, gathering
haqiqat
the truth
haram
prohibited, impermissible
I
ibadat [ibadah]
worship
ihsan
awareness of Allah Almighty
ihya' al-Ulum al-Din
'Reviving the Religious Sciences' - Hujjat al-Islam Imam al-Ghazali Radi Allahu anhu most celebrated work on tasawwuf.
ijtihad
means after acquiring the required knowledge and competence, deducing rules of law through juristic reasoning from original sources (The Qur'an and Sunnah, the pronouncements and practices of the Beloved Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, if the authentic sources available are not decisive on the particular question in hand
iman
faith
al insan al kamil : "perfect man" one who is the great spiritual teacher of the age, also referred to and called qutb or "pole"
inzal
Allah Almighty sending down the whole of the Qur'an al kareem at one time
ishq
love
istiaanat
seeking help
ithbat
affirmation
itminan
peace, tranquil
itminan-i qalb
peace, tranquillity of the heart
J
jadhbat
attraction
juz
a collection of hadiths reported by one single individual, whether a companion of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam or a member of the succeeding generation
K
kaffara
making amends
kafir
unbeliever
kalima
testification of faith
kamal-e-wahdat
beauty of Oneness
kamil
perfect in piousness [also see insan al kamil]
karamah [pl.karamat]
a miracle attributed to a saintly person, awliya
khairal bashar
'Best of Human-Beings' -referring to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings upon him]
"cloak", usually patched garment representing renunciation of worldly value
kufaar
unbelievers[ kafir, singular]
L
lanat
the curse of Allah Almighty on those who persist in doing evil, even though they know it to be evil
M
mahhabah [muhib, muhabbat]
love of, affection
majlis
spiritual gathering
mala'ik
angels
malakut
the jinn sphere
marifa [marifah, marifat]
knowledge of Allah, gnosis
mashaykh
spiritual master
majzub [mahjoob]
one who is totally attracted/highly absorbed in God's contemplation
muhabbat-e-murshid
(love for the murshid). The love for the murshid
surpasses all. There is nothing, neither body, mind, nor possession more
precious to the murid than the murshid.
mufassir [mufasireen]
interpreter
mufti
jurisconsult, a scholar who issues fatwa's
muhaddith
traditionist (similarily, tradition = hadith, and traditioned = haddatha or taught the science of hadith)
muhasaba
reckoning
mulaqat
meeting
mu'min, [momineen]
believer/s
munafiq
hypocrite
munasabat
compatible
muraqaba [muraqabat, muraqabah]
meditation. The real goal of meditation is to be in the
presence of Allah and absent from all else. The most common method of meditation
is to bend the head and focus one's attention upon the heart.
murid, [mureed]
disciple, follower, student, saalik
murshid
spiritual guide, pir, shaykh, mentor
(vision, observation). Between God and His servant there are many veils of heedlessness. When the slave of God sincerely, faithfully and earnestly gives up [inordinate] worldly pleasures and then occupies himself only with [the consciousness and the omnipresence of] God, these veils [of obstruction between the worshipper and the worshipped One] will be lifted. The Glory of God will begin to shine within his purified heart.
mushahidah
witnessing
mutakallim
theologian
"novice" (murid) or one who "wills" to follow a spiritual teacher; also called faqir "poor one" or world renouncing, or darwish (Pers.)
O
omnipresence
one of the chief characteristics of Allah Almighty; it means that He is present everywhere, from the most minute scale, to the vastest reaches of existance
omnipotence
one of the chief characteristics of Allah Almighty; it means to have total power of all things and absolute control over all affairs
omniscience
one of the chief characteristics of Allah Almighty; it means that He knows everything in every sphere of existence, no matter how great or small, universal or intimate.
P
pbuh
abbreviation: peace be upon him
pakizgi
pir
persian for 'spiritual master' ; guide
purity
see pakizgi, above. Also see taharah.
Q
qalb
heart
qiraat
recitation of the Qur'an al kareem
qut al-qulub
the 'food of Hearts'
a "pole" .... One or more human beings who occupy a pivotal spiritual position in the world. Synonymous with Ghawth according to al-Shafi'i.
R
rabb
lord
rabb al alameen
lord of the worlds
raza
consent, contentment,
razi
contented
ri'aya
'observation of rules'
risala
the treatise
ruh [rooh]
spirit
ruh-e-insaniaat
'essence of man'
rusum
practises
ruyat
vision
S
sabiq
those who press onwards
sabr, saabir
Perseverance/patience). This means to not to resent trials and difficulties
sent by the Beloved/Friend. Instead one bears them gladly, knowing that they
come from Him.
sadiq, [sidq, siddiq, sideeq]
the sincere, truthful
safar
journey, [also name of Islamic Month]
safar dar watan
Moving away from worldly desires and human weaknesses and acquiring godly characteristics is known as 'Safar dar Watan' ---homeward journey.
sahaba [sahabi, ashab] :
Companion/s of the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam
sahw
sahw; "sober" school in complete accordance with Sunni
Islam; first follow the shari'ah, then follow tariqah;
emphasis on "spiritual behavior/actions" or "asceticism"
(zuhd)
sajdah :
Prostration
salik
A salik is a person who enganged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from arabic word suluk, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously. A salik is also called murid when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (murshid) or a sufi master.
sakhwat
genorosity, To use all that one possesses for the benefit of others.
sama (1)
Sama is not just fun and games [or mere
entertainment]. It is one of the mysteries of Allah. The murshid of Khawaja
Gharib Nawaz, Hadrat Khawaja Uthman Haruni Chishti, said that Sama is one
of the greatest secrets (mysteries) of God. During the highest states of
Sama, nothing can come between [the Glory of] God and His slave (all in
proportion to the rank of the listener). Just as grain, fruit and vegetables are
food for the body, so sweet fragrance, beautiful objects and beautiful sounds
are food for the soul.
sama (2)
hearing
saut-e-sarmadi
the eternal sound
shaghl
spiritual exercise
shaghl-e-aina
Shaghl before a mirror. The murshid instructs the murid to sit before a mirror and look intensely at the reflection of his face
while occupied in repeating the name of God. By the grace of God and according
to his ability, the seeker will experience a certain amount of joy. Because this
Shaghl is subtle, the seeker who is of a subtle disposition will in his
meditation soon have experiences of a truly subtle nature.
shaghl sultan al azkar
(The king of all forms of dhikr.) This
Zikr is also known as the 'Zikr of the Soul'. During the late part
of the night the Murid should lie down in a quiet place. He should close his
ears, either with a piece of cotton wool dipped in jasmine oil or rose water, or
with his thumbs. He should then try to hear the subtle [high pitched] inner
sound in the head, above the left ear. At first this sound also comes from the
heart. This is the primaeval sound, the origin of all sounds from which all
other sounds are manifested. The Salik who is blessed to hear this sound
is called 'the one who can hear' (Ahl-e-Sama).
shaykh
shaykh : [murshid], spiritual guide, teacher and example; those whose
presence is an inpsiration to spiritual development,
matuirty and illumination
shariah
sacred Islamic law
shijra
geneaology
shirb
drinking
shirk :
Associating partners with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala
shuyukh :
teachers
sifat
attributes
sirr
secret
suf
wool
sufi
"sufi"...a follower of the mystical path, those who seek experience
of the tawhid...the term applies only to the most advanced
practitioners
suf pushan
wearers of wool
sukr
intoxication: of Fana' school, new life in God
is one of ecstatic union, joy and wonder
suluk
see salik above
sunnat
tradition of the Beloved Prophet [Peace and blessings upon him]
sunnat-e-ilahi
practice of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala
T
tafakkur
exercise of
tafsir
commentary on the Qur'an al kareem, exegesis
taharah
personal cleanliness, also see purity,
tajalli
Splendour. The literal meaning of tajalli is light; it
means to reveal, to enlighten, to shine. The mystical meaning of tajalli is the rising of the sun of Truth from behind the clouds of human
attributes (qualities). The light of tajalli shines in a variety of
colours: white, green, rose, gold, and so on.
tajrid
remaining aloof: tajrid involves remaining alone even in the midst of a crowd
tanzil
Allah Almighty sending down the Qur'an al kareem in parts on different occasions
taqwa
piety
tariqa [tariqah, tariqat]
spiritual path leading to Allah (sufi order) ; in Islam, the "spiritual path," also tasawwuf (sufism) or
"esotericism" ...possibly from suf = "wool" or safa' = "purity"; also
refers to "method" or "inner beliefs"
tark
renunciation
tasawwuf
self purification
taubah [towba,tawbah]
repentance
Think deeply, direct attention. To inspire by directing one's attention [at the heart of the seeker]. In the Sufi phraseology, this means to direct one's attention upon Allah with all one's spiritual strength. The murshid's spiritual attention finally enables the murid to become like him [by acquiring his murshid's qualities].
tawakkul
trust in Allah
tawhid
Oneness. In the state of Tawhid none other than the One exists.
Everything is a manifestation of the One, in all its different aspects. To know
everything as the One, to regard [the abstract/initial origin of] every act as
the One, that is Oneness!
ta'wil
exegesis
tazkiya-e-Nafs
(Purification of the ego or carnal self). Controlling the
ego involves freeing oneself from its attributes. A novice can purify his ego by
rejecting the inclination toward evil and by taking his carnal self to the task
of accounting for its slips and shortcomings. At the intermediate stage,
purification involves guarding oneself against the undesirable qualities of
jealousy, avarice and malice; not bearing grudges nor causing anyone harm; not
telling lies nor deceiving anyone and so forth. To the adept, purification
involves focussing all of one's attention on one's relationship with God.
W
wahid
One Allah
wahy
revelation
wajd
'finding' or 'feeling' --- spiritual ecstasy in 'finding' Allah Almighty
wali
(pl.awliya) a person who 'is near' to Allah Almighty, a saint, a protector
wali 'Allah
(pl. awliya' Allah) --freind of Allah Almighty, or a sufi who enjoys a particular relationship (wilayah) with Allah Almighty
wasaya
advices
wine
the drinking of (forbidden) wine are metaphors for ecstatic religious states that cannot be otherwise described.
wird
a unit of dhikr constructed to contain in it, certain patterns of knowledge and self awakening
Y
yakin
certainty of faith
yatim
an orphan
yeksui
concentration. Yeksui is to bring all thought, movement,
stillness and perception to one central point. To attain Yeksui, it is
necessary to avoid [distractions of] noise and the company of people with
nonconforming [beliefs] and mental attitudes. The best and easiest way to
acquire perfect concentration is through ardent spiritual love (Ishq).
Z
zahid
an ascetic, see zuhd, --- one who does without
zahir
outer form, 'outward or manifest
zalzalah
earthquake, also title of surah 99 'the earthquake' in the Qur'an
zandaqah
free-thinking or heretical beliefs
zawiyah [zawiya]
(literally, 'a corner'). A centre for tasawwuf activities, where dhikr and meditation takes place, and where Shaykhs may live and train their disciples. Also called khaneqahs, tekkes, or ribats
zikr [dhikr]
(Remembrance of Allah). The result from chanting Zikr is constant
recollection and realization (gnostic knowledge, marifat) of God.
Almighty God says: "Remember me and I will remember you."
zikr pas-anfaas
(Zikr with the breath). When you perform
Zikr with the rhythm of the breath, one should mentally repeat 'Allah'
with the inhalation and 'Hu' with the exhalation. Some Sufis suggest repeating
"Allah" with the inhalation as well as with the exhalation. The key to this
exercise is to focus on visualizing the image of the Murshid in the heart.
zinah [zina]
sexual intercourse outside of marriage
ziyarah
a visit to a holy place, or shrine of a venerated person (awliya/saint)
zuhd
asceticism; not setting ones heart on worldly things
zuhud wa war'ah
(Abstinence and Temperance). Temperance involves giving
up the love of worldly things for the love of God. Abstinence involves purifying
the heart and mind from the defilement and pollutants of the world.
zulm
tyranny, wrongdoing, injustice
zulmah
darkness, Life without God
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