Glossary of Sufi Terms and Phrases
A
- ‘abd, abid
- devotee; dependent; servant; one who is conscious of his/her dependence on Allah
- abdal
- substitute; one who has traded his own self for Allah
- abraar
- best of believers; goodness; righteous; virtuous
- Abu Bakr As-Siddiq
- first Khalifa after the Prophet (peace be upon him)
- Abul Alemeyin
- Father of Two Banners, a title of Hz. Ahmed er Rifai
- Abul Arca (or Beynennas)
- Father of the Lame, a title of Hz. Ahmed er Rifai
- adab
- etiquette; manners
- adhan (azan)
- call to prayer
- afidah
- plural of fuad
- Ahl al Kitab, Ahle Kitab
- People of the Book or Scripture
- Ahl al Tariqa, Ahle Tariqa
- People of the path; Sufis
- Ahlullah
- People of Allah
- Ahl al Suffa, Ahle Suffa
- Sufis during the time of Muhammad (pbuh)
- ahwal
- lit. "states," pl. of hal, a transitory mystical state.
- Akbar
- Greatest or Greater than great (Allah)
- akhfa
- very deeply hidden; the deepest part of the heart; sirr ‘ul-asrar
- akhir
- last; latter
- ‘alam-i jabbarut
- the world or realm of the archangels
- ‘alam-i kasrat
- the world or realm of multiplicity (kinetic energy)
- ‘alam-i lahut
- the world or realm of the essence of Allah
- ‘alam-i mulk
- the world or realm of creation
- ‘alamin
- worlds; realms
- ‘alam-i ruh
- the world or realm of the spirit
- ‘alam-i wahdat
- the world or realm of oneness (potential energy)
- Alayhi salaam
- "Peace be upon him" (abbr., pbuh)
- Alayhis-salat was-salaam
- "Upon Him be blessing and peace"
- Alhamdulillah
- "All praise and gratitude be to Allah"
- Ali Ibn Abu Talib
- fourth and last of the righteous Khalifas after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
- Allahu Akbar
- "Allah is Greater than great"
- alim
- knower, in a scholarly sense
- amaana
- object given for safekeeping; trust
- anfus
- plural of nafs
- ansar
- helpers
- Aqim al salat
- "Establish a system of connection and devotion to Allah" (command)
- 'aql
- the rational mind; intellect
- aqtab
- plural of qutb
- aqtab-i erbaa
- qutbs of all time, a very high spiritual station reached by only four human beings, among whom are Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani and Hz. Ahmed er Rifai
- arhul
- plural of ruh
- arif
- spiritual knower; gnostic
- arsh
- throne; the place of origin; stage from which Allah makes decisions; command post
- Asma ul Husna
- The 99 Names (Attributes) of Allah, which are used individually or together in zikr
- asr
- passing time; declining day; isha in the afternoon
- As-salaamu alaykum (var. salaam alaykum, salaamun alaykum)
- "Peace be upon you"
- As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu
- “Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings”
- Astaghfirullah, tubtu illallah, we na’aytu qalbi an masiwa’llah
- “Allah forgive me, please cleanse my heart of everything but You.”
- A’uzu billahi minashaitan al rajim, bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim
- "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, who is cast out. In the name of Allah, The Source of Mercy, The One Who Acts with Mercy."
- awliya
- protecting friends of Allah; saints; guardians (pl. of wali)
- awwal
- first; former
- ‘awwam
- common people; the masses
- ayat
- sign; portent; lesson; message; proof; revelation; verse; evidence
- ‘ayn al yaqin
- sure knowledge gained through observation and experience
B
- bala
- adversity in the form of a trial or test
- baqa
- the state of "subsistence"; continuing awareness through Allah.
- baraka
- blessing; grace
- bast
- expansion
- batin
- inner
- bayat, biat
- pledge; promise; initiation into a Sufi order
- bayt
- house; sanctuary
- Baz al-Ashab, Al, Bazul Eshep
- The White Falcon; title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani (Arabic, Turkish)
- biat
- see bayat
- bid’a
- harmful religious innovation
- Bismillah Al Rahman Al Rahim
- "In the name of Allah, The One Who Acts with Mercy, The Source of Mercy"
D
- dede
- lit., grandfather; an elder dervish with spiritual standing within the order
- dergah
- Sufi center
- dervish
- lit., poor one; formal member of an order; murid who has attained a certain level of maturity
- dhawq
- lit., taste; perceptivity gained through divine grace.
- din
- way of doing righteous deeds; way of life; religion; path of righteousness to Allah
- dua
- prayer; supplication; invocation of Allah’s favors
- dunya
- material world
- dzan
- assumption; good dzan is to assume the best or to give the benefit of the doubt
F
- fajr
- dawn; salat just before dawn
- fana
- annihilation; spiritual cessation of ego-awareness
- fanafullah
- dissolving in Allah
- fardz
- compulsory religious rule
- Fatiha, Al
- Opening sura of the Qur'an
- Fi'il-i Muhammad
- the example Muhammad (pbuh) projected in living according to Allah's wishes; Muhammad’s (pbuh) implementation of sharia
- firdaws
- paradise
- fitna
- corruption; dissension between parties; trouble; disharmony; mischief-making; disorder; rebellion; planting the seeds of trouble
- fuad
- spiritual heart as perception point within a human being
- Furqan
- Criterion of Right and Wrong
G
- Gavsul Azam, Ghawth-i Azam
- lit., The Greatest Help(er), a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- ghafla
- heedlessness; mindlessness; ignorance
- ghaib
- unseen
- ghayba
- backbiting
- Ghawth
- Helper; very high station in spiritual hierarchy
H
- Habibullah
- Beloved of Allah; Muhammad (pbuh)
- hadith
- tradition; saying attributed to, or anecdote regarding Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), according to traditional eyewitness accounts
- hadith qudsi
- holy hadith
- hadrah
- lit., presence; a gathering for the practice of zikr often accompanied with movement
- haidar
- The ornamental vest worn by a dervish
- Haj
- Pilgrimage to Mecca
- haji
- pilgrim
- halal
- permissible by Islamic law
- Hal-i Muhammad
- the spiritual state of Muhammad (pbuh); Muhammad’s direct knowledge of Allah
- halka
- lit., circle; a group which gathers to practice or study Sufism, usually a shaykh and murids.
- halvet
- spiritual retreat
- haqiqa
- the state of knowing absolute truth
- haqq
- truth
- haqq al yaqin
- truth received directly from Allah; sure knowledge
- haram
- unlawful
- hawa
- lust; desire; whim
- Hazrat, Hazreti (abbr., Hz.)
- honorific title
- hidaya
- guidance
- hikma
- wisdom
- himmah
- force of heart; decisiveness
- Hu
- third-person pronoun (without gender) used in reference to Allah and in invocation to Allah during zikr
I
- ‘ibad
- plural of ‘abd
- ibada
- act of worship; devotion
- ijaza
- permission; license to teach tasawwuf (Sufism)
- ijtihad
- deduction; the process of reasoning through which one draws conclusions about a subject
- ilah
- god; deity; a revered higher power to whom one adheres and appeals for help
- ilm
- knowledge
- ilm al ladun
- divine knowledge received directly from Allah
- ilm al yaqin
- knowledge through research, written or verbal communication
- iman
- faith; belief; that which you accept to be the truth
- indallah
- nearness to or being in the presence of Allah
- insan
- human being
- insan-i kamil
- mature human being
- Insha Allah, inshallah
- God willing
- iqam al salat
- the establishment of prayer and connection to Allah
- irada
- the quality of spiritual aspiration
- irfan
- gnosis; direct perception of Reality
- irshad
- guidance; direction
- isha
- evening; salat in the evening
- ishq
- love; passion; ardent desire
- Islam
- surrender; submission
- istidraj
- to lead on; a test of sincerity by forestalling the consequences of wrong action
- ittiqa
- watching for Allah’s good pleasure with one’s deeds; guarding oneself from evil or harm; not offending Allah in one’s actions
J
- jalal
- wrath; power
- jamal
- mercy; beauty
- jahri
- in a hearable voice; loud
- jihad
- struggle; effort; holy war
- jihadul-akbar
- the greater struggle, i.e., the fight against one’s nafs
- jinn
- unseen being with consciousness and abilities similar to humans
K
- Ka'aba
- The Sanctuary; Inviolable Place of Worship; Mosque in Mecca
- kalima
- word; speech; saying; command; science
- Kalima Tawhid
- Utterance of Oneness (“La ilaha illa Hu” [“There is no god but Him”])
- kamil
- mature
- Kanz-i Makhfi
- Secret Treasure (Allah)
- kashf
- observation; spiritual understanding
- khafi
- hidden; subtle
- khalifa
- representative; deputy; murid licensed by his/her shaykh to teach tasawwuf; designated successor of a particular shaykh
- khas
- special; designated; destined
- khawas
- people of rare distinction
- Kitab
- Book; Scripture; established and applied knowledge; laws and regulations
- Kitabin Mubin, Kitabi al Mubin
- Clear Book (of references); Book that Makes Everything Clear; established knowledge; scientific fact
- kursi
- throne
L
- La ilaha illallah
- "There is no god but God"
- La maqsudu illallah
- "There is no goal other than Allah."
- lataif
- spiritual perception point within a human being
- Laylat Al Qadr
- Night of Power, a holy night of special prayer during the month of Ramadan
- Laylatul Mi’raj
- Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) mystical Night Journey
- liqa
- joining
M
- maasiwa
- other than Allah
- Ma’bud
- Object of devotion (Allah)
- maghfira
- pardon
- maghrib
- west; sunset; salat just after sunset
- mahabba
- love; attraction
- maqam
- station; place; position; state of spiritual development
- maqam mahmud
- praised station
- ma'rifa
- direct knowledge of Allah
- mashallah
- what Allah wants (and happens)
- masjid
- lit., place of prostration; mosque; place of worship
- Masjid Al Aqsa, Al
- The Farthest Mosque; mosque in Jerusalem
- mawla
- protector; guardian; master; lord
- mawlana, mevlana
- spiritual teacher; our lord
- meydan
- lit., "field" or "meeting place"; place where zikr is held
- meydan-ji
- elder dervish who helps other students learn the proper customs and procedures in a meydan
- Mi'raj
- Night Journey of the Prophet (pbuh); the type of "ascension" that may be experienced by advanced Sufis
- M’iraj ul Ma’nawiy
- Spiritual Journey
- mihdi
- one who is guided
- mihrab
- niche in the wall which shows the direction of prayer
- mu'adh dhin, muezzin
- one who calls people to prayer
- muhabbest
- lit., attracted one; someone attracted to an order
- muhib
- one who loves
- muhasibi
- lit., rendering account; taking stock of one's actions
- Muhyiddin
- Reviver of the Way of Doing Righteous Deeds (Religion); a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- mukhlas
- sincere and dedicated one who chooses Allah as his/her goal
- mulk
- sovereignty; domain; realm
- mu’min
- accepter of the truth; believer; acknowledger
- muraqaba
- meditation practiced in solitude; watching over carefully
- murid
- lit., directed one; a person who has accepted a spiritual teacher; Sufi student
- murshid
- teacher of the Sufi path, a title usually reserved for the head of an order
- musbaha
- string of prayer beads; rosary; also known as tasbih
- Muslim
- one who surrenders; submitter; one who is willing to accept and make peace with Allah’s laws and regulations
N
- naas
- humanity
- nabi
- prophet
- nafs
- lit., breath; self; person; egoistic or animalistic nature
- Nafs-i Ammara
- Dominant Nafs; the first of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Lawwama
- Blaming Nafs; the second of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Mardziyya
- Satisfying Nafs; the sixth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Mulhama
- Inspired Nafs; the third of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Mutmaina
- Tranquil Nafs; the fourth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Radziyya
- Satisfied Nafs; the fifth of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- Nafs-i Safiyya
- Purified Nafs; the seventh of seven main levels of nafs attained in the process of Sufi purification
- na’im
- bliss; delight
- namaz
- formal Islamic worship that is observed five times daily
- ni'ma
- favor; blessing; grace; kindness; benefit; comfort; pleasure; delight
- niyyah
- intention
- nur
- light
P
- pir
- spiritual ancestor; founder of a Sufi tariqa; living principal of a Sufi tariqa
- Pir-i Dastgir
- lit., "Who Takes by the Hand," a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- postaki, post
- sheepskin used as the seat of the shaykh in the traditional Sufi zikr ceremony
Q
- qabd, qabz
- contraction; deflation
- Qaddasa Allahu sirrahu
- "May Allah sanctify his secret"
- qahr
- wrath
- qalb
- heart
- Qalu Balaa
- covenant at the beginning of creation between the souls and Allah
- qana’at
- contentment
- Qawl-i Muhammad
- what Allah said through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); sharia
- qiblah
- direction turned to during prayer, which is geographically towards the Ka’aba in Mecca
- Qur'an, Koran
- lit., lecture or recitation; revelation from Allah to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) over a period of 23 years and compiled into a volume of 114 suras, or chapters
- Qur’an-i Karim, Qur’an al Karim
- Generous Qur'an
- qurb
- nearness; closeness
- qutb
- lit., pole; a person of extremely high spiritual level who acts as administrator in the spiritual hierarchy of the world; human conduit of spiritual power from Allah, through whom it is distributed in the world.
- Qutbul Azam
- Greatest Qutb, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- Qutbul Rabbani
- Divine or Devout Qutb, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
R
- Rab
- Lord; Master; Allah
- Rabbi
- My Lord
- rabita
- purposeful spiritual connection; heartfelt connection
- Rabbil ‘alamin
- Lord of the worlds, realms, generations
- rahbar
- lit., conductor; spiritual guide
- rahma
- mercy; grace
- rakat
- A unit of ritual prayer including standing, bowing, sitting, and prostrating
- raqsh
- dancing
- rashid
- maturity; wisdom
- rasul
- messenger
- rida
- contentment; good pleasure; satisfaction; approval
- rijal
- person who is faithful to his or her vows under all circumstances
- rijal al ghaib
- saint who can see remotely or travel through time and space in the service of Allah
- rizq
- sustenance
- ruh
- soul; spirit
- ruhsat
- concession or permission given by a shaykh to perform a certain practice or organizational function
- ruhul aminu
- trusted spirit
- ruhul jismani:
- corporeal soul
- ruhul quds
- holy spirit
- ruhul seyrani
- moving soul
- ruhul sultani
- kingly soul
- ru'yah
- lit., vision, esp. of a spiritual nature
S
- sabr
- patience
- sadaqa
- charity; alms
- sadr
- chest; heart; innermost self
- sadr latifa
- place in chest area equivalent to the heart chakra of Indian tradition
- sahaba
- companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
- sahv
- lit., sobriety; the condition of the mature practitioner who has returned to normative consciousness after sukr
- sajda
- prostration
- sajjada
- prayer rug
- salaam
- peace
- Salaam alaykum
- "Peace be upon you"
- salat
- worship; prayer; formal Islamic worship that is observed five times daily; making connection to Allah; namaz
- salat al asr
- afternoon prayer
- salat al fajr
- morning prayer
- salat al isha
- night prayer
- salat al maghrib
- sunset prayer
- salat al zuhr
- noontime prayer
- salawat
- invocation of peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
- salik
- lit., traveler; spiritual seeker
- Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa salaam
- "May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him," spoken or written after Muhammad's name
- sama, sema
- turning; revolving; a spiritual concert or zikr accompanied by music and sometimes turning (whirling)
- samawat
- heavens
- shafi
- intercessor
- sharia
- the body of Islamic religious canons; injunctions attributed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) regarding proper behavior for Muslims
- shaykh
- lit., elder; appointed master in a Sufi order or tariqa
- shirk
- attributing partners to Allah
- shirk-e khafi
- hidden shirk
- siddiq
- truthful and loyal one
- sifat
- attribute
- silm
- peace; submission
- silsila
- lit., chain; the lineage of a Sufi tariqa descending from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), through Ali Ibn Abu Talib or Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). The chain of transmission includes all murshids of the order up to the present.
- Silsiletil Zehep
- Golden Chain (Turkish), the spiritual lineage of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- sirr
- secret; mystery
- Sirr-i Muhammad
- Secret of Muhammad; haqiqa
- sirr ‘ul-asrar
- secret of secrets; akhfa
- soffreh
- cloth spread on the floor used for meals
- Subhan Allah
- "Exalted is Allah" (Free from all defects)
- Subhana Rabbi Al A’la
- "Glory to my Lord The Most High"
- subhat
- lit., association; spiritual affiliation
- Sufi
- lit., wearer of wool or person of the bench; member of a tariqa
- Sufism
- process of attaining closeness to the Creator through love, which is attained by purification of the nafs; tasawwuf
- sultan
- king
- Sultanul Awliya
- King of the Saints, a title of Hz. Abdul Qadir Geylani
- suluk
- journey; the life-path of a spiritual seeker
- sukr
- mystical intoxication, often accompanying wajd or fana
- sunna
- the observed behavior of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
T
- tafakkur
- reflection; contemplation
- tafakkarun
- those who contemplate
- tafsir
- scholarly interpretation; explanation
- tahajjud
- special prayer during the night
- taj
- lit., crown; hat worn by a dervish
- tajalli
- The state of irridation, epiphany, or theophany
- takbir
- great word (Allahu Akbar [God is Greater than great])
- taqwa
- self-vigilance; following the guidelines of Allah; devotion
- talib
- candidate or aspirant to formal membership in a Sufi order
- talqin
- inculcation; the practice of deliberate mental self-conditioning
- tariqa
- lit., way to; path; order of Sufism founded by a recognized member of a silsila
- tasarruf
- Allah’s executive power
- tasawwuf
- system of spiritual cleansing known in the West as Sufism
- tasbih
- glorification; repeating the Names of Allah with the help of prayer beads; prayer beads
- taslim
- surrender
- tawba
- repentance
- tawhid
- unity and oneness of God, the direct perception of central tenet of Islam, Allah's absolute singularity
- ta’wil
- deep, authoritative interpretation
- tawakkul
- complete trust in and reliance upon God alone
- tekke (Turk.)
- lit., corner; dervish gathering place, synonymous with khaniqah (Pers.) and zawiyya (Ar.)
U
- Ummul Kitab
- The Mother or Totality of Knowledge of our universe
- urs
- anniversary of the death of a Sufi saint, which is celebrated as their day of union with Allah
- Uzkurullah
- "Remember (make zikr of) Allah"
V
- verd
- litany of praises; incantation prior to zikr
W
- wahdat
- unity
- Wahdat al Wujud
- Oneness of Being; the absolute non-duality of existence
- wahy
- divine revelation; inspiration; suggestion; indication; saying something in a whisper
- wajd
- state of ecstasy
- wajh
- countenance; face; essence; attention
- wakil
- trustee; representative; guardian; advocate; keeper; representative of a shaykh, lower in rank than a khalifa
- wali
- protecting friend of Allah; guardian; saint; also wali ul Allah; Sufi of a high spiritual level
- waliyyan-murshid
- teacher who guides and protects
- Watan Asli
- lit., Our Motherland; the face of Muhammad (pbuh)
- wazifa
- repetition of names or attributes of Allah given as a practice prescribed to the murid; personal zikr
- wudu
- ritual ablution, or washing, performed before salat
Y
- yaqin
- certainty
Z
- Zabur
- Psalms
- zakir
- one who chants in the liturgy, also known as qawwal
- zahir
- outer
- zakat
- poor due; alms
- zat
- essence; person
- zikr
- lit., remembrance; reminder; the Sufi practice of repeating the Names of Allah
- zuhr
- noon; salat around noontime