Table Of Contentry
GLOSSARY OF
SUFI
TECHNICAL
TERMS
Re ead
‘Abd al-Razzfq al-Qshani
A GLOSSARY OF
SUFI
TECHNICAL TERMS
A GLOSSARY OF
SUFI
TECHNICAL TERMS
COMPILED BY
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‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Qashani : Acts
as
Tsrilalat al Salis {a “,
Avebtc as 4 ould
TRANSLATED FROM THE ARABIC BY
Nabil Safwat, M.A., Ph.D.
REVISED AND EDITED BY
David Pendlebury
THE OCTAGON PRESS LTD
LONDON
Copyright © 1991 The Sufi Trust
All rights reserved
Copyright throughout the world
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical or photographic, by recording or any
information storage or retrieval system or method now known or to be invented
or adapted, without prior permission obtained in writing from the publishers, The
Octagon Press Ltd., except by a reviewer quoting brief passages in a review
written for inclusion in a journal, magazine, newspaper or broadcast.
Request for permission to reprint, reproduce, etc., to:
Permissions Department, The Octagon Press Ltd.,
P.O. Box 227, London N6 4EW, England
Published with the aid of a subvention
from The Sufi Trust
ISBN 0 863040 32 2
Published 1991
Photoset, printed and bound in Great Britain by
Redwood Press Limited, Melksham, Wiltshire
CONTENTS
Foreword xv
Part 1: English Translation
Introduction
I
LETTERALIF 3
1 Alif 16 The Heights
2 Union 17 Established Essences
3 Connection 18 Isolated Individuals
4 The One , 19 The Visible Horizon
» § Oneness 20 The Supreme Horizon
6 The Unity of Union 21 Sainthood
7 Enumerating the Names of 22 The Trusted Ones
God 23 The Two Imams
8 States 24 The Mother of The Book
9 Charity 25 The Eternal Present
10 Desire 26 Egoism
11 The Thrones of Unity 27 Selfhood
12 The Name 28 Agitation
13 The Essential Names 29 The Severance of Union
14 The Greatest Name 30 The Mainstays
15 The Technical Term 31 The Foremost Names
LETTER BA’
32 Ba’ 38 Lightning
33 The Door of Doors 39 Intermediate World
34 The Glimmer 40 The Universal Interval
35 Nullity 41 Expansiveness (also 42)
36 The Substitutes 43 Discernment
37 Corpulence 44 The Cow
A GLOSSARY OF SUFI TECHNICAL TERMS
45 Intuitive Impulses 48 The Sacrosanct House
46 The House of Wisdom 49 The House of Glory
47 The Sacred House
LETTER JIM
12
50 Attraction 61 The Paradise of Inheritance
$1 The Ringing Bell 62 The Paradise of Qualities
52 The Body 63 The Paradise of the Essence
$3 Clarity 64 The Honourable Ones
54 Clarification 65 The Two Aspects of
$5 Splendour Limitation and Expanse
56 Beauty 66 The Two Aspects of Desire
$7 Combination 67 The Jewels of Science,
58 Union Prophecy and Deep
59 Union of Union Knowledge
60 The Paradise
LETTER DAL
68 The West Wind 69 The White Pearl
LETTER HA’ 17
70 Ha’ 75 Noble-minded Ambition
71 He 76 Craving
72 Dust 77 Suggestions
73 Far-reaching Ambition 78 Attacks
74 Disdainful Ambition 79 Primordial Matter
LETTER WAW 19
80 Waw 94 The Essential Attribute of
81 Oneness Truth
82 The One 95 The Essential Attribute of
83 Incoming Thought Creation
84 Event 96 Reunion
85 The Mediator of Grace and 97 The Reunion of Separation
Assistance 98 Reunion of Reunion
86 The Odd Number 99 The Fulfilment of the
87 Existence Covenant
88 The Two Aspects of 100 Keeping the Covenant of
Providence Conduct
89 Unconditional and 101 Moment of Time
Conditional 102 Eternal Time
90 The Face of Truth 103 The Halt
91 The Goal of All Servants 104 Authentic Undertaking
92 The Record Sheet 105 The Friend of God
93 Behind the Outer Covering 106 Sainthood
vi
CONTENTS
LETTER ZA’ 25
107 The Reprover 112 The Olive Tree
108 The Glass 113 The Oil
109 The Emerald
110 Duration of Time
111 The Flowering of
Information, Knowledge
and Reunion
LETTER HA’ 26
114 The Mystical State
115 The Demonstration to 123 The Reality of Realities
Mankind of the Truth 124 The Reality of Muhammad
116 The Veil 125 The Realities of the Names
117 The Letters 126 The Truth of Certitude
118 The Sublime Letters 127 Wisdom
119 Freedom 128 Explicit Wisdom
120 Burning 129 Tacit Wisdom
121 Keeping The Covenant 130 Unknown Wisdom
122 Keeping the Covenant of 131 Universal Wisdom
Lordship and Service
LETTER TA’ 30
132 Rising Stars « 137 The Secretly and Overtly Pure
133 The Pure 138 Spiritual Medicine
134 The Outwardly Pure 139 The Spiritual Physician
135 The Inwardly Pure 140 The Way
136 The Secretly Pure 141 Effacement
LETTER YA’
32
142 The Red Ruby 144 The Day of Assembly
143 The Two Hands
LETTER KAF 33
145 The Clear Book 151 Fission
146 The Totality 152 The Morning Star
147 The Word 153 Alchemy
148 The Word of the Presence 154 The Alchemy of Happiness
149 The Hidden Treasure 155 The Alchemy of The Masses
150 The Ungrateful 156 The Alchemy of the Elect
A GLOSSARY OF SUFI TECHNICAL TERMS
LETTER LAM 35
157 The Sign 164 Subtlety
158 Divine Nature 165 The Human Subtlety
159 The Kernel 166 The Tablet
160 The Kernel of Kernels 167 Signs
161 Disguise 168 Rays
162 Eloquence 169 The Night of Power
163 The Tongue of Truth
38
LETTER MIM
170 The One Who Holds, The 196 The Universal Ranks
Thing Held, and For Whom it 197 The Mirror of Being
is Held 198 The Mirror of Existence
171 Sacred Water 199 The Mirror of the Two
172 The Original Presences
173 (There is no entry bearing this 200 The Evening Talk
number) 201 The Paths of Total Praise
=
174 Starting Points and End 202 The Abode of the Greatest
Results Name
175 The Foundation of Sufism 203 The Basis of Deep Knowledge
176 The One who is Confirmed in 204 The Consumed
* Truth 205 The Obscure Issue
177 The One who is Confirmed in 206 The Relaxed One
Truth and Creation 207 Dawnings of Victory
178 The Attracted 208 Dawnings of the Sun of
179 The Universal Manifestations Reality
180 The Manifestation oft he 209 The Dawning of Inner Minds
Active Names 210 The Correspondence between
181 The Meeting of the Two Seas Qualities and Realities
182 The Meeting of Desires 211 The Correspondence between
183 The Meeting of Opposites the Presences and Creation
184 Genuine Love 212 Insight
185 The Protected 213 The Point of Departure
186 External Obliteration 214 Signs Identifying the Qualities
187 Inward Obliteration 215 The First Teacher and the
188 The Obliteration of True Teacher of the Angels
Union 216 The Setting of the Sun
189 The Obliteration of Service 217 The Key to the Secret of
and of the Individual Servant Destiny
190 Eradication 218 The First Key
191 Audience 219 Release from Sorrow and
192 Facing Anxiety
193 The Conversation 220 The Bestower
194 The Retreat 221 The Stage
195 Sustained Existence 222 The Stage of Divine Descent
viii
CONTENTS
223 The Exalted Position 232 Ultimate Knowledge
224 Fraud 233 The Essential Relationship
225 The Kingdom The Enraptured
234
226 The Heavenly Kingdom 235 Death
227 The King of the Kingdom 236 The White Death
228 The Enlarger of Aspirations 237 The Green Death
229 Equity 238 The Black Death
230 The First Way 239 Balance
231 Utter Separateness
LETTER NUN 5S
240 Prophecy 250 The End of the First Journey
241 The Noble 251 The End of The Second
242 Breath Journey
243 The Breath of The Merciful 252 The End of the Third Journey
244 The Self 253 The End of the Fourth
245 The Commanding Self Journey
246 The Accusing Self 254 The Gift
247 The Serene Self 255 Letter Nin
248 The Chiefs 256 Light
Light of Lights
249 The Connubial Bond Diffused 257
through all its Issuc
LETTER SIN 59
258 The Precedent 272 The Secret of Destiny
259 The Wayfarer The Secret of Deity
273
260 Floating The Secret of the Secret of
274
261 The Veil Deity
262 Screens 275 The Secrets of the Traces
263 Veils 276 The Last Night of the Moon
264 The Adoration of the Heart The Abundance of the Heart
277
265 Crushing 278 Journeys
266 The Final Lote Tree The Abolition of Viewpoints
279
267 The Secret 280 The Sesame Seed
268 The Secret of Knowledge 281 The Request of the Two
269 The Secret of a State Presences
270 The Secret of Reality 28 N Blackness of Face in the Two
271 The Sccret of the Abodes
Illuminations
LETTER ‘AIN 64
283 The World 286 The World of Creation, the
284 The World of Power World of the Kingdom and
285 The World of Command, the the Visible World
World of the Heavenly 287 The Wise
Kingdom and the Invisible 288 The Learned
World 289 The Common Pcople
