GLOSSARY OF TERMS
THE DAILY BOWL OF SAKI
compiled by Tanzen Two-feather
| adab | manners, respect |
| Akasha | accommodation, possibility of free space |
| breath | the backbone of all spiritual practice |
| Cherag | Light-bearer, minister of worship |
| Darood | silent repetition of a wazifa (japa in Hindu) |
| fana-baka | the process of destruction of false ego |
| Fikr (Fikar) | Fikr is the repetition on the breath of any Wazifa. |
| Hahut | In Sufi terms, there are five stages of consciousness: Nasut, Malakut, Jabarut, Lahut, Hahut. |
| Ishk (Ishq) | love..The Sufi says, “Ishq Allah, Ma’abud Allah – God is love and Beloved”. |
| ilm | Love-knowledge (Union of two into One), divine intelligence |
| Jabarut | In Sufi terms, there are five stages of consciousness: Nasut, Malakut, Jabarut, Lahut, Hahut. |
| Karma | the ever-ruling law of cause and effect |
| khan[i]kah (tekke, tekkia) |
place for group practice, where Sufis live, a house or center, a shrine with live-ins. |
| Lahut | In Sufi terms, there are five stages of consciousness: Nasut, Malakut, Jabarut, Lahut, Hahut. |
| makam | level of being: saint, master, prophet, talib |
| Malakut | the “central field of activity” of the Master’s Presence. |
| mind-mesh | the garbs and covers under which the One Life is hidden |
| nafs-nufs | identification with the limited self |
| nasut | In Sufi terms, there are five stages of consciousness: Nasut, Malakut, Jabarut, Lahut, Hahut. |
| Nur | Universal Light which touches every part of the universe, divine light |
| Rasul | Messenger of God, Avatar |
| Ruhaniat | Way or Path of the Breath. “Ruh” is spirit or breath of God; “niat”, vow or intention (root is likely “niyah”); offering breath, prayers up to God with a sincere heart. |
| Samadhi | Union, the highest stage of meditation, in which individual awareness has been completely absorbed in the cosmic consciousness. |
| Sahib-i-dil | the illuminated hearts, who possess divine power within them |
| Salik | a person who believes that he can be a sage and at the same time follow his worldly occupation |
| Saum | Daily Prayer |
| Shaghal | Practice to develop control of senses, enhance mystical perception |
| Sifat-i-Allah | Names of God |
| Spirit of guidance | The Divine Mind |
| Talib | student (mureed, murid) |
| tajaali | divine manifestation (theophany) |
| Wazifa | Sufi mantra, symbols of primal sound; wasaif, plural of |
| Zikr (Zikar, Dhikr) | Literally, rememberance; Sufi chanting |
Darood is when one recites one of the Sifat-i-Allah (Attributes of God, 99 Beautiful Names) on the breath. And when one carries the Darood, one is also trying to live the blessing of that attribute. The word actually comes from Parsi (durud) which means prayerfulness, when approaching the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad, or any Prophet for that matter.
Fikr is the Zikr on the breath. There are no attributes only the refined thought reflection of unity while repeating of La ‘llah ha, ‘lla Allah Hu (There is no reality except in the One Divine Being who is the composite of all Attributes).
La Illaha illa ‘llah [Hu]
“On the breath”, silent, forming no words by the mouth, but rather forming the essence in the mind realm. Then, Fikr-as-sirr, i.e., Fikr as mystery or secret of God, takes it to the Spiritual Realm where one is beyond thought form.
The Urouj breath is the inhalation and therefore considered necessary and essential for every teacher as it is the building and beginning of energy which the teacher gives in guiding a students path.
The Nasoul is the outgoing breath and is the state of absorbing which describes the students state while looking for the path. Although we know the breath moves back and forth between teacher and student the state of consciousness is all important and therefore declares what principle are operating.
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In the language of the Sufis, the rising Sun is jelal (active), the noonday sun is kemal (balanced), and the setting sun is jemal (reactive).