A -

ab - Farsi آب āb: water, river; sparkle, luster, elegance; dignity. (in some previous publications as aab)  (fjs1, jtp1)

ab-i hayat - Farsi/Arabic اب حياة āb-i hayāt: water of life, immortality, fountain of life, inspired knowledge.  (fjs1,jtp1)

Abul Ala - Arabic: Syrian-born poet and philosopher Abū al-'Alā Ma'ārī (927-1057).

acharya - Sanskrit ācārya: 'knowing the rules', spiritual guide; a title suffixed to the name of a learned person, such as Shankaracharya.  (mw131)

adhikar - Sanskrit adhi-kāra: authority, privilege, right. (mw20)

advaita - Sanskrit advaita: 'no duality', without duality; sole, unique; oneness of spirit and matter, oneness of the supreme soul (paramātman) with the human soul (jivātman). The philosophy that everything is God, that there is nothing other than God.  (mw19)

The aim of all religions and philosophies is the understanding and the realization of unity. The Vedanta philosophy teaches advaita: there is no such thing as 'two'; the whole is one and the same being. In the Bible it is said, 'I and my Father are one,' which means unity...

          from The Sufi Message, Volume VII, Self-Realization

ahamkara - Sanskrit ahaṃ-kāra:  self-consciousness, sense of self, concept of individuality, ego-attachment; pride, egotism; arrogance, haughtiness; conceit. (in some previous publications as ahankar)  (mw124, rsm71)

ahriman - Farsi اهرمن ahriman: seducer, demon, devil; the principle of evil; that which is opposed to the principle of good. (fjs124)

Ahura Mazda - Avestan (ancient Persian) ahura-mazda: ' Lord Wisdom', Wise Lord. The supreme God in the ancient Persian monotheistic religious system taught by Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) sometime around 1000 BC.  Ahura Mazda is said to be the beginning and the end, the creator of everything which can and cannot be seen, the Eternal, the Pure and the only Truth. Also referred to as Ormuzd.  (see also ahriman)   (the Farsi term yazdān also refers to God)  

akasha - Sanskrit ākāśa: free or open space, openness; sky, atmosphere. Esoterically referred to as 'accommodation'  or 'capacity'  (a place for something to exist),  and the word 'scope' is often used to describe the vast opportunity provided by the akasha.   (mw126)

To make a place is to make an Akasha ... When you make yourself an Akasha for God to be enshrined in, that is the only purpose for which this body was made. It was made that God might take charge of it, might be awakened in this body. By doing this one fulfills that purpose, one opens this place for God, one makes it the places for God, and says, 'Now You be enshrined in this place; it belongs to You, You made it.'

            from Sangatha II, by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

The word capacity refers to the unconfined basis for experience, as in the moment just before something takes place. ... The analogy for this is a bright mirror, a readiness for experience to unfold without any preconception whatsoever.

       from Samten Gyatso, as recalled by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Buddhadharma Fall 2005
 

akbar - Arabic ﺍﻛﺒﺮ akbar: greater, greatest in estimation, rank or dignity; older, senior-ranking. (see also Allahu Akbar) Also, Akbar was a great Mogul emperor of India (1542-1605 AD). From the Arabic root k-b-r meaning to be great, large, famous; to gain in significance, become important;  to exceed in age, be older; to become too great, burdensome. (hw948, ao476, ewl2587) 

akhlaq - Arabic ﺍﺧﻼﻖ akhlāq (plural of khulq): manners, disposition; morals, ethics, virtues. (hw299, fjs26, jtp30)

akhlaq-i Allah -  Arabic/Farsi  Akhlāq-i Allah means the manner of God, or Divine Manner. 

aladdin - Arabic علاء الدين alā'-ud-din :  nobility of faith. alā' = noble, high standing, high ranking. (also written as alaoddin, alauddin)  (hw749)

al-hamdulillah - Arabic al-hamdulillāh: Common translations include: All praise is for Allāh,  All praise is to Allāh. This phrase is made of five parts: al = the; hamd = praise, commendation, or extolling the virtues of; u = a suffix denoting that hamd is the subject of the sentence; li = to, for, unto, on account of; and llāh = Allāh. (also see the Arabic Devotional Terms web page for more phrases)  (hw238, jtp481)

al-kimia - Arabic al-kīmiyā': chemistry; alchemy; the philosopher's stone. (possibly from Greek xhmia)  (hw997, fjs1070, jtp890)

alam-i mithal - Arabic 'ālam-i mithāl:  the world of visions, world of dreams, world of ideals.  (fjs1172)

Allah - Arabic ﷲ allāh: the Arabic proper name for the Supreme Deity. The exact derivation of this word is unclear, but it is likely related to the Aramaic Alaha and to the ancient Hebrew El. (Note that the name 'God' is a relatively new, and perhaps unfortunate, European invention that has been the source of much misunderstanding and disagreement.)

Allahu akbar - Arabic allāhu akbar:  Commonly translated as: Allāh is Greater, Allāh is Great, or Allāh is Most Great.  This phrase is made of three parts: Allāh = the Supreme Deity; u = a suffix denoting that Allāh is the subject of the phrase; and akbar = greater, greatest in estimation, rank or dignity; older, senior-ranking.  This phrase is called Takbīr. (hw948, ao476, ewl2587)

ammara - Arabic امارة ammāra (feminine of ammār): commanding, ordering,  domineering, headstrong. This term is often used to describe the carnal, sensuous aspect of the nafs. (used in the Qur'an 12:53)  (fjs97, jtp79, hw34)

amin - Arabic آمين āmīn: in this we trust, in this we have faith; amen; be it so. From the Arabic root a-m-n meaning to be faithful, reliable, trustworthy; to reassure, safeguard, guarantee. (hw36, ao34)

amr - Arabic امر amr: command, order, decree; power, authority; affair, concern, transaction; event, occurrence, act; fact, circumstance. The phrase Amr-i Allah could be translated as command of Allah, or act of Allah.  (hw33, fjs99, jtp81)

anfas - Arabic انفاس anfās (plural of nafas): breaths, respirations; voices, words. (hw1156m jtp93)

anvar -  Arabic انوار anwār (plural of nūr), Farsi anvār : lights, gleamings, rays of light.   (hw1183, fjs116, jtp99)

anzar - Arabic انظار anzār (plural of nazar): visions, sightings; glances; perceptions, insights. (hw1144, fjs111)

apsara - Sanskrit apsaras or apsarā: 'between the waters and the clouds', a class of female divinities who inhabit the sky, heavenly nymphs, fond of water, the wives of the Gandharvas. They change their shape at will, and are said to dance (and/or sing) for Indra. (in some previous publications as Upsara)  (mw59)

aqibat - Arabic ءاقبة 'āqibah, Farsi 'āqibat: end, termination, conclusion, outcome, consequence; coming after, recompense, reward, future life.     (hw733, fjs830, jtp757)

arsh - Arabic عرش 'arsh: throne, throne of God; a place of abiding; palace, citadel; buttress, support. (hw704, fjs842)

artha - Sanskrit artha: aim, purpose; cause, motive; wanting, needing; wealth, property. (mw90)

ashiq - Arabic عاشق 'āshiq ( from the root 'ishq):  lover, fancier, fan, sweet-heart; one filled with divine love.    (hw719, fjs830)

ashraf - Arabic اشراف ashrāf (plural of sharīf): distinguished, eminent, noble, high-bred, honorable, honest.  (hw545)

asman - Farsi آسمان āsmān: heaven; sky, the celestial orb, the canopy of heaven. In esoteric terms, this is often used much the same as the Sanskrit akasha, to describe capacity or accommodation (see akasha). (fjs60, jtp53)

asrar - Arabic اسر asrār (plural of sirr): secrets, mysteries, something concealed; secret thoughts, innermost thoughts, or, as E. W. Lane variously put it: private knowledge; something inserted in the interior; a pleasure, or delight, and dilation of the heart, of which there is no external sign.  (hw471, fjs57, ewl1337)

asrar ul-anasir - Arabic اسرار العناصر  asrār ul-'anāsir: from asrār (plural of sirr) meaning secrets, mysteries, u indicating that asrār is the subject of the phrase, al meaning the, 'anāsir (plural of 'unsur) meaning elements, constituents:  secrets of the elements.  (hw471,760, fjs57, 868)

asura - Sanskrit asura: spiritual, divine; supreme spirit; evil spirit, demon.  (mw121,  rsm69)

asvara - Sanskrit asvara: not loud, indistinct; in a low tone. (in some previous publications as Asura) (mw124)

atish - Farsi آتش ātish: fire, light; fire of love, passion; splendor  (in some previous publications as atesh)  (fjs13, jtp16)

atman, atma - Sanskrit   ātman: singular masculine ātmā: the breath; essence, nature, character; understanding, intellect; the soul, individual soul; the highest personal principle of existence. Prefixes are often used to help clarify the meaning, such as jīvātman (living, personal soul), mahātman (great soul), paramātman (supreme spirit).    (hw135)

In the Vedanta the soul is called by three names which denote its three aspects, Atma, Mahatma, Paramatma. Atma is the soul conscious of the life on the surface, Mahatma is the soul conscious as well of the life within, Paramatma is the consciousness that is the soul of souls, conscious of the Absolute within and without, the God of the knower, the Lord of the seer.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Manifestation
 

Avicenna -  Avicenna: a Latinized version of the name ibn Sīnā (980-1037 AD), a great Persian mystic, physician, philosopher and scientist.

Avicenna, the great physician of ancient times, on whose discoveries medieval science was based, was a Sufi who used to sit in meditation, and by intuition he used to write prescriptions.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume IV, Health
 

avatar - Sanskrit avatāra:  incarnation, appearance of a deity on earth, any new unexpected appearance; descent, descent of a higher consciousness, descent of a deity from heaven.   (mw99, jtp102)

avidya - Sanskrit a-vidyā: 'not-knowing', ignorance, false understanding, spiritual ignorance. (mw108, rsm64)

azam - Arabic ﺍﻋﻈﻢ a'zam: greater, bigger, paramount, supreme, most important. (see also ism-i azam)  (hw729, fjs75, jtp60)

B -

bad - Farsi باد bād (from Sanskrit vāta) : air, wind, breeze; breath, name of an angel presiding over the winds.  (in some previous publications as baad)  (fjs137, jtp118)

bad - Farsi بد bad: naughty, bad; wicked, evil.    (fjs160, jtp138)

banda - Farsi بنده banda (from Sanskrit bandha): bound, fastened, restrained; servant, slave.    (fjs202, jtp170)

bandagi - Farsi bandagī: slavery, bondage, servitude; service; devotion, adoration, worship, praise; compliment, salutation; humility, lowliness; or, as an intj. My service to you! good-bye! thank you!   (fjs202, jtp169)

baqa - Arabic بقاء baqā': remaining, staying, lingering, abiding; continuation of existence; immortality, permanence. (hw84)

The ideal perfection, called Baqa by Sufis, is termed 'Najat' in Islam, 'Nirvana' in Buddhism, 'Salvation' in Christianity, and 'Mukhti' in Hinduism. This is the highest condition attainable, and all ancient prophets and sages experienced it, and taught it to the world.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Spiritual Liberty
 

baqi bi-Allah - Arabic bāqī bi allāh:  bāqī = everlasting, eternal, immortal; bi= by means of, through, from; pemanence from Allah, eternal existence in Allah. (ao60)

basarat - Arabic بصارة  basāra, Farsi basārat: perception, discernment.  (hw75, fjs190)

basir - Arabic بصير basīr: seeing, having eyesight; discerning, knowledgeable; having insight; acutely aware. The name al-Basir refers to Allah as the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Perceiving. (also see basīr in the 99 Names of Allah)  (hw75)

bast - Arabic bast: spreading, extending, expanding, unfolding. (the opposite of kabs)   (hw72)

batin - Arabic bātin: inner, interior; secret, hidden, concealed.  (Bātin is pronounced baatin, while a similar word batīn, pronounced bateen, means fat, corpulent, gluttonous.... quite a difference!)   (also see bātin in the 99 Names of Allah)  (hw79)

ba-yaki - Farsi ba-yakī: ba=with, by, through, yaki=oneness, unity.  (fjs135, 1535)

bayat - Arabic bai'at: profession of loyalty, oath of allegiance; initiation as a disciple of a religious guide.   (hw105, jtp210)

Devotion requires an ideal, and the ideal of the Sufis is the God-ideal. They attain to this ideal by a gradual process. They first take bayat, initiation, from the hand of one whose presence gives them confidence that he will be a worthy counselor in life and a guide on the path as yet untrodden...

         from The Sufi Message, Volume X, The Different Steps
 

Bayazid - Bayazid: Bayazid Bastami (777-874 AD) Sufi saint and mystic from Bastam in eastern Persia (Iran). A prayer from Bayazid:

Oh, Allah, how long will this 'you' and 'I' remain between You and I,
        Take this 'I' from me so all that remains is 'You'.
 

baz - Arabic bāz: hawk, falcon, eagle. In esoteric terms, one who soars above, a wayfarer of the heavens.  (hw100, fjs144, jtp121)

Bhagavad-Gita - Sanskrit bhagavad-gītā;  Song of the Blessed One, Song of Krishna, Celestial Song. A mystical poem (part of the Mahabharata) in which Lord Krishna summarizes the great Vedic teachings for Arjuna. Often simply referred to as the Gītā.  (mw744)

bhakti - Sanskrit bhakti: attachment, trust; homage, devotion, worship. (mw743)

bhandara - Hindi भण्डारा bhandārā: a meal for the holy ones; a feast of the sanyāsīs.  (jtp192, rsm755)

bhavasagara - Sanskrit bhava-sāgara: 'ocean of worldly existence', sea of worldly life.   (mw749)

bi-charagi - Farsi بیچارگی  bī-chāragī; bī = without, chāra = remedy; helplessness, inability, incapacity  (in some previous publications as vecharagi, becharagi, becharegi)  (fjs216)

bismillah - Arabic bismillāh: Commonly translated as: In the name of Allah. A phrase made of the following: bi = with, to for, in, through; ism = a distinguishing mark, name, light, vibration, essence; llāh = Allāh.  (also see the bismillah web page for more insights)                 

bodhi - Sanskrit bodhi: perfect knowledge, wisdom; enlightened intellect, learned, wise. (mw734)

bodhisattva - Sanskrit bodhisattva: one who is on the way to perfect knowledge, a Buddha-to-be, one whose essence is perfect knowledge. Derived from bodhi meaning perfect knowledge or enlightened; and sattva meaning essence or true essence. The Spirit of Guidance. (in some previous publications as Bodhisatva)   (mw734)

Brahma - Sanskrit brahma: the personal creator; one the triad of personal gods (Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Maintainer, Shiva the Destroyer). (see also Vishnu and Shiva below)  (mw738)

Brahmachari - Sanskrit brahma-cari: student of sacred study; one who observes the vows of sense-control; the first of the four stages of spiritual life.

Brahman - Sanskrit brahman; literally, growth, evolution, swelling of the spirit; the Self-Existent, Absolute, Eternal.  (mw737)

brahmin - Sanskrit brahmin: belonging to Brahma; knower of Brahma, possessing sacred knowledge; a member of the Hindu priestly caste.  (mw741)

buddhi - Hindi budh: Sanskrit buddhi: reason, discernment, the power of forming and retaining conceptions; perception, comprehension, understanding, thought, opinion, reflection. (in some previous publications as Buddh)  (mw733, jtp141)

buddha - Sanskrit buddha: awake, awakened, conscious, enlightened one. Generally used to refer to Siddhārtha Gautama (c. 560 BC), who is also known as Shakya Muni (sage of the Shakya clan) or Buddha. (mw733)

Bullah Shah - Abdullah Shah (1680-1758 AD) Sufi poet and Qawwali, born near Bahawalpur, Pakistan. His message was one of truth, love and compassion. The tomb of Bullah Shah is in Qasur, Pakistan.  (often written as Bulleh Shah)

You alone exist; I do not, O Beloved!
You alone exist, I do not! Like the shadow of a house in ruins,
I revolve in my own mind.
If I speak, you speak with me:
If I am silent, you are in my mind.
If I sleep, you sleep with me:
If I walk, you are along my path.
Oh Bulleh, the spouse has come to my house:
My life is a sacrifice unto Him.
You alone exist; I do not, O Beloved!
 

buraq - Arabic burāq: the donkey-like creature upon which Muhammad is said to have ascended one night from Jerusalem to heaven and then returned to Mecca. (see also miraj)  (hw67, fjs168, jtp144)

buzurg - Farsi buzurg:  great, venerable, noble; elder, aged; wise man, holy man, saint, sage.    (jtp153)

C -

chaitanya - Sanskrit caitanya: consciousness, intelligence; soul, spirit; the Soul.   (mw402)

chakra - Sanskrit cakra: wheel; discus or sharp circular weapon; circle, ring; mystical circle or diagram; circular energy centers of the body.  (mw380, jtp435)

chela - Hindi celā: (feminine celī): servant, attendant; pupil, disciple, follower. (possibly derived from Sanskrit ceta, meaning servant, slave)   (jtp471, rsm329)

cherag - Farsi chirāgh, charāgh:  lamp, light; guide, director. The term cherag is also used to refer to one who is ordained in the work of the Universal Worship of the Sufi Movement. (also see  sirāj below, and see Universal Worship below)   (fjs389, jtp428)

The work of a cherag is to help a person to live...  

             from Addresses to Cherags, by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

Chishti -  The Chishti Sufi Order was founded (c 900 AD) in the city of Chisht (a small town near Herat, Afghanistan) by Abu Ishaq Shami whose teacher sent him from Syria to spread the Sufi message. The Chishti Order is one of the oldest Sufi orders currently existing, and often makes great use of sound and music in its practices.

After receiving instruction in the five different grades of Sufism, the physical, intellectual, mental, moral, and spiritual, I went through a course of training in the four schools: the Chishti, Naqshibandi, Qadiri, and Suhrawardi. I still recall this period, under the guidance of so great and merciful a Murshid, as the most beautiful time of my life.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume XII, My Initiation in Sufism  
 

D -

dakhl dar maqulat - Farsi/Urdu dakhl dar ma'qūlāt: 'intrusion into intellectual matters', interference, interruption. (in some previous publications as dakhl dar makulat)  (jtp507)

daya - Sanskrit dayā: sympathy, compassion, pity; mercy, clemency; kindness.  (mw469, rsm479)

dervish - Farsi ﺩﺭﻭ ﻳﺶ darvesh: poor, indigent, beggar, religious mendicant. (in some previous publications as  darwish)  (fjs516, jtp514)

deva - Sanskrit deva: (female devī)  heavenly, divine; a deity, god; a god on earth, divine being. From the Sanskrit root div which means light; brightness; sky, heaven.  (mw492, jtp558, mw478)

dharma - Sanskrit dharma: duty; that which is held fast; conduct; established decree; virtue, morality, good works; religion; ethical precepts, sacred duty. From the ancient root dhri meaning to bring forth; hold, carry, bear, support. It is said that the ultimate meaning of dharma is to be in total harmony with Life, allowing the Divine Essence and Divine Will to flow through one's thoughts and actions, and consciously allowing one's own dharma to be in full accord with the Divine Dharma (rta-dharma). (dharma is written as dhamma in Pali.)  (mw510, mw519, jtp542)

In Sanskrit religion is called Dharma, which literally means duty. To give a definition of what religion is one can say that it is an unswerving progress towards the ideal.

              from The Sufi Message, Volume XI, Ideal

The divine life has a certain capability to give life, and it gives this life as teaching to the children of earth, and this teaching is called Dharma, religion. Religions are many and different from one another, but only in form, for water is one and the same element, and formless, only it takes the shape of the channel which holds it and which it uses for its accommodation; and so the name water is changed into river, lake, sea, stream, pond, etc. So it is with religion; the essential truth is one.

             from Religious Gatheka 3, Religion,  by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

When man has risen to the stage of development where he can be the perfect instrument of God, when nothing of his own being stands in the way of the direct impulse that comes from within -- that spirit may be called perfect. That which is most precious, that which is the purpose of man's life is to arrive at that state of perfection when he can be the perfect instrument of God.

              from The Sufi Message, Volume XIV, Divine Impulse   
 

dhikr - Arabic ﺫﻜﺭ dhikr: recollection, remembrance, reminiscence, commemoration; mentioning, speaking of; mention of the Lord's name; invocation of Allah. (also see zikr)  (hw358)

dholak - Hindi ढोलक dholak:  a small drum.     (jtp573, rsm430)

dil - Farsi ﺩﻞ dil: heart, soul; mind; valor; the center.  (see also qalbi)  (fjs530, jtp522)

din (deen) - Arabic ﺩﻳﻦ dīn: creed, belief, religion. It is said that there is only one dīn; that which is the natural, intended, proper manner of life, acting in harmony with the will of the Creator and thereby in harmony with all of creation. The classical Arabic root d-y-n signifies that which is obedient, abased, submissive; doing service for; acting well towards; and also signifies receiving a loan, being indebted, repaying a debt. Thus dīn signifies repaying our debt to our Creator through humble submission and loving service. To do so, it is a common Sufi practice to strive to be like a perfect mirror, reflecting all of the magnificence and glory back to the Beloved and into this world, illuminating any darkness. Hazrat 'Ali said 'The love of the wise is a religion (dīn) with which Allah is served.' (Note that Arabic dīn is essentially identical in meaning to Sanskrit dharma)  (hw353, jtp558, ewl942)

dipak - Sanskrit  दीपक dīpaka: kindling, inflaming; illuminating, lighting. (mw481)

dua - Arabic ﺩﻋﺎء du'ā':  prayer, request, plea; supplication (to God); an invocation of good, a blessing, benediction; wish; congratulation, salutation.  (in some previous publications as do'a)   (hw327 ,fjs527 , jtp518)

dunya - Arabic ﺩﻨﻳﺎ dunyā: literally 'nearest', the present world, the present life or state of existence; the people of this world, people; a whole world, a multitude; worldly enjoyments, temporal possessions.   (hw340, fjs539, jtp529)

dvija - Sanskrit dvi-jā:  twice born.     (in some previous publications as duija)   (mw504)

E -

etekad - Arabic اعتقاد i'tiqād: trust, dependence, faith, confidence, belief. (verbal noun from root '-q-d: to put together, join) (hw735, fjs73)

F -

fana - Arabic ﻓﻨاء fanā': passing away, cessation; destruction, annihilation; vanishing, extinction; nonexistence; obliteration of the self (ego). (hw854)

fana-fi-Shaikh, fana-fi-Rasul, fana-fi-Allah - Arabic: fanā'= passing away, cessation; destruction, annihilation; fī = in, into, among, together with.

[The Sufi's] aim in life is to release the captive soul from the bondage of limitations, which he accomplishes by the repetition of the sacred names of God, and by constant thought of his divine ideal, and an ever-increasing love for the divine Beloved until the beloved God with His perfection becomes manifest to his vision, and his imperfect self vanishes from his sight.

This he calls Fanā, the merging in the ideal. In order to attain the final goal he gradually raises his ideal, first to Fanā-fī-Shaikh, the ideal seen in a mortal walking on the earth, and he drills himself as a soldier before battle in devotion to his ideal.

Then comes Fanā-fī-Rasūl, when he sees his ideal in spirit, and pictures Him in all sublimity, and fashions Him with beautiful qualities, which he wishes to obtain himself. And after this he raises it to Fanā-fī-Allāh, the love and devotion for that ideal which is beyond qualities and in which is the perfection of all qualities.

           from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Sufism 
 

faqir - Arabic فقير faqīr: poor, needy; beggar; ascetic, dervish, itinerant monk, one living on whatever is given.  (in some previous publications as Fakir)  (hw846, fjs935)

fazil - Arabicفاضل fazīl: outstanding, excellent, eminent, first-rate; admirable, virtuous; distinguished, deserving; exceeding, being over and above; abundant, in excess. From the Arabic root f-z-l meaning to have a remainder, have over-abundance; to exceed, surpass; to be excellent, superior, exquisite; to ascend beyond. (hw840, fjs932, jtp782, ewl2411)

fikr - Arabic fikr: thinking, cognition, reflection, meditation, contemplation. (hw848)

firishta - Farsi firishta: an angel, a messenger, an apostle. The phrase Firishta Khaslat means angelic character.  (in some previous publications as Farishta)  (fjs919)

Firdausi - Persian poet Abu al Kasim Mansur used the pen name Firdausī (934-1020). After Persia had been under Arab control for many years, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna was concerned that the Persian history would be lost, so he commissioned Firdausī  to write the 60,000 verse epic poem Shāh nāma (Book of Kings) recording the deeds of legendary Persian kings and heroes, which is considered to be the first modern Persian literature. (Also written as Firdawsi or Firdousi)

G -

gandharva - Sanskrit gandharva: heavenly guardian of the Soma. The Gandharvas are the husbands of the Apsarasas in Indra's heaven; they make known the divine secrets, and are responsible for ecstatic states. Gandharvas are known as the heavenly singers or celestial musicians.  (mw346)

Ganga -   Sanskrit gangā: literally swift-mover; the sacred river Ganges (India). In Hindu mythology it is said that the Goddess Gangā descended to the Earth in the form of a River to help alleviate the suffering of humanity. (mw341, jtp919)

gardish - Farsi gardish: turning round, revolving, conversion, motion; turn, change; a bend; vicissitude; reversion; adverse fortune; wandering about, vagrancy.  (fjs1080, jtp903) 

garm - Farsi garm: hot, glowing, burning; ardent, zealous, excited, active, lively. (fjs1084, jtp904)

gatha - Sanskrit gātha: a song; a verse, stanza.  (mw352)

Gautama -  Siddhārtha Gautama, known as Buddha. Siddhārtha's mother died shortly after his birth, and her younger sister, Gautami, raised the young prince, who was then called Siddhārtha Gautama.  (see Buddha)

gayan - Sanskrit  gāyana: a singer, a praiser, a talker. The name of a volume of aphorisms and poetry written by Hazrat Inayat Khan. (mw352)

gayatri - Sanskrit gāyatr: song, hymn; a hymn composed in the gāyatrī meter. The Gayatri mantra from the Rig Veda is perhaps the most well known, yet there are also Gayatri mantras to many other deities such as Shiva, Durga, Agni, etc. (also see the Gayatri page)  (mw352, jtp894)

ghaib - Arabic ghaib: hidden, unseen, concealed, invisible. (in some previous publications as ghayb) (hw806)

ghairat - Arabic غيرة ghaira, Farsi ghairat:  jealousy, to guard jealously; care of what is sacred or inviolable; a sense of honor; courage.  (hw807, fjs901, jtp774)

Ghalib - Arabic ghālib: dominant, overpowering; triumphant, victorious. Famous poet Mizra Asadullah Beg Khan Ghalib (1797-1869 AD) who wrote in Urdu and Farsi, a master of the ghazal form, court poet for Bahadur Shah Zafar.   (hw796, fjs879)

ghar-i hira - Arabic ghār-i hirā': literally 'cave of inquiry'. The name of the mountain cave northeast of Mecca where the angel Gabriel first began to recite the Qur'ān to Muhammad. From ghār meaning cave, cavern, den; and hirā' meaning seeking, inquiry, investigation.  (in some previous publications as Gar-i Hira)  (hw804 and 202, jtp768, fjs414)

There is a still greater and deeper experience: when a person is in a wilderness, near rocks in the desert, where there is no sound even of birds or beasts, when there is absolute silence. In the East, did not all the prophets from the time of Abraham, Moses, David, and in the time of Christ and Muhammad, all the prophets of the Old Testament and the New, and of the Qur'an, receive their inspiration from the same source? The history of Moses on Mount Sinai, the Prophet of Nazareth in the wilderness, the Prophet Muhammad on Ghar-i Hira, did they not all drink from the silent life?

            from The Sufi Message, Volume VII, Silent Life
 

ghauth - Arabic ghauth: call for help; helper; one who aids, delivers from difficulty, removes trouble or affliction.  (hw804, ewl2306)

Ghazali - Arabic غزال ghazāl: gazelle; rising sun; the name of a Persian village in Tūs (where al-Ghazālī was born). Persian mystic, writer, jurist, theologian Abu Hamīd Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazālī  (1058 - 1111 AD).  (sometimes written al-Ghazzali)   (hw788, fjs887)

ghilman - Arabic غلمان ghilmān (plural of ghulām): servants, pages, waiters; lads, youths.   (hw798, fjs893)

ghiza - Arabic ﻏﺬﺎﺀ  ghidha': Farsi/Urdu ghiza: food, diet, provision, victuals; aliment, nutriment.        (hw781, fjs882, jtp769)

Music is called Ghiza-i-ruh, the food of the soul, by Sufis. Music being the most divine art elevates the soul to the higher spirit; music itself being unseen soon reaches the unseen; just as only the diamond can break the diamond, so musical vibrations are used to make the physical and mental vibrations inactive, in order that the Sufi may be elevated to the spiritual spheres.

            from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Spiritual Liberty
 

gita - Sanskrit gītā: song, sacred song or poem, sacred doctrines in metrical form. (see also Bhagavad-Gita)    (mw356, jtp942)

githa - Sanskrit gīthā: a song. The name given to a series of privately circulated esoteric papers by Hazrat Inayat Khan (which are generally given by a teacher when the student is ready)

gopi - Sanskrit go-pī:  female cowherd, cowherdess (especially applied to the companions of the playful juvenile Krishna); wife of a cowherd; milk-maid, dairy-maid; protectress, female guardian.  (mw368, jtp922)

grihasta - Sanskrit grha-stha: living in a house, householder. The second of four phases of life, in which one is a householder, raising a family.  (in some previous publications as gruhasta)

guna - Sanskrit guņa:  a quality, attribute or characteristic. The character of each being is described by three gunas: sattva (purity), rajas (passion) and tamas (lack of understanding). (mw357, jtp915)

gunbad - Farsi gunbad, gunbaz: arch, vault, cupola, dome, tower; an arched gateway; a triumphal arch; bud of a flower; a cup. (in some previous publications as gunbad)  (fjs1098, jtp916) 

guru - Sanskrit guru: heavy, weighty, large, great; important, serious; valuable, prized; venerable, honorable, respected; honorific appellation of a spiritual guide; a spiritual guide. (mw359, jtp905)

H -

habib - Arabic حبيب  habīb: friend; beloved, sweetheart, lover; darling; dear one. From the Arabic root h-b-b meaning to evoke love or liking; to endear; to make lovable, dear, attractive; to show affection. (hw179)

Hafiz - Arabic حافظ hāfiz: keeper, guardian, preserver, caretaker.  The great Sufi poet, Shamsuddin Muhammad Hāfiz, born in the early 1300's in Shiraz (Iran).   (hw222, fjs408)

hairat - Arabic haira, Farsi hairat: amazement, astonishment; bewilderment, confusion, perplexity; wavering (between two things).  (hw258, fjs435, jtp483)

hajj - Arabic حخ hajj: setting out, going towards, pilgrimage, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. (hw184)

hal - Arabic حال hāl: (plural ahwāl) state, mood, attitude, circumstances, condition. Mystics often use the term hāl, or al-hāl, to refer to the state of ecstasy.  From the Arabic root h-w-l meaning to change, undergo a transformation; to shift, grow, pass by.  (hw252, fjs408)

halal - Arabic حلال halāl: being legal, a lawful thing; the opposite of haram;  sanctioned by Islamic law; suitable for food, lawful to eat   (hw232, fjs427, jtp480)

halqa - Arabic halqa: a circle, a ring, hoop; assembly of people; a fraternity.   (in some previous publications as halka) (hw235, fjs428, jtp481)

hama man am - Farsi hama man am: literally "all I am"; everything is me. The esoteric meaning is that God is all, and all is God. (in some previous publications as humamanarn)   (fjs1512, fjs1316, fjs96)

Christ said, 'I and the Father are one'. That does not mean that Christ laid claim to Godhood for His own person. It is what the dervishes call 'Hama man am', which means all is He and He is all. There is not an atom in the universe that He is not. We must recognize Him, we must respect Him in every face, even in the face of our enemy...

            from The Sufi Message, Volume VI, Struggle of Life
 

hamd - Arabic hamd:  praise, commendation.  (see also al-Hamdulillah above)  (hw238)

hamin ost - Farsi ham-īn ost: literally "even this He is" or "likewise this He is". The esoteric meaning is that God is all, and all is God. The same idea is also commonly written as hama ost, meaning everything is He, each is He, or all is He. (in some previous publications as naminaust)  (also see hama man am )  (fjs1507, fjs132, fjs120, jtp1236)

hamsa - Sanskrit haṃsa: swan, flamingo, goose, a bird of passage; a person of exceptional qualities; spiritual preceptor; soul or spirit.  (also transliterated hansa)  (mw1286)

haqiqat - Arabic haqīqat: (plural haqā'iq) true state of affairs, true nature, essential quality, essence; spiritual truth (which is unchangeable and unchanging).  (also see Marifat)   (hw224, fjs426)

haqq - Arabic haqq: truth, rightness, correctness; authentic, real, right; due share, what ought to be; al-Haqq is one of the beautiful names of Allāh: The Truth, The Reality. (also see al-Haqq in the 99 names of Allah)  (in some previous publications as haq or hakk)  (hw224, jtp479)

haram - Arabic harām: unlawful, forbidden, prohibited; wrong-doing; illegitimate.  (hw210, fjs414)

hatha - Sanskrit hatha: force, effort; obstinacy, persistence; inevitable necessity. (pronounced hot-ha)  (mw1287)

hauz-ul kausar - Arabic haud-u al kauthar, Farsi/Urdu hauz-u al kausar:  ocean of abundance, fountain of wine. (see also Kauthar)  (in some previous publications as Hauzu 'l Kausar)   (hw249, ao479)

haya - Arabic hayā': modesty, bashfulness; timidity, shyness; avoiding that which is distasteful or improper.   ( hw256, fjs434, jtp482)

Haya is the finest feeling in human nature,  which is called modesty.... Modesty is life itself; a life which is conscious of its beauty yet inclined to veil it in all its forms is modesty. At the same time modesty is the proof of sincerity and of prudence. The immodest man cries aloud, 'I am the light' and is finished in a moment. The diamond, shining in its light constantly, never says a word about its light... a modest person very often will not raise his voice, out of dignity; or say things, out of consideration and respect.

            from The Sufi Message, Volume XIII, Modesty
 

hayvanat - Arabic haiwān, plural haiwānāt, Farsi hayvānāt: living, life,: brutes: animal nature,  (As opposed to insānīyat which means human nature, humanness.)   (hw257, fjs436)

hayy - Arabic hayy: living, lively, animated, energetic; al-Hayy is one of the beautiful names of Allāh: The Ever-Living, The Everlasting. (also see al-Hayy in the 99 Names of Allah)  (hw256)

hazrat - Arabic hadrat, Farsi hazrat: presence, dignity, majesty; a title applied to a great person, similar to titles such as your Excellence, your Majesty, your Highness. (Hazrat is the typical Farsi/Urdu pronunciation of the Arabic hadrat.)  (fjs422, jtp478, hw215)

hijrat - Arabic hijrat: departure, exit, emigration, separation.  Hijrat Day: Inayat Khan departed from India, headed for America, on September 13, 1910.  (hw1194, fjs1490,  jtp1221)

hosh bar dam - Farsi  hosh bar dam:  thinking of breath, attention upon breath.  (hosh = understanding, mind, attention, thinking; bar = with, upon, into; dam = breath, vitality, life-force)  (in some previous publications as hosh ba dam, or hosh bar dum)   (fjs1518,166,534,  jtp1241,143,525)

hu - Arabic (formal) huwa or (common) hū:  he, it; the Arabic third person personal pronoun; often used to refer to Allāh; also considered to be a mystical sound, often used in chants such as 'Hū Allāh' or simply 'Hū'.  (hw1215, ao596, jtp1239)

This sound Hu is the beginning and the end of all sounds, be they from man, bird, beast, or thing...

The Supreme Being has been called by various names in different languages, but the mystics have known him as Hu, the natural name, not man-made, the only name of the Nameless, which all nature constantly proclaims. The sound Hu is most sacred; the mystics call Ism-i Azam, the name of the Most High, for it is the origin and end of every sound as well as the background of each word. The word Hu is the spirit of all sounds and of all words, and is hidden within them all, as the spirit in the body. It does not belong to any language, but no language can help belonging to it. This alone is the true name of God, a name that no people and no religion can claim as their own.

            from The Sufi Message, Volume II, Abstract Sound
 

hu - Sanskrit hu: to worship, honor, make a sacrifice to (especially to pour butter into the fire); to offer oblation.  (mw1300)

hu - Sanskrit hū: to call upon, invoke, summon; call by name. (The Sanskrit hu is thought to be the root of the modern word 'God')  (mw1301, jtp1239)

hur - Arabic حور hūr, hūrīya, Farsi hūrī: houri, nymph, virgin of paradise. (hw247, fjs433, jtp482)

I --

ilm - Arabic  'ilm: knowledge, learning; information; perception, cognition. The Arabic root '-l-m means to know, have knowledge, be informed, be acquainted with, find out about.  (hw743)

ilham - Arabic ilhām: inspiration, divine revelation  From the Arabic root l-h-m meaning to devour, swallow up; to inspire.   (hw1033, fjs96, jtp78)

Inspiration is the inner light which reflects itself upon the heart of man; the purer the heart is from rust, like a clean mirror, the more clearly inspiration can be reflected in it. To receive inspirations clearly the heart should be prepared by proper training. A heart soiled with rust is never capable of receiving them. There are five kinds of inspiration:

          1. Ilhāmi 'Ilm -- inspiration of an artist and scientist
          2. Ilhāmi Husn -- inspiration of a musician and poet
          3. Ilhāmi 'Ishq -- inspiration of a devotee
          4. Ilhāmi Rūh -- inspiration of a mystic
          5. Ilhāmi Ghaib -- inspiration of a prophet

            from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Spiritual Liberty
 

iman - Arabic īmān: faith, belief; sincerity and firmness of belief. From the Arabic root a-m-n meaning to be faithful, reliable, trustworthy; to reassure, safeguard, guarantee. (hw36)

In an Eastern language there is a word which is very difficult to translate: iman. It is not exactly faith or belief; the nearest word one can find for it is conviction, a conviction that cannot be changed by anything, a conviction that does not come from outside. One always seeks for conviction, one asks, 'Will anybody convince me, will this thing convince me?' Nothing convinces, nobody convinces. Conviction is something that comes from one's own heart and it stands above faith and belief...

            from The Sufi Message, Volume XIV, Heart Quality
 

imam - Arabic imām: prayer leader; model, standard, criterion; that which is followed. From the Arabic root a-m-m meaning to go, to go see, to go to a place; to follow an example. (hw32)

inayat - Arabic  ﻋﻨﺎﻳﺔ 'ināyat: concern, care; grace; assistance, aid; guarding, preserving; careful, painstaking, meticulous; a gift, present, favor, bounty. From the Arabic root '-n-y meaning to be concerned; feel concern; take care of, tend to, look after, to devote one's attention.  (hw762, fjs869, jtp766)

inkisar - Arabic inkisār: being broken, shattered, broken open; repentant. In esoteric terms: the breaking of the ego; humility, selflessness.  (in some previous publications as enkesar or enkessar)  (hw968, fjs113, jtp94)

insan - Arabic insān: man, mankind, human being. From the Arabic root a-n-s meaning to be tame, companionable, friendly, sociable.  (hw39, fjs110, jtp92)

ishq - Arabic عشق  'ishq: love; passionate love; unconditional love that is oblivious to any shortcomings.  (also written as Ishq)  (in some previous publications as Ishk)  (hw719,  fjs850)

ishq Allah mabud Allah - Arabic عشق ﷲ معبود ﷲ 'ishq allāh ma'būd allāh: 'ishq = unconditional love; ma'būd = beloved, worshiped, adored. Literally, Allāh is Love, Allāh is Beloved. (also written as ishq Allah mabud Allah)   (hw719, hw686)

The Sufi in the East says to himself, 'Ishq Allah, Ma'bud Allah, which means 'God is Love, God is the Beloved', in other words it is God who is Love, Lover, and Beloved.

           from The Sufi Message, Volume XI, Love
 

ism - Arabic ism: (plural asmā') name, appellation, attribute. Based on the Arabic root (variously reported to be s-m-w or  a-s-m) which indicates the means by which something is distinguished, whether by use of an identifying mark, or by being raised up high so that it may be distinguished, and would include a word, name, reputation, light or vibration; all of which point toward the very essence of something, the inherent qualities and signs of the existence of something, the underlying reality of something.  (hw498, fjs59, jtp52)

ism-i azam - Farsi/Arabic ism-i a'zam: greatest name, ultimate word. (also see ism and azam)

There are also words, which no language can claim for its own. This is true of the word Ism-i Azam, which means the word of power. No one can claim this word as belonging to his language; it is a word, which belongs to no language... All other words have been derived from it, for Ism-i Azam is the spirit of all words; it is the root of all other words.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume XII, The Word
 

ism ur-rasm - Arabic ism u al-rasm: the philosophy of the word, the manner of the word, the doctrine of the word.  (also see ism and see rasm)

All down the ages the Yogis and seers of India have worshipped the Word-God, or Sound-God, and around that idea is centered all the mysticism of sound or utterance. Not alone among Hindus, but among the seers of the Semitic, the Hebraic, races the great importance of the word was recognized. The sacred Name, the sacred Word, were always esteemed in the Jewish religion. Also in Islam, that great religion whose mysticism the West is only beginning to discover, one finds the doctrine of Ism ur-rasm which translated is the 'doctrine of the mystical word'.

         from The Sufi Message, Volume II, Power of the Word
 

Islam - Arabic اسلام  islām: submission, resignation, reconciliation (to the will of Allah). From the Arabic root s-l-m meaning to be flawless, unimpaired, intact, sound, whole, complete; to have well-being; success. The Arabic word salam and the Hebrew shalom have arisen from the same ancient Semitic root. (hw497)
 

ittifaq - Arabic اتفاق ittifāq: agreeing, consenting; concord, harmony, congruence, accord; meeting one another. (in some previous publications as ettefaq)   (hw1272, fjs15)

J -

Jain - Jainism is an ancient religion, deeply rooted in India, that teaches that every living thing has an eternal soul, and thus the Jains practice harmlessness to avoid harm to any living creature. The Jains believe in religious tolerance, saying that no one view can fully express reality.

Jabril - Arabic jabrīl or jabra'īl: The angel Gabriel, archangel of the messengers. A compound word based on Arabic versions of the ancient Hebrew roots, variously interpreted as signifying: God is my Strength, God's Warrior, God's Might; the Arabic root j-b-r is based on the Hebrew g-b-r meaning mighty, strong, powerful, proud, warrior; and the Arabic 'īl is based on the Hebrew 'el, meaning the One God.  (in some previous publications as Jebrail or Jibra'il)  ( hw133)

jafr - Arabic jafr: parchment for writing; fortunetelling, the art of divination from written characters.  (hw151, fjs365, jtp382)

jalal - Arabic jalāl:  majesty, sublimity, splendor, glory, loftiness. (in some previous publications as jelal)  (hw152, ao100)

jam - Farsi jām: cup, chalice, goblet, drinking vessel; mirror.  (fjs350)

jam-i Jamshed - Farsi jām-i jamshīd: the cup of Jamshīd. The mirror-like reflecting cup of the mythical Persian king Jamshīd in which he saw the reflection of the events of the whole world, past, present or future.  (Also called jām-i jamshed or simply jām-i jam)  (in some previous publications as Yami Jamshed)   (jtp372)

jamal - Arabic jamāl: beauty, handsomeness, grace, elegance. (The Prophet Muhammad said: Truly, God is beautiful, and God loves beauty.... inna allāha jamīlun yuhibbu al-jamāl )  (in some previous publications as jemal)  (hw163, ao102, fjs370)

Jamna - Sanskrit jamnā: a river in India, also called the Yamuna. (see also sangam)

japa - Sanskrit japa: whispering, muttering; softly reciting scriptures or prayers. (mw412)

jata nada - Sanskrit jāta-nāda: jāta means 'brought into existence by', and nāda means sound. In esoteric terms sound existed first, and sound brought light into existence; thus jāta-nāda refers to light.  (also written as Jatanada)   (mw417, mw534)

Jilani - Farsi jīlāni:  Abdul Qādir Jīlāni (1077-1166), the great Islamic scholar and mystic, born in Jīlān (Iran). The Qadiriyya Sufi order was founded upon his teachings.

jinn - Arabic jinn: invisible beings, either helpful or harmful, that affect the lives of human beings. From the Arabic root j-n-n meaning to cover, hide, conceal, veil. (in some previous publications as djinn)  (hw164)

jivan - Sanskrit jivan: to be alive, to live. The phrase jivan mukta means: one who is liberated in this life: jivan = living,  mukta = let loose, set free.

jnana - Sanskrit jñāna: knowing; knowledge; especially transcendent knowledge. (mw426)
 

K -

Kaba - Arabic كعبة ka'ba, ka'bah, Farsi/Urdu ka'bat: cube, cubic structure. Often used to refer to al-ka'ba, which is also called kabatullāh. The sacred al-ka'ba in Makkah (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) is a 15 meter high cubic structure made of granite, covered with black silk and gold embroidery, and around which the great Masjid al-Haram was constructed. At the time of Muhammad, the Quraish used the al-ka'ba as a shrine to their various tribal gods. After years of conflict with the Arab tribes, Muhammad was eventually able to dedicate al-ka'ba as an Islamic house of worship.   (in some previous publications as Kaaba or Ka'aba)  (hw973)

Kabatullah - Arabic ka'bat-u-allāh: literally 'cube of Allāh'. (see kaba above)

Kabbala - Hebrew קַבָּלָה qabbala, qabbālāh: received, accepted; received doctrine, tradition; mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures, largely developed after the 7th century AD.  (often written as Kabala, Kabbalah, Qabala, Qabalah, Caballah)

kabs - Arabic kabs: pressure, pressing, squeezing, compressing. (the opposite of bast)  (hw949)

kafi - Arabic kāfin, kafīy; Farsi kāfī: sufficient, enough; suitable, fit; capable, able, qualified; adequate, all that is needed. (see also Additional Wazaif)  (jtp802, hw977)

kafir - Arabic كافر  kāfir: irreligious, unbelieving, atheist; ungrateful.  (hw975)

kalgi - Farsi/Hindi kalgī; an ornament attached to a turban, plume, crest, jewel; comb (of a cock)   (in some previous publications as kalaggai, kalagai)  (fjs1043, rsm177)

kala - Sanskrit काल  kāla: a fixed or right point of time; proper season, time of departure; time, epcoh, season, age; a small measure of something; fate, destiny; Time personified; one of the names of Yama, the king of death. (mw278, jtp802)

kalam - Arabic kalām: talking, speaking, addressing; statement, remark, words, speech, talk, conversation; a salutation. (hw982, fjs1040)

Kali - Sanskrit kālī:  black, dark colored; epithet of the goddess Durga (invincible one), wife of Shiva (the destroyer), goddess of destruction, the power (shakti) with which Shiva acts.  (mw278, jtp804)

Kalidasa -  Sanskrit  कालिदास kālidāsa:  Kālidāsa is generally considered as India's finest poet and dramatist, and is often referred to as Kavikulaguru (Preceptor of All Poets). Many estimates of the date of his work place it in the 4th or 5th century AD.

kalima - Arabic kalima: word, speech, address; utterance, remark; saying; announcement. The Arabic phrase l ilha ill Allāh Muhammad ur rasūl Allh is often called the First Kalima or Kalima Tayyib (pure words, noble saying).   (hw981, ao348)

kalpa-vriksha - Sanskrit kalpa-vrikśa, kalpa-taru:  the wishing tree, tree of plenty, one of the trees of Indra's paradise (svarga) capable of fulfilling all wishes; a productive or bountiful source.  (in some previous publications as kalpa-vraksha)   (mw262)

kama - Sanskrit kāma: wish, desire, longing, attachment; love, affection; pleasure, enjoyment.  (mw271)

kamal - Arabic kamāl: perfection; completeness, completion, consummation, maturity, ripeness. (in some previous publications as kemal)   (hw985)

kamala -   Sanskrit kamala, Hindi kamal: lotus, lotus flower.   (mw252, jpt849, rsm169)

Kamsa - Sanskrit kamsa: king of Mathurā who murdered six of Devakī's sons, became a foe of Krishna, and was ultimately slain by Krishna.  (mw241)

karma - Sanskrit karman: act, action; obligation, occupation; work, labor, activity. In Hindu philosophy, the law of cause and effect (that one reaps what one has sown) is often called karma. From the root kri meaning to do, accomplish; create, make; bring to completion. (mw258)

kauthar - Arabic kauthar: (intensive form of kathar), Farsi/Urdu kausar; literally means copiousness, multitude or abundance.  (in some previous publications as kouthar, or kausar)  (hw 954, ao479)

In spiritual terms, kauthar refers to the abundance of good, or abundant blessings, that Allah has promised to those who pray sincerely and devote their lives selflessly to the good of humanity. Esoterically, this is the Divine wine. Also, the name of Chapter 108 of the Qur'an. In the hadith, al-kauthar is variously likened, to a river, a lake, or a fountain, while also saying that these attributes are just a portion of the great goodness of al-kauthar. One of the sayings of Muhammad (hadith), as narrated by Sahl bin Sad, says: I heard the Prophet saying, "I am your predecessor at al-kauthar, and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that."
 

kavi - Sanskrit कवि  kavi: sage; gifted with insight, enlightened, wise, prudent, seer, prophet; singer, poet.  (mw264, jpt857)

Khadija - Arabic khadīja: The name of the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Also the name of Inayat Khan's mother (in 1896 photo below). (in some previous publications as Khatija or Khatidja)

khak - Farsi khāk: earth, dust, soil, ground; little, precious little; peaceful; low, humble.  (in some previous publications as khaak)    (fjs 440, jtp484)

khalif - Arabic khalīfa: deputy, representative; successor, vicegerent, caliph. (hw298, fjs473, jtp493)

khalwat - Arabic khalwah, Farsi khalwat:  privacy, loneliness, solitude, seclusion  (in some previous publications as khilwat or khilvat)  (hw301, fjs472, jtp493)

khalwat dar anjuman - Farsi khalwat dar anjuman:  solitude within the crowd.   (khalwat = solitude, seclusion;  dar = in, within, among;  anjuman = multitude, assembly, congregation)    (in some previous publications as khilwat or khilvat)   (fjs472,506,106)

khanda peshani - Farsi khanda peshānī; (khanda = laughing, smiling;  peshānī = forehead) Literally: laughing forehead, or smiling forehead.  (fjs 477,266, jtp 494,300)

khamosh - Farsi khāmosh: silent, dumb; discreet; tame; extinguished; as an interjection: Hush!, Be quiet!   (in some previous publications as khamush)    (fjs443, jpt485)

khaslat - Arabic khaslat: quality, characteristic, trait, (natural) disposition, talent. (hw282, jtp490)

khatm -  Arabic ختم khātm: end, close, seal, conclusion. The name of one of the prayers given by Inayat Khan.  (also see prayers in the Gayan)  Note: The "kh" at the beginning of the word is pronounced like the ch in the Scottish word loch. Three similar sounding Arabic words are: khatm (end, conclusion, finish, seal),  khātm (concluding, finishing, sealing) and  khātam (the best, the most perfect, the last, the conclusion, the final portion). Since these words all sound essentially the same to those who are not proficient in Arabic (such as Murshid Inayat Khan's students who transcribed his words), it cannot be not known for certain which of these words Murshid actually intended, but the transliteration  khātm is now being used in all new publications.  (in some previous publications as Khatum)    (hw264, jtp487, fjs447)

khatir -  Arabic خاطر khātir: "what occurs in the mind", thought, inclination, choice; regard, consideration, favor. (fjs484, hw287)

khayal - Arabic khayāl: thought, idea; vision, apparition; fantasy, imagination. (in some previous publications as Khyal)   (hw310,  fjs491)

khayali - Arabic khayālī: imaginary, ideal; visionary, conceptual; fanciful, unreal, chimerical.  (hw310, fjs491, jtp498)

Khayyam - Umar ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyami  (Omar the son of Abraham the tent-maker) Omar Khayyam (1048-1131 AD) was an astronomer, mathematician, philosopher and poet who lived in Nishapur Persia (now Iran) and wrote many mystical verses in the quatrain style called rubā'ī, the collection of which are called rubā'īyāt.

Khizr - Arabic al-khidr, Farsi/Urdu al-khizr:  legendary saint, prophet and teacher, often said to have been a companion of Moses (see Qur'an 18:65-82), considered to be a fountain of life and of spiritual understanding. Sometimes called the 'green man' because barren lands turned verdant in his presence.  (hw283,  jtp490, jtp494)

Khuda - Farsi  ﺧ ﺪﺎ khudā: 'self-created', Supreme Being, God; lord, master, ruler. (also written as Khoda)  (fjs448, jtp487)

Khulq - Arabic khulq: nature, disposition, character, temperament; noble character, morality.  (hw299, fjs472)

Khusrau - Abul Hasan Yaminuddin Khusrau (1253-1325 AD), also known as Amir Khusrau,  a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi,. Amir Khusrau was not only one of India's greatest poets, he is also credited with being the founder of both Hindustani classical music and Qawwali.  (also written as Khusro or Khusraw)

Khusru - Shah Khusru (531-579 AD), king of Persia, widely respected for both his extensive knowledge and his profound wisdom.

The history of Khusru, the old king of Persia, who was both Prophet and king shows this. His feeling was, 'My subjects are my children; more than my children, nearer and closer than my children; their interest is my interest, for them I live, for them I was born. My whole life is for them.' The whole life of the country was based on that example, that king's ideal.

             from The Sufi Message, Volume VII, Democracy
 

khwaja - Farsi khwāja:  lord, master, owner; honorific title of distinction; venerable elder; teacher, preceptor.  (fjs479, jtp494)

kibriya - Arabic kibriyā': grandeur, glory, magnificence, supremacy, majesty; pride, haughtiness, arrogance. From the Arabic root k-b-r meaning to be great, famous; to gain in significance, become important; to become too great, too burdensome; to exceed in age, be older.  (in some previous publications as kibria or kibriyya) (hw948))

kimia - (see al-Kimia)

kismet - Arabic قسة qisma, Farsi qismat: allotment, portion, lot; fate, destiny  (fjs970, hw893)

kosha - Sanskrit kośa: a cask, bucket, a vessel for holding something; store-house; case, covering; dictionary, lexicon; a sheath, one of three bodily sheaths. (mw314)

Krishna - Sanskrit kŗşņa: dark, black; the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, often represented as a young and amorous cowherd with flowing hair and flute. (see also Vishnu)  (mw306, jtp825)

The life of Krishna is an ideal. It gives the picture of the life of a perfect man. The real meaning of the word Krishna is God. The man who was identified with that name was the God-conscious one who fulfilled his message in the period in which he was destined to give it.

             from The Sufi Message, Volume IX, Krishna
 

kshatriya - Sanskrit kşatriya: a member of military or reigning order, which forms the basis of the second caste. (mw325)

kun - Arabic kun:  let there be, let it be, be!  The phrase kun fa yakūn means (Allah says) Be! And it is.  (Qur'an 36:82)   (hw994, fjs1052, jtp850)

kursi - Arabic kursī: chair, seat, bench, arm-chair; the base of a pillar, pedestal. From the root k-r-s meaning to lay a foundation; to connect together.  (hw962,  fjs1023)

kushad - Farsi ﻛﺸﺎﺩ kushād: opening, uncovering, disclosure, revelation, expansion.  (fjs1031, jtp 835)

Inspirations are reflected upon mankind in five ways:

          1. Kushād dar Khayāl - in the wave of thought  - (disclosure by thought)
          2. Kushād dar Hāl - in emotions and feelings -  (disclosure by mood)
          3. Kushād dar Jamāl - in the sufferings of the heart - (disclosure by beauty)
          4. Kushād dar Jalāl - in the flow of wisdom  - (disclosure by majesty)
          5. Kushād dar Kamāl - in the divine voice and vision - (disclosure by perfection)

         from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Spiritual Liberty
 

kushi - Farsi kushī: killing, slaying. (used as the last member of a compound term such as nafs-kushi, which means ego-killing)   (jtp838, fjs1035)

L -

lahut - Arabic lāhūt: godhead, divinity, divine nature, deity.  (hw1002, fjs1114)

la ilaha illa-llah - Arabic lā ilāha illā Allāh: The four individual words in the phrase lā ilāha ill allāh have the following meanings: lā = no, not, none, neither; ilāha = a god, deity, object of worship; illā = but, except; allāh = Allāh. Typical translations include: There is no god but Allāh; There is nothing to worship or adore except Allāh. This phrase is often called tahlīl (acclaim, cry out with with joy), and is used in the Qur'an in sūrah Muhammad (47:19). (also see the tahlil web page)

lauh - Arabic lauh: rising, appearing, shining; being manifest; tablet, signboard. (in some previous publications as louh)  (hw1035, fjs1131)

lawwama - Arabic lawwāma: stern critic, severe censurer, one who is constantly blaming others or accusing himself, vindictive. This term is often used to describe the self-reproaching aspect of the nafs that is beginning to resist carnal desires. (used in the Qur'an 75:2)  From the Arabic root l-w-m meaning to blame, censure, rebuke, reprimand.  (in some previous publications as lauwama)   (hw 1037, ao521)

layam - Sanskrit layam: to disappear, be dissolved, perish, be destroyed; be absorbed; be concealed. One of the three states: Srishti (creation), Sthiti (abiding), and Layam (dissolution)  (mw903)

Laila - Arabic lailā, Farsi laile, Urdu lailī; a woman's name. Lailā and Majnūn are lovers in a classical Middle-Eastern love story.  (this love story was the inspiration of an Eric Clapton love song called Layla)  (hw1041 , fjs1135, jtp975)
 

M -

mabud - Arabic معبود ma'būd: worshiped, adored, beloved; deity. From the Arabic root '-b-d meaning to serve, worship, adore, venerate, idolize, deify.  (see also mahbub)   (hw686)

Madani -  Arabic madanī: literally 'from Medina': Sayyid Muhammad Abū Hāshim Madanī was the murshid of 'Ināyat Khān. Madanī was from Medina (Saudi Arabia),  lived in the Purānā Pul (old bridge) quarter of Hyderabad (India), and was the murīd and khalīfa of Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Jīlī Kalīmi. Hazrat Madanī died in October 1907, and was buried in his neighborhood, near the dargāh of Qādiri saint Miyān Paysā.

When asked how to recognize a godly person Hazrat Madanī  replied: "'It is not what he says and it is not what he seems to be, but it is the atmosphere that his presence creates. That is the proof. For no one can create an atmosphere which does not belong to his spirit.'"

Hazrat Madanī  reminded his murīd 'Ināyat: "There is only one virtue and one sin for a soul on this path; virtue when he is conscious of God, and sin when he is not."

mahatma - Sanskrit mahātman, singular masculine mahātmā: great soul, high-minded, noble. Also used as a title for great beings, such as Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi. The prefix mahā means great, large, abundant, important, high, eminent. (also see atman)   (hw796)

mahbub - Arabic mahbūb: beloved, dear, lovable, desirable; favorite; beloved one, lover. From the Arabic root h-b-b meaning to evoke love or liking; to endear; to make lovable, dear, attractive; to show affection. (also written as Mahboob or Maheboob)  (hw179)

mahesh -  Sanskrit maheśa: great lord, great god; Shiva. (in some previous publications as maheish) (mw802)

mahtab - Farsi mah-tāb: the moon, splendor of the moon, moonlight, full moon.  (fjs1352, jtp1098)

majzub - Arabic  ﻣ ﺠﺬﻭﺏ   majdhūb, Farsi majzūb:  attracted; possessed, lunatic; carried away, absorbed in, lost in; one who is attracted by Divine grace and has lost all worldly concerns. From the Arabic root j-dh-b meaning to attract, captivate, win over.  (in some previous publications as madzub)  (hw138, fjs1176, jtp1002)

Majnun - Arabic majnūn: possessed by jinn, mad, fanatic; madly in love; Lailā and Majnūn are lovers in a classical Middle-Eastern love story.  (hw164, fjs1179, jtp1004)

makhluqat - Arabic makhlūq, plural is makhlūqat: creatures, created beings. From the Arabic root kh-l-q meaning to create, make, originate; shape, form, mold; invent.  (hw300)

malak - Arabic مﻷك  mal'ak, malak: messenger, envoy: angel  (from the root l-'-k meaning to send as a messenger)  (hw1000, jtp1065) 

Manavi - Arabic معنوی ma'nawī, Farsi ma'navī:  important, ideals, spiritual, profound spiritual meaning. Rumi's great mystical work is often referred to as Masnavi-i Ma'navi which means couplets of profound spiritual meaning. (see also Masnavi and Rumi)  (hw762)

mantiq - Arabic mantiq: speaking, manner of speaking, articulating; an oration; eloquence; logic, reasoning. The great Persian poet Fariduddin Attar wrote Mantiq-ul-tair, The Conference of the Birds.  (hw1143,  fjs1329)

mantra, mantram- Sanskrit mantra: 'instrument of thought', sacred text, song of praise, Vedic hymn or chant; spiritual instructions; mystical verse or incantation. (the word mantra is a noun that depicts an 'instrument of thought' in general, while the word mantram is a specific declination of the noun (singular accusative) that refers to one specific thing that is being used.)  (mw785, jtp1071)

manushya - Sanskrit  manuşya: human, man, human being. (in some previous publications as manusha)  (mw784)

marifat - Arabi ma'rifat: knowledge, knowing, learning; gnosis; perception, cognition; art, skill, craft; means, cause, reason. (in some previous publications as marefat)   (hw709, jtp1048)

Shariat means the law which is necessary for the generality to observe, in order to harmonize with one's surroundings and one's self within. ..

Tariqat means the understanding of law besides the following of it. It means that we must understand the cause behind everything we should do or not do, instead of obeying the law without understanding it. ...

Haqiqat means knowing the truth of our being and the inner laws of nature. This knowledge widens man's heart. ...

Marifat means the actual realization of God, the one Being, when there is no doubt anywhere.

          from The Sufi Message, Volume IX, Muhammad
 

Masnavi - Arabic مثنوی mathnawī, Farsi masnavī:  a specific rhyming poetic form which uses pairs of rhymes; often used to refer to the great mystical work of Jalāluddīn Rūmī.  Derived from the Arabic root th-n-y  meaning double.  (see Ma'navi and Rumi below)  (hw128, fjs1173, jtp1001)

mawla - Arabic mawlan, Farsi mawlā: lord, master, ruler; patron; judge, magistrate; the Supreme Lord. (also written as maula)   (hw1289, fjs1347, jtp1093)

Mawlabakhsh - Farsi mawlābakhsh: ('God-gifted'; mawlā means lord, master; bakhsh means bestower, giver)  Inayat Khan's maternal grandfather, Sho'le Khān Mawlābakhsh (1833-1896 AD), was one of India's greatest musicians, founded the first Academy of Music in India, invented the music notation system bearing his name and worked to restore the fundamentals of traditional Indian classical music.  (also written Maula Bakhsh or Maulabakhsh)

mawlana - Farsi mawlā-nā: ( mawlā means lord, master; nā indicates a place where something is found)  'where mastery is found', my master, our master, our lord (title given to judges, heads of religious orders, esp. to Jalāluddīn Rūmī ).  (also commonly written as maulana, molana or mevlana)  (fjs1348, jtp1092)

maya - Sanskrit māyā: deception, illusion; illusory image; the wondrous power by which One appears as many.  (mw811)

Mecca - Arabic Makkah: Mecca. An ancient sacred city where Abraham lived, Makkah was the birthplace and early home of the Prophet Muhammad. Considered as the holiest site for Muslims, Makkah is the site of the sacred Ka'ba and is the annual destination for several million Muslims on the pilgrimage called Hajj. Usually written as Makkah al-Mukarramah, Mecca the Revered, Mecca the Most Honored. (hw1075)

mihrab - Arabic mihrāb: the archway or niche in a mosque which indicates the direction to Mecca (Saudi Arabia), the direction in which one should face during prayers. From the Arabic root h-r-b meaning battle or combat. Thus the term mihrāb indicates the place of doing battle. (in some previous publications as mehrab) (hw195)

                               
 

miraj - Arabic al-mi'rāj: the ascension. Refers to the Night Journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem and then ascending through the realms of the seven heavens, beyond the limit of forms, the Sidrat al-Muntahā, to within a bow-span's length or nearer to the presence of Allāh. From the Arabic root '-r-j meaning to ascend, rise, mount. (in some previous publications as Meraj) (hw704, ao365)

mithal - Arabic مثال mithāl: resembling, similitude; example, standard; image, picture, vision; parable, allegory. (see also alam-i mithal)   (hw1074, fjs1172)

moksha - Sanskrit mokśa: emancipation, liberation, freedom from; deliverance; release; relinquishment, abandonment. (mw835)

Muhammad - Arabic محمد  muhammad: praiseworthy, much praised, commendable, laudable. The Prophet Muhammad who received the Qur'an from the angel Gabriel (Jibrīl). (in some previous publications as Mohammad or Muhammed)  (hw238)

Muinuddin - Arabic mu'īn-u-al-dīn:  The name Mu'īnuddīn literally means 'helper of the religion'. Mu'īnuddīn Hasan Chishtī, the Sufi mystic who established the Chishti Order in Ajmer (India) around 1190 AD.    (see also Sayings of Muinuddin Chishti)   (in some previous publications as Moinuddin)

Among the Sufis there was a great saint,  Muinuddin Chishti of Ajmer. At his grave music is played, the Hindus and Muslims go their on pilgrimage. This shows that the religion of the knowers of truth is the religion of God.

           from The Sufi Message, Volume II, Music
 

mukta - Sanskrit mukta: let loose, set free; liberated, emancipated, gone, vanished. (mw820)

mukti - Sanskrit mukti: setting free, liberation, deliverance; throwing off, casting off; abandonment. (mw821)

muni - Sanskrit muni: One who is moved by inner impulse; an inspired or ecstatic person; sage, seer, acetic, monk. (mw823)

Munkar - Arabic منكر munkar;  one of the angels of death who interview the dead in their graves (along with Nakir); denied, not recognized, disavowed. (hw1171, fjs1334)

muntaha - Arabic منتهي muntahá: end, conclusion; boundary, extremity. From the Arabic root n-h-y meaning to prevent, forbid, stop, hinder, prohibit, restrain. Also see Sidrat al-Muntahá. (in some previous publications as manteha) (ao580, fjs1323)

mureed - Arabic مريد murīd:  aspirant, disciple, follower, seeker, adherent. From the Arabic root r-w-d meaning to walk about, look for, search for. (hw425)

murshid - Arabic مرشد murshid: advisor; leader; spiritual guide, guide to the right way; master of a spiritual brotherhood. From the Arabic root r-sh-d, to be on the right way, be well guided, follow the right course. (hw395)

muruwwat - Arabic murā'āt, Farsi/Urdu muruwwat: consideration, regard, politeness; benevolence, kindness, generosity;  etiquette, respect, virtue.  (hw401, fjs1219, jtp1026)

mutmainna - Arabic mutma'inna:  at rest, calm, peaceful. This term is often used to describe the tranquil aspect of the nafs that begins when one rises above the lower states of ammara and lawwama. (used in the Qur'an 89:27)  From the Arabic root t-m-'-n meaning to calm, pacify, be tranquil, be still, quiet; to rest from.  (ao343, hw664)

mutrib khush - Farsi mutrib khush:  mutrib meaning musician, minstrel; a singer; who or what causes one to dance and skip about for joy;  khush meaning sweet, delightful, pleasing. Beginning words of a widely known and highly revered ghazal , generally attributed to Hafiz, which contains the oft quoted refrain tāza ba tāza naw ba naw. (see The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell, pg 81)   (fjs1260, jtp496)

O, singer of delightful voices, sing a song every moment new, new, fresh, fresh.

    from Sangatha II, Saluk, The Good Nature Against Life in the World
 

mutu - Arabic mūtū: die! (imperative) This word is used in the traditional saying mūtū qabla an tamūtū, which means die before you die. (mutu qabla an tamutu was in some previous publications as mutu kabla anta mutu)

muwakkal - Arabic muwakkal:  to whom power is delegated, or trust is committed;  agent, vicegerent, deputy. In esoteric terminology, muwakkals are agents, elemental beings, who are charged with the power and authority to carry out one's thoughts and accomplish the desired results.   (hw1284, jtp1092)

As in the physical being of an individual many small germs are born and nourished which are also living beings, so in his mental plane there are many beings, termed Muwakkals, or elementals. These are still finer entities born of man's own thoughts, and as the germs live in his physical body so the elementals dwell in his mental sphere. Man often imagines that thoughts are without life; he does not see that they are more alive than the physical germs and that they have a birth, childhood, youth, age and death. They work for man's advantage or disadvantage according to their nature. The Sufi creates, fashions and controls them.

          from The Sufi Message, Volume II, Vibrations

N -

nabi - Arabic nabī: a prophet; one who informs; one who is informed; a clear and evident way.  From the root n-b-a' meaning to utter in a low voice; to be exalted, elevated.  (also see  Nabi and Rasul web page)  (ewl2752,  fjs1386,  hw1100/1105)

nada - Sanskrit nāda: any sound or tone. (mw534)

There is a phrase in the Sanskrit language which says 'Nada Brahma,' which means, 'the mystery of creation was in Nada,' which means, 'in the word.'

      from Sangatheka II, 43, The Power of the Word, by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)
 

nafas - Arabic nafas: (plural anfās) breath, respiration; voice. (see also pasi anfas below)  (hw1156, jtp1144, )

nafas-i garm - Farsi nafas-i garm: from nafas meaning breath, i meaning of, garm meaning fiery, lively. (see also nafas and garm)  (in some previous publications as nafs-i-garm)   (fjs1415,1084, jtp1144,904)

nafs - Arabic nafs: (plural nufūs) the individual, the petty self, personal identity, ego; mind; human being; soul, breath (of life). (used in compound terms such as nafs-kushi, which means ego-killing)  (hw1155, jtp1144)

The Sufi's base the whole of their teaching on the crushing of the ego which they term Nafs-kushi, for therein lies all magnetism and power.

        from The Sufi Message, Volume V, Blessed are the Poor

nafsaniyat - Arabic نفسانية nafsānīyah, Farsi nafsānīyat:  animalism, carnality, sensuality; passion, anger; egotism. In contemporary Ara