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Marifa
Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God or the “higher realities” that is the ultimate goal of followers of Sufism. Sufi mystics came to maʿrifa by following a spiritual path that later Sufi thinkers categorized into a series of “stations” that were followed by another series of steps, the “states,” through which the Sufi would come to union with God. The acquisition of maʿrifa was not the result of learnedness but was a type of gnosis in which the mystic received illumination through the grace of God. The finest expressions of maʿrifa can be found in the poetry of the Sufis Jalāl al-Dīn al-Rūmī (1207–73) and Ibn al-ʿArabī (1165–1240). The term arif'', "gnostic" has been used to designate advanced mystics who have attained the spiritual station of ''ma'rifa''. ''Maqaam'' In one of the earliest accounts of the '' maqamat-l arba'in'' ("forty stations") in Sufism, Sufi master Abu Said ibn Abi'l-Khayr lists ''ma'rifa'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sufi Philosophy
Sufi philosophy includes the schools of thought unique to Sufism, the mystical tradition within Islam, also termed as ''Tasawwuf'' or ''Faqr'' according to its adherents. Sufism and its philosophical tradition may be associated with both Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. It has been suggested that Sufi thought emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century CE, but adherents are now found around the world. According to Sufi Muslims, it is a part of the Islamic teaching that deals with the purification of inner self and is the way which removes all the veils between the divine and humankind. It was around 1000 CE that early Sufi literature, in the form of manuals, treatises, discourses and poetry, became the source of Sufi thinking and meditations. Sufi philosophy, like all other major philosophical traditions, has several sub-branches, including cosmology and metaphysics, as well as several unique concepts. History The emergence of Sufi thought is commonly linked to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Four Doors
Four Doors is the concept in ''tasawwuf,'' and to a lesser extent in other branches of Islam such as Ismailism and Alevism. In this system, there are four paths to Allah, starting with Sharia, then to Tariqa, then to Marifa, and then finally to Haqiqa. In Alevism, ten stations are listed for each of the Foor Doors. Hence, in full, the Four Doors are also known as the ''Four Doors and Forty Stations'' (Turkish: '' Dört Kapı Kırk Makam''). These Forty Stations are listed below. The Door of Shari'ah ;1. The Door of Sharîʻah/Divine Law # to believe # to learn knowledge (''‘ilm'') # to worship # to earn only what sustenance is permitted ('' halâl'') by its creator in a way that is also permissible # abstaining from that which one's creator has forbidden ('' harâm'') # to perform marriages # to marry oneself # to abstain from sexual relation during inappropriate times # to be a member of the community following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad # to be compassionate, to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haqiqa
Haqiqa (Arabic "truth") is one of "the four stages" in Sufism, ''shari’a'' (exoteric path), ''tariqa'' (esoteric path), ''haqiqa'' (mystical truth) and ''marifa'' (final mystical knowledge, ''unio mystica''). The four stages Shariat Shari’a is Islamic law or Islamic jurisprudence as revealed in the Qur'an and Sunna. The first step in Sufism is following every aspect of the law perfectly. The purpose of this is to prove their love for God, by rigorous self-discipline and constant attention to their conduct. When the Sufi fully lives his or her life according to the Shari’a he or she is ready to progress to the second stage. This conformity to earthly rules is important because it recognizes that the spirit of a man or woman is affected by the actions of the body. In this way, bringing the body under the will of God also purifies the spirit and a pure spirit is essential for the second step. Tariqat ''Tariqa'' in Arabic means ''path'' and it denotes a Sufi brotherhood or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alevism
Alevism or Anatolian Alevism (; tr, Alevilik, ''Anadolu Aleviliği'' or ''Kızılbaşlık''; ; az, Ələvilik) is a local Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Alevi Islamic ( ''bāṭenī'') teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, who is supposed to have taught the teachings of Ali and the Twelve Imams. Differing from Sunnism and other Twelver Shia, Alevis have no binding religious dogmas, and teachings are passed on by a spiritual leader. They acknowledge the six articles of faith of Islam, but may differ regarding their interpretation. Adherents of Alevism are found primarily in Turkey and estimates of the percentage of Turkey's population that are Alevi include between 4% and 15%. Etymology "Alevi" () is generally explained as referring to Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. The name represents a Turkish form of the word ''‘Alawi'' ( ar, علوي) "of or pertaining to Ali". A minority viewpoint is that of the Ishikists, who assert, "Alevi" was de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Islamic Terminology
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Islam all in one place. Separating concepts in Islam from concepts specific to Arab culture, or from the language itself, can be difficult. Many Arabic concepts have an Arabic secular meaning as well as an Islamic meaning. One example is the concept of dawah. Arabic, like all languages, contains words whose meanings differ across various contexts. Arabic is written in its own alphabet, with letters, symbols, and orthographic conventions that do not have exact equivalents in the Latin alphabet (see Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maqaam
Maqaam (also known as ''maqām'') or maqaamat (plural), translating to "''stations''" in Arabic, is the various stages a Sufi's soul must attain in its search for Allah.Gardet, L. "Ḥāl." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman; , Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; , E. van Donzel; and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2011. Brill Online. Augustana. 2 April 2011 The stations are derived from the most routine considerations a Sufi must deal with on a day-to-day basis and is essentially an embodiment of both mystical knowledge and Islamic law (Sharia). Although the number and order of maqaamat are not universal the majority agree on the following seven: Tawba, Wara', Zuhd, Faqr, Ṣabr, Tawakkul, and Riḍā. Sufis believe that these stations are the grounds of the spiritual life, and they are viewed as a mode through which the most elemental aspects of daily life begin to play a vital role in the overall attainment of oneness with Allah.Sells, Michael Anthony. Early Isl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abusa'id Abolkhayr
Abū Saʿīd Abū'l-Khayr or Abusa'id Abolkhayr ( fa, ابوسعید ابوالخیر) , also known as Sheikh Abusaeid or Abu Sa'eed, was a famous Persian Sufi and poet who contributed extensively to the evolution of Sufi tradition. The majority of what is known from his life comes from the book Asrar al-Tawhid (اسرارالتوحید, or " The Mysteries of Unification") written by Mohammad Ibn Monavvar, one of his grandsons, 130 years after his death. The book, which is an important early Sufi writing in Persian, presents a record of his life in the form of anecdotes from a variety of sources and contains a collection of his words. During his life his fame spread throughout the Islamic world, even to Spain. He was the first Sufi writer to widely use ordinary love poems as way to express and illuminate mysticism, and as such he played a major role in foundation of Persian Sufi poetry. He spent most of his life in Nishapur. Biography Abū-Sa'īd was born in the village ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. In Arabic, the term ''sharīʿah'' refers to God's immutable divine law and is contrasted with ''fiqh'', which refers to its human scholarly interpretations. In the historical course, fiqh sects have emerged that reflect the preferences of certain societies and state administrations on behalf of people who are interested in the theoretical (method) and practical application (Ahkam / fatwa) studies of laws and rules, but sharia has never been a valid legal system on its own. It has been used together with " customary (Urf) law" since Omar or the Umayyads. It may also be wrong to think that the Sharia, as a religious argument or belief, is entirely within or related to Allah's commands and prohibitions. Several non-graded crimes are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tariqa
A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a ''murshid'' (guide) who plays the role of leader or spiritual director. The members or followers of a tariqa are known as ''muridin'' (singular ''murid''), meaning "desirous", viz. "desiring the knowledge of God and loving God" (also called a '' fakir''). Tariqa is also believed to be the same as Tzadik of Judaism meaning the "rightly guided one". The metaphor of "way, path" is to be understood in connection of the term ''sharia'' which also has the meaning of "path", more specifically "well-trodden path; path to the waterhole". The "path" metaphor of ''tariqa'' is that of a further path, taken by the mystic, which continues from the "well-trodden path" or exoteric of ''sharia'' towards the esoteric ''haqiqa''. A fourth "s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pearl Hunting
Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On the northern and north-western coast of Western Australia pearl diving began in the 1850s, and started in the Torres Strait Islands in the 1860s, where the term also covers diving for nacre or mother of pearl found in what were known as pearl shells. In most cases the pearl-bearing molluscs live at depths where they are not manually accessible from the surface, and diving or the use of some form of tool is needed to reach them. Historically the molluscs were retrieved by freediving, a technique where the diver descends to the bottom, collects what they can, and surfaces on a single breath. The diving mask improved the ability of the diver to see while underwater. When the surface-supplied diving helmet became available for underwater work, it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khidr
Al-Khidr () ( ar, ٱلْخَضِر, al-Khaḍir), also transcribed as al-Khadir, Khader, Khidr, Khizr, Khazer, Khadr, Khedher, Khizir, Khizar, is a figure described but not mentioned by name in the Quran as a righteous servant of God possessing great wisdom or mystic knowledge. In various Islamic and non-Islamic traditions, Khidr is described as a messenger, prophet or wali, who guards the sea, teaches secret knowledge and aids those in distress. He prominently figures as patron of the Islamic saint ibn Arabi. The figure of al-Khidr has been syncretized over time with various other figures including Dūraoša and Sorūsh in Iran, Sargis the General and Saint George in Asia Minor and the Levant, Samael (the divine prosecutor) in Judaism, Elijah among the Druze, John the Baptist in Armenia, and Jhulelal in Sindh and Punjab in South Asia. Though not mentioned by name in the Quran, he is named by Islamic scholars as the figure described in as a servant of God who has been given ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikmah
''Hikmah'' (also ''Hikmat'', ar, حكمة, ', literally wisdom, philosophy; rationale, underlying reason, from Semitic root ) is a concept in Islamic philosophy and law. Mulla Sadra defined ''hikmah'' as "coming to know the essence of beings as they really are" or as "a man's becoming an intellectual world corresponding to the objective world". Various Islamic commentaries describe hikmah as "to know the best of things by way of the best of sciences ...", having experience, using "justice in judging", "knowledge of the reality of things", "that which prevents ignorance," putting "things in their proper places, assigning them to their proper status", etc. According to Ibn al-Qayyim, the highest and most exclusive of the three levels of hikmah are "reserved for the Companions over the rest of the Ummah, and it is the highest level that the slamicscholars can reach." As a term of ''fiqh'' (Islamic jurisprudence), Taqi Usmani describes it as "the wisdom and the philosophy taken i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
