– the negation and the affirmation:“There is no god but God, and Muhammad
is His messenger.”
Shariah:
The revealed law, the canonical law of Islam derived from the
Qur’an and the
sunnah
.
Shaykh:
A spiritual master, a teacher, a mentor and a mystic guide.The
spiritual lineage of the shaykh goes back to the Prophet and the Sufi shaykh
is the living example of one who has realized the divine truth.
Shirk:
Literally, ‘an association’, ‘a partnership’; In Islam, it is a term
denoting the act of associating something with God, who is One. It is thus
a grave sin and the only sin for which there is no mercy and no forgivness
(4:116).
Silsila:
Literally, ‘the chain’, ‘the lineage’; the chain of transmission
where the spiritual message, originating with the Prophet and his
companions, is passed on from one master or shaykh to another. All Sufi
orders are linked by such chains.
Suf:
Literally,‘wool’. Rough, woolen clothing worn by the early escetics
as a symbol of their renunciation of the world. The term Sufism is derived
from it.
Sufism:
The mystic trend within Islam;
tasawwuf
.
Suluk:
Literally, ‘travel’; thus, traveling towards God. The state of the
Sufi’s soul and his activity is seen as ‘journeying’ to God. The other name
for a Sufi adept is
salik
or the wayfarer.
Tajalli
: Literally: “revealing”. In Sufism it is used as a term describing
the emanation of inward light, and the unveiling of Divine secrets. This
revealing of God’s grace enlightens the heart of the devotee.
Tajrid:
Literally:‘solitude’; complete severance from all worldly things,
which entails giving away everything one possessed. The Sufis held that
there are two aspects of seclusion. One was the external separation from
the world, and the other was an internal separation in which the heart was
purified of any thought other than that of God.
G l o s s a r y 228
