Glossary

Adâ: performing namâz within its appointed time.

Adab: there is a special adab in doing everything. The adab of doing something means to follow the conditions necessary for doing it in the best way.

Aqîqa: animal killed (by cutting its throat) to thank Allahu ta’âlâ for a newly born child. Two are killed for a son, while one is killed for a daughter. It is not fard. It is mustahab to kill it. That is, it is not sinful not to kill it. Please see the fourth chapter of the fifth fascicle.

Alastu: Allah’s declaration: Alastu bi-rab-bikum? “Am I not your Allah?” which, when He created Hadrat Adam, He asked to all the souls of Hadrat Adam’s descendants that would come until the end of the world.

Ansâr: those Muslims who lived in Madîna and helped Rasûlullah when he migrated to Madîna. Those companions of the Prophet who migrated to Madîna from Mekka are called Muhâjir.

Arsh: end of the world of matter surrounding the seven heavens.

As’hâb-i kahf: seven great people who survived in a cave in Tarsus. One pious action they did – they migrated to another country when their country was invaded by enemies – made them so beloved by Allahu ta’âlâ.

Awliyâ: a person whom Allahu ta’âlâ loves is called Walî. Awliyâ is the plural form of Walî, though we sometimes use the word for both singular and plural.

Âyat: a verse in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. There are 6236 âyats in the Qur’ân al-kerîm.

Âyat-al-kursî: one of the âyats in the Qur’ân. It explains the greatness of Allahu ta’âlâ and the fact that His power is infinite.

Azân: at each prayer time, a Muslim goes up the minaret and calls all Muslims to prayer. He has to recite prescribed words. Meanings of these Arabic words are explained in the eleventh chapter.

Bid’at: wrong, false information about the dîn; an action or word that did not exist in the Dîn originally but which was concocted later. All bid’âts are corrupt.

Dhikr: to mention the name of Allahu ta’âlâ through the

-426-

heart, to remember.

Faqîr: a poor person who has property more than his subsistence but less than what will make him rich in comparison with the level of richness (nisâb) prescribed by Islam. ‘Nisâb’ is the amount of money or property a person has, excluding what he needs for his subsistence. Nisâb is equivalent to 96 grams of gold or 672 grams of silver (in the Hanafî Madhhab). Faqîr also means a person who does not regard worldly property and who does not hesitate to give his property in the way of Allah. Also, a faqîr is a person who knows that he needs everything and who expects what he needs from Allahu ta’âlâ only. He asks from men, but expects from Allahu ta’âlâ.

Fard: an action, word or thought which Allahu ta’âlâ clearly commands in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. There are two kinds of fard: 1- Fard-i ayn has to be done by everybody, e.g. performing namâz. 2- Fard-i kifâya lapses from other Muslims when one Muslim does it. For example, it is sunnat to greet a Muslim when meeting him by saying the prescribed Arabic word: “Salâmun alaikum.” And it is fard (Allah’s command) to respond to a Muslim who greets you. That is, you say, “Wa ’alaikum salâm.” If no one acknowledges the greeting they all will become sinful. If one of them greets back the duty will lapse from the others.

Fâtiha: first sûra in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It is recited during every standing position when performing namâz. It is also recited for the souls of dead Muslims.

Fitra: alms that must be given when the month of Ramadân is over. About two kilograms of wheat or equivalent silver is given. Please see third chapter of fifth fascicle.

Hadîth: any blessed word or tradition of the Prophet.

Hadîth-i qudsî: a hadîth inspired by Allahu ta’âlâ but said by the Prophet.

Hâl: continuous variation of the kashfs and manifestations that come to the heart. Also see Kashf.

Halâl: action, word or thought permitted by Allahu ta’âlâ.

Hamd: thanking, praising and lauding. Also Hamd-u thanâ.

Harâm: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta’âlâ.

Hubb-i fillâh: loving for Allah’s sake. Hating, being hostile for Allah’s sake is called Bughdh-i fillâh.

-427-

Ibni Âbidîn: Sayyed Muhammad Amîn bin ’Umar bin Abdul’azîz is one of the savants of fiqh. He was born in Damascus in 1198 and died there in 1252 A.H. He became mature with the tawajjuh of Mawlânâ Khâlid-i Baghdâdî, keeping company with him. When that sun of wilâyat set in Damascus, he conducted his janâza namâz as the îmâm. He wrote many books. His explanation of Durrulmukhtâr consists of five volumes and has been printed several times with the title Raddulmuhtâr. It is the most dependable book of fiqh in the Hanafî Madhhab. The major parts of the information concerning fiqh covering 130 chapters of the Turkish version of Endless Bliss has been translated from its five volumes that were printed in Egypt in 1272 A.H.

Ijtihâd: ability to understand the symbolic, hidden meanings in the Qur’ân. Work of this kind. It is explained in more detail in Religion Reformers in Islam.

Iftâr: the act of breaking a fast. Fasting is done for thirty days in Ramadân. Iftâr is done when the sun sets. Please see the second chapter in the fifth fascicle.

Ijtibâ: Means to choose, to like.

Ikhlâs: quality and intention of doing everything for Allah’s sake.

Imâm: (pl. a’imma) 1- Profound savant, Imâm-al-Madhhab, leader, founder of a Madhhab; twelve a’imma (imâms), three male members of the Ahl-i bayt and their nine successors; Imâm-i a’zam (the greatest leader), title of Abû Hanîfa, leader of the Hanafî Madhhab. 2- Leader in public salât (namâz in jamâ’at).

Inâbat: to repent for having sinned. It has been used to mean to get attached and to adapt oneself to an Islamic savant.

Irâdat: to wish; to wish to get attached to an Islamic savant.

Ism-i a’zam: a Name of Allahu ta’âlâ which He likes best among His Names which He has communicated. He will positively accept a prayer sent by mentioning this Name. We do not know this Name.

Istighfâr: prayer for repentance; prescribed prayer recited in order to entreat Allahu ta’âlâ for forgiveness.

Jalîs-i ilâhî: jalîs means to stay together. A person who thinks of Allah every moment is called so.

-428-

Jamâ’at: a congregation of Muslims. One person performs namâz in the front; the others, behind him, preform it like him by adapting themselves to him. The person who performs it in the front is called the imâm. Those who perform it behind him are called the jamâ’at.

Janâza namâz: a namâz performed when a Muslim dies. His relatives, neighbors and acquaintances make a line in front of his dead body. They beg Allah for his forgiveness. It is necessary to beg by saying the prayers prescribed by the Dîn.

Junub: a person who needs a ghusl ablution. What causes a person to become junub is prescribed by Islam. The causes are explained in the fourth chapter.

Kalâm: its lexical meaning is a word, speech.

Kashf: manifestation, appearing of Allah’s attributes.

Kayfiyyat: peculiarity of something, showing how it is.

Khutba: the speech made in the mosque by the îmâm during Friday prayer or ’Iyd prayer.

Latâfat: fineness.

Latîfa: See first fascicle, Fanâ and Baqâ in 38th chapter.

Lawh: a smooth surface.

Mekrûh: things which our Prophet did not like and said were unpleasant. It is not a guilt to do them, but it dirties the heart.

Mashhûr: known by the majority of people.

Mubâh: action, word of thought permitted by Allahu ta’âlâ.

Muhâjir: See Ansâr.

Mujaddid: restorer. Hadrat Muhammad informed that every hundred years there will be an Islamic savant restoring Islam.

Mujaddidî: a great savant who follows the path of the great Islamic savant Hadrat Imâm-i Rabbânî and who educates youngsters with his methods.

Mulhid: he who goes out of the Dîn by misunderstanding one or more parts of Islam.

Murâd: chosen person to whom the deeds causing Allah’s love has been shown and facilitated.

Murâqaba: paying attention, thinking always of one thing only.

Murshid-i kâmil: a great savant who has reached perfection and can make others attain it, too.

-429-

Mushâhada: a word used by men of tasawwuf. We may say it is to see through the heart’s eye.

Mustahab: action, word or thought that brings a lot of thawâb.

Nafs: (Nafs-i ammâra). Nafs is ammâra by creation, that is, it always wishes evil and harmful deeds to be done. It is reluctant to obey the Sharî’at. The nafs of a man who obeys the Sharî’at and makes progress in the way of tasawwuf becomes mutmainna. It wishes to obey the Sharî’at.

Najâsat: any kind of dirt, filth, that prevents one from performing namâz. It is explained in more detail in the sixth chapter.

Rak’at: In performing namâz, the actions of standing, bowing and putting the head on the ground twice are altogether called a rak’at. Most prayers of namâz consist of two or four rak’ats. One of them contains three rak’ats.

Sahâba: if a Muslim has seen the Prophet, or talked to him, at least once when the Prophet was alive, he is called Sahabî. Plural form of Sahabî is Sahâba or As’hâb. The word Sahâba-i kirâm includes all those great people each of whom has seen the Prophet at least once. The lowest of the Sahâba is much higher than the highest of other Muslims. If a person has not seen the Prophet but has seen or talked to one of the Sahâba at least once, he is called Tâbi’. Its plural form is Tâbi’în. In other words, the Tâbi’în are the successors of the Sahâba. If a person has not seen any of the Sahâba but has seen at least one of the Tabi’în, he is called Taba’î Tâbi’în. The Sahâba, the Tâbi’în and the Taba’i tabi’în altogether are called the Salaf-i sâlihin (the early savants).

Sahabî: See Sahâba.

Sahîh: 1- Valid, lawful; 2- A kind of hadîth. Kinds of hadîth are explained in the sixth chapter of the second fascicle of Endless Bliss.

Sajda-i sahw: two sajdas (prostrations) done as soon as namâz is over in order to have some errors forgiven that may have been done while performing namâz.

Salâtan tunjînâ: the word salât means both prayer and namâz. Muslims send their prayers to Allahu ta’âlâ so that the Prophet’s grade will go up and he will be given more goodness. Such prayers are called salât, too. Allahu ta’âlâ loves those who pray so. He rescues them from troubles. Salâtan tunjînâ means to invoke a blessing on the Prophet in order to get rid of troubles.

-430-

Sayr: to go, travel.

Sayyid: title given to the Prophet’s descendants. When they are through Hadrat Husayn, Hadrad Ali’s second son, they are called Sayyid, and when they are through Hadrat Hasan, Hadrat Ali’s elder son, they are called Sherîf.

Shar’an mekrûh: things which our Prophet disliked and said to be loathsome. It is not a guilt to do them, but it dirties the heart.

Sherîf: See Sayyid.

Silsila-i aliyya: a valuable chain. It is the chain of Islamic savants beginning with our Prophet up to today, each of whom saw the one previous to him, and followed his path, footsteps.

Sohbat: to make friends, to stay together for a long time; to talk to one another and to derive use from one another.

Shuhûd: a word used by men of tasawwuf. See Mushâhada.

Sulûk: to make progress by striving in the way shown by men of tasawwuf.

Jadhba: means the murîd’s progress with the fayd that flows into his heart from the Murshid’s heart.

Sufiyya-i aliyya: Great men of tasawwuf.

Sunnat: 1- (when used alone) The Sharî’at; 2- (when used together with the name Book) The hadîth of the Prophet. 3- (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet.

Sûra: a chapter of the Qur’ân.

Tab’an mekrûh: any deed which our Prophet did not communicate to be mekrûh but which appears ugly and unpleasant to some people.

Tâbi’în: see Sahâba.

Ta’dîl-i arkân: see first and second fascicles of Endless Bliss.

Tahrîmî mekrûh: of those things that are Shar’an mekrûh, the ones that are loathsome and harmful. Those that are not loathsome and harmful, but should not be done are called tenzîhî mekrûh.

Takbîr: the word Allahu akbar, means: Allahu ta’âlâ is the greatest.

Taqdîth: to declare to be without defects or faults.

Tasbih: may be used for the word taqdîth, though there is a very subtle difference between their meanings.

tawâtur: to be known by Muslims all over the world.

Tawba: (after committing a sin) to repent, to promise Allah

-431-

not to do it again, to entreat Him for forgiveness. Everyone does his tawba by himself.

Tawhîd: oneness of Allahu ta’âlâ; a word describing oneness of Allahu ta’âlâ.

Thawâb: Muslims will be rewarded in the Hereafter for all their pious actions which they have done in the world. The rewards which Muslims will be given in the Hereafter are called thawâb. The word is used as an adjective as well as a noun. For example, when we say that an action is very thawâb we mean that Allahu ta’âlâ will give many rewards for the action.

Tumânînat: see first and second fascicles of Endless Bliss.

’Ushr: a kind of zakât.

Wahy: see Belief and Islam.

Wâjib: see Belief and Islam.

Walî: see Awliyâ.

Wilâyat: the grade reached by a Muslim who has managed the very hard job of adapting his every word, every action and every thought to the Sharî’at. Such a person is called a Walî.

Wilâyat-i khâssa: see first and second fascicles of Endless Bliss.

Yâddâsht: To become accustomed to thinking of Allahu ta’âlâ all the time. If one wants to think of anything besides Allahu ta’âlâ one will not be able to do it.

Yaqîn: belief without any doubt.

zâhid: a person who does not set his heart on worldly things.

Zakât: to give every year a certain amount of one’s property to the people prescribed by the Qur’ân.

Zî-rahm: One’s relative through lineage, through one’s parents.

Zî-rahm-i mahram: those zî-rahm relatives of a woman or girl who she is permitted to talk to with a bare head and arms, to stay alone in a room and to go on a trip with, but not permitted to get married to.

Zuhd: not to set one’s heart on worldly things. Person who has this quality is called zâhid.

-432-

1 - Our Prophet 'sall-Allâhu 'alaihi wa sallam' stated: "A person whom Allâhu ta'âlâ loves very much is one who learns his religion and teaches it to others. Learn your religion from the mouths of Islamic scholars!"

A person who cannot find a true scholar must learn by reading books written by the scholars of Ahl as-sunna, and try hard to spread these books. A Müslim who has 'ilm (knowledge), 'amal (practising what one knows; obeying Islam's commandments and prohibitions), and ikhlâs (doing everything only to please Allâhu ta'âlâ) is called an Islamic scholar. A person who represents himself as an Islamic scholar though he lacks any one of these qualifications is called an 'evil religious scholar', or an 'impostor'. The Islamic scholar will guide you to causes which in turn will open the gates to happiness; he is the protector of faith. The impostor will mislead you into such causes as will make you end up in perdition; he is the Satan's accomplice.^[1] (There is a certain) prayer (called) Istighfâr (which), whenever you say, (recite or read) it, will make you attain causes which will shield you against afflictions and troubles.

2 - The Nejât-ul-musallî was written in Turkish in the year 1217 (A.H.) by Ahmed Şevki Efendi, and was printed in İstanbul in 1305. İt consists of a hundred and ninety-seven (197) pages. İt is stated as follows on its final page: Ibni Jezerî, (751 [1350 A.D.], Damascus - 833 [1429], Shîrâz,) states as follows in his book Hisn ul-hasîn: A hadîth-i-sherîf reads as follows: "If an invalid person says Lâ ilâha illâ anta subhânaka innî kuntu min-az-zâlimîn,' forty times, he will die as a martyr (if his predetermined life-span is over). If he recovers, all his sins will be pardoned." This prayer is the eighty-seventh âyat-i- kerîma of Anbiyâ sûra. Please see the final parts of the thirteenth and the fifteenth chapters of the current book!

---------------------------------

[1] Knowledge that is acquired not for the purpose of practising it with ikhlâs, will not be beneficial. Please see the 366th and 367th pages of the first volume of Hadîqa, and also the 36th and the 40th and the 59th letters in the first volume of Maktûbât. (The English versions of these letters exist in the 16th and the 25th and the 28th chapters, respectively, of the second fascicle of Endless Bliss).