Encyclopaedia of Sufi Terminology - Volume 1: the Language Future

Encyclopaedia of Sufi Terminology is the English translation of the monumental Mawsüat al-Kasnazan fima istalaha ¿alayhi ahl al-Tasawwuf wa al-'Irfan (Encyclopaedia of al-Kasnazan: As Defined by the People of Sufism and Gnosis), an extensive compendium of the terminology, concepts, expressions, and spiritual teachings of the Sufi tradition.Bringing together the language of the people of spiritual realisation, the Encyclopaedia provides readers with a valuable guide to the technical vocabulary through which the Sufis have expressed the realities of the spiritual path. Each entry opens a window into the rich conceptual world of tasawwuf, drawing upon the Qur'an, Prophetic tradition, the writings of the great masters, and the accumulated heritage of Islamic spirituality.The work engages the teachings and formulations of many of the foremost masters of the Sufi tradition, including Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn Arabi, Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Imam al-Junayd al-Baghdadi, Shaykh ¿Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Imam al-Qushayri, Shaykh Abu Talib al-Makki, Shaykh Ibn 'Ata' Allah al-Iskandari, Imam al-Hujwiri, Shaykh Najm al-Din al-Kubra, Shaykh Abu Yazid al-Bistami, Sahl al-Tustari, Dhu'l-Nun al-Misri, Rabia al-Adawiyya, al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Shaykh Farid al-Din al-Attar, and numerous other masters, saints, and authorities whose words have shaped the vocabulary and understanding of tasawwuf across the centuries.Volume One begins with the letters Hamzah, Alif, and Ba. More than a simple dictionary, these entries illuminate the subtle meanings of the technical terms of Sufism, revealing their connections to spiritual states and stations, Divine Names and Attributes, the realities of the human being, and the journey towards Allah.This translation makes the Encyclopaedia accessible to English-speaking readers while seeking to preserve the depth, precision, and spiritual character of its original Arabic. It is intended both as a reference work for students of tasawwuf and as a source of contemplation for those travelling the path of spiritual knowledge and realisation.