Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 283
Malfuzat-Volume I 283 Arab poet and scholar of the Arabic language. His work Magamat-e-Hariri is a classical text and also studied for its language as a literary masterpiece. maulvi a Muslim cleric muttaqi generally translated as 'righteous' but has far deeper connotations than can be encompassed in the English word 'righteous' alone. The word 'muttaqi' is from ittiga in Arabic, taqwa and ittiqa mean to guard oneself against sin or trouble. Ubayy ibn Ka'b explains taqwa by elaborating that a muttaqi is one who walks on thorny bushes, cautiously taking every possible care that his clothes are not caught in and torn by the branches. This also implies a fear of God which is inspired by reverential respect, awe and love-taqwa is a fear of God at the thought of losing His love. In Malfuzat, the Promised Messiah expounds that ittiga is a lower level of piety, where an individual must force themselves to do good. He has explained that while a muttaqi remains in constant battle against evil, stumbling at times and overcoming Satan in others, a salib (also generally rendered in English as 'righteous' or 'virtuous'), sits at a higher level where virtue becomes second nature to them. In the text, wherever the word 'muttaqi'appears it has been rendered as 'righteous' for the case of English readers, but where the difference between muttaqi and salih is expounded by the Promised Messiah, the original Arabic has also been given in italics to allude to the deeper connotation just described. nafi-o-asbat a meditative practice among the Sufis, in which they recite, as a formula, the Muslim creed la ilaha illallahu muhammadur-rasulullah, and direct the energy of these words throughout their body, whilst holding their breath. First they recite la ilaba (there is no God) and this constitutes a negation (nafi) of all that is besides God. Then they recite illallah, (except for Allah) which is an affirmation (asbat) of the One True God. paise a paisa is a monetary unit in India that is equal to one hundredth of a rupee. The plural is paise. pilau an Indian rice dish cooked in stock and spices, typically with meat or vegetables. puranas Eighteen well-known works of theology compiled by the poet Vyasa (and narrator of the Mahabharata) giving his version of Hindu mythology and theology. ruku The bowing position in the formal Prayer. Sab'ah Mu'allaqah literally, 'the seven hung" which refers to seven renowned poems of the pre- Islamic era. They are called the 'seven hung' poems because they were hung on the Ka'bah as display of literary mastery. salabiyyat a higher level of virtue. Please see muttagi and salib. salib a virtuous person. Please see 'muttaqi sama literally means 'listening. It is a Sufi practice that combines music, chanting and dance to induce mystical trance and spiritual ecstasy. shastras a Sanskrit word generally means precept, rules, collection, book or treatise. Syed a descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad". Tadhkira-tul-Awliya literally 'Memorial of the Saints' is a book written by Farid-ud-Din Attar, a Persian poet and Sufi, about the life of renowned mystics and their miracles.