Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 271
Glossary Many of the Arabic terms used in this translation are found in The Oxford English Dictionary, including, Islam, Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, etc. Such words have not been italicised in the text, and generally, are not glossed here. In various places, the Promised Messiah as has explained various words in a linguistic context or expounded their deeper spiritual meaning, as is the case, for example, with dunuw, aqrab, insan, kafur, zanjabil among others. Such words, though italicised in the text, have not been included in the glossary. Similarly, foreign terms which can adequately be translated into English—though given in the text on certain occasions—have not been elaborated here. Therefore, please note that only such terms are included in this glossary which require an explanation above and beyond a simple translation in English. Al-Hakam the first official organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community established on 8 October 1897. The first editor of Al-Hakam was Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani ra. This weekly newspaper was published from Qadian, District Gurdaspur. Asr the third of the five daily prayers, which is offered in the late afternoon. Baghdad prayer an un-Islamic practice invented by certain sufis which involves praying to Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani (rh) and supplicating to God through him. One offers two rak’ats of Prayer, recites Surah Ikhlas eleven times in each rak’at, and after the Prayer is complete, one walks eleven steps towards Baghdad whilst invoking the name of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani and stating their need. Like other self-invented beliefs, this too has no basis in the Islamic teaching. Dharam Mahautsav the ‘Conference of Great Religions’ held at the Lahore Town Hall on 26th-29th December 1897 on the efforts of Swami Sadhu Shugan Chandar. The purpose of the conference was for the learned representatives of various religions to set forth the excellences of their respective faiths. For more information, please see The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace. dhikr-e-arra literally, the ‘invocation of the saw’. A Sufi invocation, commonly found among the Yasavi order and others. The sound that comes from the throat of those performing this chant aloud resemble the grinding of a saw and is symbolic for the Sufi ‘sawing their desires. ’ Fajr the first of the five daily prayers, which is offered at dawn before sunrise. fana literally, ‘annihilation’ or ‘to cease to exist’. The Sufis speak of three stages in man’s spiritual journey to God. The first stage is fana, or the complete denial of the self and the realisation that only when a person imposes a death upon their own soul can they be truly united with God. The second stage is baqa (subsistence or life) and the third stage is liqa (meeting), which is the state of union with God. The state of fana fillah means to be lost or absorbed completely in the love of Allah. fana-e-nadhari literally, ‘annihilation of perception,’ is a concept held by the Sufis and saints.