Part 12

Tawbid: unification, monotheism, the belief in the absolute Oneness of Allah. It is to believe that Allah Alone is the creator, nourisher, and sustainer of the worlds; it is to believe that Allah Alone deserves to be worshipped; and it is to believe that He has unique and perfect Names and Attributes that far

THE EXCELLENCE OF KNOWLEDGE

transcend anything that one can imagine. Tyarah: seeing bad omens in things.

Wahdatu-lWajid: The unity of existence, the heretical belief that Allah is everywhere and everything.

Wajd: strong emotion, technically referring to spiritual ecstasy. The heart experiencing sudden surges of intense love, desire, awe and glorification of Allah.

Wara‘: pious caution, scrupulousness. A mannerism through which the heart is purified of all that would sully it and has been excellently summarised in the saying of the Prophet (38), “From the excellence of ones Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.” It is to leave all that causes one doubt, all that does not concern him, to continuously bring oneself to account and to devote oneself to Allah. Some of the Salaf said, ‘None attains the reality of sagwa until he leaves that which is harmless for fear of falling into that which is harmful.’

Yagin: certainty. It is to faith (Jman) what the soul is to the body, it is the soul to the actions of the heart which in turn formulate the souls to the actions of the limbs and through it one attains the rank of Siddiq. From yaqin does tawakkul (absoJute reliance in Allah) sprout and through yagin is all doubt, suspicion and worry dispelled and the heart filled with love, hope and fear of Allah. Yagin is of three levels, that which arises from knowledge (‘i/m al-yaqin), seeing (‘ain al-yagin) and actual experience (faqq al-yaqin).