Good afternoon folks.
Assalamualaikum,
Did you know 16th October is known as Dictionary Day? Two hundred fifty seven years ago, on 16 Oct 1758, Mr. Webster was born. Does that ring a bell? Yes, Merriam-Webster and all other American dictionaries named after him.
Please bear with me. This is a Saturday afternoon rambling. I'm not sure if I'm feeling inspired or otherwise, having returned from Malaysia's National Library. It is a stone's throw away from my crib. But [of course] I drove there. LOL.
Hmm...libraries are supposed to be inspiring. Enough said. Let's not talk about the not so positive aspects. Anyhow, three take-away points I wish to mention.- I learned a bit on the history of animation in Japan from a reference book which weighs around 5 kg. LOL.
- There's a smart-looking and literally smart library within the National Library, sponsored by Samsung.
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| Samsung Smart Library at Malaysia's National Library |
- I wish I had discovered this publication by McGraw Hill in 1997 when I struggled like mad getting my house built.
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| How To Plan, Contract And Build Your Own Home |
Speaking of dictionary, you should go look for a small dictionary of 100 words related to tasawuf, compiled by Shaykh Abdul Qadir As-Sufi. It's called "The Hundred Steps". Let's see, how many words look familiar to you.
1. Tasawuf - sufism/science of journey to the King
2. Shariat - conformity on syahadah
3. Tariqat - the path between shariat and haqiqat
4. Hakikat - the realities
5. Adab - spiritual courtesy/sincere good manners
6. Istiqama - being straight/practice the words, acts and states of the Prophet
7. Suluk - science of inward elements
8. Yaqin - certainty
9. Faqir - the one who turns away from the futile search of this world
10. Tawba - turning away from wrong action
11. Wara' - scrupulousness
12. Zuhud - doing without
13. Tawakkul - reliance
14. Sabar - patience
15. Shukur - giving thanks
16. Taqwa - guarding oneself from wrong actions
17. Ikhlas - pure unadulterated genuineness
18. Sidq - truthfulness
19. Murid - one who has stripped from his own will
20. Ubudiya - slavehood
21. Zikir - invocation of Allah
22. Fikir - reflection
23. Himma - aspiration
24. Nafs - the first level of experience of the human animal
25. Ruh - spirit
26. Sirr - secret
27. Mulk - the kingdom of solid forms
28. Malakut - the kingdom of unseen forms
29. Jabarut - the kingdom of power
30. Khauf - fear
31. Raja' - hope
32. Rida' - serene content
33. Hiss - sensory
34. Ma'na - meaning
35. Lubb - core
36. Ishara - indication
37. Waqt - moment
38. Hal - state
39. Maqam - station
40. Mawqif - stopping place
41. Warid - what descends on the heart
42. Futuwwa - nobility
43. Qabd - constriction
44. Basth - expansion
45. Wajid - first degree of ecstasy
46. Wujud - third degree of ecstasy
47. Jadhb - attraction
48. Lawa'ih - outward gleams
49. Lawami' - gleams
50. Tawali' - splendours
51. Shawq - desire
52. Dhawq - tasting
53. Shurb - the drink
54. Sukr - drunkenness/intoxication
55. Khamr - wine
56. Ka's - the cup
57. Sahwa - sobriety
58. Farq - separation
59. Jam' - gatheredness
60. Jam' al-Jam' - gatheredness of gatheredness
61. Tawhid - unity/affirmation of unity
62. Tafrid - isolation
63. Af'al - the acts of Allah
64. Sifat - the attributes of Allah
65. Dhat - the essence of Allah
66. Ma'rifa - gnostic
67. Isma al-adham - the Supreme Name
68. Ghurba - exile
69. Khalwa - retreat
70. Ghuzla - retirement
71. Simsima - sesame/gnosis which is too fine to express
72. Tajalli - manifestastion
73. Takhalli - relinquishment
74. Al-'Ama - the great mist
75. Muraqaba - watching
76. Mushahada - witnessing
77. Wilaya - friendship with Allah/acceptance
78. Fana' - annihilation in Allah
79. Bala - trial
80. Baqa' - going-on in Allah
81. Sahq - pulverisation
82. Nasut - manhood
83. Lahut - godhood
84. Rahamut - sourcehood
85. Mahabba - love
86. Qurb - nearness
87. Taraqqi - rising
88. Lisan - tongue/that by which divine eloquence occurs to the ears of the gnostics
89. Tamkin - fixity
90. Talwin - change
91. Afrad - individuals
92. Nuqaba - the chiefs
93. Nujaba - the nobles
94. Abdal - the substitutes
95. Awtad - the four pillars
96. Two Imams - two imams; one on the right of the Ghawth in the Malakut, the other one on his left in the Mulk
97. Qutb - the axis/pole
98. Sukun - stillness
99. Tajrid - stripping away
100. Kamal - perfect
Allahu 'alam.
Rabbi zidni ilma war zuqni fahma.
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The Hundred Steps is published by Madinah Press Kuala Lumpur
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