The Laá¹ÂÃÂþif () are special organs of spiritual and psycho-physiological functioning in Sufi psychology.
Depending on context, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif (plural) are also understood to be the experiential qualities or forms of those functions. (See "Disambiguation: Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif (organs) or Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif (experiences)").
The Arabic word Laá¹Âëfa (singular) means âÂÂsubtletyâ and the phrase Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif-e-sitta means âÂÂsix subtletiesâÂÂ, although the number of Laá¹ÂÃÂþif can differ depending on the specific Sufi tradition.
The Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are viewed as aspects of Man's spiritual âÂÂOrgan of EvolutionâÂÂ, known as Qalb (Heart) (See "Disambiguation: Qalb (Heart) or Qalb (Laá¹Âëfa)").
Explicit realization of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif in Qalb is considered by some Sufi orders -- especially the Naqshbandi -- to be a central part of the comprehensive spiritual development that produces the Sufi ideal of a Complete Human Being (Al-InsÃÂn al-KÃÂmil).
Not all Sufi orders teach about the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif. Of those which do, descriptions and understandings can differ depending on the specific Sufi lineage and exponent representing it.
In addition, individual Sufi teachers (see Sheikh (Sufism)) sometimes understand aspects of Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif theory and practice according to how the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif have been uniquely revealed to them.
In general, there are at least three major historical understandings of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif:
According to the view of the Kubrawi Order there are seven Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif. They are understood cosmologically as âÂÂdescendingâ levels through which reality is created and structured.
In the process of spiritual development, the Sufi student is understood to âÂÂascendâ back through these levels progressively (see ontological Arcs of Descent and Ascent in Sufism).
The attainment of each level is associated with the activation/realization of a corresponding spiritual organ/capacity, interpreted symbolically through Islamic cosmology and the prophets and messengers in Islam.
In ascending order they are:
According to the view of the Mujaddidë branch of the Naqshbandi order there are five Laá¹ÂÃÂþif. The reception of each Laá¹ÂëfaâÂÂs âÂÂspiritual energyâ from its corresponding cosmic realm is interpreted symbolically through the prophets and messengers in Islam, similar to the interpretation of the Kubrawi order:
In this understanding, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif all have their physical association in the chest and so are said to be âÂÂof the Heartâ (Qalb, the potential human âÂÂOrgan of Evolutionâ -- see "Disambiguation: Qalb (Heart) or Qalb (Laá¹Âëfa)").
According to the Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi order, which emphasizes modern-day psychological aspects of Sufism, there are five Laá¹ÂÃÂþif:
In this tradition the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are understood to be spiritual organs/capacities that also underlie ordinary forms of human psycho-physiological functioning.
For Sufi traditions that teach the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, spiritual development is undertaken on two dimensions:
The egoic Self is said to proceed through seven stages of development, the primitive stages of which distort or "veil" (see Hijab (Sufism)) full realization of the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif. In most Sufi traditions, accordingly, a general, progressive refinement of the Nafs precedes any explicit activation of the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif.
In the Naqshbandi tradition, however, it is the reverse: the activation of specific Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is used to facilitate refinement of the Nafs. This is why the Naqshbandi teaching method is known as "where others end, there marks our beginning" ("indiraj al-nihayat fiâÂÂl-bidayat").
See also: "Disambiguation: Nafs (Egoic Self) or Nafs (Laá¹Âëfa)".
Just as interpretations of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif vary, their activation also consists of various methods, singly or in combination, such as:
In the Kubrawi tradition, Sufi Ala ud-Daula Simnani (1261âÂÂ1336) describes a dhikr type practice that involved certain postures, the rotation of attention and breath to different parts of the physical body, and the recitation of a Quranic credal formula.
<blockquote>"The ideal formula for recollection is the credal statement: 'There is no god but God'. This formula should be uttered in four beats: (i) With all his strength, the mystic should exhale the 'la' from above the navel. (ii) He should then inhale the 'ilaha' to the right side of the breast, (iii) then exhale the 'illa' from the right side to the left, (iv) and then inhale the 'Allah' to the physical heart . . . which is on the left side of the breast."</blockquote>
In the Khwajagan tradition, RifâÂÂat Bey describes a visualization practice at the physical location associated with a Laá¹Âëfa:
<blockquote>"The seeker represents to himself the Exalted Name â that is, the noble name of Allah â written in letters of light under the nipple of his left breast. Holding his attention upon the meaning and significance of the Exalted Name, he begins to repeat it silently. He continues to do so until he sees a red light surrounding it."</blockquote>
In the Mujaddidë tradition, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are opened through practice one-by-one in âÂÂascendingâ order, beginning with Qalb. Viewed as a progressive activation, each Laá¹Âëfa (or progressive combination of Laá¹ÂÃÂþif) is considered to be a level of spiritual realization.
The method of opening each Laá¹Âëfa typically begins with a direct transmission of Barakah (spiritual Presence) by teacher to student, and can also include physical touch (except for women) and the disclosure of a specific one of the Divine Names of God in Islam:
<blockquote>"In the Naqshbandi order typically the shaikh first bestows baraka at the time of initiation (bayâÂÂa) by placing his four fingers on the heart and pronouncing the name âÂÂAllahâ three times." </blockquote>
The student then continues the practice by silent dhikr of the Name, concentrating attention on the Laá¹ÂëfaâÂÂs location; sometimes a visualization of the Name, the corresponding prophet, or the teacher is also added.
In the Awaisi tradition, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are illuminated through a dhikr cycle that begins with Qalb and continues with the other six Laá¹ÂÃÂþif in order. The student inhales vigorously into the Qalb(Heart) with a silent, attentive âÂÂAllahâ and exhales out to the specific Laá¹Âëfa with a silent, attentive âÂÂHuâÂÂ:
<blockquote>"Our Zikr method is very simple, every ingress takes the word Allah inside and every egress brings out Hu to strike the Latifah under Zikr, while vigorous and fast breathing generates heat in the body."</blockquote>
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
In the Punjab tradition, Idries Shah describes a type of muraqabah in which the student concentrates awareness on the part of the body that is associated with a Laá¹Âëfa:
<blockquote>"The method, presided over by the instructor (Sheikh), is to concentrate the consciousness upon certain areas of the body and head, each area being linked with the Laá¹Âëfa faculties."</blockquote>
With rare exceptions, direct and explicit experiences of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif only arise in human beings who have undergone a spiritual evolution. These experiences can be of several different types, singly or in combination, among them:
In Persian Sufi Illuminationism (see: Najm al-Din Kubra), all creation is a successive outflow from the original Supreme Light of Lights (Nur al-Anwar) (see: Nà «r (Islam)). The cosmology of this tradition is a kind of Emanationism in which immaterial Light descends from the Light of Lights in ever-diminishing intensity. In other words, Creation at all levels of its existenceâÂÂincluding that of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþifâÂÂis made up of varying degrees of Light.
Accordingly, the experiences of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are both an external âÂÂvisualâ experience of photisms (âÂÂacts of lightâÂÂ) and a tactile inner sensation, as described by Henry Corbin.
The Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are experienced primarily as colors seen surrounding the name of Allah at the physical location associated with each Laá¹Âëfa, as described by RifaâÂÂt Bey.
Direct and explicit realizations of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are experienced primarily as differentiated, localized forms of an overall tactile spiritual Presence (âÂÂḤuá¸ÂurâÂÂ) in the body, as described by Naqshbandi influenced spiritual teacher Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) (1944âÂÂ):
<blockquote>"[Presence] is an embodied existence and will be experienced in the body, not somewhere else or abstractly . . . By awakening the body and refining its sensitivity the deeper and subtler capacities of perception are awakened and developed".</blockquote>
Beyond direct and explicit experiences of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, Sufi traditions can differ in their understanding of how the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif affect human experience indirectly and implicitly.
In traditions similar to the Kubrawi, for example, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are only activated after the Nafs has been refined by other means.
As a result, the experiences of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are viewed as higher spiritual capacities and virtues that are unrelated to the conventional experiences and capacities of the lower egoic Self (Nafs).
In traditions similar to the Naqshbandi, however, the process of activating the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is understood to itself contribute to the refinement of the Nafs. This refinement is experienced both as a reduction in specific vices and an increase in corresponding virtues.
Such changes in the egoic Self can therefore be understood as indirect, secondary effects of the (partially or wholly) activated Laá¹ÂÃÂþif.
The activation of the Ruḥ Laá¹Âëfa, for example, is often connected with overcoming personal weakness and anger and replacing it with healthy strength and assertiveness.
Finally, traditions similar to the Naqshbandi (Punjab) understand the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif to be spiritual organs/capacities that also underlie ordinary forms of human psycho-physiological functioning.
As such, they are thought to be activated and operating implicitly at all times and appear indirectly through the corresponding experiences that they pattern on the conventional mental/emotional/somatic level of the egoic Self.
Hameed Ali understands some of these Laá¹ÂÃÂþif and psycho-physiological correspondences as follows:
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
Even among traditions that recognize the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, Sufi teachings often include other features or terminology that have ambiguous relationships to the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif.
In addition, there is perennial potential for ambiguity in discussing the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif (both in primary sources and in their English translation) arising from the way that words in Arabic can have different meanings in different contexts.
Similar examples in English include "feeling" (which can mean either a sensation or an emotion) and "pain" (which can be either physical or psychological).
The word Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is the plural of the transliterated Arabic word Laá¹Âëfa, from the tripartite verb la-á¹Âa-fa, which means âÂÂto be subtleâÂÂ.
It assumed a spiritual meaning in the QurâÂÂan where Al-Laá¹Âëf is one of the 99 names of God in Islam, reflecting His subtle nature.
And it was subsequently adopted by Sufism to refer to various aspects of reality that are not gross, material qualities of the physical world (see, for example, "Disambiguation: Ten, five, or six Laá¹ÂÃÂþif").
English language authors use one or more of three methods when referring to specific Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif:
Laleh Bahktiar uses both a transliteration and a translation:
Idries Shah also uses both a transliteration and a translation:
Hameed Ali uses a transliteration and an interpretation:
The concept of Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif can be used in two different contexts:
The Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif (organs) are the spiritual structures or potentials and the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif (experiences) are the phenomenological realization of those potentials; the "organs" are the means through which the "experiences" arise.
In the version of Sufi cosmology proposed by Ahmad Sirhindi (1564âÂÂ1624), God created the universe in three stages:
In this usage, then, there are ten Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif in two categories:
In contrast, in most Sufi usages outside this cosmological one (including most of this webpage), there are either:
The Nafs in Sufism is considered to be a person's egoic consciousness or egoic, psycho-physiological "Self". It is the subtle (Laá¹Âëfa) quality of "God's Creation" that becomes individual and can undergo a spiritual development. This makes it unlike the five Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif of "God's Command", which are transcendent, unchanging qualities.
The number "seven" appears repeatedly in Islam and in Sufism, to reflect the relationships between entities within various categories.
In Islam, "seven" appears in the Quran, in the Hajj pilgrimage, and in the "Seven Heavens", among others. In Sufism, it appears in seven Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, seven stages of Nafs development, and seven Maqamat.
In some cases this use of "seven" is understood literally . . . while in other cases it is understood to be a metaphor for an "infinite" or "complete" number of entities.
Additionally, there is not always a consensus about correlating one category of seven things with another.
For example, Ala ud-Daula Simnani explicitly correlates the seven progressive Laá¹ÂÃÂþif with the seven ontological levels of Islamic cosmology, whereas other Sufi orders, which recognize only five Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, do not.
Most Sufi traditions arrange the individual Laá¹ÂÃÂþif in some specific order.
For example, the Laá¹Âëfa Qalb is often given first priority because its activation is the student's first orientation to the related presence and importance of Qalb (Heart) -- Man's spiritual "Organ of Evolution".
In the Kubrawi tradition, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are understood to reflect the hierarchy of successive historical prophets and messengers, beginning with Adam and culminating with Muhammad. The student's spiritual development is thought to unfold from an earlier, more limited revelation to a later, more complete one.
In the Naqshbanbdi (Mujaddidi) tradition, the realization of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is sometimes understood to be not only progressive but also cumulative; each new Laá¹Âëfa's realization is a comprehensive combination of that Laá¹Âëfa and all previously realized Laá¹ÂÃÂþif.
Finally, in those traditions that emphasize modern day psychological aspects of Sufism, the order of activation of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is sometimes determined by the individual student's personal history. A student might, for example, have one or another Laá¹Âëfa that is less "veiled" than another, in which case it could be the first Laá¹Âëfa emphasized for activation.
The word "Ruḥ" is used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
The word âÂÂQalbâÂÂ, like âÂÂRuḥâÂÂ, is used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
The word "Sirr", like "Ruḥ" and "Qalb", is also used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
The realization of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif in Qalb (Heart) is understood by Sufism to also represent the potential development of a corresponding subtle body in human beings, known in some traditions as the "Jism Laá¹Âëf".
The Jism Laá¹Âëf is the underlying spiritual substance and persistent spiritual Presence (âÂÂḤuá¸ÂurâÂÂ) possible for humans.
It is said to exist in one of ten forms, corresponding to the level of spiritual development an individual has undergone in life. As such, it is also the corresponding level at which a human being survives physical death.
See also: "Disambiguation: Qalab or Sultan al-Azkar".
The Laá¹Âëfa named âÂÂQalabâ in the Kubrawi tradition is equivalent to the Laá¹Âëfa named âÂÂSulá¹Âan al-Azkarâ (âÂÂKing of ZikrsâÂÂ) in the Naqshbandi (Awaisi) tradition. Traditions that recognize this Laá¹Âëfa consider its realization to be the realization of a subtle body. (See also "Disambiguation: Laá¹ÂÃÂþif and the Jism Latif").
Some (like the Kubrawi) consider Qalab to be a preliminary realization of the subtle body and therefore the first Laá¹Âëfa to be activated in spiritual practise. In this perspective, the realization of subsequent Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is considered to be a development, refinement, or differentiation of the subtle body.
Other traditions (like the Awaisi) consider Sultan al-Azkar to be a comprehensive realization of the subtle body and therefore the final Laá¹Âëfa to be activated in practise. In this perspective, the subtle body is considered to be a unification and integration of previously realized Laá¹ÂÃÂþif.
In addition to the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, some Sufi traditions also speak about two other categories of conscious experience that can arise during spiritual practice:
There appears to be no consensus that the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif are directly related to either of the categories Ḥal or Maqam.
The Divine Names of God in Islam are understood by Sufism to refer (in the great majority of cases) to the relational action, functioning, or appearance of transcendental Divine Attributes/Qualities in immanent, manifest reality.
The Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, in contrast, while capable of being experienced indirectly through the somatic, emotional, and mental states they pattern in conventional experience, are primarily direct transcendental experiences of Divine Attributes themselves.
There appears to be no consensus about how the Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif are related to the Divine Names.
In addition to Sufism itself, the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are also found in certain spiritual teachings whose founders have been influenced by Sufism.
The Fourth Way is an approach to human self-development introduced to Europe in the early 20th century by George Gurdjieff (1867-1949) and his student P.D. Ouspensky (1878-1947). Substantial parts of the teaching are thought to be derived from Naqshbandi Sufism.
For example, there are said to be seven Centers (Fourth Way) within human beings that organise specific functions:
In this teaching, the Higher Emotional Center is equivalent to Qalb (Heart) in Sufism and its experiential qualities and functions are known as âÂÂsacred impulsesâ or âÂÂPositive EmotionsâÂÂ.
John G. Bennett (1897-1974), a contemporary student of both Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, researched the sources of GurdjieffâÂÂs teaching and concluded that these Positive Emotions were in fact derived from the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif of Sufism.
Nevertheless, specific knowledge and realization of the Positive Emotions as Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif are rarely emphasized in schools of the Fourth Way teaching today.
The Diamond Approach is a spiritual teaching developed by Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) (1944âÂÂ) and Faisal Muqaddam (1946-) beginning in the 1970s. The history of the teaching was influenced both by Idries Shah and by Gurdjieff's Fourth Way.
It confirms the Naqshbandi (Punjab) understanding of five fundamental Laá¹ÂÃÂþif and then expands it to include dozens of similar human capacities for which the more general term âÂÂEssential Aspectsâ is adopted.
Unlike the Gurdjieff/Ouspensky Fourth Way, the Diamond Approach uses various mental, emotive, and somatic methods for realizing the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, as a central part of its overall teaching and practice.
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
Most Sufi traditions are silent about whether or not the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif are also present in animals.
Nevertheless, Islamic theology definitely considers animals to possess divine Ruḥ (Spirit). Mulla Sadra (arguably the most significant Islamic philosopher after Avicenna) considers animals to also have an imaginal (Malakut) Soul, though they lack the additional intellect ('Aql) that defines the human Soul.
Accordingly, some Sufi orders (for example the Azeemia) do teach that certain of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif function in animals.
In addition, the presence of Laá¹ÂÃÂþif in animals is consistent with those Sufi traditions (such as the Naqshbandi (Punjab)) that view the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif as implicit in certain psycho-physiological functions, many of which are common to both humans and animals.
The spiritual experiences identified by Sufism as the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif have their immediate historical antecedents in the Emanationism of Neoplatonism (3rd century AD), which is known to have influenced the subsequent development of Sufism (see: Platonism in Islamic philosophy). The Emanations of Neoplatonism, in turn, arose from the Theory of forms of Plato (4th century BC).
The general concept of spiritual âÂÂsubtle centersâ originated within Persian Sufism: Junayd of Baghdad (835âÂÂ910), al-Hallaj (858âÂÂ922), and Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (1145âÂÂ1234).
Kubrawi Sufi Najm al-Din Razi (1177âÂÂ1256) proposed five âÂÂinner means of perceptionâ (Qalb, Ruh, Sirr, Khafi, and Ikhfa) that parallel the five physical senses. It's unclear to commentators whether these inner senses were already systematized as Laá¹ÂÃÂþif at that time.
The earliest systematic formulation of the Laá¹ÂÃÂþif is thought to be that of Kubrawi Ala ud-Daula Simnani (1261âÂÂ1336), who proposed seven Laá¹ÂÃÂþif, relating them to the seven ontological levels of Sufi cosmology.
From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Indian Mujaddidis, beginning with Ahmad Sirhindi (1564âÂÂ1624), returned to a standardized interpretation of five experiential Laá¹ÂÃÂþif and associated their locations with parts of the physical body.
The Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi in the late 19th and 20th centuries continued with five Laá¹ÂÃÂâÂÂif but identified the experience of their physical locations differently and viewed them as spiritual organs/capacities that also underlie ordinary forms of human consciousness.
It is thought by some that, just as with the nominal 99 Names of God in Islam and their underlying Divine Attributes, the number of Laá¹ÂÃÂþif and their potential realization by humanity might actually be unlimited.