European International Journal of Philological Sciences
102
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
102-106
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
31 March 2025
ACCEPTED
29 April 2025
PUBLISHED
31 May 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue 05 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Sufi Terms Used In
"Nasoyim Ul-Muhabbat"
Ubaydullaev Abdullo Khabibullo ugli
Lecturer at Oriental University, Uzbekistan
Abstract
: "Nasoyimu-l muhabbat" is one of Alisher
Navoi's most significant works on Sufi teachings, which
recounts the lives, wise sayings, and miracles of 770
saints who lived between the 7th and 15th centuries.
The work extensively covers the formation and
development of Sufi knowledge, while analyzing the
main aspects of Sufism such as Sharia, Tariqa, Ma'rifat,
and Haqiqat. Navoi wrote this work in 901 Hijri (1495-
1496 CE), incorporating his life experience and mystical
knowledge. The work contains 27 Quranic verses, 9
hadiths, 3 sacred hadiths, 126 wise sayings, 9 prayers,
and numerous other Sufi terms, through which the
essence of Sufi teachings is revealed. The article
analyzes Sufi terms used in the work, such as darvesh
(dervish), so'fiylik (Sufism), faqirlik (poverty), murid,
murshid, zuhd, zohiriy, and others. These terms are
explained with examples, highlighting Navoi's profound
knowledge of Sufism and his contribution to its
development.
Keywords:
Alisher Navoiy, "Nasoyimu-l muhabbat,"
Sufism, Sufi terms, Sharia, tariqa, ma'rifat, haqiqat,
darvesh, Sufism, faqirlik, murid, murshid, zuhd, zohiriy,
avliyo, hikmat, karomat.
Introduction:
As noted in the previous chapters, this
work is considered one of Navoi's Sufi works, and we can
observe numerous words and phrases denoting Sufi
teachings used throughout. Navoi created this work in
the last years of his life, drawing upon the knowledge,
experiences, and insights he had accumulated over his
lifetime. He composed the anthology "Nasoyimu-l
muhabbat min shamoyimul futuvvat" ("Breezes of Love
Spreading the Fragrances of Greatness") in the Hijri year
901, which corresponds to 1495-1496 AD. In this work,
the poet recounts the wise and exemplary thoughts,
extraordinary deeds (havoriq odat), and miracles of 735
male and 35 female saints who lived in India, Central
Asia, the Middle East, and East Turkestan over a span of
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nine centuries, from the 7th to the end of the 15th
century.
Regarding the structure of the work, in keeping with
Arabic tradition, it begins with praise to Allah.
Materials
In writing this work, Navoi studied the contributions
and thoughts of Sa'duddin Kashgari, Abdurahman
Jami, and Khoja Ubaydullah Ahror, who were
considered great scholars and prominent figures of the
Sufi order who lived and worked before him. As a
result, "Nasoyimu-l muhabbat" emerged as a work that
extensively reflects the teachings of Sufism, its
formation process, and historical development.
Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that this work
continues to be studied to this day.
During our examination of the work, it was discovered
that in writing it, Alisher Navoi incorporated 27
Quranic verses, 9 hadiths, 3 sacred hadiths, 126 wise
sayings, 9 prayers, 3 phrases, more than 20 figurative
devices for describing saints, 18 poetic excerpts, and
examples of conversations with 14 saints. These
elements indicate that Navoi worked diligently on this
work for many years. Since the work aims to reflect the
formation and development of the Sufi order and the
contributions of the thinkers who enriched it, we can
find numerous Arabic terms specific to the science of
Sufism within it.
METHODS
In particular, there are three stages on the path to
Sufism: dervish, Sufism, and poverty. 1. Dervish: a
seeker who adheres to and studies the principles of
Sufi teachings; it is the first step towards Sufism. In
other words, it is an introduction to the stages of Sufi
knowledge. 2. Sufism: it is the path to attaining the
rank of saint by connecting one's soul to the secrets of
mysteries while following the rules of Sufi science. In
essence, it's about disciplining one's spirit and soul. 3.
Poverty: for the saint who has achieved this rank, it is
the transition to communication with Allah through
the inner knowledge He has bestowed, connecting
one's soul with Allah the Almighty. To express this
concept more broadly, the following information is
provided: In the words of Husayn Mansur Hallaj, "The
poor one beholds the Truth," "Everyone saw - but did
not see," meaning to see Allah not with the outward
eyes, but with the eyes of the heart. This also involves
understanding the mysteries of the existing world,
comprehending Allah's power and miracles, and
spiritually connecting oneself to Him. Therefore, the
teachings of Sufism represent the saints' path to self-
awareness, that is, the journey towards selfhood.
Additionally, in the work, the thinker pays special
attention to Sufi terms that represent the four aspects
of Sufi teachings: sharia, tariqat, ma'rifat, and haqiqat,
writing about them as follows:
RESULTS
The teachings of Sufism encompass four aspects: Sharia,
Tariqat, Ma'rifat, and Haqiqat. Specifically:
1. Sharia is the path of strict adherence to the rules of
Islamic jurisprudence. 2. Tariqat refers to manners and
morality, encompassing a person's behavior, actions,
graceful conduct, beauty of character, inner purity, and
meaningful speech. 3. Ma'rifat is abandoning one's
desires and losing one's identity while following the
path of Truth. 4. Haqiqat is discovering Truth by
directing one's soul towards divine attributes.
Generally, the work contains numerous terms related to
Sufi teachings, including:
We can observe nearly a hundred terms and concepts
such as tavba, shahādat kalimasi, salovati khamsa,
zakat, ro'za, bovujud shariat rioyati, tariqat odobi, nav'
adabi, bazl, burdbog'liq, sabr, g'ayri voqi', hilliya,
munzaviy, mutta'abbid, zandaqa, zikr, Sufyon Savriy
mazhabi,
muraqqa,
murdadillik,
murid,
muri,
namozshom adosi, murtoz, murshid, murshidi komil
(spiritual guide of tariqat), murshidi mukammal
(perfect, great sheikh), murshidi muqtado (leader, guide
to the right path), musannafot, musannif, musofir,
mustafo,
mustaqim,
mustag'raq,
muta'ammil,
muta'assuf,
mutavajjih,
mutavarri',
mutasharri',
muhammil, muttali', muflis, and Sufyon Savriy mazhabi.
We will examine below through examples how these
Arabic terms convey concepts related to the science of
tariqat and tasawwuf within the text. For instance, the
Sufi term muraqqa is widely used in the work, and we
can observe that it carries the following meaning:
4. Truth is the discovery of Truth by directing one's soul
towards divine attributes.
In general, the work contains many terms related to Sufi
teachings, including:
we can see nearly a hundred terms and concepts such
as repentance, testimony of faith, salawat of khamsa,
zakat, fasting, observance of bodily sharia, etiquette of
tariqat, nov' adabi, bazl, burdbog'liq, sabr, g'ayri voqi',
hilliya, munzaviy, muttaabbid, zandaqa, zikr, sufi sufi
mazhabi, muraqqa, murdadillik, murid, sufi sufi
mazhabi, muri, namozshom adosi, murtaz, murshid,
murshidi komil (spiritual guide of tariqat), murshidi
mukammal (perfect, great sheikh), murshidi muqtado
(leader, guide to the right path), musannafot, musannif,
musofir, mustafo, mustaqim, musta'raq, mutaammil,
mutaassuf,
mutavajjih,
mutavarri',
mutasharri',
muhammil, muttali', muflis, sufi sufi mazhabi. We will
see below from the composition of examples that these
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Arabic terms mean concepts related to the science of
tariqat and tasawwuf in the text. For example, in the
work, the Sufi term muraqqa is widely used, and we
can see that it has the following meaning:
DISCUSSION
Muraqqa' - I have compiled those ruq'as into a
muraqqa' and preserved them in a blessed manner
with
tables
and
embellishments.
(Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 140)
Murdadillik - spiritual dullness, despondency: And the
Almighty will afflict him with murdadillik. (Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 85)
Murid - seeker, aspirant; one who follows someone;
one who pledges allegiance to a sheikh by shaking
hands: Khoja Yusuf Hamadoniy was among his
disciples. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 168)
Muri (q) - softening, melting (the heart): At the
mausoleum of their noble ancestors, they were sheikhs
of Islam, their sermons and words were very affecting,
their movements during sama were extremely heart-
melting. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 126)
Namozshom adosi - After the evening prayer, the
master sat in contemplation and said that after the
evening prayer, the servant entered again and said...
(Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 129)
Muroqab/muroqaba - observation, contemplation:
When the people of the khanqah saw this situation and
found it contrary to the dervish path, for the sheikh's
way in seclusion was nothing but engaging in
remembrance
and
contemplation.
(Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 173)
Murtoz - one who has restrained their desires through
abstinence, self-disciplined: He was an extremely self-
disciplined person. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 180)
Murshid - guide; leader, pir, eshon: He immediately
tested it and became a traveler in search of a murshid.
(Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 143)
Musannafot - classified works; authored works;
writings, books: He was a scholar of exoteric and
esoteric sciences and has authored works in both
poetry and prose. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 74)
Musannif - book writer, author: ...and Hazrat Mahmud,
who is the author of the book "Nafahotul-uns."
(Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 126)
Musofir - traveler; person in exile; wanderer; person
temporarily staying somewhere: ...and said that I
became a traveler of all worlds. (Nasoyimul muhabbat.
p. 104)
Mustafo - chosen, selected; an attribute of Prophet
Muhammad: He said, "What I have endured in seeking
Mustafa's hadith, no one has endured." (Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 119)
Mustaqim - 1. Straight, equal; true. 2. Pure, lawful, -bo'l
- to be righteous, to be lawful: Until the end of the
world, the path of the nation and Sharia will remain
straight. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 67)
Mustag'raq - 1. Immersed; lost in oneself, absorbed in
thought. 2. Completely, entirely: -bo'l - to be immersed,
to be lost in thought: He became completely absorbed
in this word. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 111)
Mutaammil - to contemplate attentively, to ponder:
Khoja Bahovuddin says that, by fate's decree, when I
became contemplative, my ancestor commanded...
(Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 127) / I was contemplating
whether I could express those subtle complexities with
clearer words and more open explanations. (Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 66)
Mutaassuf - regret, remorse; -qil - to regret: ...regretting
his beloved status, he sent him for the guidance of those
misguided ones and revealed his decrees to that
venerable one. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 67)
Mutavajjih - to face, to look: In short, he found the imam
in a ruined place... facing towards the qibla, sitting and
reciting the Quran. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 82)
Mutawarri' - pious, God-fearing: Abubakr Tahir Abhari...
He was from Shibli's lineage. Knowledgeable and pious.
(Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 96)
Mutasharri' - one who follows Sharia law: ...tell those
events of yours to Mavlono Zayniddin, for he is a person
who follows Sharia. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 137)
Muhammil - one who endures, one who tolerates:
Antoki said that the most beneficial path of poverty is
that which you will endure. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p.
81)
Muttali' - informed, aware: It is said that during
Ramadan, he would eat something and not pray, but he
was privy to and aware of the unseen. (Nasoyimul
muhabbat. p. 153)
Muflis - poor, destitute, helpless, wretched, miserable:
...is the capital of the destitute and the companion of
the lonely. (Nasoyimul muhabbat. p. 76)
In addition, we can cite many more examples of the use
of Sufi terms from the work. For example, the word
abdol is used in the work, and we see that this word is
used in the text in the following sense:
The word abdol actually means worshipper (s), dervish
(es); "In Sufism, abdol refers to those who occupy the
fifth level of the Sufi hierarchy": And they say that Bobo
Khudoydod was from the abdol...Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal has said that Zakariya was from the abdol.
(Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p.52)
The word "abyazpush" is also a Sufi term, meaning
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"wearing white, turned white, whitened; subhi
abyazpush - illuminated." In the work, it is depicted as
the attire of saints.
"Avvalin" in dictionaries means "first" or "previous." In
Sufi teachings, Navoi demonstrates through an
example that it expresses the opposite meaning of the
end times. For instance, Sheikh ul-Islam said that on
the Day of Judgment, the veil of mercy will be spread
so wide that the sins of the first and last ones will
disappear within it. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 177)
In the work, the term "Avliyo" refers to saints, miracle-
performers, holy and revered people; it is observed to
be used in the sense of Friends of God: "Munavvar
hazirasi is the place of seclusion where saints and pious
ones perform chilla." Additionally, when combined
with "~i izom," this word also means great saints. For
example: "Know that the Islamic scholars hope for
benefit from them, the great saints benefit from the
breaths of the sent prophets, and praise them."
(Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 338)
We can find many such terms and phrases in the work.
For example: Avlod - children, lineage; dynasty: "And
now that place is under the control of the descendants
and followers of two saints, and it is a famous and
established place." ~i odam - the offspring of Adam:
..."and other offspring of Adam were afflicted, but the
afflicted one did not mourn this loss" (Nasoyimul-
muhabbat, p. 337)
Avrodlig' - prayerful, suppliant; one who recites
prayers: Safi was a person devoted to his time and
prayers. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 394)
Awqaf - endowments; endowed properties: When this
situation became apparent to the bey, he became a
disciple and established a spiritual retreat, making
many endowments. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 385)
Adyan - religions; sects; orders: And as humanity
prevailed in their essence, different religions and
nations emerged among them. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat,
p. 3)
Ajal - death, the end of life: ~ darvozasi - gate of death,
door: ~ domi - trap of death, snare of destruction: ~
do'zaxi - hell of death; agonizing, painful death: ~ yeli -
wind of death; last breath, sign of death: ~ jomi -
moment of death; state of death: ~ zahri - poison of
death, venom: ~ iligi - hand of death: ~ kosi - cup;
death, cup of death: sini davron can be seen as a term
expressing the meanings of ultimate consequences.
In the work, the word Ajilla appears as a Sufi term
meaning great ones or saints: His name is Askar bin al-
Hasin, one of the Ajillas among the sheikhs of
Khorasan. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p.34)
Ajma' - all, everyone: and all the saints, nobles, and
sheikhs, may Allah the Almighty sanctify their souls,
have gathered from the spiritual experiences of Ajma'in.
(Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 360)
Ajsom - bodies: Although He is free from entering into
those bodies, there is a relationship between Him and
this piece of pine-shaped flesh. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat,
p. 253)
Ajuz/ajuza - old, elderly; old woman; ancient (world):
One day when I was at his house, his wife was an old
woman, respectable and possessing authority...
(Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 208) and others.
Zuhd - renouncing the world and engaging in worship
and piety. In Navoi's work "Nasoyimu-l muhabbat," we
can see that this word is used with the form -i bakamol,
and the thinker assigns it the meaning of 'perfected'. For
example:
Beauty and wealth and perfect asceticism and complete
generosity. (Nasoyimul-muhabbat, p. 88)
Zohiriy - exoteric, apparent: Perfect in both exoteric and
esoteric knowledge. (Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 158)
Zohira - open, apparent: Sheikh said to Abu Bakr, "Do
you know what apparent signs Allah the Almighty has
placed in this child?" (Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 147)
...they possessed high spiritual stations and manifest
miracles in abundance. (Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 126).
In the work, it can be seen that the word zohir is also
used with the auxiliary verb -qil, meaning to reveal or
make apparent. For example:
Ibrahim said, "You sit with the poor and yet you make
ten dirhams apparent." (Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 30).
Zohid - 1. A devout, pious person who has renounced
worldly affairs and dedicated themselves to worship
and devotion. 2. An ascetic, one who restrains
themselves from many things. Navoi uses both
meanings of this word in his work. For example:
1. A devout person who has renounced worldly affairs
and dedicated themselves to worship and devotion. For
example: In the image of ascetics, wearing a cloak and
prayer rug on his shoulder, he sat in a corner.
(Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 125).
2. An ascetic, one who restrains themselves from many
things. For example: However, he was an extremely
perceptive and intelligent, ascetic and pious person.
(Nasoyimu-l muhabbat, p. 390).
CONCLUSION
In general, we can observe that Alisher Navoi
extensively used terms denoting Sufi concepts in the
work. This fact once again proves that Navoi is a great
individual among the saints and sheikhs he mentions in
the work, who made a significant contribution to the
development and refinement of the Sufi order, and was
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a representative and scholar of Sufi knowledge.
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