TheLaṭāʾif (Arabic:اللطائف) are special organs of psycho-physiological functioning inSufi spirituality.
Depending on context, theLaṭāʾif (plural) are also understood to be the experiential qualities or forms of those functions.[1] (See "Disambiguation:Laṭā’if (organs) orLaṭā’if (experiences)").
The Arabic wordLaṭīfa (singular) means “subtlety” and the phraseLaṭā’if-e-sitta means “six subtleties”, although the number ofLaṭāʾif can differ depending on the specific Sufi tradition.
TheLaṭāʾif are viewed as aspects of Man's spiritual “Organ of Evolution”,[2] known asQalb (Heart) (See "Disambiguation: Qalb (Heart) or Qalb (Laṭīfa)").
Explicit realization of theLaṭāʾif in Qalb is considered by some Sufi orders -- especially theNaqshbandi -- to be a central part of the comprehensive spiritual development that produces the Sufi ideal of a Complete Human Being (Al-Insān al-Kāmil).
Not all Sufi orders teach about theLaṭā’if. Of those which do, descriptions and understandings can differ depending on the specific Sufi lineage and exponent representing it.
In addition, individual Sufi teachers (seeSheikh (Sufism)) sometimes understand aspects ofLaṭā’if theory and practice according to how theLaṭāʾif have been uniquely revealed to them.[3]
In general, there are at least three major historical understandings of theLaṭāʾif:
According to the view of the Kubrawi Order there are sevenLaṭā’if. They are understood cosmologically as “descending” levels through which reality is created and structured.[4][5]
In the process of spiritual development, the Sufi student is understood to “ascend” back through these levels progressively (see ontologicalArcs 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 throughIslamic cosmology and theprophets and messengers in Islam.[6]
In ascending order they are:
According to the view of the Mujaddidīyya branch of the Naqshbandi order there are fiveLaṭāʾif.[7] The reception of eachLaṭīfa’s “spiritual energy” 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, theLaṭāʾif all have their physical association in the chest and so are said to be “of the Heart” (Qalb, the potential human “Organ of Evolution” -- see "Disambiguation: Qalb (Heart) or Qalb (Laṭīfa)").
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According to the Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi order, which emphasizes modern-day psychological aspects of Sufism,[8] there are fiveLaṭāʾif:[9]
In this tradition the Laṭāʾif are understood to be spiritual organs/capacities that also underlie ordinary forms of human psycho-physiological functioning.
| Laṭīfa | Sufi Tradition | Color Association | Physical Association | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qalb | Kubrawi (1) | Red | (?) | Kubrawi:[4] |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (1) | Yellow | below left breast | Mujaddidiyya:[10] |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (1) | Red | below left breast | Awaisi:[11] |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (1) | Yellow | left side of body | Punjab:[9] |
| Qalb | Chishti (1) | Red | left breast | [citation needed] |
| Qalb | Inayati (1) | Red | left breast | Inayati:[12] |
| Qalb | Khwajagan (1) | Red | left breast | Khwajagan:[13] |
| Qalb | Burhaniyya (1) | Yellow | below left breast | Burhaniyya:[14] |
| Qalb | Azeemia (1) | (?) | left breast | Azeemia:[15] |
| Ruḥ | Kubrawi (2) | Yellow | (?) | |
| Ruḥ | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (2) | Red | below right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (2) | Yellow | below right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (2) | Red | right side of body | |
| Ruḥ | Chishti (2) | Green | center of chest | |
| Ruḥ | Inayati (2) | White | right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Khwajagan (2) | Yellow | right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Burhaniyya (2) | Red | below right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Azeemia (2) | (?) | right breast | |
| Sirr | Kubrawi (3) | White | (?) | |
| Sirr | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (3) | White | above left breast | |
| Sirr | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (3) | Blue | above left breast | |
| Sirr | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (3) | White | solar plexus | |
| Sirr | Chishti (3) | White | right breast | |
| Sirr | Inayati (3) | Green | center of chest | |
| Sirr | Khwajagan (3) | White | left breast | |
| Sirr | Burhaniyya (3) | Green | center of chest | |
| Sirr | Azeemia (3) | (?) | center of chest | |
| Khafi | Kubrawi (4) | Black/Green | (?) | |
| Khafi | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (4) | Black | above right breast | |
| Khafi | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (4) | White | above right breast | |
| Khafi | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (4) | Black | forehead | |
| Khafi | Chishti (4) | Indigo | forehead | |
| Khafi | Inayati (4) | Indigo | forehead | |
| Khafi | Khwajagan (4) | Green | right breast | |
| Khafi | Burhaniyya (4) | White | forehead | |
| Khafi | Azeemia (4) | (?) | forehead | |
| Ikhfa | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (5) | Green | sternum | |
| Ikhfa | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (5) | Green | sternum | |
| Ikhfa | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (5) | Green | center of chest | |
| Ikhfa | Chisti (5) | Black | top of head | |
| Ikhfa | Inayati (5) | Black | top of head | |
| Ikhfa | Khwajagan (5) | White | center of chest | |
| Ikhfa | Burhaniyya (5) | Black | top of head | |
| Ikhfa | Azeemia (5) | (?) | top of head | |
| Nafs | Kubrawi (5) | Blue | (?) | see "Disambiguation: Nafs (Egoic Self) or Laṭīfa" |
| Nafs | Chishti (6) | Yellow | below navel | " |
| Nafs | Inayati (6) | Yellow | below navel | " |
| Nafs | Khwajagan (6) | Blue | forehead | " |
| Nafs | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (6) | colorless | forehead | " |
| Nafs | Azeemia (6) | (?) | below navel | " |
| Qalab | Kubrawi (6) | Gray | (?) | see "Disambiguation: Qalab or Sultan al-Azkar" |
| Qalab | Chishti (7) | Gray | floor of pelvis | " |
| Qalab | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (7) | colorless | entire body | " |
| Haqq | Kubrawi (7) | Green | (?) | |
| Ana | (?) | White | center of chest | also known as "Ana'iya"[16] |
| Ana | Junaidiyya[citation needed] | colorless | forehead | [17] |
For Sufi traditions that teach theLaṭāʾif, 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" (seeHijab (Sufism)) full realization of theLaṭā’if. In most Sufi traditions, accordingly, a general, progressive refinement of the Nafs precedes any explicit activation of theLaṭā’if.
In the Naqshbandi tradition, however, it is the reverse: the activation of specificLaṭāʾif 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 fi’l-bidayat").[19]
See also: "Disambiguation: Nafs (Egoic Self) or Nafs (Laṭīfa)".
Just as interpretations of theLaṭāʾif vary, their activation also consists of various methods, singly or in combination, such as:
In the Kubrawi tradition, SufiAla ud-Daula Simnani (1261–1336) describes adhikr 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.[23]
"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."[24]
In the Khwajagan tradition, Rif‘at Bey describes a visualization practice at the physical location associated with aLaṭīfa:
"The seeker represents to himself the Exalted Name – that is, the noble name of Allah – 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."[13]
In the Mujaddidīyya tradition, theLaṭāʾif are opened through practice one-by-one in “ascending” order, beginning with Qalb. Viewed as a progressive activation, eachLaṭīfa (or progressive combination ofLaṭāʾif) is considered to be a level of spiritual realization.
The method of opening eachLaṭīfa typically begins with a direct transmission ofBarakah (spiritual Presence) by teacher to student, and can also include physical touch (except for women) and the disclosure of a specific one of the DivineNames of God in Islam:
"In the Naqshbandi order typically the shaikh first bestows baraka at the time of initiation (bay‘a) by placing his four fingers on the heart and pronouncing the name “Allah” three times."[25]
The student then continues the practice by silentdhikr of the Name, concentrating attention on theLaṭīfa’s location; sometimes a visualization of the Name, the corresponding prophet, or the teacher is also added.[26]
In the Awaisi tradition, theLaṭāʾif are illuminated through a dhikr cycle that begins withQalb and continues with the other sixLaṭāʾif in order. The student inhales vigorously into the Qalb(Heart) with a silent, attentive “Allah” and exhales out to the specificLaṭīfa with a silent, attentive “Hu”:
"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."[27]
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
In the Punjab tradition, Idries Shah describes a type ofmuraqabah in which the student concentrates awareness on the part of the body that is associated with aLaṭīfa:
"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 theLaṭīfa faculties."[28]
With rare exceptions, direct and explicit experiences of theLaṭāʾif 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 SufiIlluminationism (see:Najm al-Din Kubra), all creation is a successive outflow from the original Supreme Light of Lights (Nur al-Anwar) (see:Nūr (Islam)). The cosmology of this tradition is a kind ofEmanationism in which immaterial Light descends from the Light of Lights in ever-diminishing intensity. In other words, Creation at all levels of its existence—including that of theLaṭāʾif—is made up of varying degrees of Light.
Accordingly, the experiences of theLaṭāʾif areboth an external “visual” experience of photisms (“acts of light”) and a tactile inner sensation, as described by Henry Corbin.[29]
TheLaṭāʾif are experienced primarily as colors seen surrounding the name of Allah at the physical location associated with eachLaṭīfa, as described by Rifa‘t Bey.[13]
Direct and explicit realizations of theLaṭāʾif are experienced primarily as differentiated, localized forms of an overall tactile spiritual Presence (“Ḥuḍur”[30]) in the body, as described by Naqshbandi influenced[31] spiritual teacher Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) (1944–):
"[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".[32]
Beyond direct and explicit experiences of theLaṭāʾif, Sufi traditions can differ in their understanding of how theLaṭāʾif affect human experience indirectly and implicitly.
In traditions similar to the Kubrawi, for example, theLaṭāʾif are only activated after the Nafs has been refined by other means.
As a result, the experiences of theLaṭāʾif 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 theLaṭāʾif 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) activatedLaṭāʾif.
The activation of theRuḥLaṭīfa, 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 theLaṭāʾif 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 theseLaṭāʾif and psycho-physiological correspondences as follows:[33]
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
Even among traditions that recognize theLaṭāʾif, Sufi teachings often include other features or terminology that have ambiguous relationships to theLaṭāʾif.
In addition, there is perennial potential for ambiguity in discussing theLaṭāʾif (both in primary sources and in their English translation) arising from the way that words in Arabic can have different meanings in different contexts.[34]
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 wordLaṭāʾif is the plural of the transliterated Arabic wordLaṭīfa, from the tripartite verb la-ṭa-fa, which means “to be subtle”.[35]
It assumed a spiritual meaning in theQur’an where Al-Laṭīf is one of the 99names of God in Islam, reflecting His subtle nature.[35][36]
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 sixLaṭāʾif").[37]
English language authors use one or more of three methods when referring to specificLaṭā’if:
Laleh Bahktiar[4] uses both a transliteration and a translation:
Idries Shah also[38] uses both a transliteration and a translation:
Hameed Ali[39] uses a transliteration and an interpretation:
The concept ofLaṭā’if can be used in two different contexts:
TheLaṭā’if (organs) are the spiritual structures or potentials and theLaṭā’if (experiences) are the phenomenological realization of those potentials; the "organs" are the means through which the "experiences" arise.
In the version ofSufi cosmology proposed byAhmad Sirhindi (1564–1624),[40] God created the universe in three stages:
In this usage, then, there are tenLaṭā’if in two categories:
In contrast, in most Sufi usages outside this cosmological one (including most of this webpage), there are either:
TheNafs in Sufism is considered to be a person's egoic consciousness[41] or egoic, psycho-physiological "Self". It is the subtle (Laṭīfa) quality of "God's Creation" that becomes individual and can undergo a spiritual development. This makes it unlike the fiveLaṭā’if 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 theQuran, in theHajj pilgrimage, and in the "Seven Heavens", among others. In Sufism, it appears in sevenLaṭāʾif, 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.[42]
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 progressiveLaṭāʾif with the seven ontological levels of Islamic cosmology, whereas other Sufi orders, which recognize only fiveLaṭāʾif, do not.
Most Sufi traditions arrange the individualLaṭāʾif in some specific order.
For example, theLaṭīfa 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".[43]
In the Kubrawi tradition, theLaṭāʾif 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.[4]
In the Naqshbanbdi (Mujaddidi) tradition, the realization of theLaṭāʾif is sometimes understood to be not only progressive but also cumulative; each newLaṭīfa's realization is a comprehensive combination of thatLaṭīfa and all previously realizedLaṭāʾif.
Finally, in those traditions that emphasize modern day psychological aspects of Sufism, the order of activation of theLaṭāʾif is sometimes determined by the individual student's personal history. A student might, for example, have one or anotherLaṭīfa that is less "veiled" than another, in which case it could be the firstLaṭīfa emphasized for activation.
The word "Ruḥ" is used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
The word “Qalb”, like “Ruḥ”, 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 theLaṭāʾif in Qalb (Heart) is understood by Sufism to also represent the potential development of a correspondingsubtle body in human beings, known in some traditions as the "Jism Laṭīf".[47]
The Jism Laṭīf is the underlying spiritual substance and persistent spiritual Presence (“Ḥuḍur”[48]) 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.[49]
See also: "Disambiguation: Qalab or Sultan al-Azkar".
TheLaṭīfa named “Qalab” in the Kubrawi tradition is equivalent to theLaṭīfa named “Sulṭan al-Azkar” (“King of Zikrs”[50]) in the Naqshbandi (Awaisi) tradition.[51] Traditions that recognize thisLaṭīfa consider its realization to be the realization of a subtle body. (See also "Disambiguation:Laṭāʾif and the Jism Latif").
Some (like the Kubrawi) consider Qalab to be a preliminary realization of the subtle body and therefore the firstLaṭīfa to be activated in spiritual practise. In this perspective, the realization of subsequentLaṭāʾif 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 finalLaṭīfa to be activated in practise.[52] In this perspective, the subtle body is considered to be a unification and integration of previously realizedLaṭāʾif.[53]
In addition to theLaṭāʾif, some[54][55] Sufi traditions also speak about two other categories of conscious experience that can arise during spiritual practice:
There appears to be no consensus that theLaṭā’if are directly related to either of the categories Ḥal or Maqam.
The DivineNames 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.[56]
TheLaṭāʾif, 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.[57]
There appears to be no consensus about how theLaṭā’if are related to the Divine Names.
In addition to Sufism itself, theLaṭāʾif are also found in certain spiritual teachings whose founders have been influenced by Sufism.
TheFourth Way is an approach to human self-development introduced to Europe in the early 20th century byGeorge Gurdjieff (1867-1949) and his studentP.D. Ouspensky (1878-1947). Substantial parts of the teaching are thought to be derived from Naqshbandi Sufism.[58]
For example, there are said to be sevenCenters (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 “Positive Emotions” or “sacred impulses”.[61]
John G. Bennett (1897-1974), a contemporary student of both Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, researched the sources of Gurdjieff’s teaching and concluded that these Positive Emotions were in fact derived from theLaṭāʾif of Sufism.[62]
Nevertheless, specific knowledge and realization of the Positive Emotions asLaṭā’if are rarely emphasized in schools of the Fourth Way teaching today.
TheDiamond Approach is a spiritual teaching developed by Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) (1944–) 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.[63]
It confirms the Naqshbandi (Punjab) understanding of five fundamentalLaṭāʾif and then expands it to include dozens of similar human capacities for which the more general term “Essential Aspects” is adopted.[64]
Unlike the Gurdjieff/Ouspensky Fourth Way, the Diamond Approach uses various mental, emotive, and somatic methods for realizing theLaṭāʾif, as a central part of its overall teaching and practice.[65]
(See also: corresponding video in "External Links").
Most Sufi traditions are silent about whether or not theLaṭāʾif 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)[66] considers animals to also have an imaginal (Malakut) Soul, though they lack the additional intellect ('Aql) that defines the human Soul.[67]
Accordingly, some Sufi orders (for example theAzeemia[68]) do teach that certain of theLaṭāʾif function in animals.
In addition, the presence ofLaṭāʾif in animals is consistent with those Sufi traditions (such as the Naqshbandi (Punjab)) that view theLaṭāʾif as implicit in certain psycho-physiological functions, many of which are common to both humans and animals.
TheVajrayana tradition inTibetan Buddhism includes a teaching aboutFive Wisdom Energies. The teaching parallels that of the five SufiLaṭāʾif -- especially as understood in the psychologically oriented Naqshbandi (Punjab) tradition -- in the following ways:[69]
The spiritual experiences identified by Sufism as theLaṭāʾif have their immediate historical antecedents in theEmanationism ofNeoplatonism[70] (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 theTheory of forms ofPlato (4th century BC).
The general concept of spiritual “subtle centers” originated within Persian Sufism:Junayd of Baghdad (835–910),al-Hallaj (858–922),[71] andShahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (1145–1234).[72]
Kubrawi SufiNajm al-Din Razi (1177–1256) proposed five “inner means of perception” (Qalb, Ruh, Sirr, Khafi, and Ikhfa) that parallel the five physical senses. It's unclear to commentators whether these inner senses were already systematized asLaṭāʾif at that time.[73]
The earliest systematic formulation of theLaṭāʾif is thought to be that of KubrawiAla ud-Daula Simnani (1261–1336),[6] who proposed sevenLaṭāʾif, relating them to the seven ontological levels ofSufi cosmology.[74]
From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Indian Mujaddidis, beginning withAhmad Sirhindi (1564–1624), returned to a standardized interpretation of five experientialLaṭāʾif and associated their locations with parts of the physical body.[75]
The Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi in the late 19th and 20th centuries continued with fiveLaṭā’if but identified the experience of their physical locations differently and viewed them as spiritual organs/capacities that also underlie ordinary forms of human consciousness.[76]
It is thought by some[77] that, just as with the nominal 99Names of God in Islam and their underlying Divine Attributes,[78] the number ofLaṭāʾif and their potential realization by humanity might actually be unlimited.
