This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Codex Sinaiticus (talk | contribs) at 21:40, 19 March 2007 (Revert to revision 115295002 dated 2007-03-15 11:40:39 by Codex Sinaiticus using popups). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 21:40, 19 March 2007 by Codex Sinaiticus (talk | contribs) (Revert to revision 115295002 dated 2007-03-15 11:40:39 by Codex Sinaiticus using popups)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Arif (Arabic: عارف) is a popular and common given name in various Muslim countries of Asia, such as Turkey, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia. It means 'smart', 'knowledgeable' or 'wise' (Literally, "one who knows") in Arabic.
As a term, it was used by Sufi authors like Abu Abd al–Rahman al–Sulami (d. 1021) to mean "a gnostic, mystic; a seeker of marifa (spiritual knowledge)", similar in meaning to the terms salik, zahid, faqir, etc.
In his work "Waystations of the Gnostics" (Maqamat al–‘arifin), Ibn Sina (d. 1037) defines several stages along a mystical path, where the ‘arif occupies an intermediate stage. Mahmud Shabistari (d. 1339) remarks that the true ‘arif sees the inward light of the divine being everywhere. The Tayyibi author al–Khattab b. al–Hasan (d. 1138), delineating the difference between ordinary knowledge (‘ilm) and ma‘rifa, explains that every ‘arif is a knower, but not every knower is an ‘arif. Some Shi'ite authors like Rajab Bursi (d. 1411), and Ithna'ashari, define an ‘arif as a believer whose love and knowledge (ma‘rifa) of the imams draw him nearer to spiritual perfection.
The Arabic word ‘arif has also been borrowed into the "street language" (vernacular) of Amharic and other Ethiopian languages, but with a change of meaning: it is used as a slang term corresponding to English "cool", "neat-o", etc.
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