Lataif
/ləˈtaɪf/noun
In Sufi terminology, subtle spiritual faculties or inner centers of human consciousness.
Did you know?Sufi teachings commonly describe the lataif as five or six subtle centers, although their locations, colors, and functions vary among different mystical traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
laṭīf (لطيف)
“Subtle, delicate, refined, gentle, or gracious; from the consonantal root L-Ṭ-F.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
laṭīfa (لطيفة)
“A subtle point, refined insight, delicate expression, or spiritual subtlety.”
Medieval Islamic Sufism
Arabic
laṭāʾif (لطائف)
“Plural of laṭīfa: subtle faculties or inner spiritual centers recognized in Sufi psychology.”
Medieval Persian and Urdu
Persian/Urdu
latāʾif / lataif
“Sufi subtle centers or refined spiritual perceptions, often discussed in teachings on inner purification.”
Modern English
English
lataif
“A specialized loanword for subtle spiritual faculties or centers in Sufi practice.”