Marifa (Arabic: المعرفة), which literally means knowledge, is the term used by Sufi Muslims to describe mystical intuitive knowledge of spiritual truth reached through ecstatic experiences, rather than revealed or rationally acquired. M. Fethullah Gulen, in his book onSufism, describes Marifa (“knowledge of God”) as special knowledge acquired through reflection, sincere endeavor, using one’s conscience and inquiring into one’s inner world. In this, it is distinct from scientific knowledge, or ilm, which is based on study, investigation, analysis, and synthesis. The opposite of scientific knowledge is ignorance, while the opposite of marifa is denial.
— Wikipedia
