# Lataif-e-Sitta

Laṭāʾif (Arabic: اللطائف) are special organs of perception and functioning in Sufi spiritual psycho-physiology. Depending on context, the laṭāʾif (plural) are also understood to be the experiential qualities or forms of those perceptions and functions.
The underlying Arabic word laṭīfa (singular) means “subtlety” and the phrase laṭā’if-e-sitta means “six subtleties” (although the number of laṭāʾif can differ depending on the specific Sufi tradition).
When realized (or activated or awakened or illuminated (tajalli)), the laṭāʾif are understood to be part of Man's spiritual “Organ of Evolution”, known as Qalb (Heart) (See "Disambiguation: Qalb (Heart) or laṭīfa").
This integration of the laṭāʾif into Qalb is considered by some Sufi orders -- especially the Naqshbandi -- to be a central part of the comprehensive spiritual development that produces the Sufi ideal of a Complete Human Being (Al-Insān al-Kāmil).

## Different understandings of the laṭāʾif

Not all Sufi orders teach about the laṭā’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 (see Sheikh (Sufism)) sometimes understand aspects of laṭā’if theory and practice according to how the laṭāʾif have been uniquely revealed to them.
In general, there are at least three major historical understandings of the laṭāʾif:
* (13th century) The Kubrāwī order, represented by Ala ud-Daula Simnani (1261–1336), views the laṭāʾif as potential psychospiritual organs/capacities that can be realized as progressive stages in those undergoing spiritual development;
* (17th century) The Mujaddidīyya branch of the Naqshbandi order, represented by Ahmad Sirhindi (1564–1624), views the laṭāʾif as psychospiritual organs/capacities that are potential receptors of Divine energy when activated in those undergoing spiritual development;
* (20th century) The Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi order, represented by Idries Shah (1924–1996), views the laṭāʾif as actual human psycho-physiological organs/capacities that are implicit in everyday life and made explicit in those undergoing spiritual development.

### Kubrāwī laṭā’if (13th century)

According to the view of the Kubrawi Order there are seven laṭā’if. They are understood cosmologically as “descending” levels through which reality is created and structured.
In the process of spiritual development, the Sufi student is understood to “ascend” back through these levels progressively (see ontological Arcs of Descent and Ascent in Sufism).
The attainment of each level is a stage associated with the activation/realization of a corresponding spiritual organ/capacity, interpreted symbolically through Islamic cosmology and the prophets and messengers in Islam.
In ascending order they are:
* Laṭīfa Qalabīya (associated with an experience of the color gray) represents the acquisition of a new organ, an embryonic subtle body. It is understood symbolically as “the Adam of one’s being”, since Adam was the first human being.
* Laṭīfa Nafsīya (color blue) is an organ that corresponds to the animal soul and is a testing ground for struggle with desires and passions. It is understood symbolically as “the Noah of one’s being”, since Noah faced the same situation in dealing with the hostility of his people.
* Laṭīfa Qalbīya (color red) is the organ that will develop to become the True Ego, the real personal individuality. It is understood symbolically as “the Abraham of one’s being”, since the prophet Abraham historically represents the establishment of real religion.
* Laṭīfa Sirrīya (color white) is an organ of superconsciousness. It is understood symbolically as “the Moses of one’s being”, since the prophet Moses participated in spiritual communication with God through this consciousness.
* Laṭīfa Ruḥīya (color yellow) is an organ through which an individual becomes capable of acting as vice-regent of God. It is understood symbolically as “the David of one’s being”, since the prophet David fulfilled that role.
* Laṭīfa Khafīya (color black) is the subtle organ that receives spiritual inspiration. It is understood symbolically as “the Jesus of one’s being’, since the prophet Jesus was characteristic of such inspiration.
* Laṭīfa Ḥaqqīya (color green) is the subtle organ that is the final achievement of spiritual development: the True Ego. It is understood symbolically as “the Muḥammad of one’s being”, since Muḥammad was the final prophet.

### Naqshbandi laṭāʾif (Mujaddidīyya) (17th century)

According to the view of the Mujaddidīyya branch of the Naqshbandi order there are five laṭāʾif. The reception of each laṭīfa’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:
* Qalb (color yellow; located below left breast) (Adam)
* Ruḥ (color red; located below right breast) (Abraham/Noah)
* Sirr (color white; located above left breast) (Moses)
* Khafi (color black; located above right breast) (Jesus)
* Ikhfa (color green; located at sternum) (Muḥammad)
In this understanding, the laṭāʾif 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 Laṭīfa").

### Naqshbandi laṭāʾif (Punjab tradition) (20th century)

According to the Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi order, which emphasizes modern-day psychological aspects of Sufism, there are five laṭāʾif:
* Qalb (color yellow; experienced in left side of the body)
* Ruḥ (color red; experienced in right side of the body)
* Sirr (color white; experienced in solar plexus)
* Khafi (color black; experienced in forehead)
* Ikhfa (color green; experienced in center of chest)

### Comparison of understandings of the laṭāʾif

| Laṭīfa | Sufi Tradition | Color Association | Physical Association | Note |
| Qalb | Kubrawi (1) | Red | (?) | Kubrawi: |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (1) | Yellow | below left breast | Mujaddidiyya: |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (1) | Yellow | below left breast | Awaisi: |
| Qalb | Naqshbandi (Punjab) (1) | Yellow | left side of body | Punjab: |
| Qalb | Chishti (1) | Red | left breast | |
| Qalb | Inayati (1) | Red | left breast | Inayati: |
| Qalb | Khwajagan (1) | Red | left breast | Khwajagan: |
| Qalb | Burhaniyya (1) | Yellow | below left breast | Burhaniyya: |
| Ruḥ | Kubrawi (2) | Yellow | (?) | |
| Ruḥ | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (2) | Red | below right breast | |
| Ruḥ | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (2) | Red | 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 | |
| Sirr | Kubrawi (3) | White | (?) | |
| Sirr | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (3) | White | above left breast | |
| Sirr | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (3) | White | 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 | |
| Khafi | Kubrawi (4) | Black/Green | (?) | |
| Khafi | Naqshbandi (Mujaddidiyya) (4) | Black | above right breast | |
| Khafi | Naqshbandi (Awaisi) (4) | Blue | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | " |
| 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 | (?) | see Haqiqa |

## Activation of the laṭāʾif

Activation (realization/opening/awakening/illumination) of the laṭāʾif in Sufism is typically undertaken in combination with refinement of the student's egoic, psycho-physiological "self" -- known as "Nafs" (see "Disambiguation: Nafs (Egoic Self) or Laṭīfa").
This egoic consciousness is said to proceed through seven stages of development, the primitive stages of which distort or "veil" (see Hijab (Sufism)) full realization of the laṭā’if.
In most Sufi traditions, accordingly, the progressive refinement of the Nafs through the seven stages is understood to facilitate the realization of the laṭā’if.
In the Naqshbandi tradition, however, it is the reverse: the progressive realization of the laṭāʾif is used to facilitate the refinement of the Nafs. This is why the Naqshbandi teaching method is famously known as "where others end, there marks our beginning" (indiraj al-nihayat fi’l-bidayat).

### Methods

Just as interpretations of the laṭāʾif vary depending on different Sufi traditions and teachers, so do their activation.
The process of activating each laṭīfa consists of various methods, singly or in combination, such as:
* Dhikr (“remembrance"): recitation of a Quranic phrase accompanied by postures, breathing, and movement to energize the laṭīfa
* Muraqabah (“watching”): sustained awareness directed to the part of the body associated with the laṭīfa to attract its corresponding divine energy
* Tawajjuh (“transmission”): intentional action by a teacher to convey experience of the laṭīfa to a student.

### Kubrawi

In the Kubrawi tradition, Sufi Ala ud-Daula Simnani (1261–1336) describes a dhikr 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.

### Khwajagan

In the Khwajagan tradition, Rif‘at Bey describes a practice in which the name of Allah is imagined “written in letters of light” at the physical location associated with a laṭīfa and repeated silently until the color associated with it is seen surrounding the letters.

### Naqshbandi (Mujaddidīyya)

In the Mujaddidīyya tradition, the laṭāʾif are opened through practice one-by-one in “ascending” order, beginning with Qalb. Viewed as a progressive activation, each laṭīfa (or progressive combination of laṭāʾif) is considered to be a level of spiritual realization.
The method of opening each laṭīfa typically begins with a direct transmission of Barakah (spiritual Presence) by teacher to student, and can also include physical touch (except for women) and the disclosure of a specific one of the Divine Names of God in Islam.
The student then continues the practice by silent dhikr of the Name, concentrating attention on the laṭīfa’s location; sometimes a visualization of the Name, the corresponding prophet, or the teacher is also added.

### Naqshbandi (Awaisi)

In the Awaisi tradition, the laṭāʾif are illuminated through a dhikr cycle that begins with Qalb and continues with the other six laṭāʾif in order. The student inhales vigorously into the Qalb(Heart) with a silent, attentive “Allah” and exhales out to the specific laṭīfa with a silent, attentive “Hu”. (See corresponding video in "External Link").

### Naqshbandi (Punjab)

In the Punjab tradition, Idries Shah describes a type of muraqabah in which the student concentrates awareness on the part of the body that is associated with a laṭīfa.
This tradition also employs various indirect methods, including psychological and somatic, which free the laṭāʾif by reducing the mental/emotive/somatic distortions that veil their functioning.

## Experiences of the laṭāʾif

With rare exceptions, the laṭāʾif are only experienced directly and explicitly in human beings who have undergone a spiritual evolution. These experiences can be of several different types, singly or in combination, among them:
* “Visual” experiences
* “Tactile” experiences

### Kubrawi

In Persian Sufi Illuminationism (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 of Emanationism 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 the laṭāʾif—is made up of varying degrees of Light.
Accordingly, the experiences of the laṭāʾif are both an external “visual” experience of photisms (“acts of light”) and a tactile inner sensation, as described by Henry Corbin.

### Khwajagan

The laṭāʾif are experienced primarily as colors seen surrounding the name of Allah at the physical location associated with each laṭīfa, as described by Rifa‘t Bey.

### Naqshbandi (Punjab)

Direct and explicit realizations of the laṭāʾif are experienced primarily as differentiated, localized forms of an overall tactile spiritual Presence (“Ḥuḍur”) in the body.
Unlike other Sufi orders, however, the Punjab tradition also understands the laṭāʾif to be spiritual organs/capacities that underlie ordinary forms of human perception and functioning. As such, they can appear indirectly and implicitly through the corresponding experiences that they pattern on the conventional mental/emotional/somatic level.
Naqshbandi influenced spiritual teacher Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) (1944–) understands some of these psycho-physiological experiences as follows:
* Qalb (Enjoyment)
* Ruḥ (Vitality)
* Sirr (Confidence)
* Khafi (Stillness)
* Ikhfa (Sensitivity)

## Disambiguation of the laṭāʾif

Even among traditions that recognize the laṭāʾif, Sufi teachings often include other features or terminology that have ambiguous relationships to the laṭāʾif.
In addition, there is perennial potential for ambiguity in discussing the laṭāʾif (both in primary sources and in their English translation) arising from the way that words in Arabic can have different meanings in different contexts.

### Arabic, Quranic, or Sufi meaning of laṭāʾif

The word laṭāʾif is the plural of the transliterated Arabic word laṭīfa, from the tripartite verb la-ṭa-fa, which means “to be subtle”.
It assumed a spiritual meaning in the Qur’an where Al-Laṭīf is one of the 99 names of God in Islam, reflecting His subtle nature.
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 six laṭāʾif").

### Transliteration or translation or interpretation of the laṭāʾif

English language authors use one or more of three methods when referring to specific laṭā’if:
* a transliteration of the Arabic word associated with the laṭīfa
* a translation of the word's general Arabic meaning
* an interpretation of the corresponding experience that is the word's specific Sufi meaning.
Laleh Bahktiar uses both a transliteration and a translation:
* Laṭā’if (“Subtle [Organs]”)
* Qalabīya (“Mold”)
* Nafsīya (“Soul”)
* Qalbīya (“Heart”)
* Sirrīya (“Secret”)
* Ruḥīya (“Spirit”)
* Khafīya (“Inspiration”)
* Haqqīya (“Seal”)
Idries Shah also uses both a transliteration and a translation:
* Laṭā’if (“[Five] Subtleties”)
* Qalb (“Mind”)
* Ruḥ (“Spirit”)
* Sirr (“Consciousness”)
* Khafi (“Intuition”)
* Ikhfa (“Deep perception of Consciousness”)
Hameed Ali uses a transliteration and an interpretation:
* Laṭā’if
* Qalb (“Joy”)
* Ruḥ (“Strength”)
* Sirr (“Will”)
* Khafi (“Peace”)
* Ikhfa (“Compassion”)

### Ten, five, or six laṭāʾif

In the version of Sufi cosmology proposed by Ahmad Sirhindi (1564–1624), God created the universe in three stages:
* First came the “World of God's Command” (alam al-amr), which emerged instantly when God said, "Be!" The five subtle qualities (laṭāʾif) of God's Command were: Qalb, Ruh, Sirr, Khafi, and Ikhfa.
* Then came the “World of God's Creation” (alam al-khalq), which emerged through a process of evolution. The five subtle qualities (laṭāʾif) which patterned that Creation were: Consciousness (Nafs), Air (Baad), Fire (Nar), Water (Ma), and Earth (Khak).
* Finally, God created human beings, which combined the “World of God’s Command” with the “World of God's Creation”.
In this usage, then, there are ten laṭā’if in two categories:
* five relating to the “World of God’s Command” and
* five relating to the “World of God’s Creation”.
In contrast, in most Sufi usages outside this cosmological one (including most of this webpage), there are either:
* five laṭāʾif (from the first category alone, the “World of God's Command”) or
* six laṭāʾif (the five from the first category . . . plus Nafs from the second category, the “World of God’s Creation”) .

### Nafs (Egoic Self) or laṭīfa

The Nafs in Sufism is considered to be a person's egoic consciousness 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 five laṭā’if of "God's Command", which are transcendent, unchanging qualities.

### Ruḥ (Spirit) or laṭīfa

The word "Ruḥ" is used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
* "Ruḥ", as one of the laṭā’if described in the foregoing
* "Ruh" (Spirit), as the Divine Spirit or “essence” in human beings, created by God from his own Spirit.

### Qalb (Heart) or laṭīfa

The word “Qalb”, like “Ruḥ”, is used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
* “Qalb”, as one of the laṭāʾif described in the foregoing
* "Qalb" (Heart), as the “Organ of Evolution” in human beings, the potential integration of Ruḥ (the Divine Spirit) and Nafs (the egoic Self).

### Sirr (Secret) or laṭīfa

The word "Sirr", like "Ruḥ" and "Qalb", is also used in Sufism in two different ways, on two different levels:
* “Sirr”, as one of the laṭā’if described in the foregoing
* “Sirr” (“Secret”), as a super-conscious state of Qalb (Heart) or Ruḥ (Spirit) experienced as unity with God.

### Laṭāʾif and the Jism Latif

The integration of the laṭāʾif into Qalb (Heart) is understood by Sufism to also represent the development of a corresponding subtle body known, in some traditions, as the "Jism Latif".
Whereas Qalb (Heart) represents the laṭāʾif as psycho-physiological functions, the Jism Latif represents the spiritual substance or Presence for which the laṭāʾif are spiritual organs.
The Jism Latif 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.
See also "Disambiguation: Qalab or Sultan al-Azkar" for related Sufi understandings of the human subtle body.

### Qalab or Sultan al-Azkar

The laṭīfa named “Qalab” in the Kubrawi tradition is equivalent to the laṭīfa named “Sulṭan al-Azkar” (“King of Zikrs”) in the Naqshbandi (Awaisi) tradition. Traditions that recognize this laṭīfa consider it to be the realization of a spiritual subtle body with its corresponding permanent spiritual Presence (“Ḥuḍur”).
Some (like the Kubrawi) consider Qalab to be a preliminary realization of the subtle body and therefore the first laṭīfa to be activated in spiritual practise. In this perspective, the realization of subsequent laṭāʾif is considered to be a refinement and 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 final laṭīfa to be activated in practise. In this perspective, the subtle body is considered to be a unification and integration of previously realized laṭāʾif.

### Hal (State), Maqam (Station), or laṭīfa

In addition to the laṭāʾif, some Sufi traditions also speak about two other categories of conscious experience that can arise during spiritual practice:
* “Ḥal” (State), is a temporary altered state of consciousness arising from psychological or spiritual influences acting upon a student. They are considered to be gifts from God that arise in experience and disappear, usually immediately.
* “Maqam” (Station or Stage), is one of seven permanent stages of a Sufi's spiritual development/embodiment/transformation achieved by his own effort.
There appears to be no consensus agreeing that the laṭā’if are directly related to either of the categories Ḥal or Maqam.

### Laṭāʾif and the number "Seven"

The number "seven" appears repeatedly in Islam and in Sufism, to reflect the relationships between entities in various categories.
In Islam, for example, "seven" appears in the Quran, in the Hajj pilgrimage, and in the "Seven Heavens", among others. In Sufism, it appears in seven laṭāʾif, 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.
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 progressive laṭāʾif with the seven ontological levels of Islamic cosmology, whereas other Sufi orders, which recognize only five laṭāʾif, do not.
Similarly, Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1933–), characterizes the Prophets associated with the cosmological levels as corresponding to “states” and virtues that a Sufi can achieve. Since the seven levels are understood by Simnani to be laṭā’if, however, that would imply that the laṭā’if are “states” -- a correlation for which there also appears to be no consensus.

### Divine Names or laṭāʾif

The Divine Names 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.
The laṭāʾif, 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.
There appears to be no consensus that the laṭā’if are directly related to the Divine Names.

## The laṭāʾif outside Sufism

In addition to Sufism itself, the laṭāʾif are also found in certain spiritual teachings whose founders have been influenced by Sufism.

### The Fourth Way

The Fourth Way is an approach to human self-development introduced to Europe in the early 20th century by George Gurdjieff (1867-1949) and his student P.D. Ouspensky (1878-1947). Substantial parts of the teaching are thought to be derived from Naqshbandi Sufism.
For example, there are said to be seven Centers (Fourth Way) within human beings that organise specific functions:
* Five “lower” centers: the "Intellectual", "Emotional", "Moving", "Instinctive", and "Sexual", which are understood to operate explicitly in humans from birth.
* Two “higher” centers: the "Higher Emotional" and "Higher Intellectual", which are understood to operate implicitly in humans but which can become explicit in those who undergo a spiritual development.
In this teaching, the qualities of the Higher Emotional Center (equivalent to Qalb (Heart) in Sufism) are known as “Positive Emotions” or “sacred impulses”.
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 the laṭāʾif of Sufism.
Nevertheless, specific knowledge and realization of the Positive Emotions as laṭā’if are rarely emphasized in schools of the Fourth Way teaching today.

### The Diamond Approach

The Diamond 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.
It confirms the Naqshbandi (Punjab) understanding of five fundamental laṭāʾif and then expands it to include dozens of similar human capacities for which the more general term “Essential Aspects” is adopted.
Unlike the Gurdjieff/Ouspensky Fourth Way, the Diamond Approach uses various mental, emotive, and somatic methods for realizing the laṭāʾif, as a central part of its overall teaching and practice.

## History of the laṭāʾif

The spiritual experiences identified by Sufism as the laṭāʾif have their immediate historical antecedents in the Emanationism of Neoplatonism (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 the Theory of forms of Plato (4th century BC).
The general concept of spiritual “subtle centers” originated within Persian Sufism: Junayd of Baghdad (835–910), al-Hallaj (858–922), and Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi (1145–1234).
Kubrawi Sufi Najm 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 understood as laṭāʾif at that time.
The earliest systematic formulation of the laṭāʾif is thought to be that of Kubrawi Ala ud-Daula Simnani (1261–1336), who proposed seven laṭāʾif, relating them to the seven ontological levels of Sufi cosmology.
From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Indian Mujaddidis, beginning with Ahmad Sirhindi (1564–1624), returned to a standardized interpretation of five experiential laṭāʾif and associated their locations with parts of the physical body.
The Punjab tradition within the Naqshbandi in the late 19th and 20th centuries continued with five laṭā’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.
It is thought by some that, just as with the nominal 99 Names of God in Islam and their underlying Divine Attributes, the number of laṭāʾif and their potential realization by humanity might actually be unlimited.