Mahk (annihilation), means obliteration. However, the meaning of mahk is broader than that of mahv (obliteration), because mahk disappears more quickly than mahv. (Luma', 431)
Mahk is superior to mahv. This is because the effect of mahv persists, whereas the effect of mahk does not. The ultimate desire of the Sufis is for the Real (al-Ḥaqq) to efface them from witnessing themselves, and after effacing them from themselves, to return them to themselves. (Qushayri, 42)
Mahk means to find fanāʾ (annihilation in God) in the very essence of the Real. (Istilāḥ, 534)
If one asks, "What is mahk?" the answer can be given as follows: it is that which is given by the Real, who is characterized by just judgment. I am warning you so that this matter becomes clear. Know that if mahk is a grant from the Exalted Real, He is the One and Only Allah. What the Sufis mean by mahk is that the claim to seek mahk must be sincere as it should be. This is a difficult matter. Allah the Exalted has given existence to everything. That is, He has given each thing the particularity of creation that befits it; Allah has given to each thing the particularity it deserves. (Futūḥāt, VI, 95)
Mahk is your manifestation in the cosmos as khalīfa (vicegerent) of Allah and as His representative. For this reason, you have the right to govern the world. Mahku'l-mahk (the annihilation of annihilation), on the other hand, is your manifestation through concealment and veiling in the world. In this case, you have veiled the world in nonexistence. Thus, the witnessing of creation in you occurs outside of the Real, because they cannot look at it since they do not know that Allah has sent you to them as a veil, as mahk-mahku'l-mahk.
Accordingly, mahku'l-mahk corresponds to mahk. This is not a type of mahk that is an exaggeration of mahk. Rather, this mahk is like the nonexistence of nonexistence (ʿadam al-ʿadam). If the servant is brought forth from the presence of the Real and set over the people, this occurs by bringing a judgment over them from a direction they do not know.
Certain individuals may know this kind of judgment over people. For example, the prophets whom Allah made His khalīfa (vicegerents) on earth convey Allah's judgment regarding His servants to them. Allah has concealed this judgment in His inheritors. These inheritors have been made khalīfa without knowing themselves... (Futūḥāt, II, 544; Asfār, 70)
The vicegerency of this known khalīfa is only possible after attaining the meaning of the letters such as alif, lām, mīm, which appear at the beginning of some surahs in the Qur'an. After Allah enables a person to comprehend the reality and meaning of these letters, vicegerency is appointed for him, and thus he becomes qualified for representation. This is possible by knowing the outward meaning of these letters.
As for knowing the inner meaning of these letters, in that matter he turns to the Real, and from the Name al-Bāṭin (the Hidden), he attains the secret of those letters until he reaches the final degree. Thus, Allah the Exalted veils his manifestation through service. He then witnesses creation without the Real, just as people witness each other through divine proximity (qurb). At that time, due to being the copy of the cosmos and because of his connection with the world, he governs the world as required by his reality. Yet, the world does not know this divine proximity of his. This is the station of malḥūq al-T-malḥūk (the degree of the nonexistence of nonexistence) attained by the men of Allah. Thus, while he witnesses Allah with Allah, he witnesses the cosmos not with Allah, but with his own nafs (lower self).
In this station, he knows the other letters at the beginning of surahs as well, especially with alif and rā. However, here, the ruling related to this station pertains to the surahs in which the letters alif and rā occur. The ruling in the world at this station comes from other letters such as lām, sīn, kāf, hā, yā, ʿayn, ṭā, sīn, the thick and dotted ḥā from the throat, qāf, and nūn. The ruling concerning the world manifests in this station of mahku'l-mahk through these letters. With alif and rā, it manifests in the state of mahk. These are the awliyāʾ (friends of God). (Futūḥāt, II, 544)
Mahk is the fanāʾ (annihilation) of the servant's existence in the Essence of the Real. Mahv is the fanāʾ of the servant's action in the action of the Real, and tams is the fanāʾ of the servant's attributes in the attributes of the Real. Of these, mahv is seen as an action only for the Real in the world of existence. Tams, on the other hand, is seen only as an attribute for the Real. (Kāshānī, 81)
Know that, according to the people of Allah, mahku'l-mahk is more complete in the world, while malīk is more complete in the hereafter. Only those among the people of Allah can attain mahku'l-mahk. Mahku'l-mahk is specific to illuminated intellects. Mahk can be attained by the elite. This mahk is for enlightened souls. May Allah the Exalted make us among those who fulfill the right of annihilating annihilation. (Asfār, 70)
malik-i kulli 599