Muraqaba
Encyclopedia
Muraqaba is the Sufi
word for meditation
. Literally it is an Arabic term which means "to watch over", "to take care of", or "to keep an eye". It implies that with meditation, a person watches over or takes care of his spiritual heart (or soul
), and acquires knowledge about it, its surroundings, and its creator.
(Arabic: مقامات stages) in which sufis have broadly categorised their journey of ascension. This categorization is an arbitrary one, and each level is generally further divided into several sub-levels. During the process of enlightenment
, some stages can merge or overlap each other.
and wakefulness. So the person can remember that he saw something, but not specifically what it is.
is not suppressed by sleep and is able to focus, the person can receive the spiritual knowledge from his subconscious
mind. At this stage, the person is unable to see or hear anything, but he is able to experience
or perceive
it.
concentration is sustained and somnolence is at its minimum. As soon as the mind is focused, the spiritual eye is activated. The conscious mind is not used to see through the spiritual eye, so concentration comes and goes. Gradually, the mind gets used to this kind of visions and the mental focus is sustained. With practice, the visions/experience becomes so deep that the person starts considering himself a part of the experience rather than considering himself an observer
.
This stage is broadly categorized according to activation of the senses:
) and subjective experiences (ahwal
), this process of absorbation develops until complete annihilation of the self (fana) takes place and the person becomes al-insanul-kamil, the "perfect man". It is the disintegration of a person's narrow self-concept, social self- and limited intellect (feeling like a drop of water aware of being part of the ocean). The stage is also called Fana fit tawheed ("extinction
with the unity"), and Fana fil Haq (Extinction in the reality).
. Also called Safr-e-Urooji
of God by a traveller on the mystical path is the state of fana fi Allah, "extinction of the self in God". This is the state where the person becomes extinct in the will of God
. It is important to mention that this is not incarnation
or union. Most Sufis, while passing through this experience, have preferred to live in the greatest depth of silence which transcends all forms and sounds, and enjoy their union with the beloved.
No one can subsist with The Supreme Creator and to believe as such is shirk. What really happens is the person's awareness of Allah increases so much so that he forgets his own self and is totally lost in Allah's magnificence.
of the prophet
which states that God said:
There is another verse from Qur'an , that is used to explain this concept.
When Sufis have come out of the Fana fillah state and enter Baqa billah, many of them have produced works of unsurpassed glory
, especially in the fields of philosophy
, literature
, and music
. These works have crowned the culture
of the entire Islamic world and inspired Sufis and non-Sufis for generation
s. As the great Persian
Sufi poet
, Hafez
of Shiraz, who is fondly remembered as the "tongue of the unseen", said centuries ago: "He whose heart is alive with love, never dies.". Allah
says about these people in the Qur'an
:
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
word for meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. Literally it is an Arabic term which means "to watch over", "to take care of", or "to keep an eye". It implies that with meditation, a person watches over or takes care of his spiritual heart (or soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
), and acquires knowledge about it, its surroundings, and its creator.
Stages of Muraqaba
Following are the maqamatMaqaam
Maqaam or maqaamat , translating to "stations" in arabic, is a term that references the various stages a Sufi's soul must attain in its search for God. The stations are derived from the most routine considerations a Sufi must deal with on a day to day basis and is essentially an embodiment of both...
(Arabic: مقامات stages) in which sufis have broadly categorised their journey of ascension. This categorization is an arbitrary one, and each level is generally further divided into several sub-levels. During the process of enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
, some stages can merge or overlap each other.
Ghanood (Somnolence)
This is the starting level of meditation. When a person starts meditation, he enters into a somnolent or sleep state often. With the passage of time, the person goes into a state between sleepSleep
Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, and is more easily reversible than...
and wakefulness. So the person can remember that he saw something, but not specifically what it is.
Adraak
(Arabic: إدراك - cognition) With continuous practice of meditation, the sleepiness from meditation decreases. When the conscious mindMind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
is not suppressed by sleep and is able to focus, the person can receive the spiritual knowledge from his subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
mind. At this stage, the person is unable to see or hear anything, but he is able to experience
Experience
Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event....
or perceive
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
it.
Warood
(Arabic: ورود coming, beginning) When adraak (experience) becomes deep, it is exhibited as sight. The stage of warood starts when mentalMind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
concentration is sustained and somnolence is at its minimum. As soon as the mind is focused, the spiritual eye is activated. The conscious mind is not used to see through the spiritual eye, so concentration comes and goes. Gradually, the mind gets used to this kind of visions and the mental focus is sustained. With practice, the visions/experience becomes so deep that the person starts considering himself a part of the experience rather than considering himself an observer
Observation
Observation is either an activity of a living being, such as a human, consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during this activity...
.
Kashaf' / Ilhaam
Kashaf, or Ilhaam (Arabic: كشف/الهام unveiling of arcane knowledge) is the stage where man starts getting information that most people are unable to observe. In the beginning, this condition occurs suddenly without personal control. With practice, the mind gets so energized that it can get this knowledge by will.Shahood
(Arabic: شهود evidence) When a person can get any information about any event/person with his will, this condition is called Shahood.This stage is broadly categorized according to activation of the senses:
- The person can seeVisual perceptionVisual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
things anywhere in the universe - The person can hearHearing (sense)Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
things anywhere in the universe - The person can smellOlfactionOlfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
things anywhere in the universe - The person can touchSomatosensory systemThe somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system composed of the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception , and nociception . The sensory receptors cover the skin and epithelia, skeletal muscles, bones and joints, internal...
things anywhere in the universe (hadith)
Fatah
(Arabic: فتح opening, victory) The peak of Shahood is called Fatah. At this stage, the person doesn't need to close his eyes for meditation. Here the person is freed from both space and time. He can see/hear/taste/touch anything that are present anywhere in time and space.Fanaa
(Arabic: فناء extinction, annihilation) Through a series of stages (maqamatMaqaam
Maqaam or maqaamat , translating to "stations" in arabic, is a term that references the various stages a Sufi's soul must attain in its search for God. The stations are derived from the most routine considerations a Sufi must deal with on a day to day basis and is essentially an embodiment of both...
) and subjective experiences (ahwal
Haal
Haal is a special-purpose, temporary state of consciousness, generally a product of spiritual practices, recognised in Sufism.- Overview :...
), this process of absorbation develops until complete annihilation of the self (fana) takes place and the person becomes al-insanul-kamil, the "perfect man". It is the disintegration of a person's narrow self-concept, social self- and limited intellect (feeling like a drop of water aware of being part of the ocean). The stage is also called Fana fit tawheed ("extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
with the unity"), and Fana fil Haq (Extinction in the reality).
Sair illallah
(Arabic: سيرٌ الى الله journey towards the God) Here the person starts his spiritual journey towards the ultimate reality of the universe, i.e. GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Also called Safr-e-Urooji
Fana fillah
(Arabic: فناء في الله Extinction of the self in God) One of the important phases of mystical experience which is attained by the graceDivine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
of God by a traveller on the mystical path is the state of fana fi Allah, "extinction of the self in God". This is the state where the person becomes extinct in the will of God
Will of God
The will of God or divine will refers to the concept of God as having a plan for humanity, and as such desires to see such a plan fulfilled...
. It is important to mention that this is not incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
or union. Most Sufis, while passing through this experience, have preferred to live in the greatest depth of silence which transcends all forms and sounds, and enjoy their union with the beloved.
- The highest stage of fana is reached when even the consciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
of having attained fana disappears. This is what the Sufis call "the passing-away of passing-away" (fana al-fana). The mystic is now wrapped in contemplationContemplationThe word contemplation comes from the Latin word contemplatio. Its root is also that of the Latin word templum, a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship, derived either from Proto-Indo-European base *tem- "to cut", and so a "place reserved or cut out" or...
of the divineDivinityDivinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
essenceEssenceIn philosophy, essence is the attribute or set of attributes that make an object or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it loses its identity. Essence is contrasted with accident: a property that the object or substance has contingently, without...
. (Nicholson, The Mystics of Islam, p. 60). - Since it is a state of complete annihilation of carnal selfSelf (philosophy)The philosophy of self defines the essential qualities that make one person distinct from all others. There have been numerous approaches to defining these qualities. The self is the idea of a unified being which is the source of consciousness. Moreover, this self is the agent responsible for the...
, absorbation or intoxication in God, the pilgrim is unable to participate in worldly affairs, he is made to pass into another state known as Fana-al-Fana (forgetfulness of annihilation). It is a sort of oblivionOblivionOblivion may refer to:*The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a 2006 video game*Oblivion , a Marvel Comics character*Oblivion , a 1994 western/science fiction film from Full Moon Entertainment...
of unconsciousnessUnconsciousnessUnconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
. Since two negatives make one positive, the pilgrim at this stage regains his individuality as he was when he started the journey. The only difference is that in the beginning he was self-conscious, but after having reposed in the Divine Being, he regains that sort of individuality which is God-consciousness or absorbation in God. This state is known as Baqa-bi-Allah — living or subsisting with God. (Alhaj W.B.S. Rabbani, Gems of Sufi Gnosticism)http://www.moonovermedina.com/books/sufipath/sample.htm
Sair min Allah
(Arabic: سير من الله journey from the God) Here the person comes back to his existence. Also called Safr-e-Nuzooli.No one can subsist with The Supreme Creator and to believe as such is shirk. What really happens is the person's awareness of Allah increases so much so that he forgets his own self and is totally lost in Allah's magnificence.
Baqaa billah
(Arabic: بقاء بالله eternal life in union with Allah The Creator) This is the state where man comes back to his existence and God appoints him to guide the humans. This is a state in which the individual is part of the world, but unconcerned about his or her rewards or position in it. This doctrine is further explained in an authentic traditionTradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
of the prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
which states that God said:
- And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walkshttp://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/076.sbt.html#008.076.509
There is another verse from Qur'an , that is used to explain this concept.
- We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.(50:16)
When Sufis have come out of the Fana fillah state and enter Baqa billah, many of them have produced works of unsurpassed glory
Glory (religion)
Glory is used to denote the manifestation of God's presence in the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. God's glory is often associated with visible displays of light, e.g. thunderbolts, fire, brightness....
, especially in the fields of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. These works have crowned the culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
of the entire Islamic world and inspired Sufis and non-Sufis for generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
s. As the great Persian
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
Sufi poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Hafez
Hafez
Khwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
of Shiraz, who is fondly remembered as the "tongue of the unseen", said centuries ago: "He whose heart is alive with love, never dies.". Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
says about these people in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
:
- "Lo, indeed, the friends of God have no fear, nor are they grieved."
Types of muraqaba
There are many different kinds of muraqaba that are practiced in various Sufi schools in different parts of the world. Following is a list of the ones commonly practiced.Beginner level muraqabas
- Muraqaba of light
- These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various diseaseDiseaseA disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s.
- Violet
- Indigo
- Blue
- Turquoise
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
- Pink
- Red
- These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various disease
- Ehsan
- NoorNoor (Sufism)Noor is the link which binds being to knowledge in Sufism. The word itself means light. Each particle of light that is reflected of the "mirror of the heart" projects spiritual knowledge according to distinctive types of colors....
(Invisible Light) - Haatif-e-Ghabi (Unhearable sound of Cosmos)
- Names of God99 Names of GodThe 99 Names of God, , are the Names of God by which Muslims regard God and which are described in the Qur'an, and Sunnah, amongst other places. There is, according to hadith, a special group of 99 names but no enumeration of them...
-- For getting acquaintance with attributes of God - AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
(Proper name of God) -- Final level of Muraqaba of names of God. In Universal SufismUniversal SufismUniversal Sufism is a universalist spiritual movement founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan while traveling throughout the West between 1910 and 1926, based on unity of all people and religions and the presence of spiritual guidance in all people, places and things. It is to some extent influenced by the ...
this concentration is on their own pantheist concept of God.
Middle level muraqabas
- Maot (Arabic: موت Death) -- For getting acquaintance with life after Death
- Qalb (Arabic: قلب Heart) -- For getting acquaintance with Spiritual Heart
- Wahdat (Arabic: وحده Unity) -- For getting acquaintance with the reason behind cosmic unity i.e. God's will
- La (Arabic: لا Nothingness) -- For getting acquaintance with material lessness, or non-material universe
- Adam (Pre-existence) -- Next level of Muraqaba of Nothingness.
- Fana (Arabic: فناء Annihilation) -- Annihilation of Self, getting acquaintance with the alphaAlpha (letter)Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 1. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Aleph...
and omega of universe.
High level muraqabas
- Tasawwur-e-Sheikh (Arabic: تصور الشيخ Focusing mind on master) -- To facilitate the transfer of spiritual knowledge from master to student.
- Tasawwur-e-Rasool (Arabic: تصور الرسول Focusing mind on prophet) -- To facilitate the transfer of Faiz (arcane spiritual knowledge) from prophet to student. This focussing of mind is done on Muhammad (s.w.a).
- Tasawwur-e-zat-e-Ilaahi (Arabic: تصور الذات الإلاهي Focusing Mind on God) -- With the help of this Muraqaba, the student experiences the Tajalli-e-Zaat of God.
External links
- What is Muraqaba by Shaykh Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi, Patriarch of the Sufi Order of AzeemiaAzeemiaThe Silsila-e-Azeemia , named after Syed Muhammad Azeem Barkhiya, is a Sufi order founded in Pakistan in 1960 by Qalander Ba Ba Auliya. It is currently headed by Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi.-Aim:...
. - Naqshbandi Healing Power of Sufi Meditation