Muraqabah


Murāqabah is Sufi meditation. Through murāqabah a person watches over their heart and gains insight into the heart's relation with its creator and its own surroundings. Murāqabah is a core concept in commonly found ṭarīqas. The objective of murāqabah is to purge one's base characters and develop lofty character in its place.

Etymology and Meaning

The word murāqabah is derived from the base of rā-qāf-bāʿ. The base has the meaning of guarding and watching over with the expectation of noticing any change, unique qualities or abnormalities of a given thing. The word is also on verb scale three, which gives a connotation of exaggeration, overexertion, and partnership. This then implies that the one who is doing murāqabah is diligent and hardworking with the expectation that someone else is also doing a similar task.
In ancient Arabic, the word murāqabah referred to one who would watch the night sky. They would scan the sky in hopes to see the first signs of early stars to begin their journey. Due to the intense heat and difficult terrain of the Arabian Peninsula, the ability to recognize the constellations and their seasonal divergences was a critical skill. In the classic poem, “the observer of the night is as vigilant as a fish in search of water”.
This etymology can be connected to the modern linguistical and technical meaning of what murāqabah is understood to be today. Murāqabah is seen to be of twin perspectives, both with a connotation of persistence and exertion. According to al-Qushayrī and al-Jurjānī murāqabah is for one to be aware that their Lord is perpetually aware of His subordinates. Not only is the person continuously in a state of mindfulness but they are also cognizant that their Lord is aware as well, creating a reciprocal relation.

Decorum and Etiquette

One of the most significant sentiments of the great philosopher and theologian Al-Ghāzālī centers around God-consciousness; he propagates that it is the obligation of the creation to be in constant awareness of its Creator. That is to constantly obey him. The Creator’s eternal knowledge encompasses the ephemeral existence of mortals, from before their conception to the ages after they have passed on. His Knowledge envelops the external, the internal and the metaphysical. He is the Lord and Creator, Glorified Be He. Once one understands this, they must follow a level of etiquette and protocol which are but not limited to:
Having humility and modesty
Staying silent and only speaking when appropriate, as it is mentioned in the narration, “the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day should only speak good or stay quiet”.
Resolve to do the best that one can in every action.
Rush to do good deeds and avoiding sin.
To be content with what one must deal with daily.
Continuous reflection on one’s internal state and the world around them.
Standing up for the truth.The physical benefits of murāqabah is akin to the benefits of standard meditation. Metaphysically speaking, the intended result of murāqabah is to refrain from any actions contrary to What is obligatory. and ultimately maintain one’s mindfulness in a state that one’s Lord finds them where He is pleased with them and not one where He is displeased with them.
To continue to progress in murāqabah one must be consistent for a lengthy period of time to experience the aforementioned benefits. Although it may prove difficult in the beginning, one may always regain their state of mindfulness after recognizing a change from their initial state.

Stages

Here are the Maqāmāt in which Sufis have broadly categorised their journey of ascension. The categorization is an arbitrary one, and each level is generally further divided into several sublevels. During the process of enlightenment, some stages can merge or overlap each other.
This is the starting level of meditation. A person who starts meditation often enters a somnolent or sleep state. With the passage of time, the person goes into a state between sleep and wakefulness. The person can remember seeing something but not specifically what it is. This topic is well known and practiced among scholars of dream interpretation.

''ʾIdrāk''

With continuous practice of meditation, the sleepiness from meditation decreases. When the conscious mind 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 is able to experience or perceive it.

''Wurūd''

When Idrāk becomes deep, it is exhibited as sight. The stage of Wurūd starts when mental 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.

Gnosis of the universe

Kashf / ʾilhām

Kashf or ʾilhām is the stage of starting to get information that most other people are unable to observe. In the beginning, this occurs suddenly, without personal control. With practice, the mind gets so energized that it can get this knowledge by will.

Shuhūd

A person can get any information about any event/person at will. This stage is broadly categorized according to activation of the senses:
  1. The person can see things anywhere in the universe
  2. The person can hear things anywhere in the universe
  3. The person can smell things anywhere in the universe
  4. The person can touch things anywhere in the universe
  5. These are all spiritual senses, known as Ḥawās al-Bāṭin.

    Fatḥ

Closing eyes is no longer necessary for meditation. The person is freed from both space and time and can see/hear/taste/touch anything present anywhere in time and space.

Gnosis of Allah

''Fanāʾ''

Through a series of stages and subjective experiences, this process of absorbation develops until complete annihilation of the self 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. The stage is also called Fana fit tawheed, and Fana fil Haq.

''Sair illallah''

The person starts his spiritual journey towards the ultimate reality of the universe, God. It is also called Safr-e-Urooji.

''Fana fillah''

One of the important phases of mystical experience is attained by the grace of God by a traveller on the mystical path. Now, the person becomes extinct in the will of God. It is important to mention that this is not incarnation or union. Most Sufis passing through this experience have preferred to live in the greatest depth of silence, which transcends all forms and sounds and to enjoy their union with the beloved.
Here the person comes back to his existence. It is also called Safr-e-Nuzooli.
No one can subsist with God, and to believe as such is shirk. What really happens is the person's awareness of God increases so much so that he forgets his own self and is totally lost in his magnificence.

Baqaa billah

This is the state in which man comes back to his existence and God appoints him to guide the humans. The individual is part of the world but unconcerned about rewards or position in the world. The doctrine is further explained in Sahih Bukhari, 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. Such works have crowned the culture of the entire Islamic world and inspired Sufis and non-Sufis for generations. As the great Persian Sufi poet, Hafez of Shiraz, fondly remembered as the "tongue of the unseen", said centuries ago: "He whose heart is alive with love, never dies". The Qur'an says:

Types

There are many different kinds of muraqaba practiced in various Sufi schools in different parts of the world. Here is a list of the most common ones.

Beginning ''muraqabas''

  1. Muraqaba of light
  2. :These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various diseases.
  3. *Violet
  4. *Indigo
  5. *Blue
  6. *Turquoise
  7. *Green
  8. *Yellow
  9. *Orange
  10. *Pink
  11. *Red
  12. Ihsan
  13. Nūr
  14. Haatif-e-Ghabi
  15. Names of God: getting acquaintance with attributes of God
  16. Allah : the final level of Muraqaba of names of God.

    Middle ''muraqabas''

  17. Maot : getting acquaintance with life after death
  18. Qalb : getting acquaintance with the spiritual heart
  19. Wahdat : getting acquaintance with the reason behind cosmic unity, God's will
  20. La : getting acquaintance the non-material universe
  21. :Adam, the next level of Muraqaba of Nothingness.
  22. Fana : the annihilation of self, getting acquaintance with the alpha and omega of universe.

    Higher ''muraqabas''

  23. Tasawwur-e-Sheikh : to facilitate the transfer of spiritual knowledge from master to student.
  24. Tasawwur-e-Rasool : to facilitate the transfer of Faiz from prophet to student. This focusing of mind is done on Muhammad.
  25. Tasawwur-e-zat-e-Ilaahi : the student experiences the Tajalli-e-Zaat of God.
  26. Muraqba of Martaba-e-Ihsan : Mohammad said, "You should offer Salat as if you are watching Allah. If you cannot do that, then offer Salat as if Allah is watching you. These are two kinds of Muraqba of Murtaba-e-Ihsan".

    35 Lessons of the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Order

The Naqshbandi Mujaddidi order has 35 lessons. They are all related to getting closer to Allah and receiving faiz and nur.