Muraqaba
Muraqaba has been defined as watching, supervising, controlling, and living in the consciousness of being controlled (by God).…
Sufism
110 articles
Wara’ (Abstinence)
Wara’ relates to both the inner and outer aspects of a believer’s life and conduct. A traveler on…
Translation of Sufi Poetry
The misunderstanding and the misconception by some Western readers that Sufi poetry is strongly tinged with sensuality and…
Taqwa (Piety)
Taqwa is derived from wiqaya, which means self-defense and avoidance. Sufis define it as protecting oneself from God’s…
Zuhd (Asceticism)
Zuhd, which literally means renouncing worldly pleasures and resisting carnal desires, is defined by Sufis as indifference to…
Raja (Hope or Expectation)
For a Sufi, Raja means waiting for that which he or she wholeheartedly desires to come into existence,…
Khawf and Khashya (Fear and Reverence)
In Sufism, khawf (fear) denotes abstaining not only from all that is forbidden, but also from deeds from…
Huzn (Sadness or Sorrow)
Sufis use the word huzn (sadness) as the opposite of rejoicing and joy, and to express the pain…
Qalb (Heart) – 2
Belief is the life of the heart; worship is the blood flowing in its veins; and reflection, self-supervision,…
Qalb (Heart) – 1
In the words of Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum: The heart is the home of God; purify it from…
Hal and Maqam (State and Station)
Hal (state) denotes experiencing in one’s inner world the “breaths” blowing from the realms beyond the world, and…
Firar and I’tisam (Fleeing and Taking Shelter)
Firar, which literally means to run away from something, is used in Sufism to denote the journey from…
Tafakkur (Reflection)
Tafakkur literally means to think on a subject deeply, systematically, and in great detail. In this context, it…
Muhasaba (Self-Criticism or Self-Interrogation)
The word muhasaba literally means reckoning, settling accounts, and self-interrogation. In a spiritual context, however, it takes on…
Tawba (Repentance), Inaba (Sincere Penitence), and Awba (Turning to God in Contrition)
I HAVE REPENTED AND TURNED TO GOD SO SINCERELY THAT I WILL NOT BREAK [THE VOW OF REPENTANCE]…