Muraqaba

Muraqaba (مراقبة, an Arabic word meaning "to watch over", "to take care of", or "to keep an eye"), is the Sufi word for meditation. 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. This form of meditation is common amongst most Sufi orders and is a core concept for many tariqas.

Here are the maqamat (Arabic: مقامات stages) 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 (ghanood غنود). With the passage of time, the person goes into a state between sleep and wakefulness. The person can remember that he seeing something but not specifically what it is.

(Arabic: إدراك - cognition) 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.

(Arabic: ورود coming, beginning) When adraak (experience) becomes deep, it is exhibited as sight. The stage of warood 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.

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