Meditation: Meaning, Origin, and Islamic Perspective

مراقبہ : مفہوم، ماخذ اور اسلامی تناظر

Abstract

This study examines Muraqabah (spiritual mindfulness) as a key concept in Islamic spirituality and Sufism. Derived from the Arabic root r-q-b (“watchfulness”), it denotes constant awareness of Allah’s presence. Qur’anic descriptions of Allah as al-Raqīb and Prophetic teachings provide its scriptural foundation, while scholars such as al-Qushayrī, al-Ghazālī, and Shāh Walī Allāh elaborated its practice as the station of Iḥsān. Three levels are outlined: common believers (fear-based), the elect (love-based), and the elect of the elect (absorption in God). Closely linked with tafakkur, dhikr, and tazkiyah, Muraqabah serves as a bridge between external worship and inner consciousness.