In
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
, the Majzoob or Majzub ( ar, مَجْذُوب, plural: مَجَاذِيبٌ ''majazib, majazeeb'') is a mystical station (
haal
''Haal'' or ''ḥāl'' (Arabic, meaning "state" or "condition", plural ''ahwal'' (''aḥwāl'')) is a special-purpose, temporary state of consciousness, generally understood to be the product of a Sufi's spiritual practices while on his way to ...
) that the Muslim saint (
wali
A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
) underwent in his journey within
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic
sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
to reach the posture (
maqaam
Maqaam (also known as ''maqām'') or maqaamat (plural), translating to "''stations''" in Arabic, is the various stages a Sufi's soul must attain in its search for Allah.Gardet, L. "Ḥāl." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. ...
) of reacher (
wassil) and perfect man (
al-Insān al-Kāmil
In Islamic theology, ''al-Insān al-Kāmil'' ( ar, الإنسان الكامل), also rendered as ''Insān-i Kāmil'' ( Persian/Urdu: ) and ' ( Turkish), is an honorific title to describe the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The phrase means "the pers ...
).
Presentation
''Majzoobs'' are such
murid
In Sufism, a ''murīd'' (Arabic مُرِيد 'one who seeks') is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by ''sulūk'' (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title murshid, '' pir'' or ''shaykh''. A '' sālik'' or Su ...
s whose hearts (
qulub) are soaked, immersed and illuminated with
anwar and
asrar
''Asrar'' ( fa, اسرار, lit=The Mysteries) is a Persian-language reformist daily newspaper published in Tehran, Iran.
Profile
''Asrar'' has a reformist political leaning. even before they engage in
adhkar and
awrad.
They do not first engage in
dhikr
''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to reme ...
until God illumines their hearts and guides them from the very inception.
After being illumined with divine lights, they engage in recitation and invocation which is not a hard task for them because in their state it is just as breathing is.
Duncan Forbes said:
John Thompson Platts
John Thompson Platts (1830–1904), was a British language scholar. His Persian and Hindi grammars were a marked advance upon the work of any English predecessor, and are still in use today.
Biography
Platts was born in Calcutta, India, on 1 Aug ...
said:
Ra Gohar Shahi said:
Muḥammad Fasī al-Dīn said:
Since the ''Majzoob'' is a
wassil who has approached and reached the pinnacle of Sufism, the Sufis ascribe all sorts of
Karamat
In Sunni Islam, ''karamat'' ( ar, کرامات ''karāmāt'', pl. of ''karāmah'', lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the sin ...
and powers to them, from helping others miraculously to knowing matters of
Al-Ghaib
Al-Ghaib is an Arabic expression used to convey that something is concealed (unseen). It is an important concept in Islam, encompassing not only the realm of the divine, including angels, paradise, and hell, but also future events, which only God k ...
Difference with Salik
The
wali
A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
who is characterized by attraction and soaking, is distinguished, from other
salik
A sālik is a follower of Sufism, from the verb ''salaka'' which means to travel or follow, related to ''sulūk'' "pathway". ''Sulūk'' here specifically refers to a spiritual path, i.e. the combination of the two "paths" that can be followed ...
in saints who are characterized by behavior, in that he receives from God selection and care without much religious practice (
ibadah
''Ibadah'' ( ar, , ''‘ibādah'', also spelled ''ibada'') is an Arabic word meaning service or servitude. In Islam, ''ibadah'' is usually translated as "worship", and ''ibadat''—the plural form of ''ibadah''—refers to Islamic jurispru ...
) of remembrance (
dhikr
''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to reme ...
) and rituals (
awrad), thus reaching the station (
maqaam
Maqaam (also known as ''maqām'') or maqaamat (plural), translating to "''stations''" in Arabic, is the various stages a Sufi's soul must attain in its search for Allah.Gardet, L. "Ḥāl." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. ...
) of the linker (
wassil).
Syed Yusuf Shahab said in his book ''The Lost Sufis of Delhi'':
Legality
The Islamic legality of majzoob's position is stated in the
Holy Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sin ...
in several
verses:
*
Verse
Verse may refer to:
Poetry
* Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry
* Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza
* Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme
* Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...
58 of
Surah Maryam shows that seeking refuge (Arabic: اجْتِبَاءٌ) and guidance (
hidayah
Hidaayah ( ar, هداية, ''Hidaayah '' ) is an Arabic word meaning "guidance". According to Islamic belief, guidance has been provided by Allah to humans primarily in the form of the Qur'an. Not only through the Quran, but Hidayah, or guidance, ...
) is one of the favors () of God Almighty over some of His chosen and selected servants, and among them are those who are attracted (majazeeb):
*
Verse
Verse may refer to:
Poetry
* Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry
* Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza
* Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme
* Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...
13 of
Surah Ash-Shura shows that seeking refuge (Arabic: اجْتِبَاءٌ) is a favor (Arabic: نِعْمَةٌ) of God Almighty, and guidance (
hidayah
Hidaayah ( ar, هداية, ''Hidaayah '' ) is an Arabic word meaning "guidance". According to Islamic belief, guidance has been provided by Allah to humans primarily in the form of the Qur'an. Not only through the Quran, but Hidayah, or guidance, ...
) is offered to the assiduous and humble practitioner:
Practice
When the chosen majzoob receives the divine flow () of the
ma'rifa
Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God or the “higher realities” that is the ultimate goal of followers of Sufism. Sufi mystics came to maʿrifa by following a spiritual path that later Sufi thinkers categ ...
, the
irfan
In Islam, ‘Irfan (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: ; tr, İrfan), literally ‘knowledge, awareness, wisdom’, is gnosis. Islamic mysticism can be considered as a vast range that engulfs theoretical and practical and conventional mysticism, but the co ...
and the
haqiqa
Haqiqa (Arabic "truth") is one of "the four stages" in Sufism, '' shari’a'' (exoteric path), ''tariqa'' (esoteric path), ''haqiqa'' (mystical truth) and '' marifa'' (final mystical knowledge, ''unio mystica'').
The four stages
Shariat
Shar ...
, he finds himself in a situation of sublimation (Arabic: اصطلام) due to this spiritual ascent (Arabic: التَّرَقِّي) unexpected and sudden, and therefore a whole directive of conduct must taint his subsequent behavior () in order to attain the approval and acceptance of his Lord.
He must then look for a
sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
or
murshid
''Murshid'' ( ar, مرشد) is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a spiritual guide. The term is frequently use ...
proven and confirmed in
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
to accompany him in his return to the worldly life of
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
through a
prolapse
In medicine, prolapse is a condition in which organs fall down or slip out of place. It is used for organs protruding through the vagina, rectum, or for the misalignment of the valves of the heart. A spinal disc herniation is also sometimes call ...
(Arabic: التَّدَلِّي) from this position of ecstasy to a form of moderate ritual practice (
ibadah
''Ibadah'' ( ar, , ''‘ibādah'', also spelled ''ibada'') is an Arabic word meaning service or servitude. In Islam, ''ibadah'' is usually translated as "worship", and ''ibadat''—the plural form of ''ibadah''—refers to Islamic jurispru ...
) according to
sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
and righteousness (), and he will then be named
salik
A sālik is a follower of Sufism, from the verb ''salaka'' which means to travel or follow, related to ''sulūk'' "pathway". ''Sulūk'' here specifically refers to a spiritual path, i.e. the combination of the two "paths" that can be followed ...
.
If this attraction is pure generosity (
karamat
In Sunni Islam, ''karamat'' ( ar, کرامات ''karāmāt'', pl. of ''karāmah'', lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the sin ...
) from the Lord, then the etiquette of the slave () requires him to abide by the modesty of this generous gift through his commitment to uprightness in his desires, laws and commands stipulated in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Sunnah
In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
in order to achieve true servitude ().
Ibn al-Banna al-Sarqasti composed a poem in which he described the need of the devotees of God, among them the majazeeb, for a guide and a sheikh who guides them to the signs of true worship:
Misconducts
When the majzoob practices the
awrad without moderation and balance, this insanity can cause a permanent physical and mental abuse to the Sufi.
People in this abused state can be seen like crazy and vagabonds near the tombs of the Sufis and in isolated places.
Sometimes, the ''Sufis'' glorify the state of these ''majazeeb'' claiming that they have not acquired this state but that it is something bestowed.
See also
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Sufism
Spiritual practice
Language and mysticism
Arabic words and phrases
Islamic belief and doctrine
Islamic terminology