How to Perform Muraqabah

Co-authored by Ira Israel

Last Updated: October 3, 2024 Approved

Muraqabah is an Arabic word for "meditation", usually a variety performed in Sufi Islam. Muraqabah is slightly different from meditation, since it is a religious practice, while meditation is for the peace of mind. Prophet Muhammad SAW performed this practice when he retreated to the Cave of Hira. This article will tell you how to perform this Muraqabah.

Steps

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1
Prepare your surroundings. They play an important role in keeping attention at something. Curiosity is in the nature of a human, which is why you probably look at an item with interest when you are bored, even if you've seen it many times. To maintain attention during a Muraqabah, try placing yourself in a room void of any furniture. This way your mind won't keep wandering to various objects lying around.
- When you find that there is nothing to look at and nothing to fiddle with, your mind will automatically suggest you to perform your Muraqabah easily.
- Turn off the lights if that makes it easier or you can cover your face with the same fabric that covers your head.
- Keep the fan on, since the exercise can make you feel warm.
2
Maintain a comfortable sitting position. Otherwise, your brain will find your discomfort to focus at, and you won't be able to pay much attention to your Muraqabah. An ideal position is sitting cross-legged with a pillow as a backrest. There isn't any restriction on what way you sit. However, every body finds their own complacent manner of seating themselves. Sit in a way you won't have to squirm around much in.
- Avoid hard-backed chairs since they are very unsettling.
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This is preferable, but it depends on whether you can pay attention with your eyes open or not. If even closing your eyes isn't of much help, then cover your eyes with whatever is suitable--sunglasses, a piece of cloth or anything that you fancy.
During a meditation, you have to simply relax yourself. In a Muraqabah, you relax yourself as well, but in a different way. We have to think of it religiously, not in a worldly manner, not exactly for the peace of mind but for bonding with Allah.
Think of His blessings, things in which He has helped you out, His mercy and forgiveness when we turned to repent. This brings pleasure to your heart for Him, which is the first step in starting a Muraqabah.
This, however, cannot be done directly. For this purpose, think of Allah's luminosity is infiltrating into your being through the last Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). You can consider it as a bright glow, entering your heart and slowly spreading through your body.
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Stay in this sensation for little time--at first. Your body needs to be well-aired, since the Muraqabah is a mental workout that introduces warmth to your being. At the beginning, keep the time less since, you can cause harm to your body if you stay in this consciousness for a prolonged period of time.
- Start by 3.5 minutes. Do it everyday, for a week, until 3.5 minutes starts to seem less and your body isn't heated up after Muraqabah.
- Increase your time up to 5 minutes. Do it for a week or till you feel that 5 minutes is normal routine.
- Keep increasing the time but stop at half an hour.
There is usually an intense craving for water once you've finished the exercise, but that has to wait. Eat some foods which are at a normal temperature, or if not, wait for 10 minutes before you drink water. It isn't essentially water that you have to avoid after a Muraqabah, but any type of drink--which registers at a high temperature or a low one.

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Can you cite a specific text from the Qur'an or authentic Sunnah that supports this practice?

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A lot of Sufi practices stem from the idea of "tazkiyah", meaning purification, specifically "tazkiyah al-nafs", or purification of the soul. The Qur'an says, "Prosperous is he who purifies (tazkiyah) it (the soul), and failed has he who seduces it." [91:9]

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Start trying to add it in everyday routine. In simple words, try maintaining your attention at the task you are doing but divert it to Muraqabah from time to time.

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Once you start concentrating on it while you're working, you can do it anywhere at any time. You can drink water after it as well, since your full attention isn't exactly directed towards Muraqabah.

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It can help if you ask a friend or a family member to do the exercise with you.

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Warnings

Drinking after Muraqabah is similar to drinking after a heavy workout, with similar effects.

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Do not turn on the heater, even if it is cold. Muraqabah will provide your body the warmth that it needs.

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Don't do Muraqabah for half and hour straight away. It can cause overheating from your normal body temperature.

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Do not allow anyone to disturb you while performing Muraqbah. It can make you feel extremely cranky and you may feel temporary bodily pains.

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