When we try to learn a new skill or gain knowledge about a specific subject, we follow a guideline or system that demands our full attention in order to truly understand it. Our mind becomes curious about the where, how, and what of the subject. When we pay attention to the minor details, those small points gain value. However, when we ignore the most important aspects and do not give them cognitive attention, even the major points lose their value and significance. Through contemplation, we gain knowledge about any object—and the deeper that knowledge becomes, the more we learn about the object and its qualities.
Muraqaba is the name of that contemplation (tafakkur) through which a person can gain the knowledge (‘ilm) that is the primordial knowledge of their Ego, Self, or Soul. After gaining that knowledge, anyone can access their true Self or Soul.
It may appear that a person performing Muraqaba is simply sitting in a pose with their eyes closed. However, merely shutting the eyes and assuming a specific posture does not fulfill the purpose. Muraqaba is, in fact, a unique angle of perception (tarz-e-fikr) through which the practitioner frees themselves from outward (ẓāhir) senses and begins their journey inward (bāṭin). Now we are going to explore whether Muraqaba-like conditions or states exist within us, even without adopting the specific posture of Muraqaba.
Freedom from outward senses occurs in our daily lives, both involuntarily and voluntarily. For example, when we go to sleep, our brain disconnects from the outward senses. Though this disconnection is temporary, it is still a valid state of detachment from the physical world. Therefore, we can say that Muraqaba is a way of imposing a sleep-like state—without actually falling asleep.
Every human being, from birth to death, lives in two states. In other words, the human mind continuously alternates between two conditions throughout life: wakefulness and sleep (or dreaming). In the waking state, we are bound by time and space. In the dreaming state, we are free from spatiotemporal constraints. Through Muraqaba, one seeks this same freedom while remaining conscious, transforming the dream state into an awakened one. During Muraqaba, a person experiences similar conditions to those they go through while dreaming or asleep.
The notion that dreams are nothing but random thoughts is incorrect. All sacred scriptures, including the Qur’an, mention dreams. The dreams mentioned in the Qur’an show that the dream realm is free from the limits of time and space. When a person enters the dream-like state through Muraqaba, they free themselves from those spatiotemporal boundaries and travel through the realm of dreams as if fully awake.
Everything in existence needs a foundation—without one, nothing can survive. This is easy to understand: the foundation of a chair is its legs, and a house remains standing only when its foundation is laid deep into the earth. Similarly, we can only learn a subject when we know its basics. These basics (or formulas) are the foundation of any branch of knowledge. God has revealed in the Qur’an:
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” (Surah An-Nur 24:35)
In this universe, there are countless worlds and galaxies. The Essence and Reality of God is known only to Him—or to those with whom He shares His secrets. How much of this knowledge He has shared with His chosen servants is beyond our concern. What we do know is that God created this entire universe for human beings. The Qur’an states multiple times that the foundation of the universe is the Light (Nūr) of God. Based on this fact, it is essential that all of humanity—and all of our abilities—are rooted in that single divine foundation.
We observe daily that not all of our actions, movements, thoughts, imaginations, and feelings depend on our body of flesh and bones. When the Spirit disconnects from the physical body, that body is no longer capable of functioning. As long as the Spirit is connected, life continues with all its needs and functions. In other words, the Spirit (Rūḥ) is the foundation of the body.
According to the Qur’an:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
“And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, ‘The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind has not been given of knowledge except a little.’” (Surah Al-Isra 17:85)
What we aim to emphasize is this: what we typically consider to be “man” is merely a body of flesh and bones. In reality, that man is a fiction. The true man is the one who animates and sustains that body—the one whom the Qur’an calls the Rūḥ (Spirit). The Spirit, in order to fulfill life’s needs, utilizes a medium we call chromosomes. In the Qur’an, God says:
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ
“And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.” (Surah Al-Hijr 15:29)
There are eleven thousand generators (laṭīfa, plural: laṭāʾif) at work within every human being. According to Sufism, there are also eleven thousand Divine Names. Each Divine Name is an Attribute, and each Attribute is a form of knowledge. This knowledge expands into various realms, manifesting the Divine Attributes in different ways.
To enter the unseen world (‘ālam al-ghayb) or perceive that which lies beyond time and space, we must first free ourselves from the grip of these limitations. This is possible only when the vision that perceives time and space is freed from its boundaries. To activate this vision, spiritual exercises have been developed so that, even if the mind is not entirely free, it can come closer to that state.
The next question is: how and when can the human senses be freed from these restrictions?
One example is dreaming. Sleep provides freedom from diurnal senses, which are rooted in time and space. During sleep, our senses transfer to a realm where time and space exist—but not in the chronological order we experience in waking life.
Another method is through intense focus while awake. For example, when reading an engaging book, we often lose track of time. Only upon checking the clock do we realize how much time has passed without our awareness.
In the Qur’an, the event of Moses receiving the Torah is mentioned:
وَوَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَاثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَاتُ رَبِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً
“And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by the addition of ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:142)
The Qur’an also says:
يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ
“He causes the night to enter the day and the day to enter the night.” (Surah Al-Hadid 57:6)
يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا
“He brings the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living and gives life to the earth after its lifelessness.” (Surah Ar-Rum 30:19)
These verses suggest that day and night are more than just times—they are distinct sensory states. Our lives are divided between these two: diurnal senses (day) are bound by time and space, while nocturnal senses (night) are not.
The verse about Moses is especially interesting. Moses did not just spend nights on the Mount; he remained there for forty days and nights. Yet, the verse mentions only “nights.” This implies that during his entire stay, Moses was immersed in the nocturnal senses—those that free a person from time and space.
Thus, anyone who is able to impose nocturnal senses upon themselves—regardless of the time of day—can become free from the constraints of time and space. This freedom allows access to the unseen realm (‘ālam al-ghayb) and to intuitive, divine knowledge.
A powerful example is the event involving Imam Ali (RA). During a battle, an arrow struck his thigh, causing immense pain. The surgeons were unable to remove it because the pain was too intense. One of his companions advised them to wait until Imam Ali entered prayer. Once in prayer, the surgeons successfully removed the arrow and stitched the wound—without Imam Ali showing any sign of pain. Only after he completed the prayer did he realize the procedure had been done. This event illustrates a moment when diurnal senses were overridden by nocturnal senses—when time and pain ceased to exist for him.
The foundation of spirituality lies in the understanding that man has two sensory systems, two minds, and two lives. Like two sides of a coin, one life is restricted, while the other is free. The restricted life is tied to day, wakefulness, and outward awareness. The free life is connected to night, joy, inner peace, and spiritual fulfillment.
To access that freer life, the simplest method in spirituality is Muraqaba. It is a practice, a discipline, and a refined angle of perception. Through it, one can enter the nocturnal senses while keeping the diurnal senses active. Since this transition is unfamiliar at first, the practitioner may face challenges, such as cognitive overload or even mental strain. To avoid this, a guide is essential—someone who has gone through the various stages of spiritual development and can protect the student from harm. This guide is known as the Shaykh, Pir, or Murshid, and the student is called the Murīd.
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَلَكَ الشُّكْرُ
(O Allah, all praise and gratitude are due to You)