Day Of Arafah The Day of Arafah (يوم عرفة, Yawm Arafah) is an Islamic holiday that falls on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic Calendar. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and the day after is the first day of the major Islamic holiday of Eid...
Stoning Of The Devil The Stoning of the Devil (رمي الجمرات ramy al-jamarāt, “throwing of the jamarāt [place of pebbles]”) is part of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During the ritual, Muslim pilgrims throw pebbles at three walls (formerly pillars), called jamarāt, in the city of Mina just east of Mecca. It...
History Of The Hajj The History of the Hajj is not clear as there is no evidence of its existence in its current practice until the start of islam in the mid 7th century. Islamic writers claim it started from the time of Abraham through the establishment of the Islamic Hajj by Islamic...
Mount Arafat Mount Arafat or Mount Arafah (جَبَل عَرَفَات transliterated Jabal ʿArafāt) is a granite hill about 20 km (12 mi) east of central Mecca in the plain of Arafat. Mount Arafat reaches about 70 m (230 ft) in height, and is also known as the “Mount of Mercy” (جَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة, Jabal Ar-Raḥmah). According to Islamic tradition, the hill is the place...
Tawhid (Unity) Tawhid (Unity), derived from wahda (oneness), means unifying, regarding as one, believing in God‘s Oneness or Unity, and sincerely accepting the reality that there is no deity but God. The Sufis add to these meanings the ideas of seeing only He Who is the One, and knowing, mentioning,...
Tawadu (Humility) This article covers Tawadu (Humility) in Sufi terminology. Tawadu (modesty and humility) is the opposite of arrogance, pride, and haughtiness. It can also be interpreted as one’s awareness of one’s real position before God, and as letting that realization guide one’s conduct toward God and with people. If...
Sidq (Truthfulness) Meaning true thought, true words and true actions, sidq (Truthfulness), is reflected in the life of a traveler on the path to God as follows: he or she does not lie or tell a falsehood, lives according to truthfulness, and strives to be a trustworthy representative of loyalty to God....
Haya (Modesty) Sufis use haya (modesty), which literally means shame, bashfulness, and refraining from saying or doing anything improper or indecent, to describe one who, out of fear and awe of God, seeks to avoid displeasing Him. It urges one to be more careful, self-possessed, and self-controlled, for such restraint,...
Shukr (Thankfulness) Literally meaning gladness felt about and gratitude shown for the good done to one, Sufis use shukr (Thankfulness) to mean using one’s body, abilities, feelings, and thoughts bestowed upon one to fulfill the purpose of his or her creation: being thankful to the Creator for what He has...
Sabr (Patience) Sabr (Patience) literally means enduring, bearing, and resisting pain; suffering and difficulty; and dealing calmly with problems. In more general terms it means patience, which is one of the most important actions of the heart mentioned in the Qur’an. Because of its importance, patience is regarded as half...
Worship, Servanthood, and Deep Devotion Ibada, Ubudiya, And Ubuda This article is about worship, servanthood, and deep devotion in Sufi Tradition. Although some view worship, servanthood, and devotion as synonymous, most Sufi scholars and masters say that these words have different meanings and connotations. ‘Ibada (worship) means fulfilling God’s commands...
Ikhlas (Sincerity Or Purity of Intention) Ikhlas (Sincerity or Purity of Intention) has been interpreted as being upright, sincere, and pure; being distant from show and ostentation in one’s intention and conduct; and being closed to whatever clouds or fouls the heart. Purity of intention, straightforwardness in thought, pursuit of no...
Istiqama (Straightforwardness) People of truth have interpreted Istiqama (straightforwardness) as avoiding all deviation and extremes, and as following in the footsteps of the Prophets, the faithful, the witnesses (of truth), and the righteous (in belief) in their religious deeds and daily lives. The verse: Those who declare: “Our Lord is...
Tawakkul, Taslim, Tafwiz, And Thiqa (Reliance, Surrender, Commitment, and Confidence) This article explains the meaning of Tawakkul, Taslim, Tafwiz, And Thiqa in Sufism. Tawakkul (Reliance), Taslim (Surrender), Tafwiz (Commitment), and Thiqa (Confidence) are the four steps or stations of a spiritual journey beginning with reliance on (or trust in) God,...
Khuluq (Good Nature) Khuluq (Good Nature), in addition to meaning temperament, disposition, and character, is a goal to which a traveler aspires, for it is the most important dimension of creation. In brief, this station means that one is characterized (equipped) with God’s qualities or way of acting. For example,...
Muraqaba (Self-Supervision) Muraqaba (Self-Supervision) has been defined as watching, supervising, controlling, and living in the consciousness of being controlled (by God). Sufis take this further, by defining it as setting one’s heart solely on God, abandoning any attachment to that which is other than Him, denying to one’s carnal self all that...
Wara’ (Abstinence) Wara’ (Abstinence) is defined as holding oneself back from unbecoming, unnecessary things; as strictly refraining from what is unlawful and forbidden; or abstaining from all doubtful things lest one should commit a forbidden act. The Islamic principle: Abandon what you doubt and prefer what you have no doubt about, and...
Taqwa (Piety) Taqwa (Piety) is derived from wiqaya, which means self-defense and avoidance. Sufis define it as protecting oneself from God’s punishment by performing His commands and observing His prohibitions. Besides its literal and technical meanings, in religious books we find the meanings of piety and fear used interchangeably. In fact, taqwa...
Zuhd (Asceticism) Zuhd (Asceticism), which literally means renouncing worldly pleasures and resisting carnal desires, is defined by Sufis as indifference to worldly appetites, living an austere life, choosing to refrain from sin in fear of God, and despising the world’s carnal and material aspects. Asceticism is also described as renouncing...
Raja (Hope or Expectation) For a Sufi, Raja (Hope or Expectation) means waiting for that which he or she wholeheartedly desires to come into existence, acceptance of good deeds, and forgiveness of sins. Hope or expectation, both based on the fact that the individual is solely responsible for his or her...