Maqām (Sufism)

Maqām ( Arabic مقام, DMG maqām , plural maqāmāt ) is a term from Sufism ( Islamic mysticism ). It describes the "way stations" that a seeker of God has to cover on his long and arduous journey in search of God . The term is inextricably linked with the term Hal , which is the state of mind that overcomes the seeker on his way.

The classic Sufi manuals, originating around the 10th century, have systematized the mystical waystations in order to make them accessible to the faithful. These descriptions are very different. However, almost all of them have a basic scheme that names the waystations as follows:

Repentance
Remorse
Poverty and trust in God
satisfaction
different degrees of love

The Persian mystic Nadschm ad-Dīn al-Kubrā (d. 1221) explained the difference between Hāl and Maqām by saying that the Hāl are the food and drink with which the traveler strengthens himself on his spiritual journey to God during the Maqām the place where travelers dismount and recover from the rigors of the journey. The hāl is the equipment, the maqām is like the stations on the way. One could also say that the hal is like the wings of a bird and the maqam is like its nest.

Maqam also denotes the place where a saint ( walī) is venerated and from which his blessing power ( baraka ) emanates on the believers. The places are either burial sites or in some way related to the life of the saint. The cult buildings are called Qubba .

Web links

maqam (Sufism) ( June 11, 2009 memento in the Internet Archive ) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia

supporting documents

↑ Cf. Fritz Meier : Die Fawāʾiḥ al-ǧamāl wa-fawātiḥ al-ǧalāl des Naǧm ad-Dīn al-Kubrā, a presentation of mystical experiences in Islam from around AD 1200. Steiner, Wiesbaden 1957. Arab. Part p. 40f. (No. 86f.).

[1] Cf. Fritz Meier : Die Fawāʾiḥ al-ǧamāl wa-fawātiḥ al-ǧalāl des Naǧm ad-Dīn al-Kubrā, a presentation of mystical experiences in Islam from around AD 1200. Steiner, Wiesbaden 1957. Arab. Part p. 40f. (No. 86f.).