(Arabic: “place of residence”), a spiritual stage that periodically marks the long path followed by Muslim mystics (?┗f┤s) leading to the vision of and union with God. The ?┗f┤ progresses by means of his own muj─hadah (work, or self-mortification) and through the help and guidance of the masters (sheikhs). In each maq─m the ?┗f┤ strives to purify himself from all worldly inclination and to prepare himself to attain an ever-higher spiritual level. The order and number of the m─qams are not uniform among all ?┗f┤s. The majority, however, agree on seven major maq─ms: (1) the maq─m of tawbah (repentance), which does not mean remembrance of sins and atonement for them but rather forgetting them along with everything that distracts from the love of God; (2) the maq─m of wara? (fear of the Lord), which is not fear of hellfire but rather the dread of being veiled eternally from God; (3) the maq─m of zuhd (renunciation, or detachment), which means that the person is devoid of possessions and his heart is without acquisitiveness; (4) the maq─m of faqr (poverty), in which he asserts his independence of worldly possessions and his need of God alone; (5) the maq─m of ?abr (patience), the art of steadfastness; (6) the maq─m of tawakkul (trust, or surrender), in which the ?┗f┤ knows that he cannot be discouraged by hardships and pain, for he is in total submission to God's will and finds joy even in his sorrows; (7) the maq─m of ri?─ (satisfaction), a state of quiet contentment and joy that comes from the anticipation of the long-sought union. |