They do not first engage indhikr until God illumines their hearts and guides them from the very inception.[8][9]
After being illumined with divine lights, they engage in recitation and invocation which is not a hard task for them because in their state it is just as breathing is.[10][11]
Majzub (Drawn, attracted; carried away (by), abstracted; absorbed (in), lost (in)): One whom God has drawn to himself; a madman; an ascetic much given to divine meditation.
— John Thompson Platts,A Dictionary of Urdū, Classical Hindī, and English, Volume 1, Page 1002.
While it would not be strictly true to define the Majzoob as an eccentric recluse, he is so exercised in bringing his soul in touch with the Divine Essence as to be practically oblivious of what goes on around him.
— Muḥammad Fasī al-Dīn,Kings of the East, Pages 99-100.
Since theMajzoob is awasil who has approached and reached the pinnacle of Sufism, the Sufis ascribe all sorts ofKaramat and powers to them, from helping others miraculously to knowing matters ofAl-Ghaib[17]
Thewali who is characterized by attraction and soaking, is distinguished, from othersalikin saints who are characterized by behavior, in that he receives from God selection and care without much religious practice (ibadah) of remembrance (dhikr) and rituals (awrad), thus reaching the station (maqām) of the linker (wasil).[18][19][20]
Syed Yusuf Shahab said in his bookThe Lost Sufis of Delhi:[21]
The journey results in two different attribute of temperament, that is “majzoob” and “saalik”. Majzoobs are those who lose themselves and devote to god that they forget world and in search of peace they want to spend their life in loneliness. On another hand, Saaliks are those, who are close to Allah, they perform their worldly duties with keeping in mind of their duties.
— Syed Yusuf Shahab,The Lost Sufis of Delhi, Page 3.
The Islamic legality of majzoob's position is stated in theQuran in severalverses:
Verse 58 ofSurah Maryam shows that seeking refuge (Arabic: اجْتِبَاءٌ) and guidance (hidayah) is one of the favors (ni'ma [Wikidata]) of God Almighty over some of His chosen and selected servants, and among them are those who are attracted (majazeeb):[22]
وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا
English:Several translations of the meaning: 1- And of those We˹rightly˺ guided andchose. 2- And from among those whom Weguided andchose. 3- Of those whom Weguided andchose. 4- And from those Weguided andselected. 5- And from among those Weguided andchose. (Quran: 19:58)[23][24][25][26][27]
Verse 13 ofSurah Ash-Shura shows that seeking refuge (Arabic: اجْتِبَاءٌ) is a favor (Arabic: نِعْمَةٌ) of God Almighty, and guidance (hidayah) is offered to the assiduous and humble practitioner:[28]
English:Several translations of the meaning: 1- Allahchooses for Himself whoever He wills, andguides to Himself whoever turns ˹to Him˺. 2- Allahchooses for Himself whom He wills, andguides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience. 3- Allahchooses to Himself those whom He pleases, andguides to Himself those who turn (to Him). 4- Godchooses to Himself whom He wills, and Heguides to Himself whoever repents. 5- Allahchooses for it whomever He wishesand Heguides to it whomever returns penitently. (Quran: 42:13)[29][30][31][32][33]
When the chosen majzoob receives the divine flow (faydh [Wikidata]) of thema'rifa, theirfan and thehaqiqa, he finds himself in a situation of sublimation (Arabic: اصطلام) due to this spiritual ascent (Arabic: التَّرَقِّي) unexpected and sudden, and therefore a whole directive of conduct must taint his subsequent behavior (suluk (Sufism) [Wikidata]) in order to attain the approval and acceptance of his Lord.[34][35]
He must then look for asheikh ormurshid proven and confirmed inSufism to accompany him in his return to the worldly life ofMuslims through aprolapse (Arabic: التَّدَلِّي) from this position of ecstasy to a form of moderate ritual practice (ibadah) according tosharia and righteousness (istiqama [Wikidata]), and he will then be namedsalik.[36][37]
If this attraction is pure generosity (karamat) from the Lord, then the etiquette of the slave (abd (Islam) [Wikidata]) requires him to abide by the modesty of this generous gift through his commitment to uprightness in his desires, laws and commands stipulated in theQuran andSunnah in order to achieve true servitude (ubudiyya [Wikidata]).[38][39]
Ibn al-Banna al-Sarqasti composed a poem in which he described the need of the devotees of God, among them the majazeeb, for a guide and a sheikh who guides them to the signs of true worship:[40][41]
But the people are travelers ***** to thehaḍra ofAl-Haqq and they are walking So they lacked amurshid in it ***** who has sight in journey andsiesta He took the road and then came back ***** to tell the people what he benefited from
When the majzoob practices theawrad without moderation and balance, this insanity can cause a permanent physical and mental abuse to the Sufi.[42][43][44]
People in this abused state can be seen like crazy and vagabonds near the tombs of the Sufis and in isolated places.[45][46][47]
Sometimes, theSufis glorify the state of thesemajazeeb claiming that they have not acquired this state but that it is something bestowed.[48][49][50]
