Generally in all religious scriptures and especially in the Qur’an (Koran), noesis or contemplation is greatly emphasized. In various verses cognition is even ordered, for examples there are verses that dictate to contemplate on skies, on the land, or on rain and the growth of plants, and in some on the birth of animals as well as humans is stressed. Through various styles of suggestions, it is stressed to make deep thinking part of regular life. According to the Qur’an (Koran), those who possess knowledge and those who are nearer to God are immersed in deep thinking.

God has stated in the Qur’an (Koran):

“In the creation of earth and skies and in the daily routine of day and night, there are signs for those wise people who remember God, standing, sitting and resting and those who contemplate on the creation of skies and earth and as a result come to conclusion that O’ Our Lord , Thou has not created these with no purpose.” [aal-irnran}

Besides the universe, the Qur’an (Koran) has also disclosed the Divine Essence and Attributes, as in these verses:

“Wherever you turn, you see the Face of God.” “Be aware, be certain that God is seeing you.” “God engulfs everything.”

It is stated in the Quran (Koran):

“Did you not see that person (Ezra) who was walking by a city (Jerusalem) the roofs of which had collapsed?” Said he, “How would God revive that city after it has been completely destroyed?” So God kept him dead for a hundred years and then gave him back his life. God said, “Since how long have you stayed here?” He replied, “Maybe a day or two.” God said “Nay. You were dead for a hundred years. Look at your food and drink, has it not been decayed? Look at your mule. We did that to show you

Our sign for the people. And watch these bones how We are going to connect them. Then We will

dress them with flesh.” Then when the Reality was revealed to him he said, “Now I know that God is omnipotent.”

[al-Baqara]

In Sura aal-Imran it stated:

“And no man is entitled to converse with Him unless through vahii or behind a Veil or through a messenger, who communicates with whatever He wishes. Verily, He is all-glory and all-Wise. And in the same way We sent you Our Word through vahii. You were not aware of what Book is and what faith is. But We made that Book a light (nur), and We guide whomever We wish.”

It is stated in Sura Mulk:

“He, who created seven skies on top of each other, you would not be able to find any error in the creative work of the Merciful. See it again. Have you found any fault? Look at it again and again, your sight would return back to you after having failed, it would be tired as well.”

“In fact these are the bright verses (ayaat) which are saved in their bosoms, those have been given the knowledge. And no one could deny Our verses except the unjust.” [Sura Ankaboot]

“We attest on the places where stars fall. If could perceive, it is a great consecration. No doubt, this Quran (Koran) is glorious, saved in a book, which is protected. No one can touch it, except those who are pure. It is revealed from the Lord of the Worlds.”

In Sura Rahman (Merciful) there is an invitation to think:

“O’ throng of humans and jinns! If you have the power to cross the boundaries of the Universe, then do so. You could not except through Sultan (spiritual ability).”

In Sura Baqarah, it is stated,

“Let it be followers of Islam, Jews or Christians or Sabi, whoever has faith in God and on the Day of Judgment and do good deeds, their reward is saved with their Lord. They have no fear nor do them grief.”

In all of the above verses wherever a hidden realm is mentioned, the purpose is to implant these facts in the person’s consciousness, so that not even a trace of doubt stays thereafter. Thereby that person reaches the level of faith (iman). This faith takes the person to the level of observation. According to Sufi Saints, this level is the attestation of the heart that comes after the verbal affirmation of faith. The idea is to make them aware of the vision of their heart through which they will be able to witness matters that are the foundation of the faith (iman).

In order to achieve this level of faith and to make it part of the consciousness, Sufi Saints have always recommended Muraqaba to their students. Through Muraqaba, reality is imposed on the heart in a way that the vision of the soul is activated and the person witnesses the reality in its form before them.

By analyzing cognition, we come to a realization that cognition is a mental process in which a person is able to concentrate deeply on any given idea, point or observation after surrendering all other unrelated thoughts and whims. When the Sufis and other Masters of Spirituality gave this contemplation a form of exercise and made rules and regulations then it was termed as Muraqaba, Meditation or Ga’yan (as in Buddhist or Hindu mysticism).

In human cognition there exists a light that can observe the inner dimension (batin) of any outward object (zahir) or the hidden state (ghayb) of a being. The observation of the hidden realm (ghayb) could declassify any being of the outward (zahir). In other words when we wit ness the hidden reality of any being then its outward form could no longer be hidden from us. Through this process the limits of the outward is revealed to the human consciousness and it becomes increasingly possible to learn where the outward had originated.

This is the way of the Prophets of God that they locate the outward through the inner. By contemplating into the inner, the mind eventually can be lit by that light which reveals the hidden realities into observation. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has called this light the Light of Insight (nur-firasat).

There is a saying (hadith) of the Prophet:

“Fear the insight of the faithful (mo’min) for he sees through the Light of God.”

The concentration of thought is imperative in both the outward (academic) and esoteric studies. Until the desire, enthusiasm, curiosity and depth are created, we are unable to learn any branch of knowledge. In the same way in order to learn the spiritual science it is necessary that a person be able to focus all of his or her mental abilities on one point. When a person contemplates with the help of strong will and purity of actions then the Point of Cognition (nuqta-e-fikr) is activated and its meaning and its inner dimensions manifest themselves.

On numerous occasions in the Quran (Koran), God has shown His signs and has directed to contemplate on those signs. A sign is in fact a name of outward motions or manifestations and the focus on contemplations shows that there are those hidden factors whose complete understanding would lead humans towards the Truth. Actually, all physical sciences and beings are based on Spiritual Laws. Through contemplation and concentration, the knowledge of those laws can be accessed.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said:

“The one who gains awareness of himself gains awareness of God.”

Human Soul, Ego or Spirit is a collection of such attributes that represents the entire cosmos. That is why man is also known as microcosm (a’lam asghar). When someone tries to gain awareness of the Self and the attributes of his soul then the Laws of Creativity are revealed to him. Self-awareness eventually creates such energy in the mind that it becomes a basis of the awareness of the Creator.

God says in the Quran (Koran):

“We are closer to you than your cardinal vein.” “He is inside your soul. Why don’t you see?” “We will soon reveal to them Our signs in the cosmos and in the souls.”

The right way towards self-awareness has been transferred from the Prophets and Apostles to the Mankind. Among the different methods applied by those who were blessed with Prophethood (nur-e- nabnuat), Muraqaba is the most prominent.

Muraqaba is an act of the Heart. The word itself came from the Arabic word raqeeb. Raqeeb is one of the Divine Names listed in the Qur’an (Koran) and its literal meaning is protector or caretaker. This indicates protecting the mind from the negative and worrying thoughts and focusing on God or His attributes or signs.

In Sufi terminology, Muraqaba means to contemplate or to imagine. The eighteenth century Indian Sufi Syed Shah Waliullah Muhadith Dehlevi (1702-1762) wrote:

“The truth about Muraqaba is to let the force of perception concentrate on an object or idea, whether it is Divine Attributes or on the separation of body and soul or any other topic. This attention should be such that all the intelligence, whims, thoughts and all the senses become dormant to this focus. And the thing that does not feel becomes known without ever being felt.”

It means that in the human senses, the knowledge that is beyond the scope of intelligence and consciousness and is part of the soul, after having crossed the boundaries of senses and perception enters the field of observation and inspection through Muraqaba.

Another Indian Sufi, Syed Ghauth Ali Shah (1804-1880) wrote in his hook Taleem Ghauthia, “One of the conditions of Muraqaba is that the person’s attention always remains at his heart. He is always immersed in the state of his heart. The second condition is to keep his focus on the one of the Divine Names or any verse of the Quran (Koran). The focus should be increased to a point where the person himself becomes the meaning and becomes unaware of self. Keep in mind that Muraqaba is based on the state of the heart. When the heart is attentive to God or anything other than God then all internal organs follow its command, because they are all obedient to the heart. The final stage of the Muraqaba is when the person is so immersed in imagining the Beloved that he becomes totally unaware of all else.”

Another Sufi Ibn Mubarak once said to someone, “Raqib Al-Lah. When that person asked him what it meant, he replied, “Always live as if you are seeing God.”

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once said, “Pray to God as though you are watching Him. And if you could not do that, imagine that He is watching you.” In this saying of the Prophet (hadith) the first station is observation while the second is Muraqaba.

Imam Ghazali (d.1150) in his book chemia saadat wrote:

“O’ friend, do not think that the door of the heart toward spiritual realm does not open before death. This idea is wrong. When a person during his wakefulness, prays and abstains from immoral behavior, seeks solitude, closes his eyes and after suspending the outward senses turns his heart towards Gnosis. And then instead of using the tongue, invocate (dhikr) the Divine Name of Al – Lah, with his heart and then loses himself and surrenders from all the physical things of this world. Then after reaching this station, the door of his heart opens even during wakefulness. Moreover, what other people see in their dreams he sees with his open eyes. He sees angels, he meets Prophets of God and receives their blessing (faidh).”

In order to observe the hidden realm, all the saints, Prophets and Apostles have applied cognition and spent months or years with their abilities practicing Muraqaba. It should not be assumed that Prophethood can be achieved merely by trying. This is a special privilege that God bestows on a chosen few. The system of Prophethood and Apostle-hood has ended, however revelation (il’haam) and awakening of consciousness (roshan zarneeri) continues.