Asslamualykum Sheikh,I hope you are fine,I need guidance regarding the concept of Muraqba in Islam.Is is right to sit in solitude and repeat the name of Allah ?.Is it true that Imam ibn qayyim (r) and Imam Ibn Tayimiyyah (r) use to do muraqaba .Is this word mention in quran ,hadith or use by Shaba.If no is there any word which is proven in quran and hadith and carry same meaning ?.Do they use to sit in solitude and remember Allah by his names?If no then can we do it in our time?Please explain in detail about this concept.Jazak Allahu khairan

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If, by Muraaqabah, you mean the state of being mindful of Allah, The Almighty, then you should first know that it means that a slave of Allah evokes consciousness of Allah, The Exalted, and that He is watching him and is well-aware of his deeds and intentions. Ibn Al-Qayyim defined Muraaqabah as follows: “It is the constant knowledge and certainty harbored by a slave of Allah that Allah, The Exalted, is ever watchful of his inner and outer reality. Maintaining such knowledge and certainty is the essence of Muraaqabah, which is the fruit of a person’s knowledge that Allah, The Exalted, watches him, sees him, hears his sayings, and is well-aware of his actions at all times. He knows every breath he takes and every blink of his eyes.” [End of Quote, excerpted from Madaarij As-Saalikeen]

This meaning of Muraaqabah is mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. In the Quran, Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means):

·   {And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him} [Quran 2:235]

·   {And ever is Allah, over all things, an Observer.} [Quran 33:52]

There are many other verses in the same vein. As for the Sunnah, there is the Hadeeth in which Jibreel (Gabriel) asked the Prophet “What is Ihsaan (excellence in worship)?” The Prophet replied, “Ihsaan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you do not see Him, He, indeed, sees you.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Frequent remembrance of Allah, The Almighty, is among the fruits of Muraaqabah. The remembrance of Allah in private is closer to (attaining) Ikhlaas (sincere intention) than His remembrance before people. In the Hadeeth about the seven people whom Allah will protect with His Shade (i.e., the shade of His Throne) on the Day when there will be no other shade, they include, “…a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes flowed with tears.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The statement "remembered Allah in privacy" means in a place where no one can see him, and his statement "his eyes flowed with tears" means he wept out of reverence for Allah, The Exalted, and longing to meeting Him.

Remembrance of Allah in privacy should be done in accordance with the prescribed manner, such as reciting the Quran, Tasbeeh (saying ‘Subhaan Allah' [Glory be to Allah]), Tahleel (saying 'La ilaaha illa Allah' [There is none worthy of worship but Allah]), and other prescribed forms of Thikr. As for the remembrance of Allah by means of repeating His Names, if it means reciting a single Name of Allah, The Almighty, and repeating it, like saying “Allah, Allah, Allah,” then we have mentioned in previous fatwas that this is not prescribed under the Sharee‘ah, and none of the righteous predecessors did so. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

The types of Thikr that are recommended under the Sharee‘ah are only those that constitute full sentences that convey complete meaning, such as: “La ilaaha illa Allah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah),” “Allahu Akbar (Allah is The Greates),” “Subhaan Allah wal-hamdulillah (Glory and praise be to Allah),” “La Hawla wala Quwwata illa Billaah (there is no might nor power save in Allah),” {Tabaaraka Ismu Rabbik} (Blessed is the Name of your Lord), {Tabaaraka Al-Lathi bi-yadihi Al-Mulk} (Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion), {Sabbaha Lillahi ma fi As-Samaawaati wal-Ardh} (Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah), and {Tabaaraka Al-Lathi Nazzala Al-Furqaan} (Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion).

As for repeating a single Name of Allah independently, like saying, “Allah, Allah,” or a pronoun referring to Him like saying, “He, He,” it is not a prescribed Thikr in the Quran or the Sunnah, nor was it reported on the authority of the righteous predecessors or the notable figures in the Ummah (Muslim community) whose guidance should be followed. [End of Quote]

Allah knows best.