ECSTASY (WAJD)
Wajd is that spiritual state (haal) that encounters your heart with immense and overflowing of love, longing, awe/admiration and excitement for Allah Ta'ala, and descends upon you without any intention or effort on part of the Sufi.
Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani(Rahmatullah Alaih) says:
'wajd is the conjunction of light with light, when the soul meets the divine light'.
Wajd is a gift of Allah Ta'ala for Muslims in which they loose control of their body due to the love of Allah Ta'ala and His Prophet ﷺ. Wajd may be for a few seconds, minutes, or even hours. It is only from Allah Ta'ala and He blesses whomever He wills, so whatever a person may go through during wajd is unintentional. The person has no control on himself; that's why sharia allows it and it is acceptable.
Wajd is the Noor of Imaan that comes from the Heart of our beloved Prophet ﷺ which he ﷺ gave to his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum), from the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) it reached the Salafs Awliya(Radi Allaahu Anhum), and from Salafs Awliya(Radi Allaahu Anhum) to Awliyas(Rahmatullah Alaih), and from Awliyas(Rahmatullah Alaih) to us. Even in this period, when the Noor goes into people, they lose control of themselves.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Only they are believers whose heart tremble when Allah is mentioned, and when His verses are recited to them. And their faith gets increased, and their Lord they put their trust'
(Surah Al-Anfal. Verse 2)
'Allah has revealed the best book that is alike from the beginning to the end (in beauty, truth, and fairness), having repeated description (promise of reward and award of punishment) at which do shiver the skins of those who fear their Lord. Their skins and hearts soften towards the remembrance of Allah. This is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith whom He pleases. And he, whom Allah leaves to go on'' the wrong way, there is none to guide them'
(Surah Az-Zumar. Verse 23)
A person may go in wajd:
' during salaah
' during dhikr gathering
' while reading or listening to The Holy Quran
' while listening to qasida or naat
There are different types of wajd and every type has different effects. But the question one may ask; did the Prophet ﷺ or the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) ever experienced such things?
Here are some hadith relating to such spiritual experiences:
1. Sometimes the condition of wajd becomes so strong or intense that a person may loose complete control of his body and start involuntary movements, which look like dancing, running, jumping or hopping.
Hazrat Ali Ibne Talib(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates, that he went to visit Prophet ﷺ,along with Hazrat Jafar Ibne Talib(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and Hazrat Zayd Ibne Harithah(Radi Allaahu Anhu). Prophet ﷺ said to Hazrat Zayd(Radi Allaahu Anhu), 'you are my freed man', whereupon Hazrat Zayd(Radi Allaahu Anhu) began to hop on one leg (hajala, a type of dancing) around the Prophet ﷺ. Then the Prophet ﷺ said to Hazrat Jafar(Radi Allaahu Anhu), 'you resemble me in my physical form and character', whereupon Hazrat Jafar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) 'began to do the same as Hazrat Zayd(Radi Allaahu Anhu) did, hopping around the Prophet ﷺ. Prophet ﷺ then said to me, 'you are part of me and I am part of you', whereupon I began to do the same behind Hazrat Jafar (Radi Allaahu Anhu)'.'
(Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith No.857)
2. Sometimes a person may fall down to the ground and go into
half conscious state, become unconscious or scream.
Hazrat Shufayya Asbahi(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates, 'I entered Madinatul Munawwarah and came on a man around whom people had gathered. I asked who he was, and was told that it was Hazrat Abu Hurairah(Radi Allaahu Anhu), so I sat next to him while he was narrating a hadith to the people. When he paused and was alone I asked him, 'I ask you by truth, narrate to me a hadith, that you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that you remembered and understood'. He replied, 'I will relate to you a hadith, to which I heard directly, remembered and understood'. As soon he said this, he screamed and fell unconscious. After a while he was conscious again and repeated, 'I will relate to you a hadith, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated to me in this house'. He again screamed loudly and fell unconscious and landed on his face. When he regained conscious again he then said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah Ta'ala will descend to the worshippers to judge between them, the ummah will kneel down'.'
(Sunan al Trimidi. Hadith No. 2389)
3.'' Some might just shiver in a state of fear or have excessive
sweating.
'It is related that Hazrat Ubay Ibne Ka'b(Radi Allaahu Anhu) states, 'I was in the masjid when a person came and offered two rakaat 'salaah. He recited in a manner I considered wrong. Another person entered the masjid, he too offered salaah and recited differently to the first person. When we all completed our salaah, we went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I asked, 'these two entered the masjid and have recited differently which I believe to be incorrect. Prophet ﷺ asked the men to recite to him. And the Prophet ﷺ accepted their recitation. At this moment, my heart went into disbelief (as whispering) but this state was not like in the state of ignorance. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ struck me on my chest when he saw me in this state, which had overcome me. I began sweating profusely and was overcome by such fear as if I was seeing Allah Ta'ala'.'
(Muslim).
4. Some people just cry and have grinding chest sounds.
Hazrat Mutarrif Ibne Abdullah Ibne Ash-Shikhir(Radi Allaahu Anhu) relates from his father who said, 'I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whilst he was praying salaah. There was a sound in his chest like something boiling in a pot'. In another words, he was crying. In another hadith, the wording is different, ''. sounded like that of a grinding stone because he was crying'.'
(Reported in Ahmad, the first narration in Nasa'i and the second by Abu Dawood).
5. Some people don't move at all, they may be standing or sitting
with no movement at all although his mind or body is no longer in a normal
state.
Imam Ibn Abidin(Radi Allaahu Anhu), said in regards to wajd,
'The Imaam of the two groups, Hazrat Junayed Al Bagdadi(Radi Allaahu
Anhu) was told, 'certain people indulge in wajd and sway with their bodies'. He
replied, 'leave them to their happiness with Allah Ta'ala. They are the ones
whose affection has been smashed by the path and whose breasts have been
torn apart by the effort and they are unable to bear it. There is no blame on
them if they breathe a while as a remedy for their intense state. If you tasted
what they taste, you would excuse their exuberance (cheerfulness).'
Researched and compiled by Talib e Ilm, Afzal Khan Saifi.
