Maqām
Definition
Maqam, in al-Ghazali's context, refers to the spiritual posture or station the reciter should occupy as they move through different types of Quranic passages. When reciting verses of mercy and promise, the heart should open in hope and gratitude; when reciting verses of warning and punishment, it should contract in fear and resolve; when reciting verses of command and prohibition, it should orient toward obedience; when reciting verses of divine attributes, it should reach toward awe and contemplation. This responsiveness — allowing the heart to move with the content of what is being recited — is what distinguishes living recitation from recitation as performance.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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