Tadabbur
Definition
Tadabbur is the specific form of tafakkur applied to the Quran — a deep, sustained pondering of the divine word that moves beneath its surface meaning to perceive its depths, its connections, its wisdom, and its implications for one's life. The Quran itself commands tadabbur: 'Will they not ponder the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts?' Al-Ghazali considers tadabbur the highest form of tafakkur because its object is the direct speech of God — the most concentrated expression of divine wisdom available to human perception. He teaches that each verse of the Quran is an inexhaustible well; the one who sits with a single verse in genuine tadabbur may draw water from it their entire life and never reach its bottom.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
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