Wuqūf
Definition
Wuquf is the standing at the plain of Arafah on the ninth of Dhul-Hijja — the centrepiece of the entire Hajj, without which the Hajj is invalid. The Prophet ﷺ said 'Hajj is Arafah.' Al-Ghazali describes the wuquf as a rehearsal of the Day of Judgment: millions of pilgrims gathered on a vast plain under the open sky, all in identical dress, all stripped of the markers of status and nation, all standing in supplication before Allah. The person who experiences this moment with any depth of awareness has tasted, briefly, what the gathering of all humanity before Allah on the Last Day will feel like.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Wuqūf.
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"and he responded, "Patience. The hadith about Hajj states, "Hajj is Arafah," understood to mean its chief part is 'Arafah. He also said, "The best deeds are those imposed upon the soul. It is said that Allah, the Exalted, revealed to David: "Adorn yourself with My attributes, and among My attributes is that I am Patient.""
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 32: Patience and Gratitude
Appears in
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