Studying Mystic Waaqeah and Its Symbolism as a Religious Experience

The term “waaqeah” in Islamic mysticism refers to a state achieved through specific practices and conditions (such as seclusion, immersion in remembrance, and similar activities), through which the seeker attains a novel understanding and discovers an approach to the realm of meaning that illuminates its position in the journey of spiritual development. “Waaqeah” often manifests in forms of lights, colors, and similar phenomena and is interpreted and explained through the perspectives of the spiritual elders (pir). This research, following a definition and examination of the concept of “waaqeah” and an elucidation of its ideological significance, delves into the perspectives of essentialists and structuralists regarding the religious experience. Davis’s categorization of six types of religious experiences, emphasizing their mutually non-exclusive nature, is presented, followed by an explication of mystical waaqeah from the viewpoint of interpretative, quasi-sensory (emphasizing its realistic and non-illusionary nature), and mystical (studying the conduct of Kubrawiya sect) experiences. Finally, Katz's views on the contextualization of mystical experience are discussed. Katz posits that the mystical experience does not occur in a vacuum but is the result of the interaction between the mystic and beliefs, traditions, and other experiences and contexts. Additionally, the presence of a guide in shaping, directing, and interpreting the mystical experience is significant. This theory is applied to the domain of mystical events by examining the practices and conditions of “waaqeah” within a specific religious tradition, highlighting the role of the elders (guides) in shaping and attributing meaning to it. In each section of this research, references to mystical sources and narratives are utilized to expound on the presented concepts by mentioning “waaqeahs” from the mystic elders.