Ecstasy in sufism

With the third and fourth centuries of the Hijri calendar, concepts such as wadjd (ecstasy), kashf and taste (dhawk) began to dominate Sufi thought. Sufis have defined wadjd as feelings of joy or sorrow that suddenly appear in the soul of the servant and come as a gift from Allah. In the process from existence to being, wadjd is one of the central concepts in the journey of spiritual development (seyrüsülûk). This study examines the Sufi approach to the concept of wadjd in detail, determining how significant a tool wadjd is in reaching the truth. The research explores the phenomenon of wadjd within the context of Western thought, Eastern mysticism, and Sufism, revealing the historical and cultural reflections of this experience. The findings indicate that the experience of ecstasy is not merely a psychological state but also an important stage that demonstrates an individual's spiritual progress. Wadjd is a phenomenon that deepens the individual spiritually and strengthens the servant's connection with the Divine. In this context, wadjd is an important factor that enables the servant to reach the truth through its effects, such as increasing love, deepening knowledge, and strengthening observation. Wadjd is a concept that is difficult to understand in isolation. Therefore, the study addresses its relationship with concepts such as remembrance (dhikr), whirling (samāʿ), loss (faḳd), victory (galebe), attraction (djadhba), ecstatic utterances (shathiyya), absorption (istighraq), love (mahabba), knowledge (maʿrifa), observation (mushahada), and inspiration (warid). Additionally, states resembling the wadjd-wujud, such as contraction-expansion (qabd- bast), awe-comfort (hayba-uns), unity-difference (djam'- farq), absence-presence (ghayba - ḥuḍūr), annihilation-eternity (fana'- bakaʾ), intoxication-sobriety (sukr-sahw), and annihilation-establishment (mahw-isbât) are also examined in the context of wadjd.