Majdhub
“Majdhub” (or majdhūb/majzūb) is an Islamic Sufi term for a spiritual ecstatic, a person who is so deeply attracted or “drawn” (from the root word jadhb) to the Divine Reality that their normal mental faculties become overwhelmed, leading to a state of “spiritual intoxication” or benign “madness”. These individuals are sometimes known as “fools of God” and may be indifferent to worldly concerns, having been liberated from ordinary constraints by their intense spiritual experience.
Divine Attraction (Jadhb): The core of being a majdhub is the overwhelming, irresistible pull towards God.
Spiritual Ecstasy and Intoxication: This attraction results in a state of heightened spiritual ecstasy and intoxication, which can manifest as confusion or a departure from conventional reason.
Benign “Madness”: The term “deranged in a benign way” describes the state where the person’s connection to Divine Reality is so powerful that it affects their outward expression, but in a positive, spiritual sense, not a negative one.
Indifference to the Worldly: The majdhub’s overwhelming focus on the Divine makes them indifferent to worldly affairs and “all that is ‘other-than-Allah’”.
Exceptional Case: The majdhub represents a relatively rare, exceptional path in Sufism, contrasting with the methodical progression of the salik (the “voyager”).
In Sufism, the Majzoob or Majzub (Arabic: مَجْذُوب, plural: مَجَاذِيبٌ majazib, majazeeb) is a mystical station (ḥāl) that the Muslim saint (wali) underwent in his journey within Islamic sufism to reach the posture (maqām) of reacher (wasil) and perfect man (al-Insān al-Kāmil).
