Discover the meaning of the term Maqam (مقام) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readIn the people of truth’s terminology: what one reaches by a kind of working, realized by a kind of asking and bearing labors; each one’s maqam the place of his standing at that.
With damma: time or place circumstance of aqama youqimou iqama. It must be with mim damma in Ibn al-Hajib’s word: and I established him, he is his maqam; with fatha, circumstance of qama yaqoumou. Among the ma’ani masters: maqam and hal near of sense, identical therein; their difference by consideration: the matter calling to speak a specified way is a maqam in considering its being imagined a locus for speech’s coming, with what it holds’s specificity; a hal considering its being imagined a time for it. The first illusion regarded in maqam’s sense, the second in hal’s: the two differ by this regard, identical in the common measure, the matter calling to regard specificity in speech: near of sense. What we mentioned is no explaining of naming’s reason, the two returning to a naming-reason outside the sense: the sense’s differing results not therefrom.
Ibrahim’s maqam, the Merciful’s intimate: the known stone; so said Sa’id ibn Joubayr. Two views of the intimate’s standing thereon’s cause: first: he stood on it till his son’s wife washed her head in a long tale, related of Ibn Mas’oud and Ibn ’Abbas. Second: he stood on it building the House, Ismaïl handing him stones, Sa’id ibn Joubayr’s word; it may be he stood for head-washing, then for Kaaba-building.
What realizes in the servant by his courteous ascents, reached by a kind of working.
What realizes in the servant by his ascents of courtesies; its condition among the people is not passing to the second before filling the first’s rulings; the difference from hal: states are gifts, maqams acquisitions. Said: maqam is what one reaches by a kind of working, realized by a kind of asking: each one’s maqam his standing’s place at that.
﴿وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ﴾
« And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]." »
Surah البقرة : 125
﴿فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌۭ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾
« In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds. »
Surah آل عمران : 97
﴿فَإِنْ عُثِرَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنَّهُمَا ٱسْتَحَقَّآ إِثْمًۭا فَـَٔاخَرَانِ يَقُومَانِ مَقَامَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَوْلَيَـٰنِ فَيُقْسِمَانِ بِٱللَّهِ لَشَهَـٰدَتُنَآ أَحَقُّ مِن شَهَـٰدَتِهِمَا وَمَا ٱعْتَدَيْنَآ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾
« But if it is found that those two were guilty of perjury, let two others stand in their place [who are] foremost [in claim] from those who have a lawful right. And let them swear by Allah, "Our testimony is truer than their testimony, and we have not transgressed. Indeed, we would then be of the wrongdoers." »
Surah المائدة : 107
﴿۞ وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ نُوحٍ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُم مَّقَامِى وَتَذْكِيرِى بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ فَأَجْمِعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَكُمْ وَشُرَكَآءَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةًۭ ثُمَّ ٱقْضُوٓا۟ إِلَىَّ وَلَا تُنظِرُونِ﴾
« And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, "O my people, if my residence and my reminding of the signs of Allah has become burdensome upon you - then I have relied upon Allah. So resolve upon your plan and [call upon] your associates. Then let not your plan be obscure to you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite. »
Surah يونس : 71
﴿وَلَنُسْكِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامِى وَخَافَ وَعِيدِ﴾
« And We will surely cause you to dwell in the land after them. That is for he who fears My position and fears My threat." »
Surah ابراهيم : 14
﴿وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةًۭ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًۭا مَّحْمُودًۭا﴾
« And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station. »
Surah الإسراء : 79
This term appears in 17 verses of the Quran.