Guided Meditation Series for Mental Untangling: Recent Episodes
Amina Manji
Welcome to this 30 day Guided Mediation Series for Mental Untangling. Clearing away the day-to-day mental pollution that clogs our spiritual space. Today we make the intention of Love.
This glorious name today's upon today's message means the Originator , The initiator . The one who started the human being.
Concluding this 30 day meditation is to understand the difference of understanding the state of awareness and consciousness is a subtle as the vibration from a single atom.
Congratulations on completing this 30 day program. You will begin to realize that if you had applied sincere intention towards this program that your current energy will be much different than before.
However, please be mindful that negative energy from within oneself can upset the very balance that you have worked hard to achieve.
If you find the feeling of peace and awareness wears off or you are at a conflict at an unresolved situation then please get in touch and team Amina can help deliver a tailor made program specifically at balancing your energy for the long term betterment of your life and those who you love. #peaceloveandlight
This glorious name Al-Waasi means the One whose expansive essence encompasses the whole creation. His capacities and the meanings of His attributes are without limit and in abundance. The power, mercy, generoristy and knowledge of Al-Wassi are boundless. His authority never ends and His domain is endless. The spiritual seeker has to search after God not in Paradise, not in the world, and not in the Hereafter. He has to stop seeking God in everything that he has seen and everything that he has known: the path of the seeker is inside his own self. He has to find the path in herself, as the Qur’an says: “[We shall show them our signs…] and inside their own selves, do they not reflect [on this]?”….There is no path to God better than the path of the heart. This is the meaning of “the heart is the house of God. A well-known poem attributed from Rumi : I was, even before the Names came to be. no hint was there that anything with a name existed. I was. The named and names came to be through me on the day when there was no me. A hint came in the revelation of the tip of the Beloved’s tress when the tip of the Beloved’s Tress was not. I searched the Cross and Christians from end to end He was not in the Cross. To the idol-house I went, the ancient monastery. No trace of him. went to the mountain of Herat and Kandahar; I looked. He was not in the depths or the heights there. On a mission, I ascended to the summit of Mount Qaf; in that place was naught but the ‘Anqa. I turned towards the Ka’ba; searching seeking He was not in that place to which old and young aspire. I questioned Avicenna about him; He was beyond even the sage’s grasp. I journeyed to the scene of “the two bow-lengths’ distance”; Where Muhammad went on the night journey. He was not in that sublime Court. I looked into my own heart. There I saw him; He was nowhere else. Ultimately, this is perhaps the greatest legacy of the mystics of “path of love”: a hermeneutics not just of the sacred text, but of the sacred heart of humanity — one that through the “glance of love” reveals the Divine in power and intimacy, linking together the human and the Divine from pre-eternity ( azal ) to post-eternity ( abad ). Somewhere in the stretch of infinities we stand in this present moment ( waqt ), bewildered by the effusion of Divine Love that makes breath possible, intellect a tool, Scripture a Love-letter, and love the greatest of God’s mysteries.
The Provider
The One who creates all means of nourishment and sustenance. He is The One who provides everything that is needed. It means that He bestows all means of support and growth, for the body, the mind and the spiritual life.
True Oneness can only be achieved by conscious submission to this critical understanding.
Transcendental Meditation is just the simple technique of going within, and there you are! To go within is so simple; it is so natural for every man to go to a field of greater happiness. . . .
[The soul] leaves all surface appearances, not only those that can be grasped by the senses but also those which the mind itself seems to see, and it keeps on going deeper until by the operation of the spirit it penetrates the invisible and incomprehensible, and it is there that it sees God. The true vision and the true knowledge of what we seek consists precisely in not seeing, in an awareness that our goal transcends all knowledge. . . .
And how can it be simple? The question arises because constantly I am emphasizing its simplicity. All this message of the inner life and outer life is not new, the same age-old message of the Kingdom of Heaven within. “First seek ye the Kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you.” It is the same age-old, centuries old message, but the message emphasizes today that it is easy for everyone. Without exception, born as man, every man has the right, the legitimate right to enjoy all glories that belong to him, all glories of the inner world and all glories of the outside world. And here is a process every man can directly experience for himself.
Abundance is carried by two attributes:
- Karim (Generosity)
- Razaq (Provision
Then, if we want to open the door to those two attributes, then we need to work with Shukur (Gratitude).
If you’re thankful and appreciative with what you have, prior to asking for something, in an honest and humble way, often Divine abundance will shower down upon you, if it is good for your physical and spiritual well-being.
God looks at what is in your highest. So, before God releases it, He looks at whether it will be good for you. He sees what would happen to you If you received it.
Would you turn away from the spiritual path?
Would you become greedy or ungrateful?
This can happen with people who have abundance, but thankfully not all fall into this category.
So I pray that everyone walks deeply on their path. I pray that everyone opens their hearts to the real love of themselves and others, and that we all have the chance to step into that Divine presence so that we can actualize the greatest level of human potential in our lives. Amen.
Thank you everyone.
Peace and blessings.
Al-Aziz -the One who overpowers everything and Who cannot be overcome. It also refers to the One who is extremely precious, none is like Him. He is unbeatable and nothing can prevent Him from fulfilling what He wills.
Love is not merely a sentiment, but the very unleashing of God on Earth. It's love that brought us here, and it will be love that will deliver us back Home.
Healing is a natural gift inherent in every human being which can be used to heal oneself as well as others. Spiritual healing open one's heart to divine love and leads to inner awakening." Spiritual healing" is an endeavor to "clear the cloak" or " images" that captured on the hearts of people, causing to encounter detachment from The Divine, themselves, and each other. The role and need of the spiritual healing in the contemporary world is a necessity. Spiritual healing is awakening the self, awakening those qualities of the human soul which have positive impact in their lives such
as love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of peace and harmony that brings happiness to both self and others around him.
Sufi Spiritual Healing is neither a magic nor a mysterious process but is in fact very natural instinct with which every human being is
born but fail to actualize this potential power. It is an instinctive ability within all human being as it is a Divine quality which human
being posses. However this skill just like any other talent among humans varies in degrees. Some are gifted with healing ability that
people recognize them as natural healer while others are given the ability of healing in transmission (as disciples in sufi order) and
others through their inner calling take upon this or perform healing out of compassion. Some healers are unaware of their healing
ability yet they help others to heal, thus they are saved from their ego-based claim since behind all healing is as-Shafi (the One
Healer).
The role of Sufi Spiritual Healing is not only to cure the suffering humanity but to teach them the ways to awaken the God gifted
hidden treasure. The goal of the Sufi is awakening and realization.
Each and every one of us possesses the energy field or an aura that surrounds and penetrates the physical body and hence associated with the health of the human being. The more we are optimist the more we generate positive energy while more we a pessimist the more we generate negative energy which ultimately affect not only our social circle but also the health.
In different cultures and different languages the energy is called upon by different names. The word "energy" is referred to as:
Chi in Chinese, Ki in Japanese, Prana in Hindi, Qudra in Arabic
May we all emerge rejuvenated, nourished, sustained, rooted, and ready to bring the fruits of these inner journeys to heal a broken world.
Today's incantation of "At-theem" means The One Who is greatest, mightiest, grandest and above all He has absolute greatness in both his attributes and self. All His actions are Perfect. He is the one deserving the attributes of exaltment, glory and purity from all imperfection. His Might and Grandeur is surely beyond our grasp.
The spiritual path wrecks the body;
but afterward restores it to health:
it destroys the house to unearth the treasure,
then with that treasure builds it better than before.
The water is stopped and the riverbed cleansed,
so that purer water might flow.
The flesh is cut open to draw out the arrow—
So that fresh skin might heal the wound.
(Mathnawi 1: 305-308,
The esoteric teachings in Sufism show that every human being is born whole, with Divine Light illuminating in each of our hearts. No matter how deep the trauma and how ingrained psychological reactions are, that place of wholeness can’t be contaminated. Rather, it is a place that through spiritual healing one becomes whole again. #eradicatenegativityfromthecore #spiritualcleanseistheuniversaleantidote #amongstmyfriendsthereshallbenosadnessmourningorgrief
The Self Exhalted - The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.
We, human beings, of past, present and future, are in absolute need of Divine grace and the opportunity to earn His pleasure. Our human power — no matter how great — can’t give us immortality and eternal bliss. With or without our consent, we are heading to the clutches of death. But as we all know, death is not the end. Death is simply the start of a journey from this world to the Divine presence. To God is our ultimate return and on the Great Day of Final Judgment, we will be asked about, and held accountable for, our thoughts, intentions, feelings, motives, and actions. Not one human soul can escape this reality, no matter how much he denied during his lifetime this meeting with the Lord, the Almighty God.
Yet how many of us lead our lives with full consciousness of this reality? Why can’t we keep this awareness as we ought to do? Why do many of us fail to elevate ourselves? God Almighty, our creator who knows all of our affairs—hidden or manifest — tells us in the Quran: “Verily, he truly prospers who purifies himself and glorifies the name of the Guardian-Lord, and (lifts his heart) in prayer. But you prefer the life of this world, whereas the life hereafter is better and ever- lasting. This indeed is what is taught in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (87:15-20)
Hence, True Consciousness is detachment of the world to reach affixiation to The Centre of The Soul then to return to the world to cast the light upon the shadow of the realities of pain and suffering of others. #oneness #purifyeverything10x
Oneness, whether relative or absolute, is an attribute that defines the uniqueness of the entity that possesses it. While relative oneness can be possessed by anything unique in any respect, absolute oneness is a feature of Divinity alone. Oneness can be, at times, as profound a concept as the enigmatic concepts of Infinity and Zero. The prime number ‘One’ can actually be intriguing enough to put the most competent of human minds to the most formidable of challenges.The Qur’an introduces us to two special attributive names of God that relate specifically to God’s absolute oneness. These names are Ahad and Waahid. While in general terms, Ahad and Waahid both, could loosely be translated as ‘One’, but more specifically Ahad can be translated as ‘One’ and Waahid as ‘Only’. Hence, when the Qur’an informs us that its Author is Ahad and Waahid, essentially what we are being told is that God, in the absolute sense, is the ‘One and Only’. These two attributive names, in conjunction, describe the Absolute Oneness of God. Both names Ahad and Waahid denote two different aspects of the Oneness of God. The name Ahad suggests that God is ‘One’, thus highlighting the absolute oneness of His Being, implying that, in all respects, there is only one Being Who is God. The name Waahid, on the other hand, suggests that God is ‘Unique’, thereby highlighting His singularity in terms of His attributes, which means to say that, for instance, there is none as merciful as Him, none as forgiving as Him, none as beautiful as Him, and so on. The fact that God cannot be compared to anything within creation. For example, Sura Al-Ikhlas (chapter 112 of the Qur’an) says:
Say, He is God, the One,
God the Eternal,
He neither begets nor is begotten
And there is none like him.God is One in a similar way that the universe is one. The universe is the totality of all physical phenomena; God is the Totality, the Whole. God’s Wholeness is the source of all holiness and well-being. God is the Absolute in whom all opposites and contradictions are resolved. God is One because there is no other. God is One because no truth contradicts any other truth – they are all aspects of the Truth. By the same token, no goodness or virtue contradicts any other aspect of goodness or virtue, they are all aspects of the greatest Good. God is the Unity to whom the apparent multiplicity points. Sufis seek the signs of God within multiplicity: everything has a side facing toward God; everything points to the One God, and we delight in that recognition. God is Love.The goal is to know God in this life. All believers believe that we will meet God in our future life, especially on the Day of Judgement. It is possible to meet and know God in this life. Make friends with God before you die. The saints (awliya) are the friends of God, who have achieved intimacy with God in this life.(Awliya). The friends of Allah. These are His Saints. Their knowledge is not derived from reflection. Allah has purified them of that type of knowledge. They possess the opening of unveiling through Allah, the Real, Himself. The awliya are those with unbroken awareness of Allah. These Perfect Men have attained to the highest of all human degrees.”Amongst my friends there shall be no sadness, mourning or grief.” (Q’10:62)
The true higher purpose of the super soul is always hidden.
Today, of course, a lot of people are struggling with all sorts of things; gender identity, sexual identities, you know things like that, that can also lead to all sorts of problems in people where they don't feel like they're living who they are and when people don't live who they are they also get very depressed. The second thing I have found is that people have core energy. In spiritual circles we call it Kundalini. Freud called it sexual. There are different ways people look at it, but when the core energy is frozen or blocked, people get very depressed.
You have a heart in your chest, but your heart that loves, where’s that coming from? Not coming out of your physical heart it's coming out of something else.
Well behind that heart is a soul, that soul loves much deeper than your physical heart or your spiritual heart. So the medical spiritual healers are trained to be able to access the heart and be able to open it and heal it and then this medical spiritual healer AMINA MANJI is there to teach you to go further to access your own soul.
The soul is where your spiritual teachings are going on. This is where you're really learning who you are as a spirit. Spirituality means our return to spiritual consciousness. The consciousness of our spirits, our souls and ultimately the consciousness of God, that's what spirituality is. A lot of people think that spirituality is gaining spiritual powers or occult powers things like this. That's not real spirituality, that's actually kind of a corruption of spirituality. Real spirituality is our ability, ultimately, to stay in the presence of God and manifest that presence.
That's the highest level of spirituality. So the medical spiritual healer is trained to help people find that, to return to the one, to return to God, to return to a divine truth, to wash away the self, the ego, the emotions, the false beliefs, the pain inside of a person, the hidden experiences, to bring them and to release them from a person so that they can have that direct experience of divine-like flow. Once you have that I promise you, you'll never want to leave it.
When Spirit calls, we are often faced with difficult choices. As we say yes to the call, our attachments are released and trust deepens. Dependencies are turned away from the material world and toward Allah. The true gifts of love Almighty gives for our hearts remain or return in a more purified and fulfilling form.
If your journey brings distance between you and your loved ones, may it all come round again with more clarity, openness, depth and love, if Almighty wills. And Almighty knows best for, "Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round again in another form.”
May Almighty bless us all and keep us safe and bowed in service to His Light. May God’s peace and blessings be upon you. #oneness
Human experience in, health and disease, always has a spiritual dimension. Spirituality is accepted as one of the defining determinants of health and it no more remains a sole preserve of religion and mysticism. In recent years, spirituality has been an area of research in neurosciences and both in the understanding of psychiatric morbidity and extending therapeutic interventions it seems to be full of promises. Humans have always had the quest to know themselves, to know the world around them, and to know their place in the world. The history of mankind is replete with people who like Mitya in The Brothers Karamazov are “haunted by a great unsolved doubt.”This quest has led man from the dogmas of religion to the discourses of philosophy and finally to the empirical sciences. The recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in spirituality and the advancements in neurosciences offer an opportunity to understand it from a more scientific standpoint and put it in proper perspective. Across cultures, spirituality forms an important part of belief systems of majority of the people. It affects the mental well-being and the understanding of mental illnesses in terms of the etiology, meaning and the modalities of redressal. It seems important that mental health professionals should be aware of the ways spirituality affects the mental well-being of individuals in both health and disease states. Human cognitions and behaviors are determined largely by a set of facts and values. The facts are mostly derived from the science and the values have their origin in religious or non-religious philosophies such as humanism and existentialism. Spirituality being an integral part of most of the religious philosophies provides the value system for the majority of people and thereby influences their well-being. Recognizing this, the spiritual well-being, in accordance with the social and cultural patterns, was accepted as one of the important determinants of health by the World Health Organization during the 37th World Health Assembly in 1984. Spiritual teaching has already found its place in the curriculum of many medical schools in the Western world. From a mental health perspective, spirituality seems to have a far greater role as these operate on the same ground – the brain or as some would like it call it the mind or the soul. In fact, there are studies that show positive as well as the negative impact of the spiritual and religious beliefs and practices on the physical and mental well-being of people who subscribe to spiritual or religious practices. The term Mysticism had its beginning in the mystery cults of the Greeks, which involved a close circle of devotees who because of their innate capacity were believed to have the knowledge of the divine revealed to them. Etymology aside, mysticism has been practiced since ages across all the cultures and has been a vital part of the major religions of the world. Perhaps it represents an innate desire of the man to understand himself and the world around. All forms of mysticism aspire for a union with the divine and believe that it is only possible through the purification of soul to receive direct knowledge and revelation from the divine.
The One who is unique in both His essence and attributes. There is no one or nothing like Him and He was, is and will forever be the unequaled amid indivisible Only One. We call God “Allah” because there is no gender implied in this Arabic appellation. Allah can have no gender because that would be a limiting factor, and Allah can have no limits. We believe that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and is the uncaused Cause of all creation. Allah is without limit in every dimension, infinitely and eternally, the formless Creator of all forms. Allah is neither created nor can He be destroyed. The one thing in the universe we know of that cannot be created or destroyed is energy. Energy can be understood as the capacity to do work, as the force that is behind all action, and as action itself. We know energy as a kind of light/force, as that which radiates and that which is radiated. It is both substance and movement. Allah is the fundamental energy which has existed before all time, because Allah is both uncreated and the Creator. We understand Allah as the conscious energy of the universe, the One who contains infinite knowledge and power to act in whatever way He wills. There are three forms of knowledge. The first is intellectual knowledge, which is in fact only information and the collection of facts, and the use of these to arrive at further intellectual concepts. This is intellectualism. Second comes the knowledge of states, which included both emotional feeling and strange states of being in which man thinks that he has perceived something supreme but cannot avail himself of it. This is emotionalism. Third comes real knowledge, which is called the Knowledge of Reality. In this form, man can perceive what is right, what is true, beyond the boundaries of thought and sense. Scholastics and scientists concentrate upon the first form of knowledge. Emotionalists and experientialists use the second form. Others use the two combined, or either one alternatively. But the people who attain to truth are those who know how to connect themselves with the reality which lies beyond both these forms of knowledge. These are the pure Sufis who have Attained. People think that a Sheikh should show miracles and manifest illumination. The requirement in a teacher, however, is only that he should possess all that the disciple needs.God gave us these communities within us to help us. In the same way we need to have the same respect for the Spiritual Component of a Human Being. People don't respect it anymore. Because people have lost touch of that knowledge or understanding or just ignorance. But the effects are Real whether good or bad. So for example when talking about ancestral energy - Passing through from family to family. Same as physical DNA- If there are defects in the DNA then this is also passed onto the children. Sometimes this defect is turned on and sometimes it's turned off. But in either case it attributes to the Spirit of that child having a sensitivity to what it may not have had if the spiritual energy was more balanced. #spiritualcleanseistheuniversalantidote.
In a world threatened by religious wars, depleting natural resources, a crumbling ecosystem, and alienation and isolation, what has happened to our humanity? Who are we and what are we doing here? The Sufi path offers a journey toward truth, to a knowledge that transcends our mundane concerns, selfish desires, and fears. We find a wisdom that brings peace and a relationship with God that nurtures the best in us and in others. Universal or Perfect Man (al-insān al-Kāmil) is the prototype of both the microcosm and the macrocosm, the human being and the cosmos. This is to say that Universal or Perfect Man is “the perfect human model who has attained all the possibilities inherent in the human state.” For Universal or Perfect Man the misidentification with the empirical ego has relinquished itself, “the human ego with which most men identify themselves is no more than his outer shell”. The need for consciousness to be in ceaseless contemplation of the Real in order to remedy the forgetfulness of the Divine: “the maintenance of the world depends on the balance between the contemplative who has realized the state of Universal Man, and fallen man, who lives in a state of forgetfulness.” The theomorphic identity of all human beings is the Universal or Perfect Man as Rūmī instructs: The owner of the Heart [Universal or Perfect Man] becomes a six-faced mirror: through him God looks upon (all) the six directions. Whosoever hath his dwelling place in (the world of) the six directions, God doth not look upon him except through the mediation of him (the owner of the Heart)…. Without him God does not bestow bounty on any one. Rūmī reminds readers that the original function of every human being is to be the Universal or Perfect Man in order to act as a channel of grace in the world. In fact, not to do so, is to forfeit what it means to be human:
There is one thing in this world which must never be forgotten. If you were to forget everything else, but did not forget that, then there would be no cause to worry; whereas if you performed and remembered and did not forget every single thing, but forgot that one thing, then you would have done nothing whatsoever.
The saints and sages of the world’s religions remind the human collectivity of his or her original or theomorphic nature and provide methods of realizing this transpersonal identity: In the composition of man all sciences were originally commingled, so that his spirit might show forth all hidden things, as limpid water shows forth all that is under it—pebbles, broken shards, and the like—and all that is above it, reflecting in the substance of the water. Such is its nature, without treatment or training. But when it was mingled with earth or other colors [when Adam fell], that property and that knowledge was parted from it and forgotten by it. Then God most High sent forth prophets and saints, like a great, limpid water such as delivers out of darkness and accidental coloration every mean and dark water that enters into it. Then it remembers; when the soul of man sees itself unsullied, it knows for sure that so it was in the beginning, pure, and it knows that those shadows and colors were mere accidents.
Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam: the world’s religions all seem to ask that their followers seek different paths to enlightenment. Yet beneath the seeming differences lies a pool of universal truth. Oneness collects these beliefs together in one volume, in the actual words of each religion’s scriptures. These universal principles—The Golden Rule . . . Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother . . . Heaven Is Within . . . As We Sow, We Shall Reap . . . Judge Not . . . God Is Love, and others—guide us to inner peace, and allow us to achieve spiritual richness. Oneness is a gift of love.Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul.
Rumi's verses capture this universal human connection to God:
*What is to be done, O Believers? for I do not recognize myself.
I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Buddhist, nor Muslim.
I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature's form, nor of the circling heavens.
I am not of earth, of water, of air, of fire;
I am not of the highest heaven, nor of the lowest dust, nor of existence, nor of any entity.
I am not from India, China, Bulgaria, nor Persia.
I am not of the kingdom of Iraq,
I am not of the this world, nor the next, nor of Paradise, nor the Fire.
I am not of Adam, nor Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.
My place is the Placeless, my trace is the Traceless;
And it is neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.*
Anyway, a great deal of inspiration is coming out of my meditations on "pure silence" and thought I should speak about this incredible "silence" that mystics concentrate on only to hear amazing things:
A great deal of inspiration has come from my meditations on "pure silence" and thought I should speak about this incredible "silence" that mystics concentrate on only to hear amazing things. My main form of meditation is to meditate on that inner "silence" which turns out to be anything but silent! A deafening roar in fact. This is the "Shabd" that lifts one up to higher planes of consciousness. There are so many aspects to the Shabd like so many colors in a spectrum, or sounds throughout the musical scale from a low, rhythmic vibration all the way up to the finest notes of creation. All this from silence? - Yes! If you see how things really work in creation, that is what actually seems to be happening: God creating everything out of silence or nothing. All these galaxies, stars, planets, etc. come directly from intense vibration or gravitationally trapped radiation or light in various frequencies.
Because God created a power of perception in man, unless man seeks knowledge, he will be degraded from his level of humanity to a level that does not suit him. Therefore, if you want the world, you must seek knowledge, and if you want the afterlife, you must seek knowledge as well.
Think of the last time someone gave you a gift—how did you feel? A feeling of joy, love, of being special to the person from whom you received the gift, and sometimes a bit of shame if you feel you didn’t deserve it. Because, in essence, a gift isn’t given in return of anything.
One of Almighty's Beautiful Names is al-Wahhab. The root of this word is hiba, which means a gift. It means that He not only gives gifts once or twice, but He constantly does so. In the Qur’an:
“Or do they have the depositories of the mercy of your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Bestower?” (Qur’an, 38:9)
So how do we know when Almighty has given us a gift? Rizq (sustenance) is written for us, but we have to work for it. So if in the course of our efforts, we earn $1 million, that is rizq that Almighty had ordained for us. Hiba, on the other hand, is just that—a gift that was not conditioned upon your efforts. When you get a phone call from someone you love, that you felt you missed—that is hiba. When Almighty brings an amazing person into your life and you are able to improve because of them, that is hiba.
"If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe,” (Qur’an, 14:7). The more we are conscious of Almighty’s gifts to us, the more we are able to increase our love for Him, and recognize how blessed we are.
Moreover, we should use His gifts in His way and in His cause. No one likes for their gifts to be cheapened. If Almighty has given you a gift, do not use it for what He dislikes. If we do that, the gift in question becomes a test that we will be held accountable for. The Giver of All. He who constantly bestows blessings of every kindness. #oneness
Peace is a quality of the soul. And like all real spiritual qualities, peace is not achieved or earned by our efforts. It is given through grace, like the peace Christ promised his disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world giveth give I unto you.”
Because our culture has lost an understanding of the ways of grace, we tend to identify peace with effort. Most of us struggle for peace, thinking we can attain it through striving. Outwardly we seek peace through the resolution of conflict. Inwardly, too, we hope to resolve our conflicts, working to bring the warring factions of our psyche into balance. In meditation we strive to find peace beyond the activity of the mind.
We might achieve some sense of peace this way, through effort and struggle. But real peace is an aspect of the divine, and in the words of the Sufi master Bhai Sahib, “How can there be effort with divine things? They are given, infused.”
Peace that is given has a different quality precisely because it comes without effort or struggle. It is not a resolution of conflict, either inner or outer. It does not belong to the dimension of struggle, but to the dimension of the soul. It cannot be born from conflict because it is an aspect of the oneness of our true nature. In oneness, how can there be conflict? If there are not two, where is the need for resolution?
Real peace is a quality of pure being. The peace that Christ left with his disciples, the peace “not as the world giveth,” is in all of us. It is part of our essential nature. But like many qualities of the soul it remains hidden, overlooked by our perceptions and ways of relating that are so grounded in duality, conflict, and self-interest.
Traditionally peace has been transmitted on an individual level, from master to disciple, as Christ gave peace to his disciples. But at this critical time in our evolution, this is no longer enough. All of humanity needs to have access to the peace of the soul, for this peace belongs not just to each individual, but to the soul of the world. And if we look around us we see the world needs this peace; life itself needs to be nourished by its own higher nature in order to recover from past abuse, and to thrive. The spiritual work of the time is to help the soul of the world awaken, to help the qualities of life’s true nature nourish the whole www.thedivineclinicfoundation.org
saveasoulsavehumanity #spiritualcleanseistheuniversalantidote #mentalhealthisspiritualhealth
The ability to find meaning in adversity is a key quality that protects against depressed mood and anxiety during intense trials. Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor of an Auschwitz concentration camp outlines the meaning-based psychotherapeutic approach that helped him and others cope with the horrors they experienced in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning.The realization of truth and development of virtue is the method by which a person perseveres through hardship and finds meaning in it. The Islāmic stories of resilience in the face of adversity capture this reality. When Prophet Yūnus (as) was thrown into the middle of the vast ocean in the darkness of the night, he called out, “There is nothing worthy of worship except you, Exalted are You! I have been of the oppressors.”[When Prophet Ibrahīm (as) was being catapulted into the pit of fire, he called out, “God is sufficient for me and the Best Disposer of Affairs.”[ When Prophet Ādam (as) was expelled from paradise, he called out, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if you do not forgive us and have mercy on us, then we will be lost.”Charles Snyder, a leading positive psychologist in the study of hope, defines hope as “a positive motivational state that is based on an interactively derived sense of successful agency and pathways.”This definition essentially states that hope involves possessing agency and pathways. Agency refers to the belief that a person can affect the future, and pathways refer to the belief that one has the resources to obtain one’s objectives. Strength in our agency through the Power of God makes us surrender to our will and capacity to God’s Decree. In this section, we realize the pathways that are available to us to change our situation. The Names and Attributes of God represent the solutions to all of our problems. When we are overcome with grief and remorse for what we have done in the past, we recognize that God is Al-Ghafūr (The Eternally Forgiving). If we are on the brink of losing our home, unable to provide for our family, we call out to Ar-Razzāq (The Provider). When we can’t seem to put our life together after being hit with calamity after calamity, we recognize our strength lies in Al-Qadīr (The One with Ultimate Power). When we just feel like we are at the bottom of a pit, we never lose hope in the mercy of Ar-Raḥmān (The Most Merciful).Hopeful thinking has been associated with higher levels of academic success, physical and psychological health. It provides people with a powerful tool to move through life at times of adversity. One of the strongest spiritual states in the Islāmic tradition is rajā (hope) in God’s Mercy. It is described by Ibn al-Qayyim as one of the wings of the believers, “Fear and hope [in God] are like two wings of a bird that are used to fly.”[Hope allows a person to transcend the current situation and live for a better future. Thus, when our backs are against the wall and we feel alone in our fight, we realize that the person who has no one else has Allāh.
The concept of Latif became increasingly refined and complex and was used to explain psychological and spiritual progress of the spiritual aspirant toward annihilation (fanna) or subsistence (baqd) in the Divine Essence. Lattif's have been translated by "subtlety," "tenuous body," "subtle point," or "subtle essence." I prefer to refer to them as "subtle spiritual centers.” although the concept of "center"is not necessarily to be understood from the term itself. Although some of the are sometimes described as being located in specific areas of the body (liver, heart, or mind), they are not to be understood as identical with the organs located there. "Thus the distinction is clearly to be made between the physical flesh of the heart and the latfa which is named 'Heart' (qalb). Rather, the lattices are taken to be local manifestations of identically named parts of a higher realm of the cosmological structure which is above the realm of created things. Spiritual healing is another spiritual practice that is shared across faiths. The lata’if, or the Nine Points of the self, are related to the chakras of Kundalini Yoga, which is a central part of both Hindu and Buddhist mysticism, and to the nodes of the Tree of Life, a key concept in Jewish Kabalistic spirituality. The lata’if are points of maximum energy intake and are instrumental in maintaining the body’s energy balance. Sufis believe that illnesses can be treated by activating the appropriate lateefa. The spiritual dimension of Islam is manifested in Islamic mysticism or Sufism. Sufism is the science of unlocking esoteric meanings of the faith, and engaging in a process of self-purification and self-realization. It is difficult to precisely define Sufism because there is no single, systematic approach to Sufi teachings, and only a few of its metaphysical teachings can be communicated in words. It has been defined by its adherents as the essence or fruit of Islam, the path inwards towards purification of the self, and the vehicle through which one can develop their relationship with God. Its etymology is equally enigmatic. Sufism is derived from the Arabic word, Tasawwuf, literally, “the process of becoming a Sufi.”
I leave you here with an insightful poem by Rumi:
"Everything you see has its roots
in the unseen world.
The forms may change,
yet the essence remains the same.
Every wondrous sight will vanish,
every sweet word will fade.
But do not be disheartened,
The Source they come from is eternal-- growing, branching out,
giving new life and new joy.
Why do you weep?-- That Source is within you, and this whole world
is springing up from it.
The Source is full, its waters are ever-flowing;
Do not grieve, drink your fill! Don't think it will ever run dry-- This is the endless Ocean!
From the moment you came into this world, a ladder was placed in front of you
that you might transcend it.
From earth, you became plant, from plant you became animal.
Afterwards you became a human being, endowed with knowledge, intellect and faith.
Behold the body, born of dust-- how perfect it has become!
Why should you fear its end?
When were you ever made less by dying? When you pass beyond this human form, no doubt you will
become an angel and soar through the heavens! But don't stop there.
Even heavenly bodies grow old.
Pass again from the heavenly realm and plunge into the ocean of Consciousness.
Let the drop of water that is you become a hundred mighty seas."
Although spiritual realities do not find a place in the explanatory scheme of modern science, they nevertheless play a significant role in the everyday life of people. Some spiritual paths are very focused on the mind, with practices aimed to clear the mental state, tame thoughts and attain a calm equilibrium. These cooling, meditative practices bring equanimity, tranquility, and clarity of mind. Rumi translator, and well-known spiritual teacher, scholar, and mystic, Andrew Harvey, describes the Sufi path like this: It is a way to the heart of hearts, to the utmost direct intense experience of one’s sacred identity. Adab is part of the code of behavior called futuwwah, often translated as Sufi chivalry. The term comes from the Qur'an and is associated with an ideal, noble person whose respect, hospitality, and generosity enable that person to always put others first. It includes such qualities as humility, sincerity, selflessness, compassion, kindness, and altruism. This behavior was modeled by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and by other lovers of Almighty. There is an adab for every relationship including with animals and objects. One of the ironies of our materialistic times is that we treat the materials of our lives with such carelessness and even distain, seeing them merely as resources to be exploited and then discarded casually when they are of no further use to us. We think this kind of respect for things is a good first step for any revival of civility to take root in our lives and in our society. Interestingly, reverence leads to to live righteously. In the divine scriptures as revealed: [Quran 46:16] "It is from these that we accept the righteous works, and overlook their sins. They have deserved Paradise. This is the truthful promise that is promised to them.” Bible - Reverence for God is also equated with wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 tells us the fear (or reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.All spiritual life meets us within natural life. Reverence for life, therefore, is applied to natural life and spiritual life alike. In the parable of Jesus, the shepherd saves not merely the soul of the lost sheep but the whole animal. The stronger the reverence for natural life, the stronger grows also that for spiritual life .A Jewish Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel shares -"One of the major symptoms of the general crisis existent in our world today is our lack of sensitivity to words. We use words as tools. We forget that words are a repository of the spirit. The tragedy of our times is that the vessels of the spirit are broken. We cannot approach the spirit unless we repair the vessels. Reverence for words – an awareness of the wonder of words, of the mystery of words – is an essential prerequisite for prayer. By the word of God the world was created.
In considering how the human being can embody both self and selflessness, let’s begin with a metaphysical perspective on the position that human consciousness occupies in cosmic existence. The human consciousness is a presence suspended between the Divine Absolute and a Cosmic-Life-Force that is associated with our intention, thoughts, and feelings. That’s a mouthful, I know. God is sufficient in the sense that when “I” am embracing what is, being grateful by seeing its inherent value, placing complete trust in the Divine Intelligence and the Life Force that serves it, then that Infinite Intelligence will do the appropriate and necessary thing.
Shams of Tabriz says it with remarkable simplicity and clarity: all your problems are the result of your reading “your own letters” all the time, instead of paying attention to your Beloved.If we analyze this situation we may see that what we take to be “I” is not our witnessing self which is aligned with Spirit, but a “me” constructed on the basis of pernicious dualities such as: always gaining pleasure and avoiding pain, always receiving attention and never being ignored, always gaining approval and never being criticized.This “me” arises from a sense deep inside ourselves that somewhere, somehow, we can know a state of ultimate well-being, peace, and security. It is in our very nature to long to be connected to that state of timeless, unconstricted, happiness—happiness without death as Mawlana Asad Ali has named it. But the mistake is in thinking that this ultimate well-being is to be found in circumstances and conditions—in other words in attaining a life without disturbance and difficulty. Seeking satisfaction in worldly conditions alone is a betrayal of the spiritual nature of reality.In such a state, the consciousness of “I” is entangled and absorbed in various “me’s” and these “me’s” are living our life, speaking in the name of “I” but if one could truly hear them it is clear that when things are not going well they are complaining, judging, blaming, rationalizing, and if things are going well they are claiming credit, seeing “miraculous signs”, and other self-justifying non-sense.Our involvement with “me” is a betrayal of that Divine Reality, the “me” of the moment replacing the objective witness that serves Central Intelligence, the Command of Love. These “me’s” offer a false, fragile and temporary sense of well-being and security. It is the Real, the Divine Reality (Haqiqah) that can give meaning to all the circumstances and conditions of our lives, and it is this that we can find as the self is purified of these false selves and values. In this process of purification, the self is drawn to higher forms of being and ultimately absorbed in God.At an advanced stage of perfection the mystic who is, in Abu’l-Ḥosayn Nūrī’s words, “fashioned in the attributes of God” (al-taḵalloq be-aḵlāq Allāh)ʿ begins to manifest the divine attributes. In Najm-al-Dīn Kobrā’s view, he or she becomes the subject of divine attributes and capable of “creating, bringing forth, giving life, causing death, having mercy, punishing and other things that belong to the divine attributes of bounty and justice” .
The awakened human consciousness, seeing objectively, free from the hypnotism of the nafs, responding with appropriateness according to the divine qualities needed at that moment, lives according to the Divine Mercy, guided by the Divine Intelligence, resting in the open-ended certainty of Submission and Trust.
Few of us talk about the real life effects of charity. Charity is not just a great humanitarian deed; it also speaks volumes about the person giving. Nobody would argue when we say charity is one of the greatest virtues of mankind. Almost every religion encourages people to give charity, and the reason behind the instruction is the same; to help people who are poor, needy, disabled or suffering from dire circumstances beyond their control. charity is the true path to happiness and peace.
The belief that there is a spiritual aspect to human personality is shared by most of the world's religions. This commonly held notion, however, has been understood and expressed in a variety of ways by the different traditions. Such differences may reflect substantial differences in meanings between sets of concepts, problems of translation, as well as historical changes in the meanings of words. Religion and spirituality are key to understanding the notion of healing in Islam. Islamic spiritual healers inherited the methods that God's messengers were using, and from one generation to another they have practiced these methods up to the present time. In the Islamic tradition, healers use both medicinal remedies and spiritual means.. "Islam means to surrender to God in peace.
Cause and effect, are from the wisdom of Almighty. He has connected the cause and effect of things. For example, the person who uses good methods in planting his crops, will get a good harvest. Just the same way a person who eats and drinks healthily will have good health. Almighty too has linked spiritual and metaphysical causes to spiritual results. Almighty states that the one who is beneficial to his relatives will have an increase in his life span. Also God states that giving charity removes evil. We human beings wonder how the cause and effect is connected, and what is the wisdom behind the incidences in life? Some cause and effects are easy to explain and the wisdom behind them is clear. On the other hand some of these phenomena’s are hard to explain. However Islam stresses that giving charity increases sustenance. Here are a few traditions that stress on this fact.The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says: “Attract sustenance by giving charity”.Abu Abdillah (a.s.) says: “Allah gives help to person equal in quantity to the charity a person gives”.Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) says that: “Everything has a key, and the key to sustenance is charity”.Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.): “Cure your sick by giving Sadaqah or charity, and remove troubles and mishaps by giving charity, and increase sustenance with charity. Charity can give you a spiritual reward that is more beneficial than a material reward. The Qur’an says that:
“The person who lends to Allah, a good lending will receive many times more”. (Sura al-Baqara, 2:245 ) "Amongst my friends there shall be no sadness, mourning or grief." (Q' 10:62)
The goal of all mysticism is to cleanse the heart, to educate, or transform, the self, and to find Almighty. The lowest level of the self is dominated by pride, egotism, and totally self-centered greed and lust. This level is the part within each person that leads away from Truth. The highest level is the pure self, and at this level there is no duality, no separation from Almighty.
The self is actually a living process rather than a static structure in the psyche. The self is not a thing. The Arabic term is related to words for "breath," "soul," "essence," "self," and "nature." It refers to a process that comes about from the interaction of body and soul. When the soul becomes embodied, it forgets its original nature and becomes enmeshed in material creation. This creates the self.
The lowest level of the self, the ego or lower personality, is made up of impulses, or drives, to satisfy desires. These drives dominate reason or judgment and are defined as the forces in one's nature that must be brought under control. The self is a product of the self-centered consciousness - the ego, the "I." The self must be transformed - this is the ideal. The self is like a wild horse; it is powerful and virtually uncontrollable. As the self becomes trained, or transformed, it becomes capable of serving the individual. Sufism is the English word coined for the Science of Tasawwuf (Arabic for Soul-Purification) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and developed by Muslim students, psychologists and Sufis. #oneness
Imam Ali (as) teaches, “he who attains inner knowledge of his self attains inner knowledge of his Lord.’’ Everything exists as forms of energy, and this includes us too. The human body naturally has seven main energy points, usually referred to as chakras. All of these energy points are arranged in a line along the spine, each of which is associated with a different purpose varying from one’s sexual relations to emotional attachments to intellectual affairs. Humans can harness positive or negative energy from these points, depending entirely on their actions and habits. Luckily for Believers, the actions that are destructive of the soul are already forbidden in the divine scriptures such as lying, dishonesty, corruption. Unsurprisingly, the actions that do harness positive energy are also recommended and ordered by the Divine scriptures and prophetic sayings; including enjoining good and forbidding evil, speaking truthfully, respecting parents, giving money to the poor and supplicating. Size and quantity are not all that matters, nor is a good outward show. What matters most is the heart. If the heart is pure, the body follows, but if the heart is rotten, the whole body is corrupted. In the study of Islam an infallible vaccine against the disease of greed, bottomless lust for material acquisition, and unquenchable thirst for pleasure and instant gratification. There lays wisdom in the doorway to values that fortify the spirit, such as love, unity, respect and peace. The teachings when consistently applied make remarkably strong individuals.This, there are two aspects of individual harmony: the harmony between body and soul, and the harmony between individuals. All the tragedy in the world, in the individual and in the multitude, comes from lack of harmony. And harmony is the best given by producing harmony in one’s own life.
Every soul has an inborn yearning to love and worship Our Creator. The mercy and love of Almighty is far beyond the need that the blood of innocence, or the blood of Muhammed, Jesus or Abraham (peace be upon them) should be shed for the salvation of anyone.
Almighty loves to pardon and none can question him. A mother always judges her infant child to be innocent. God's mercy exceeds the mercy of a mother, God loves his creation.
"We (Allah) have created mankind, and are aware of what he whispers to his inner self, and we (Allah) are more closer to him than his jugular vein" (Qur’an sura qaaf verse 16)
In the Bible (Hosea 6:6) we read:
FOR IN LOVING KINDNESS I (GOD) HAVE TAKEN DELIGHT AND NOT IN SACRIFICE.
Salvation and thus eternal happiness can be achieved by sincere worship. When a person sins he or she pushes themselves away from the mercy of God, however sincere repentance brings a person back to God.
Salvation is a powerful word that the dictionary defines as the act of preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil. Theologically it is spiritual rescue from sin and its consequences. Glasses become intermediaries between the eyes and things. Hearing aids become intermediaries between the ears and the sounds. As intermediaries, they serve those with ordinary eyes and ears to see and hear better. Similarly, if qualified and capable people become intermediaries between the realities and ordinary people, they increase those people’s knowledge and virtues. Their spiritual lives become orderly and tidy. Ordinary people cannot see the naked realities and cannot perceive them. They can understand the realities only through some means.
The similes, metaphor and usual examples in the Quran are holy and transparent means like eyeglasses or binoculars between men and the realities that are difficult to perceive.
Therefore, to deny the means (wasila) means to deny wisdom, help, benefit, order, goodness and affair. It is an attitude contrary to creation and reality. So, mediation is a divine approbation that establishes the connection with reality like transparent glass, and that puts the relationships in order.
“One person who possesses a spiritual station can influence one thousand people; but one thousand people, without such a state, cannot affect even one person.”
Furthermore, A karamah (miracle) of a saint is defined by the scholars as khariq al-ʿādah (a breaking of the natural course of events). By affirming the miracles of saints, we affirm that the natural laws we take as a given, such as gravity, fire burning wood, the need for sleep and food, and the sun rising from the east, are created by God, and that God can will for them to be broken and has ultimate power to do so. In other words, by affirming the miracle, we are affirming the complete sovereignty of God.
The 16th-century Kabbalist (mystic), Elijah ben Moses de Vidas, described the royal image of the Torah explicitly, “When one carries holy books, one should act as though one is carrying the clothes of the king before the king”
Bible-“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew:7:12)Regardless of how we perceive other people to be, they are Almighty’s creations, and it is Almighty’s will for us to show respect to everyone.
Lives lived with out purpose lead to nothing but loss. “By the time! Man is in loss, Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.” (Q’ 103:1-3)
However, filling our lives with purpose enables contentment and this allows us to show respect for each other and ourselves. Respect for God means obeying Him. Obeying God means we are in the enviable position of being worthy of others respect. Failure to surrender to God leads to lives devoid of respect. Treating each other with contempt, gossiping and backbiting shows a lack of respect in our lives. Engaging in the great sins of lying, spying on others and using bad words also means we are not worthy of being shown respect by others.
Spiritualism is like an ocean and narrow identities are like small rivers bounded by banks with their course predetermined. Thus spirituality is far more inclusive, of several rivers into which all specificities merge into oblivion. And only the ocean remains. Mevlana Jalalad'din Rumi, when asked his identity, replied 'love,' as love is inclusive of all identities.
Throughout human history, pain and disease have been associated with human life. Therapists have sought to achieve health, cure diseases and reduce patient’s pain. Different civilizations, based on their own epistemology, philosophy approach and Knowledge, performed various therapeutic meth- ods including: classical and non-medical treatments. Classical medicine does not have a healing version for some of the human health threats. Complementary medicine such as: prayer and faith therapy are the options when classical treatments fail or become unbearable due to adverse effects.
We see pain that includes: fear of unknowns, stress and muscle spasm, and ischemia, exacerbation of pain due to ischemia and exacerbation of patient’s fear. Therefore, patient teaching, the use of stress management techniques, techniques for reducing muscle spasm and reducing tissue ischemia can be used to “re- lieve pain”But unfortunately, important points have been ignored in science, including:
From the perspective of all the Abrahamic religions, all the universe creations have a degree of spirit and perception and all of them pray God. And in the whole world of creation, the voice of prayer is heard. Prayer language is a universal and common language among all the human beings. Prayer is a spiritual activity and for many of the people a religious activity, that is the easiest way to communicate with God which is possible to do in all modes, at all times and in all places. Prayer is one of the effective factors in improving and restoring health. To the extent that the medication is effective in improving the physical condition, prayer also affects the healing of physical and mental illness. Prayer means a request from God. Sometimes praying is “friendly speaking with God”, and sometimes it’s a formidable one. In this case, even if it is not fulfilled, the prayer will benefit from it. Faith in the Almighty’s mercy, wisdom, power, gives meaning to life events and sacred suffering from the disease. Prayer provides emotional compatibility with the pain by converting the emotions derived from fear and misery to sense of security, trust, hope, optimism. Although Prayer strengthens the patient’s relationship with God and belief in God’s power and wisdom. During prayer patient feels God’s protection, calm and secure. The fear, anxiety and sorrow caused by the prognosis of the disease is destroyed by the trust of God’s mercy and kindness.
Meaning in life comes from serving mankind. Significance in life doesn’t come from status, because you can always find somebody who’s got more than you. It doesn’t come from salary. It comes from humility, submission and service. It is in giving our lives away that we find meaning, we find significance. That’s the way we were wired by God.
In serving mankind look at what’s in your hand, what you have been bestowed with — your identity, your influence, your wealth — It’s about making the world a better place.
Moses goes out to the valley of Tuwa, and God talks to him. (Q' 20:19) And God says, “Moses, what’s in your right hand?” Moses says, “It’s a staff. It’s a shepherd’s staff. I lean on it. I use it to beat down leaves for my sheep and I have other uses for it ” And God says, “Throw it down.” He throws it down and it comes alive and is running like a serpent.. And then God says, “Pick it up.” He picks it up and it becomes a staff again.
“What’s in your hand?” I think that’s one of the most important questions you’ll ever be asked. What’s in your hand? What do you have that you’ve been given? And Almighty is saying, “If you lay it down, I’ll make it come alive. I will multiply it. I will do things you could never imagine. You got to sacrifice . You have to let go. We read in the Holy Quran La in shaker tum la azi dunna , 14:8 All this is for your benefit. This is my bounty to you. If you employ these benefits righteously, I will go on multiplying them for you.
All spiritual traditions emphasize detachment or Tabbatal. This does not imply material reality be held in contempt. It implies attachment to God and unqualified dependency on Him. Difficulties arise not because we have things but our possessions become our attachment. Sacrifice becomes difficult when we cannot detach ourselves . We must let go.
The world in which we live is full of wonders and unexpected events. Our lives are always in a state of perpetual turmoil caused by the waves of those events. Pleasure and pain, success and failure, happiness and sadness, war and peace, unity and discord, prosperity and misery, justice and discrimination are all part of this world in which we live.Life is therefore like a restless sea where not a single person is secure from the violent waves on the surface of this deep ocean. Today men have achieved the comfort and welfare that was never in the reach of the people of the past. The remarkable progress and advancements in science, technology, transport, communication and others were not known to our ancestors. The human of today have learned way to employ nature’s various forces to his benefits. However, despite these great achievements in various academic fields and in spite of possessing the required means essential for a peaceful and stable life, man today failed to provide for himself the security and peace that are the basic of a prosperous life. Why? The academic is suffering from stress, anxieties and other diseases. Why? This materialistic life has kept this intelligent man away from his real purpose of existence. Why?Anxiety has taken an upper hand and stress is a common problem in our society .One of the factors for such diseases to appear in the society is greediness. In a society where people thoughts rotate around the axis of materialism, where wealth and passing material comforts are considered criteria of prosperity and misfortune and where everyone is always after the satisfaction of this inner urge, life is certainly full of continuous stress and nervousness.Is there a solution?
“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging.” (Q’ 18: 107)
Similarly, the Holy Bible reports the words of Jesus’ brother, James, saying:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead also.” (James 2:26) Interestingly, James (4:7) also referred to the meaning of Islam that is stated,. “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”
Like the needle of the compass faces North when at rest, so the heart of the believer faces in the direction of Almighty Most High’s obedience and pleasure. In the obedience of Our Creator Most High do we find our peace, contentment and happiness. When a compass is moved or shaken, we observe how the needle is disturbed and begins to move restlessly this way and that way – as if agitated. When it is placed down, it continues to move about until finally it finds its rest in the direction of North.
The feeling of gratitude activates the brain stem region that produces dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical, responsible for transferring signals between nerve cells in the brain. There is evidence to suggest that too little dopamine can cause depression, insomnia, mood swings, and lack of motivation, among other undesirable effects.
Gratitude boosts the production of dopamine, and increasing dopamine elicits feelings pleasure. It also plays a role in other areas such as memory, movement and motivation. Dopamine makes us feel good and plays a role in initiating action. Increased dopamine makes you want to repeat the action that caused the increase.
Being grateful, releasing dopamine causes a memory loop and you are more likely to do the action over and over. Being grateful can have a profound effect on health and happiness.
A Chinese study that looked at the amount of gratitude people show in their daily lives and found that higher levels of gratitude were associated with better sleep, and with lower levels of anxiety and depression.
National Institutes of Health researchers examined blood flow in various brain regions while subjects summoned up feelings of gratitude.They found that subjects who showed more gratitude had higher levels of activity in the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus controls a huge array of essential bodily functions, including eating, drinking and sleeping and it has a huge influence on your metabolism and stress levels.
From this evidence it can be seen that improvements in gratitude could have wide-ranging effects, from increased exercise and improved sleep to decreased depression and fewer aches and pains. All these things contribute to a higher level of happiness and contentment.
In the monotheistic faiths -divine scriptures such as the Holy Qur'an, "Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favors on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.” [Q ’2:152)
Bible - Philippians 4:6
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Jewish Bible
“Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, for His kindness is eternal.”
Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 118
Praying, fasting or paying alms to the poor. These are religious practices that a lot of religious people do. However, it would be wrong to assume that simply carrying out these practices is the sole purpose of the life of a believing person. All the things that people do serve a higher purpose, namely allowing spiritual growth and developing closeness to our Creator.
In Islam, this is the point where one can refer to ‘Islamic Mysticism’ or ‘Sufism’. Sufism is a way of understanding religion rather than a ‘sect’ or a distinct way of thought belonging to a restricted group. Sufism is focused on raising the nafs, the breaking of the individual ego, and being in a state of full consciousness and abidance in Almighty forever. Therefore one’s existence completely dissolves in acknowledgement and recognition of the existence of Almighty. Many works of famous Sufi mystics such as Rumi, Hafez and Shams Tabrizi describe how one can grow closer to God through His remembrance and working on the inner self. There is however one woman who is particularly known for representing the status and power of believing women. She is the first female Sufi Saint of Islam, Rabia al-Adawiyya, also known as Rabia Basri.
“I am going to light fire in Paradise and to pour water on to Hell so that both veils (…) may completely disappear (…) and the servants of God may see Him, without any object of hope or motive of fear. What if the hope of Paradise and the fear of Hell did not exist?”– Rabia al Adawiyya Through her way of life, traditional gender roles and the status of wealth in society were being questioned. Her life as an independent, influential and intellectual woman showed that wealth and status are not acquired through financial resources, but rather through richness in spiritual value and control of the ego. One needs not to be a man or rich to therefore have a higher status in the eyes of Almighty. Rabi’a led a life in which she had completely detached herself from all other desires but the love for God. She showed in this way that having this personal bond was something that both men and women are capable of striving for and that any man and woman can live this free path of life. It was her high-spiritedness with which she put man around her in her place, among which by rejecting many marriage proposals she received: “God can give me all you offer and even double it. It does not please me to be distracted from Him for a single moment. So farewell. She emphasized that, in order to be completely devoted to Almighty, one needs to understand that the relationship between man and Almighty is a personal and unselfish one, not bound to any traditions. She is an example of one, who left no room in her heart for any love or hatred for anything or anybody else but Almighty.
MANY PEOPLE TALK to me about their struggles; about mistakes they’ve made, sins they’ve committed, addictions they yearn to overcome, relationships they regret. But regardless of the issue, there is one emotion that I’ve noticed threads through almost every struggle with the other: Incessant GUILT.
The guilt of these individuals is rooted in another belief: their inability to forgive themselves for what they did or are still struggling with doing. This is heightened by the fact that many of their families have conditioned them to feel guilty for possibly bringing shame and dishonor to themselves and their families, and by some communities that do not provide support for the development of individuals—and instead cast shame, judgment and isolation onto those who’ve made mistakes.
Thus, even when they’ve committed a sin years and years ago, they cannot forgive themselves and they do not feel they can find that forgiveness sometimes even from those they love, they feel that God, too, has not or will not forgive them.
Almighty doesn’t expect perfection from you. He knows you are a struggling, frustrated believer who is trying despite the falls. He knows you better than you know yourself. But that doesn’t diminish His love for you or His ability to forgive you. Don’t let anyone come between your relationship with your Creator and His forgiveness of you.
Don’t let your guilt, your inability to forgive yourself–or the way other people treat you–be what makes you think God doesn’t love you or want to forgive you. Turn to Him. He wants to accept you. Allow His love to enter your life.
"Almighty wants that He turns to you in forgiveness." [Q', 4:27]
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,
"When Almighty completed the creation, he wrote in His book with him upon the throne: Verily, my mercy prevails over my wrath." Almighty's objective is not to punish people. Some people have the gross misconception, “Why did He create Man, if He was to punish him?” Almighty says that, “This is not My objective. However, those people become recipients of my punishment, who exceed all bounds of sinfull deeds. Moreover, My punishment is temporary and it serves to reform and to develop a sense of realisation. Out of His supreme generosity, Almighty has opened for His believing servants the doorways of His mercy and He engulfed all His creation with it. "Amongst my friends there shall be no sadness, mourning or grief." (Q' 10:62)