As-salaam alaikum,
I just had a super weird experience... I was watching some youtube videos and stumbled across Sam Harris. King kufr, or maybe that's Dawkins? Anyway he was talking about spiritual awareness, mediation and I was listening to the way he meditates and thought I'd give it a try, I felt a bit silly doing it but it's so strange.
Essentially you close your eyes and try to observe complete silence, then you just release your mind and let your mind run free. What this means is you just let your mind think about whatever comes into it and you actively try to acknowledge what it is you're thinking about. Then you purposefully try to acknowledge your existence, this may sound obvious as you know you exist but he said really try to feel the "self" inside you and that you really do exist. I think what he was getting at is that we are so busy with out lives that we forget we even "exist". Just take a moment to realise that you are in your chair, which is in a house, which is on a planet, which is in a solar system etc ... which is in the universe. It was pretty strange.
So basically I'm laying there in my chair with earplugs in for complete silence and I just let me mind run completely free and think about whatever comes into my mind and it had some proper trippy freaky thoughts... I thought about cutting butter with a pigeon, javelin throwing a radiator, boxing with socks for gloves and diving into a soap bubble and popping it from the inside out and then teleporting into the ocean. There are so many other random completely illogical thoughts.
I had plenty of normal thoughts as well of course. Then I started to focus on my breathing and the feel of my heart beating in my chest and the weight of my body in the chair, the pressure from my legs on the chair etc and really focusing on it. Alhamdulillah I felt pretty strange, I felt for the first time that I am actually real. It's hard to explain... obviously I know I'm real but I never take the time to actually think about it lol.
I just wondered if anyone else meditates and what are you experiences? I feel a bit guilty copying this kufr but it's not haram to meditate. What a strange experience...
Even the realisation that one day inshallah we're actually going to meet the prophet saaw and all the other prophets. We know this but I don't think we really sit down in complete silence and spend 15 minutes actually thinking about it. So awesome.
Last edited by EgyptPrincess; 06-14-2016 at 01:39 AM.
sister herb liked this post
Walaikum Asalaam
I only reflect sometimes..I'm quite retrospective as well. I like to relieve stress by writing or doing some physical activities. Never actually did meditation as you described though. I try to put that type of focus in Salaah and sujuud.
Scimitar liked this post
Yeah that is what we typically do when we meditate but even then our minds are occupied. With this style of meditation the aim is to just let your mind run free and think about whatever it wants to. It's strange because your brain starts pairing things together that would never usually go together.format_quote Originally Posted by *charisma*
Like cutting butter with a pigeon... I was like what the hell when that thought came into my mind
There was other strange ones too like swimming in grass and throwing a red banana into a golf hole. I mean I don't even play golf! So strange, from a neuroscience point of view I am absolutely fascinated as to what causes these random thoughts which are completely illogical and never actually happen in the real world.
As a guess I would say that your brain is trying to think of the next thought before you've actually had time to think about what you want to think about so it generates a kind of random thought that doesn't make sense... because it's random.
You can try this yourself if you try to think of an animal really really quickly, after a few animals you'll start to struggle to think of an animal even though there are thousands you could pick lol. So if you did this in silence in your head, when your brain is trying to think of the next animal you'll get a different thought like the colour purple or a brick or something totally random.
You had to think super fast though
Last edited by EgyptPrincess; 06-14-2016 at 02:06 AM.
I think that's the difference between introverted and extroverted people. Introverts are in their own heads ALL THE TIME and it can be very annoying, so for me its like meditation is what happens when I go through my bouts of insomnia. I'll try to sleep and clear my mind, but the weirdest thoughts will come in my head and I get creative tooSometimes I think that I should have a paper and pencil near by. I also solve things in my sleep sometimes. Once I could not for the life of me figure out an answer to a bio chem question, and it came to me in a dream. I felt like a genius
For extroverts I think that meditating, relaxing, or just taking quiet time can be very useful for them to just take time out of their day and reflect on themselves and the world around them.
I tried it once before, just sitting in a room in silence trying to clear my head, it doesnt help me at all to relax and makes me even more stresssed out, as my brain wont chill out, its like "oh ok my time to wreck havoc and think about everything now, see how you like that for working me too hard earlia"
(yea sorry i am a tad bit "crazy"
Honestly silences dont do good for me, my brain has to constantly do something or im in trouble lol (i go through so many hobbies lol)
Yeah, I meditate. I meditate to help cope with anxiety. When I have an anxiety attack, my chest feels tight, almost like someone is putting pressure on it. What I do is that I visualize a channel that starts from my chest and ends at the crown of my head. I picture myself ejecting the anxious energy out of my head. More often than not, it works. Alhamdulillah.
There are also times when I meditate in which I feel spiritual ecstasy. I make dhikr while my eyes are closed. After a while, it feels like someone is massaging my spiritual heart and my chest. After I do a few rounds of dhikr, I visualize breath going in and out of my lungs (I don't know why my chest plays such a big role in both kinds of meditations, though. lol). I feel closer to God and it's such a good feeling that I almost cry tears of joy. Islam is about being sober minded over and above ecstasy, though, so I tend to only meditate when I need spiritual medicine (so to speak). Being sober minded is more important than having spiritual ecstasy.
That's why I carry around my moleskine.. >_> i like writing on that thing so much @_@format_quote Originally Posted by *charisma*I think that's the difference between introverted and extroverted people. Introverts are in their own heads ALL THE TIME and it can be very annoying, so for me its like meditation is what happens when I go through my bouts of insomnia. I'll try to sleep and clear my mind, but the weirdest thoughts will come in my head and I get creative too
For extroverts I think that meditating, relaxing, or just taking quiet time can be very useful for them to just take time out of their day and reflect on themselves and the world around them.
I am an introvert, and I don't really meditate but I do think a lot, if that counts lol. In my psychology book they say introverts have complex imaginations, which makes them very creative. I'd say that's true.
I adore nature, I spend a lot of time outside, even in the dead of winter,
My creative peak is at dawn, sometime after Fajr - seriously. I don't sleep much at all so most days I'll be painting in the early hours of the morning, that is when I produce my masterpieces.
This reminds me of a quote by Rumi 'Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation'.
Last edited by noraina; 06-14-2016 at 06:27 AM.
muslimah_B liked this post
I meditate weekly. It helps clear my mind of clutter after a stressful week. I actually wouldn't want to live without it.
You do realise that this form of meditation of "clearing your mind" is a practice and teaching of kuffar.
Meditation is widely marketed by all those self-worshipping, tree-hugging "spiritualists" who have no concept of the One true God and Abrahamic faith.
So why buy into that crap?
You're not "clearing your mind", you're focusing on yourself and your ego, rather than the Almighty. May He be Glorified!
The truest form of any meditation is Salah and Dhikr. Why even waste a single brain wave on illogical thoughts, selling yourself to satan? Does our Creator not deserve us to worship Him in every given breath? Do you not reflect?
Think about what you're doing and why you're doing it.
We're living in an age of deception. God gave us intellect and reason. Use it.
So we should spend every moment of our lives thinking only about Allah swt? Don't be ridiculous... if that was the case he would have created us in a box, he gave us our lives and our world for a reason. The prophet saaw meditated extensively, not just about Allah swt and the Quran but about life and the world.format_quote Originally Posted by L V
Allah swt also gave us imagination, thought, serotonin and dopamine. I really detest the Muslims that think nothing is allowed in this dunya than to worship Allah swt.
format_quote Originally Posted by EgyptPrincess
Audhu billah - May Allah guide you, amin. Astaghfirullah
Sis i understand where your coming from, but you need to word it differently.format_quote Originally Posted by EgyptPrincess
Our whole purpose is to worship Allah and be totally devoted to Allah 100% making our hearts be attacthed to Allah, that whenever we are not talking or thinking about Allah our hearts are sad, that is the ultimate goal in this dunya.
Ofcourse everyone needs downtime, time to themselves, but everything always has to relate back to Allah
So lets say your taking a nice walk through a park or forest, it helps connect you back to Allah that Allah made this beautiful place, Allah made those beautiful animals, how they move,interact, what they do is all designed by Allah alot of people when low on emaan or having a rough time, like to be with nature to reflect and remind themselevs of how powerfull Allah is to have made the sun stars the sea, the whole processes that earth goes through i.e the water cycle, mountains being pegs for the earth.
Look of course nobody can be in constant rememberance of Allah from the start of a waking day till we go sleep, people have lives ahve jobs, family matters to deal with and through these occasions Allah slips our mind, but the whole point is to throughout this time remember Allah, as Allah is always meant to come first
You got a new nice job, you worked for it - no Allah gave you the knowledge and opportunity to get that job, He gave you the capacity to use what He gave you to get that job
So when your not doing anything your not distracted, the time spent should be focusing on Allah, His deen, His prophets, etc etc
Sometimes our imagination is what can drag us down and think along the lines of what shaytan would want us to do,
There are such brilliant minds out there that have been blessed by Allah, Allah allowed them to have all this knowledge, nothing happens because of you as a person it is always down to the will of Allah, this is why everything has to refer or reflect back to Allah, there is still so much in life we dont understand maybe will never even know, secrets and mysteries of the earth, worlds and universe maybe meditate on that
Are all such visualisation afflictions rooted in kufr? What of idly staring off into space and visualising a coherent thought?format_quote Originally Posted by L V
....format_quote Originally Posted by Challenged
I'm wording is as my mouth would speak it. I'm not going to sugar coat how I feel.format_quote Originally Posted by muslimah_BSis i understand where your coming from, but you need to word it differently.
Our whole purpose is to worship Allah and be totally devoted to Allah 100% making our hearts be attacthed to Allah, that whenever we are not talking or thinking about Allah our hearts are sad, that is the ultimate goal in this dunya.
Ofcourse everyone needs downtime, time to themselves, but everything always has to relate back to Allah
So lets say your taking a nice walk through a park or forest, it helps connect you back to Allah that Allah made this beautiful place, Allah made those beautiful animals, how they move,interact, what they do is all designed by Allah alot of people when low on emaan or having a rough time, like to be with nature to reflect and remind themselevs of how powerfull Allah is to have made the sun stars the sea, the whole processes that earth goes through i.e the water cycle, mountains being pegs for the earth.
Look of course nobody can be in constant rememberance of Allah from the start of a waking day till we go sleep, people have lives ahve jobs, family matters to deal with and through these occasions Allah slips our mind, but the whole point is to throughout this time remember Allah, as Allah is always meant to come first
You got a new nice job, you worked for it - no Allah gave you the knowledge and opportunity to get that job, He gave you the capacity to use what He gave you to get that job
So when your not doing anything your not distracted, the time spent should be focusing on Allah, His deen, His prophets, etc etc
Sometimes our imagination is what can drag us down and think along the lines of what shaytan would want us to do,
There are such brilliant minds out there that have been blessed by Allah, Allah allowed them to have all this knowledge, nothing happens because of you as a person it is always down to the will of Allah, this is why everything has to refer or reflect back to Allah, there is still so much in life we dont understand maybe will never even know, secrets and mysteries of the earth, worlds and universe maybe meditate on that
When you are chilling with a friend, it's like kufr. You should be thinking about god.
When you play a game, it's like kufr. You should be thinking about god.
When you ride a roller-coaster, it's like kufr. You should be thinking about god.
We cannot think about god every waking minute as you said, it's probably impossible. The people that said they like to clear their minds, it's a way to release stress from our systems and make more room for Allah swt. @L V was implying that we should never be doing anything other than worshipping Allah swt which I disagree with. Show me where it says we must think and worship him 24/7?
Yes we must reflect back and praise Allah for our experiences as it is due to him that such an experience was even possible. Worship is different to appreciation, we should always show appreciation to Allah swt for our lives and experiences.
Anyone that says we can't do something because the kufr is doing it. Please go out and throw your laptops, your screen tv, your phone and renounce everything that a kufr is also doing.
Geez people.
Not only that but they're using devices created by kufr to tell us we cannot do what kufr do. LOLformat_quote Originally Posted by Bhabha
Exactly lol.format_quote Originally Posted by EgyptPrincess
People need to chill out and take things down a notch. Islam is supposed to be moderate and it's not supposed to be a burden.
I also agree that we have been given creativity and imagination and these things from اللهُ.
But I'll fix the wording on some bros and sisters here. What I think is meant to be said is that all of our actions should be acts of worshiping. So if you meditate, do it with good intentions. If you go to school, do it with the right intentions. Etc. So that all of your being is geared towards making a connection everyday. For example when I garden, I garden so that birds and animals can eat it and so can my family. Little things can be acts of worship, charity, gratitude, etc. But to establish deeper connection with اللهُ and to make you a stronger believer.
format_quote Originally Posted by EgyptPrincess
Its not about sugar coating how you feel, its being respecfull when you mention anything to do with Allah, there should be no tones or attitudes or huffs or puffs
You may not like the idea of it but islam is about full submission to Allah end of.
The point im making is that, in this dunya the entire point of our existance is to worship, remember, be gratefull to Allah,
this is the aim of every muslim from their waking moment to sleep they have Allah in their thought process, whatever happend they said Alhamdulilah and are are gratefull, its not impossible its a TEST and a hard test at that where no distraction from this dunya takes you away from Allah
The smallest things to the biggest things are a reminder of Allah
Its not easy, theres so many distractions in life to waste time away from Allah all mainly from shaytan but the fact of saying that its impossible and that we shouldnt is a wrong statement to make,
Allah created you, created everything in this universe, by the will of Allah your allowed to breath, see, touch smell, use your brain etc etc all by Allah, Allah deserves all of our time, our dedication etc etc
Some people find it peaceful to pray, remember Allah, and be in nature it is a reminder to us of Allahs power and oneness
Remembering, obeying and being gratefull to Allah is a form of worship to Allah, worshiping Allah is not just left to praying and fasting
Eg a man is supposed to go out and earn money for his family to feed clothe his wife and kids, this is a dunya matter but still a form of worship to Allah as you are obeying Allah.
Obeying, remembering gratefullnes = worshipping Allah
The whole point of remembering/obeying/gratefulness to Allah is that we fall further away from sin, we ultimately go jannah and gain closeness and the pleasure of Allahs blessings and mercy
Life is not a game its not always full of fun times or grand memories, and you will not always get to do what you want that's how it is, this dunya is a testing ground to seperate out those who believe and dont believe, those who deserve jannah or jahhanumm, you make sacrifices here to do whatever you want forever in jannah
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,*“The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 2956
They disbelivers get to do whatever they want in life and they believe there will be no consequences for their actions and lack of.
We believers Ofcourse theres stuff we want to do but cant, because we have Allah to answer to, on judgement day we will be asked what we used to do with our time, our life, our health, our own limbs will speak either for us or against us... now im sure everyone here wants their hands and eyes to say we spent our time in some form of worship to Allah not wasting time etc
i would love to sit down all day and watch tv films shows cartoons and play ps4 but i know i cant, it wastes my time and takes me away from getting closer to Allah, so i limit my interactions with wasting my time and try to keep slowly limiting it, or if im wasting my time i try and make it islamic at best or make it islamic or refer it to islam
(No1 is perfect but we should atleast try to be the best we can be by sacrificing these things for the sake of Allah and our very souls)
Last edited by muslimah_B; 06-14-2016 at 02:58 PM. Reason: Added in more
Qurratul Ayn liked this post
Thank you for explaining. Can I ask, where do we draw the line though?format_quote Originally Posted by muslimah_B
If I want to go shopping to buy a new pair of shoes, this is not pleasing Allah swt at all, it's purely 100% without any doubt for me and my ego. Is this not allowed? I am not allowed to buy a pair of pretty shoes because it makes me feel good which in turn is self absorption? You see where it starts to get out of control and suddenly nothing is permissible.
I have a nice bracelet that I like to wear, should I just take it off as it serves absolutely no purpose to the creator of the universe? Of course I say alhamdulillah that my father is able to buy it for me but it's still an unnecessary item so we just get rid of it? Where is the line between worshipping Allah swt and living to please him and allowing ourselves some personal pleasures? Such pleasures are not permissible or what?
Surely we are allowed to enjoy something for no other reason than because it makes us happy?
Last edited by EgyptPrincess; 06-14-2016 at 03:05 PM.
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