Islamic Meditation for Relaxation and Spiritual Comfort

This is a meditation that a Muslim can use to relax and recover from
stress. It is not a substitute for prayer and duaa, or a replacement
for dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Salat in particular is the first
duty and refuge of the Muslim. This is just a simplerelaxation
technique that one might use either alone or share with a spouse, to
relax the body and release some of the worries of the day. It also
functions as an affirmation, reminding the reader of the love and
peace that Allah offers us, and of each person's pure nature.
Settle yourself in a quiet place, in a comfortable position. Imagine
yourself to be in the most relaxing, secure, peaceful place you have
ever known. Breathe deeply in and out, breathing into your stomach.
Recite the following to yourself, with a quiet voice, very slowly, but
imagine it is being spoken to you by a voice outside yourself, by a
voiceof love. If you do this with your spouse, let one read and the
other close his/her eyes and listen:
***
Your breath is warm and soothing. As it spreads through your body it
makes you warm. It brings peace and tranquility to every cell in your
body.
Let every cell in your body know and feel that you are loved. Allah
lovesyou. Many people love you. You are surrounded by love and caring.
The love is all around you likewarm light, comforting you, taking away
all your pain.
The air that you are breathing in is warm and soothing. That warmth is
spreading all through your body. As it spreads throughyour body, it
causes your muscles to relax.
Now the warmth spreads to your head. Relax the topof your head. Relax
your mind. There is nothing to think about right now, nothing to worry
about. Release the burdens that you carry in your mind.
As you breathe deeply, the warmth spreads to your face. Let your face
relax. Relax your eyes. Whatever your eyes have seen that isunhappy or
that causes you pain, let it go. Release it with your breath.
Relax your cheeks and yourmouth. Whatever you havespoken that you
regret, letit go, release it with your breath. It's in the past and is
gone now with your breath.
Relax your ears. There is nothing for you to listen toright now except
the peacefulness of your own breath. Whatever you haveheard that has
hurt you, at any time in your life, let it go now. You don't need it
anymore. Release it with your breath.
Relax your jaw. Any tension that you are holding in your jaw, let it
go, release it. Feel the warmth spread through your mind, your face,
your neck. Relax your neck.
Know that you are safe. You are protected. You are in a place of
shelter. You are in Allah's care. You are in a safe place, a good
place. You have nothing to fear, nothing to regret. The past is gone,
and the future has not arrived. All that existsis this peaceful
moment, this safe place where youare protected and warm.
Continue to breathe deeplyand softly. Your breath warms you. The
warmth spreads now into your shoulders and relaxes your shoulders.
Whatever burden you have been carrying on your shoulders,let it go.
Give to Allah, and He will hold it for you until you are ready to take
it back. For now, let it go with your breath. Relax your shoulders.
Let go of your fear and your worry. You are following Allah's guidance
and that is peaceful. You are at harmony with the entire universe and
that is peaceful.
Breathe deeply and softly. The breath spreads now into your back and
warms your back. Relax your shoulder blades, and the middle of your
back. Relax your lower back. As you breathe out, release the burdens
that you have borne on your back. All the troubles, all the weight on
your back, release them with your breath, and let them disappear. You
don't need them anymore.
Allah is on your side and He will always be with you. You have the
strength of Imaan. Know that whatever challengesyou face in life, you
are strong and capable.
As you breathe, warmth continues to spread through your body, now
moving into your chest andyour stomach. Relax your chest. Whatever
fears you have for the future, let them go. Release them with your
breath. Trust in Allah; He is with you right now, at this moment, and
He will protect you. Relax your stomach. Whatever tightness you have
in your stomach, whatever tensionyou carry there, release it, let it
go with your breath.
Know that Allah created you pure, with the purity of fitrah. That
purity is always inside you, like a light. Allow yourself to feel it,
to be in touch with it; let that purity come out, and with it comes
peace.

“I Want” – a poem

Center of the Milky Way galaxy, as seen from Cherry Springs State
Park, one of the darkest places in the eastern USA. The Milky Way is a
vast collection of more than 200 billion stars, planets, nebulae,
clusters, dust andgas. Our own Sun and solar system are also part of
the Milky Way galaxy. Brilliant Jupiter is the brightest "star" in the
image, seen at left.
I Want
I want to travel back in time
and prevent my daughter
from jamming her toe in the shopping cart
and getting a blood bruise.
I want her to laugh so hard
she sprays her cereal and milk.
I want her never to shake her head
in shame or regret.
I want her to love Allah,
to raise hands in duaa,
to feel the deen in her veins
like a pulse.
I want my father
to be given the heart of a mustang,
and barring that
to welcome his Qadr with ease,
not squeezing his hands into fists
or cursing in pain.
Never mind what he thinksof me.
I want him to call on Allah
with joy and relief,
to find sweetness in the dusk of his life.
I want peace for him Yaa Allah;
caress him with endless rahma.
I want the Muslim people
to find their power, art,
science; and the quiet joy
of 'ibadah and Allah's love.
Let them step into the century
free from tyranny, standingtall
with Islam as hope and heart.
Let them drink from the bubbling spring
of the Quran.
Let them breathe.
Let them free themselves
and transform the world.
For myself, who knows?
Still I shake my head and laugh,
wondering who I am,
and when I'll find my secret name.
I say with truth
that I don't flinch,
no snarl crosses my face,
and I don't lie about my past.
No acid fills my mouth. No fear,
no hate, no shame.
Instead, I want…
I want
to leap into the night sky
and grab a bushel of stars,
bring them to earth burning in my hands.
Once, in Tucson,
the morning sun turned everything
- the desert, the buildings,
even the men standing in line to eat -
yellow as an egg yolk.
I want to bottle that pure yellow
and drink it into my veins
until I'm hot and glowing
from heart to fingernails.
Laugh, I don't care!
Yes I am a crazy man.
Let me tell you, somewhere
in a dingy cell a man is being beaten
and starved; somewhere
a sister is being raped;
I want to give my life
to put a stop to it,
and I offer it to Allah:
take it. I understand my words.
Use me for a purpose
and let me be remembered
for saving one life,
making one person weep in relief,
rescuing one soul from pain.
For myself I ask so little:
to be held in loving arms
and a sweet voice in my ear.
Is that too strange a dream?
To take a wife and hug her fiercely,
see my daughter learn the deen,
to graduate to black belt
after all these years.
To bring relief to pain…
For myself, so little.
In the end I forfeit all.
Yaa Allah, I surrender all
but your love! I give up
the stars and sun,
the run of time and coin,
and the embrace of love…
But for others:
my father, Salma,
and those I've lost; for the hurt and hungry
praying for relief… for them
I want, I want, I want.

Dua if you stir during the night

You are trying to sleep but you are restless. You wake up, and turn
onto the otherside. You can't get comfortable. You wake up because you
are too hot or too cold. There is some vague worry or uneasiness
keeping you awake… Did you know there is a dua forthose moments when
you wake up in the dark, stirring restlessly?
Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahul-Waahidul-Qahhaaru, Rabbus-samaawaati
wal'ardhi wa maa baynahumal-'Azeezul-Ghaffaaru.
There is none worthy of worship but Allah, the One, the Victorious,
Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the
All-Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
See the Arabic version here. (Reference: This is to be said if you
turn over in bed during the night. Al-Hakim graded it authentic and
Ath-Thahabi agreed 1/540. Also see An-Nasa'i, 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah,
and Ibn As-Sunni. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 4/ 213).
Isn't that beautiful? Islam has a dua or prayer for every occasion. If
anyone sees that fact as a burden, he is missing the point. These duas
are not a requirement or a burden, they are gifts. They are little
gems, powerful invocations to bring your mind closer to Allah, ease
your heart, and bring peaceto your spirit.
A dua like this is a mercy from Allah, as if He is saying, here is a
way to contact me when you are in need, here are beautiful words to
comfort your soul.
SubhanAllah.

Help Others and Help Yourself

The Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said,
"Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship from the hardships of this
world, then Allah willrelieve him of a hardship from the hardships of
theDay of Resurrection… Allah is helping the servant as long as the
servant is helping his brother, " [Hadith Tirmidhi /Muslim].
Do you need help? Help others, and Allah will help you.
Helping others doesn't have to consist of anythinggrand. Even a smile
is sadaqah. Removing a harmful thing from the road is sadaqah.
Speaking gentle words to someone in distress, or feeding a meal to
someone who is hungry, or making a donation to help an orphan… or
donating blood, or working a few hours a month for a charity, or
visiting someone who is sick… all those things are valuable. They are
not nothing. They are important and worthwhile acts.
Changing the world starts with every person doing one small thing. And
in the process, you help your ownsoul, and you bring happiness to your
own heart, and you get the blessings and barakah of Allah. What a
deal!