Dear Esteemed Readers,
I may seek apolgoy for not riting about Traditional ways of mediation in Islam–sufism— I know it a bit, but I rote the following as clinching one opportunity to deliver message of Islam, to Western minds, who are very much intersted in Meditation------- I deliverd this essay to leaders and ppl of differnt faiths, selling their part of mediation…any member, who is living in westren county is requested to use it , or improve it, for getting attention towards Islam of ppl…a bit other way round…
All follies and errors in this eassy lie on my door, and I beg pardons of all…
Mediation and Prayers in Islam
Meditation is a Thrust. To explain Thrust I should be truly trusty. I should be taken away by thrust to explain it. No one can understand thrust, if he or she is not experiencing it. My esteemed thirsty guests, I need your great company to have the pursuit of the Burning Thrust (strongest Stimulant) till the point of its Fulfilment.
Mediation in Islam
No one can better understand the importance of ‘information – knowing’ than the present human being. Information has the ‘greatest value’ in the present age. The well-informed decision means success, avoidance of risk and losses in life, and for life as a whole. Having it and utilizing it mean success and not having it and ignoring it mean failure and being unwise. We all need information to decide mundane matters, like what I should wear tomorrow (based on information on weather) and where I should study, work, invest, live, dine, etc (all preferences are sorted on the basis of information). The information is indispensable and the ‘core and crux’ in all bargains of life. Life as a whole - a bargain – and real success (inner happiness, joy, peace and enrichment) in this bargain is absolutely based on taking into account all relevant information about it and visa versa. Islamic mediation is all about getting information, real insight, feeling secured, digging and uprooting the deepest sorrows, capriciousness, uncertainty and fears of our inner world. The ‘destabilising factors’ which keep us away from real joys, happiness and peace, can be sorted our if we can have Truthful answers (and thereupon actions) to the following questions.
1 Human Being – Man: Who is Human being, mortal or immortal, spiritual or physical? What about his Existence before birth, His creation, his status on earth, his purpose on earth, his death, his accountability, his final Destiny?
2 Universe – The World: Who created this universe and what for? Who put these great and infinite things and systems in world? What it is meant for man? .. And likewise questions……………
3 The Supreme Being (God): Is there any Supreme Being over human beings- Who and How is He?
Limitations of Five Senses and Human Conscious in Exploring Truth
Five senses could not help us to get the answers to these truthful questions. Rather they act as gravity or centripetal force to restrict any mediation gets the flight away from the orbit of five senses. Our five senses rule over us. They never wish to have any power sharing with our spiritual or moral forces. Let say if we want to go for worship, five senses would allure us to take sleep or find fun in doing any self-pleasing thing, if we want to give charity the five senses will tell us it is better to spend this money or at least a part of it on our physical wellbeing. Five senses act very smartly. They never allow us to realize our spiritual existence, needs and beliefs unless they can be as clear as our physical phenomena, beliefs and world. In other words five senses keep us to apply five senses criteria to recognize spiritual matters- so five senses (rationale) are highly biased and one way or other, they keep us away from truly understanding our spiritual part, inner world, because if we do so then five senses would be disciplined and we all involve in one or other form of ‘self-worship’, which would be at stake. There is also very serious and inherited flaw with ‘human conscious’ that it cannot conceive moral and spiritual hidden realities but only give stimulant and response over them. We need some extra-ordinary factor and source to break the vicious circle of five senses to explore Truth.
The Salient Features of Islamic Mediation
Islamic Mediation is gifted by that indispensable external help to explore Truth outside the bounds of five senses. The guidance, the Framework and Torch of Truth is provided to explore Truth and lime light in the dark corridors of our inner world. Islamic Mediation is a Divinely Guided Activity. Without Revealed guidance and framework, the process of thinking, contemplation, mediation and spiritual pursuit would always remain plague by five senses and its gaols and achievements would remain very far from desired and without any real quest and thrill. All physical and Spiritual needs and their means of satisfaction are provided by God. The Truth one Soul thrives to know is blissfully made known to Humankind by God. So, Mediation in Islam is a process of re-examining, reconsidering the ‘Revealed Truth’ - getting the evidence, , endorsement, authentication confirmation, testimony from our inner world and becoming bearer and witness of the realized truth- So mediation is Searching, Getting and embracing truth and becoming a part of Truth for ever.
Core and Crux of Islamic Mediation: God is Truth and Solely Source of all Truths
Islamic Mediation is a tool to Explore Truth and it is Supreme Truth that there is One God. It requires the firm belief that God is Eternal Truth, Source of all Truth and Great Helper and Guide to Human beings in all matters of Truth. If this certainty is removed no knowledge can be truthful and certain. The stamp of Truth (God) is required to make cognizable and ascertain the realities of all hidden truth - Truth only comes from Truth and leads us to Truth.
Say: “None in the heavens or on earth knows the hidden reality except God.” (The holy Quran: 27:65). He (God) knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind: for He alone is truly wise, all-aware.(The holy Quran: 6:73). It was Me (God) who created man, and I know what dark suggestions his soul, makes to him: for I am nearer to him than his Jugular vein (The holy Quran: 50:16)
For, with Him are the keys to the things that are beyond the reach of a created being’s perception: none knows them but He. And He knows all that is on land and in the sea; and not a leaf falls but He knows it; and neither is there a grain in the earth’s deep darkness, nor anything: living or dead, but is recorded in [His] clear decree (The Holy Quran: 6:59)
Mediation- The Ways of Prophets to Search Truth
The Father of Prophets – The Prophet Ibraham and Mediation
Then, when the night overshadowed him (Ibraham) with its darkness, he beheld a star;., [and] he exclaimed, “This is my Sustainer!” -but when it went down, he said, "I love not the things that go down (The Holy Quran:6:76)
The Last Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) and Mediation
The last Messenger of God, Muhammad (pbuh) spent great deal of time in mediation at Cave Hira before Receiving God’s Guidance and Great Responsibility to lead the present Human beings to eternal Truth and Salvation.
1 Islamic Mediation: Exploring Truth About Human being
1.1 Meditation about Man’s Creation
Indeed, God has created man out of sounding clay (The Holy Quran: 15:26; also 5:29, 2:30-34, 7:11-18; 55:14)
If we do Mediation that we are created from dried clay, mud, dust. So we got so low biological origins. The dust is just a waste if compare with diamonds and gold of this world. But one piece of this mud, like your pair of eyes, is worth more than all diamonds and treasures of this world.
What makes this dust so Supreme and Honourable Creation?.. The Truthful Answer is: God’s “breathing of His spirit” into man (The Holy Quran: 15:29). So before birth we were clay and mud and God formed us and Bestowed us life to establish us on earth as His Agent. The Prophet Adam, our Father, was the first man on this earth.
1.2 Meditation about Man’s Birth
The Revealed Truth: He (God) has created man from a Sperm-drop (The Holy Quran: 16:4)
He it is who shapes you in the wombs as He wills (The Holy Quran:3:6)
The mediation over this truth brings us realization that man was just a particle of matter. But God blessed man with all faculties of free will, wisdom, hearing, seeing, speaking, and to formulate his own arguments even against his Creator and go to refusing to acknowledge his [very] Creator. God says: I (God) have Given you Hearing, the Eye -sight, and the Brain , and you are responsible for using them (Quran: 17: 37)
1.3 Why Man is Created?
The revealed Truth about Man Creation:
I (God) have only Created…..men to worship Me (The Holy Quran:51:56)
If we ponder over the purpose of our creation, we may see that whole universe is created with some purpose and given patterns. All things and systems of universe are created with chief purpose to serve and benefit human beings.
1.4 Man Status: Supreme Creation and Beneficial on Earth
The revealed Truth:
Indeed, God has conferred dignity on the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of His creation (The Holy Quran:17:70)
The whole universe and its bounties, mineral resources, sun, seasons and infinite objects are our unpaid servants. Who puts them all in our command, only God!
1.5 Man’s Resurrections and Accountable before God
The most truthful information we all need to meditate is our re-birth and resurrection on the Day of Judgment. The Revealed Truth:
And whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden. [163] And, in time, unto your Sustainer you all must return: and then He will make you. [truly] understand all that on which you were wont to differ(The Holy Quran: 6:164, also 16:25).
“A day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds” (The Holy Quran: 83: 6).
Truly, did he think that he would not have to return (to Me)! , Nay, nay! for his Lord was (ever) watchful of him!(The Holy Quran: 84:14-15). For to Me (God) will be their return; Then it will be for Me to call them to account(The Holy Quran: 88:26-26). Nay, Man will be evidence against himself even though he were to put up his excuses”.(The Holy Quran: 75: 15-16). That no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden(The Holy Quran: 53:38).
On that Day will men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the deeds that they (had done). Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it!, . And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it (The Holy Quran: 99:6-8).
2 Mediation over the Universe: Getting Perfect Spiritual World Vision of Material World
The immaculate beauty, colours, contrasts, flawless orders and systems of universe and all its creatures - planets, water, flood, age, day, night, spiders, ants, tree, birds, animals, beast and other infinite creatures – are invoking to us to Explore Truth. Look this pillar-less sky, these candles like stars and moon, and the sun glorifying earth —who can refute such powerful sings of Truth. Only a little bit Mediation is required…..!!!
The truthful sings in universe act as mirror to let you recognize the signs of truth inside you (all you need a gentle tapping to get your inner world alive and activated)- as Love begets love- so Truthful signs outside worlds or spiritual outlook of this universe is most exciting experience of Islamic Mediation. The whole Universe draws attention towards exploring Truth.
2.1 Exploring Truth behind physical shapes of Man and beasts, and the variations in their colours and shades
The Revealed Truth: And (as) there are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues? Of all His servants, only such as are endowed with [innate] knowledge stand [truly] in awe of God: for they alone comprehend that,] verily, God is almighty, much-forgiving. (The Holy Quran: 35:28)
2.2 Exploring Truth in looking at Heavens, Earth and Changing of Day and Night, Sun, Moon and Stars
The Revealed Truth: Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight (The Holy Quran: 3:190).
The Revealed Truth: He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit, with the sun and the moon and the stars subservient to His command (The Holy Quran: 7:54)
Do they not look at the sky above them - how We have built it and made it beautiful and free of all faults? (The Holy Quran: 50:6)
Behold, He(God) has adorned the skies nearest to the earth with the beauty of stars (The Holy Quran: 37:6)
2.3 Exploring Truth in Plants, Crops and Fruits
He (God) causes crops to grow for you, and olive trees, and date palms, and grapes, and all [other] kinds of fruit: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think ( The Holy Quran: 16:11)
2.4 Just a Leaf of Tree for Doing Meditation - Testimony of Truth
Mediation over universe is to search the Truth manifestations over all creations. It requires closing of facial eyes and opening of the heart eyes to see the spiritual and true vision of the universe. We know the scientific facts that Leaf is sources of making food for plant, the storage of wastage system, and the plant’s excretory system, a source of creating the clean environment.
The spiritual vision of Leaf Hold that: If bee eats it, gives us honey. If silk-warm eats it, gives us silk. If goat or cow eats it, gives us milk, meat and mineral wastes. Just do mediation over it how one Leaf could possess such Amazing characteristics. Is not all that enough to take us to the world of wonders and astonishments, making our hearts beat fast, driving our curiosity to mediate over Truth – to call it one of the greatest Miracle of God- Worthy of Worship.
3 Mediation- Exploring Truth: Is there any Supreme Being?
The Truth Who is God how He looks like is beyond the scope of Islamic Mediation, human heart, mind and wisdom. The best to know God is by meditating over His Creations and understanding his Greatness from His marvellous handicrafts. Art thou not aware that it is God whose limit¬less glory all [creatures] that are in the heavens and on earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each [of them] knows indeed how to pray unto Him and to glorify Him; and God has full knowledge of all that they do (The Holy Quran: 24:41)
God Relation with His Creation: He is Master and Sole Worthy of Man’s Worship
Such is God, your Sustainer: there is no deity save Him, the Creator of everything: worship, then, Him alone -for it is He who has everything in His care (The Holy Quran: 6:102)
4 The Holy Quran: The Exciting Subject Matter for Meditation: The Crown for Mediation
We see that All Mediation matters are rooted in and Guided by the most Truthful Source – The Holy Quran. The Holy Q6uran in itself is the Crown for Meditation –It is the most wonderful and thrilling experience for the wise and sincere souls to know and do mediation on the Holy Quran- It is Divine Gift for Humankind, to purify and enlighten our souls and body, give us physical and spiritual enrichments, and make our life on earth as blissful experience leading to prosperity, love and eternal salvation of human kind.
The amazing thing about Quran is that it precisely tells you Truth about you, your life and universe. Taking only one of the wonders of Quran, It has given accurate detail of a birth of child from ‘a sperm to baby coming in this world’ 1500 years ago when there was no medical Science to capture all such stages. When you believe in such truth of Quran you can refuse its truthful warnings that we are created for worshipping God in given ways, there is a day of judgement, accountability of our tinniest act, and eternal life absolutely based on our own deeds only.
Will they not, then, ponder over (Contemplate- Meditate) this Qur’an?(The Holy Quran: 47:24)
“Verily, in this (Quran) are signs for men who are wise (16: 12)”
Nay, but this [divine writ-Quran] consists of messages clear to the hearts of all who are gifted with [innate] knowledge (The Holy Quran: 29:49)
Had We (God) bestowed this Qur’an from on high upon a mountain, thou wouldst indeed see it humbling itself, breaking asunder for awe of God. And [all] such parables We propound unto men, so that they might [learn to] think (The Holy Quran: 59:21).
The Fruits of Islamic Mediation- Enlightenment, Peace and Salvation
Mediation is highly productive and practical activity to enrich our spiritual and physical matters with greatest vision, joys, harmony and peace and eternal success in this life and life hereafter. It really means to get the real insight and understanding of life. It gives the searching soul a true sense of self-awareness, purification, enlightenment, freedom from all kinds of fears which reside in him (ignorance –darkness) and outside worlds. End of fears (Ignorance) and Beginning of Happiness (Knowledge of Truth is Greatest Honour and Bliss for Human kinds) leading to eternal salvation – the supreme objective and final destiny of a soul. Mediation is spiritual activity but it brings you the key to manage your physical and life and making the whole life a blissful experience in this life and life hereafter.
Knowing truth ends up all sufferings of souls. It makes realize and being grateful to God for giving us the blissful gift of life. The return of gifts of God is to be gift- being grateful and worshiping God.
Why would God cause you to suffer [for your past sins] if you are grateful and attain to belief - seeing that God is always responsive to gratitude, all-knowing? (The Holy Quran:4:147)
Mediation- for getting wisdom, purification, vision, purity and Eternal Salvation –The Gardens of perpetual bliss, through which running waters flow, therein to abide: for that shall be the recompense of all who attain to purity(The Holy Quran: 20:76).
[But unto the righteous God will say,] "O thou human being that hast attained to inner peace!, Return thou unto thy Sustainer, well-pleased [and] pleasing [Him] (The holy Quran: 89:27-28)
Prayers in Islam
Prayers are more organized and superlative form of meditation. It is the way to create strong, growing bond with God. Prayers are means to praise
God and being thankful for His great favours on us. Prayers are one of the most important articles of Muslim Faith. The Muslims are required to approach God (in Prayers) five times a day-Before Dawn, Mid day, Late afternoon and before sun set, after sun set, and at night -before sleep. The Prayers are like spiritual food and purification and cleansing of inner being in a day. It is reminding the real purpose of creation of human being- worship God. Prayers are ways to ask for favours from God. It is highly spiritual and social activity – Prayers are offered in Mosque-God house in form of Groups.
The Additional and Humble Notes
Islamic Meditation is highly spiritual and joyful experience of exploring the hidden realities in human beings and universe and the meaning and purpose inherent in all creations. Supreme Objective of Mediation is a Joyful Trip to Truth and your self. The real essence, boundaries, and outcomes of Mediation are aiming to go deeper to your heart to get hold of it(truth), and so get hold of your every action. When heart is streamlined with Truth- that is Unity- all actions become just one touch—it is, equilibrium state, peace state, uniformity and happiness and success – eternal salvation. Mediation is dealing with emptiness, emptiness can Never be filled with Words (Being Explained) – Emptiness is ‘missing’ and ‘Real Gain in Missing’ is missing it more - Fallen in Deep and immaculate Love and Craze – Miss you ? - Explaining this topic in words is like trying to Touch the Fascinating colours of a butterfly – which are gone when got a touch - So words cannot do any justice to explain it like any physical phenomena-– A true Mystery remains Mystery even if you unveil it in words – Words are not your true footsteps to your inner soul- the Souls matters are resolved by soul within his inner (spiritual and intuition matters) not by logical words and genius efforts- Mediation is important because we are disillusioned by material sources in knowing ourselves. We need inner and spiritual reorganization and testimony of ourselves. Mediation is about knowing and accessing Truth. But there is only one Truth- there is one God, Who can make all truths (including ourselves and our existence) certain. Mediation is dealing with emptiness, emptiness can never be filled with Words (Being Explained) – Emptiness is ‘missing’ and ‘Real Gain in Missing’ is missing it more - Fallen in Deep and immaculate Love and Craze? Explaining this topic in words is like trying to Touch the Fascinating colours of a butterfly – which are gone when got a touch - So words cannot do any justice to explain it like any physical phenomena-– A true Mystery remains Mystery even if you unveil it in words – Words are not your true footsteps to your inner soul- Souls matters are resolved by soul within his inner (spiritual and intuition matters) not by logical words and genius efforts-
Mediation: Which Mediation Method is Truth
There are heaps types and ways of mediation. Which meditation is really giving us peace, happiness and salvation in this life and life hereafter? There would stand many religions and ethical codes to claim that it is their ‘ individual ways which hold all truth about mediation’- As a matter of fact, all quarters who make such claims are True- as they true to themselves – but for us as ‘a judge and individual’, there is only and only one such forum/quarter which is true. Before making a truthful judgement, we must be true to ourselves in realizing our inner world.
Kind Regards
Impressionst