Yoga & Meditation Brought Me Closer To Allah
Back Story
I’ve been practicing this for over a decade without realising
At age 18 I began meditating
I didn’t feel much of a spiritual connection through my typical, british-pakistani, islamic upbringing
I knew there had to be more than robotic prayers that lacked meaning and depth, so I began to search
I came across buddhism and learned about something called meditation
I became familiar with buddhist concepts like non-attachment, non-duality and being present in the moment
Then I found yoga, which served as the perfect compliment and upgrade to my lifestyle
The peace I experienced on the mat was more than I had ever experienced during prayer growing up
Finally… no racing thoughts for once in my life
I became obsessed with meditation and living in the present
With overcoming the ego and mastering my lower base-desires
After 5 years teaching meditation I returned to islam with new eyes
Finding a deeper connection to Allah than I ever had experienced before due to the application of what I now know to be referred to as “Khushu”
Dogmatic islam and other religious up-bringings miss the point of spirituality
We’re too in our heads
We’ve forgotten our hearts
We even make the heart head-centred
Judge one another so quickly
Failing to be present with one another
Estranged to what it means to be in sacred space together. Vulnerable and true.
There’s an unspoken tension you feel when you walk past other muslims on the street sometimes
All of this lead to me abandoning conventional Islam for 10 years.
For 10 years I did not pray.
For 10 years I meditated and searched within.
After many revelations and deep bouts of suffering I finally returned to Islam with a new perspective
Meditation & Yoga alone left me with a feeling as though something was missing.
I needed to return to Islam, applying what I had learned for a decade of inner searching.
I pray we can revive Khushu within the islamic community
If you want to learn how to cultivate Khushu (concentration & presence) and:
- Deepen your Islamic Practice
- Live with more presence
- Feel closer to Allah
Keep on reading.
If you’re ok with being robotic about your spiritual practice and completely missing point…
I bid you farewell.
Developing Tools For Consciousness
What does it mean to be present?
It means to be in the here and now with all of your body and as much as your mind as possible.
Often times we are here with the body yet elsewhere with the mind.
The mind has a strong dislike for the present moment, especially when we’re subjecting ourselves to highly stimulating, instantly gratifying sources of quick pleasure.
In fact the greatest barrier between us and Allah is the mind (Nafs).
If you wish to get closer to Him, you must learn to operate from a place beyond the mind.
I’m grateful to Allah for guiding me to these tools
Hatha Yoga consists of 3 main components.
Breath. Posture. Awareness
A lot of people want to call it satanic or “shirk” even though they lack the understanding and experience.
They claim Yoga to be a Hindu practice and therefore a deviation from Islam.
I strongly disagree.
The first time I experienced silence of the mind was on the Yoga mat
Nobody had ever shown me an Islamic practice that could do that
Of course now I’ve learned some things I can see that Islam does in fact have tools for building Khushu (presence & concentration) built within it.
Nevertheless, it was through Hatha Yoga (Breath & Posture) than I learned 3 invaluable skills that would change my connection to Islam and Allah forever.
Meditation: A lot of people confuse this with religious practice when it’s simply not the case. Meditation means to “just be”. Not thinking, not feeling, not doing… just… being.
For most people that’s an alien concept. We’ve been taught to operate only through the mind. Meditation grants awareness of The Ego. That is, the obstacle between us and God.
Acceptance: The mind loves to control. It thinks it knows what is best. Allah is the only One that knows best.
When things aren’t going to plan. Surrender.
When circumstances aren’t to your liking. Surrender.
Mental resistance (pushing against reality) is the surest way to create frustration, non-peace and disconnection from Al-Haqq (The Truth)
Diaphragmatic Breath: Correct, deep breathing is the bridge between anxious and relaxed. If you want to centre your mind you need to settle the nervous system.
The breath is how you do that most rapidly.
These tools don’t need to be learned through practicing Yoga.
They can be however, as was the case for me.
Use them to bring more Khushu (presence) into your Salat (prayers) and every-day life.
Promotion: If you’re interested, my Alpha-Mind program teaches you these tools (and more) in a way that is safe from transgressing against Allah. Hit this link for more info (insert link)
Are Yoga & Meditation Satanic?
Honestly, I get a lot of weird looks when I tell people in the Islamic community that I teach Meditation & Yoga.
The issue isn’t in the practices.
It’s in the words…
People give too much energy to words and instead of inquiring to gain more understanding, jump straight to their assumptions.
It’s true, words do have charge, so this is only natural.
However, it’s unfortunate how narrow minded-ness prevent people from exploring avenues that could bring them so much closer to God.
Allah forbids that which is harmful, for the reason that it is harmful to us.
I’m no scholar, but it seems that only those who have never experienced Yoga claim it to be Satanic or blasphemous.
Such people also say music is Haram, even if that’s a relaxing, meditative, soothing tune played by the wooden flute.
I’m not judging anybody here. All I’m saying is that it’s clear some people can not think for themselves.
Let us not forget the importance of intention.
If I practice Yoga with the intent to invoke and worship deities, surely this is Haram.
If however I am using Yoga & Meditation as health practices to train my mind for better concentration and balance my body for longevity and pain-free movement, there is no worship being done and therefore no reason for it to be forbidden.
People fear what they don’t understand.
Uncertainty is scary for us because it marks the edge of our comfort zone.
The issue here, especially in the Islamic/ religious community is that such attitudes are centred in The Ego (Nafs).
This is the opposite of spirituality which is the point of religion is it not?
Connection to God, The Divine.
The word Islam means to submit or surrender.
That is exactly what Yoga & Meditation are also.
To let go of control.
To place yourself in the hands of Allah.
To walk through uncertainty and the void of the unknown with faith, trust and non-identification with the ever-fearful mind.
You Are Not The Mind
One thing that pains me much about the Islamic community is the amount of separation and conflict between different schools of thought.
People are quick to point fingers.
There’s no problem with differences of opinion. In fact, this is how Allah intended for things to be.
What’s problematic is the judgement, egotism and pride that arises from these differences.
Looking down upon others, closing our minds to exploration and convincing ourselves that we have found “The Only Way”
Jihad Al-Nafs: The Spiritual War Within is what I have been committed to since the age of 18 without realising.
It is in other words, The Path of Self Mastery.
If you’re deep into your Self Improvement journey, you’re on the right track.
If you’re not seeking mastery of yourself on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level you’re missing the point of your religion.
Again,
The Ego thinks is the one who says “hurry, we don’t have time” when we really do.
It’s the voice that judges others and creates separation over disagreements and differences.
When the voice in our heads is the one running the show, we’re running on auto-pilot and operating unconsciously.
A craving arises, we pursue it.
A thought arises, we drift off into dreaming.
An irritation arises, we react and cause suffering.
It’s better to be responsive rather than reactive.
Observing the voice of the mind, not identifying with it.
Paying attention to ourselves in all moments, watching from a birds-eye-view.
Bringing awareness into your life means to be present, here, now, and tuned into your senses.
When you’re present you come out of your head and into your heart, this makes you sincere.
When you’re sincere you mean the words you say. In-sha-Allah (If God wills it) goes from a frequently used phrase to one embodied during times of uncertainty, helping you accept when you inevitably aren’t in control.
Understanding that God’s plan is the best plan allows us to see how dependent we are on Allah for even the smallest and most basic of human functions. This grants humility.
Summary
The essence of Islam is to surrender one’s will to Allah.
One can not do so if there is confusion between the Self and The Ego.
The scent of Khushu is missing from the Islamic community.
That is, an abundance of presence and concentration within The Ummah.
Our minds are scattered.
We are not present.
Rather absent instead.
Meditation & Yoga serve me until this day as invaluable tools for remaining present in life.
This makes me a better Muslim.
This brings me closer to Allah.
This increases the quality and depth of my prayers.
This boosts my appreciation for all of Allah’s creation.
The same can be true for you too.
Take it from a guy who grew up in a standard British-Pakistani trauma-abundant household.
From a guy who was told he had ADHD.
From a guy who has overcome debilitating anxiety and imprisoning OCD.
If I can train my mind to focus and be present, so can you.
And look how great Allah is as the best of all planners…
I now teach people to be more present so they can increase their quality of life in all areas.
Promotion: Follow this link to enrol in Alpha-Mind (My faith-friendly meditation course)
Promotion: Book a free call with me and let’s talk 1:1 (and see if my long-term-behaviour-change coaching program is a good fit for you)
Promotion: Build the habit of daily Yoga for physical and mental well-being without worshipping any deities with my 5 element yoga system. Learn more here
With that being said
I hope this served you well and opened your mind up to studying meditation
Or that it helped you feel more comfortable knowing you’re not alone and there are other strange ones out there like you
As always…
Stay Sharp.
@usman_unchained
Who is Usman Ali?
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