Have you ever experienced a state when you become overwhelmed with the events happening in your life? A state when you are overloaded with thoughts and feel like you don’t have control over those thoughts. This is when mindfulness of Allah, also called “Muraqabah” in Islam, is helpful.Being mindful of Allah is the state of being conscious of or aware of Him.
For Muslims, mindfulness of the inner life is just one component of the larger muraqabah framework. Overall, Islamic mindfulness entails a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of Islamic faith, law, and ethics, as well as one's own unique psychological makeup. In a state of mindfulness, a Muslim is constantly aware that Allah is aware of him or her, both inwardly and outwardly. It is a comprehensive condition of alert self-awareness in one's heart, mind, and body in one's relationship with Allah. The understanding that Allah is always monitoring us at all times is the foundation of mindfulness, and as a result, we acquire greater attention and care for our own actions, thoughts, feelings, and interior states of being.
Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani summarized mindfulness of Allah in four aspects:
- Knowledge of Allah Almighty
- Knowledge of the enemy of Allah, Iblis (Satan).
- Knowledge of your soul’s capacity to suggest evil
- Knowledge of deeds to be done for the sake of Allah.
Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said to me,
“Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to benefit you, they could not benefit you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gathered together to harm you, they could not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”
(Al-Tirmidhī)
Written By Areeba Amanat