Dhikr

DHIKR – ALLAH AND SCIENCE

The concept of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was introduced in the 1970s by Richard Bandier, a mathematician and computer programmer who was also interested in psychology. He developed these ideas further after collaborating with Dr. John Grinder, an assistant professor in linguistics.

NLP is a behavioural technique that boosts your emotional intelligence and helps better understand and deal with your thoughts, feelings and emotions. When you have a better understanding of what is going on inside your mind and heart, you will surely be more capable of having better relationships and more fruitful communication with others.

This technique aims at allowing a person to change or eliminate bad thoughts and behaviours, control desires, choose his own mental and psychological state of wellbeing and adopt constructive beliefs and attitudes. It is a guide for better quality of life simply by programming your own 'biological computer' NLP is a new term, but it is not really a new idea. As we mentioned earlier, Islamic dhikr is meant to perform the same role by positively reprogramming your mind, thus adjusting your emotional status and constantly reminding you of your final ultimate goal Allah's pleasure.

The practice of Dhikr Allah keeps open an everlasting link between you and your spiritual source of energy. To better understand the concept, let us take a look at a typical start to the day Most of us wake up in the morning and automatically reach for the kettle or the coffee maker to take our morning dose of caffeine. Caffeine helps the release of the motivating neurotransmitters dopamine and adrenaline, thus gradually.

waking you up. However, the more caffeine you consume, the more irresponsive your brain becomes to it and to the action of the natural 'inhouse' stimulants dopamine and adrenaline consequently, more caffeine is needed to achieve the same level of stimulation Another way some people start their day is to stay in bed for a while, remembering their problems, occupations and engagements.

I have to meet my unfair boss again today, I have a deadline that I need to work on, I have to help the kids study for their exams, my husband will keep torturing me about my weight problem, and the list goes on and on. This stressful exercise naturally raises your adrenaline level, which pushes you to jump out of bed and face the new day.

However, you face this day as an automated anxiety machine, loaded with stress hormones and ready to explode in the face of the first unfortunate human being you encounter Now look at the Islamic way to 'program' your day. There is a dhikr you say upon awaking: "All praise and thanks are due to Allah who brings us to life after he caused us to die (during sleep) and unto Him is the resurrection.

The pronunciation of this dhikr first thing in the morning constitutes a quick yet powerful reminder of our unlimited blessings. By giving praise and thanks to Allah, we soundly remind ourselves that there are hundreds of gifts in our lives that we need to thank Him for. One is the gift of breath, or life itself, as the words of this dhikr make reference to the state of unconsciousness that we are in while we sleep, a state not unlike being 'dead' for a while.

Another day alive means another opportunity to work and give - another chance to fulfil our duty to ourselves, our surroundings and our Creator. Mentioning the Resurrection every morning is a continuous reminder of our ultimate goal in life, of the unimportance of this mortal life, and thus the unimportance of all our seemingly insurmountable problems.

This simple yet powerful dhikr gives us the motivation and the enthusiasm we need to start the day - without the intoxicating effects of caffeine and stress. If we add to this the Prophet's (S.A.W) habit of drinking a spoonful of honey dissolved in half a cup of warm water, we are giving our brain the amount of glucose needed to help it synthesize the serotonin neurotransmitter - an effective and potent mood booster. Now there is the ultimate Islamic way to start your day!

Again, when you look in the mirror, what do you see? A pleasant, good looking, relaxed and self-confident human being, or an ugly, dissatisfied, unhappy creature? When they look at themselves in the mirror, some people see only their apparent physical defects, upon which they build their self-image and behavioural responses.

This is an assurance from Allah that we are beautiful each and every one of us. Along with this confidence lesson, another lesson is delivered to us Do not get too confident. Arrogance is a sin in Islam, so supplicate for good manners, as this is what really matters to a true Muslim. There are hundreds of examples of Dhikr Allah that our beloved Prophet (Blessings and peace be upon him) taught us.

He did not leave one detail of human action without teaching us what to say upon performing it. There is a dhikr or dua (supplication) to be said for waking up, for going to bed, for putting on new clothes, for undressing, for entering and leaving the toilet, for entering or leaving the mosque and for entering the market (or mega mall, as the case may be).

There are supplications and remembrances for eating, visiting the sick, sneezing and travelling and others said in cases of fear, physical pain, panic, anger or distress and others in case of delight, amazement or upon receiving pleasant news.