The GIFT of Meditation

God advocates meditation in several places in the Quran. It is a wonderful way to worship Him reverently and feel close to Him. Since God gives us so much freedom in our worship, believers can meditate in whatever way they enjoy. However, some verses indicate a more focused and ‘reflective’ form of worship (particularly at night and dawn), such as making frequent prostrations, seeking God’s mercy etc. (3:17, 25:64, 26:217-220, 51:18, 73:2-6.)

[17:79] During the night, you shall meditate for extra credit, that your Lord may raise you to an honorable rank.

[39:9] Is it not better to be one of those who meditate in the night, prostrating and staying up, being aware of the Hereafter, and seeking the mercy of their Lord?…

When intending to meditate upon God, it is not always easy to just get started off or stay focused for long. But ever since I realized that it is something God wants us to do for our benefit, I have found that we can improve on it if we work at it. It may not be easy to manage well everyday, especially when we are alone or tired at night or dawn. Our Most Merciful God knows this (73:20), but we should definitely try and do the best we can. Undoubtedly, a quiet personal session of worship and meditation upon God brings about a great sense of calm, peace and security. It is truly an enhanced way to reflect upon and praise His glory, express our concerns to Him and request His help, be honest with ourselves and ask forgiveness for our sins, and thank Him for all the blessings He showers upon us.

One typical dawn, I again found myself struggling with my concentration, not really being reverent in worship. Instead of consciously glorifying God before sunrise and seeking His forgiveness—which could actually help me kick start a great day (20:130)—my mind was preoccupied with planning for the material things that needed to be done in the day ahead. I tried to convince myself that this was okay because it was just Satan trying to prevent me from fulfilling my obligations to God; and that this happened to all other believers; and that God understands the situation. Fortunately, God made me realize that His commands are a sacred duty (33:38) and that He would never ask us to do anything that was not doable – provided we try (2:185).

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