|
Meditation is the deliberate focusing of attention to bring about feelings of calm and heightened energy and awareness. God does not recommend or suggest that we meditate…It is a commandment. God commands us not once but twice.
[17:79] During the night, you shall meditate for extra credit, that your Lord may raise you to an honorable rank.
[50:40] During the night you shall meditate on His name, and after prostrating.
Extra credit in school was a great gift. It could be the difference between passing and failing a course. God is so Merciful; He commands us to earn extra credit by meditating. God wants the believers to succeed, to make it to heaven and receive an honorable rank.
Meditation is a trait of the believers.
[3:17] They are steadfast, truthful, submitting, charitable, and meditators at dawn.
[9:112] They are the repenters, the worshipers, the praisers, the meditators, the bowing and prostrating, the advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil, and the keepers of GOD’s laws. Give good news to such believers.
[25:64] In the privacy of the night, they meditate on their Lord, and fall prostrate.
We learn from 73:20 that some believers are seriously devoted to meditation. [73:20] Your Lord knows that you meditate during two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, and so do some of those who believed with you. ...
Two-thirds of night? That could be 5 or 6 hours. I don’t know about you and, God willing maybe I can get there some day by God’s grace, but I am not disciplined to the point where I can meditate for that long. But God is so merciful. The verse continues: [73:20] …. GOD has designed the night and the day, and He knows that you cannot always do this.
He has pardoned you. Instead, you shall read what you can of the Quran. He knows that some of you may be ill, others may be traveling in pursuit of GOD’s provisions, and others may be striving in the cause of GOD. You shall read what you can of it, and observe the contact prayers (Salat), give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and lend GOD a loan of righteousness. Whatever good you send ahead on behalf of your souls, you will find it at GOD far better and generously rewarded. And implore GOD for forgiveness. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
There is a plethora of information on the internet on the benefits of meditation. I found websites listing from 12 benefits to 141 benefits. Such as: reduces stress, controls anxiety, promotes emotional health, improves sleep, helps control pain, increases focus and attention, and so many more.
There is lots of research on the benefits of meditation. If you happen to be trapped in the belly of a whale, mediation can get you out of that situation. We know from Quran it worked for Jonah.
[37:139-144] Jonah was one of the messengers. He escaped to the loaded ship. He rebelled and thus, he joined the losers. Consequently, the fish swallowed him, and he was the one to blame. If it were not that he resorted to meditation (on God), he would have stayed in its belly until the Day of Resurrection.
Now regarding how to meditate and what to meditate on, God gives us some commandments and suggestions.
[50:40] During the night you shall meditate on His name, and after prostrating.
So, we are commanded to meditate during the night on God’s name. As we know there are many names for God. So we have many choices as to which name we would like to use. To Him belong the most beautiful names…The Most Gracious, Most Merciful, The King, The Peace, The Creator, The Sublime, The Forgiver…just to name a few.
We are commanded to meditate at night. [73:2] Meditate during the night, except rarely.
And God tells us [73:6] The meditation at night is more effective, and more righteous. We can certainly meditate during the day. But night is more effective, and it is a commandment to do so.
So how much time does it take to meditate effectively? Well, there are many opinions on that. Research has shown that short term meditation ranging from as little as 5-30 minutes can be effective. Even 1 to 2 minutes of meditation can be effective. It’s certainly better than no minutes of meditation.
Meditation is a very personal experience and is different for everybody. You need to start slowly and build up. The biggest common denominator to meditation is controlled focused breathing. You need a quiet comfortable place. Then God will guide you to the best way to focus your thoughts on Him. He will be with you. [26:218] Who sees you when you meditate during the night.
In addition to meditation at night, verse 50:40 also mentions meditating on His name after prostrating. God is so merciful, He doesn’t say how to or how long to meditate on His name, just to do it. So, in every prayer, after I say Salaam Alaykum, I go back into prostration and think about or say or breathe God’s name. Usually it’s for maybe 5-10 seconds. Sometimes more. But even if it’s for 5 seconds, I can take comfort in knowing that I have fulfilled this commandment, and taken time to remember God.
May God continue to guide us and to help us to always be mindful of His presence and to know that He is always near. May God give us the strength and will to fulfill all His commandments including meditating at night on his name and after prostrating so we can be raised to an honorable rank in Paradise.