2 THE POWER OF THE MIND ‘The Noble Qur’an is a remedy for illnesses of the mind.’ —The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) almighty Allah’s precious gift to humankind, the mind, both conscious and subconscious, is the greatest single most powerful agency ever to appear on earth. Our minds have abilities and talents beyond imagination, beyond conception! Almighty Allah wants us to develop both the conscious and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind is the master of our destiny. It controls all the voluntary muscles, and has the ability to evaluate the difference between right and wrong. It is the supreme commander in charge of all our thoughts and mental powers. It controls the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell, by which we connect with the physical world. It is through these senses that we receive outside signals. It is vital that when we entertain this information we distinguish between what will add value to our lives and what is irrelevant. 10 PART ONE: TRANSFORMATION In Surah al-Baqarah, Almighty Allah says: ‘To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Whatever you show what is in your mind or conceal it; Allah calls you to account for it. He forgives whom He pleases, and punishes whom He pleases. For Allah has power over all things’ ([2]:284). Whether we show or conceal what is in our mind, Almighty Allah will call on us to account for it. Developing the conscious mind is essential to ensure that the right thoughts enter the subconscious mind. To succeed in achieving our vision and goal in life, the conscious mind has to be alert and informed. Once we acquire the ability to control our thoughts, nothing is impossible to achieve. The power of Almighty Allah of infinite possibilities is at our disposal. It has been said that the best thinkers use only one hun dredth of one per cent of mental reserves. We must under stand that mental skill comes through will-power and self discipline. We are all equal in the eyes of Almighty Allah; we are all born with the same raw material from the mo ment we take our first breath. What separates happy, successful achievers from others is the manner in which they use and refine the raw materials with which Almighty Allah has blessed them. When we dedicate ourselves to transforming our inner world, our life quickly shifts from ordinary to extraordinary. We cannot control the weather or other material phenomena; these events are Almighty Allah’s Will. We can, THE POWER OF THE MIND 11 however, control our attitude towards these events. Almighty Allah has blessed us with the power to control how and what we think at any time. What appears to be a tragedy to one person may reveal the seed of unlimited opportunity to another. In the Noble Qur’an Surah Baqarah Almighty Allah promises success to those who maintain their faith commitment in times of difficulty: ‘And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of labour’s fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity, who when calamity befalls them, say: ‘Verily, to Allah we belong and, verily, to Him shall we return. It is they upon whom their Sustainer’s blessings and grace are bestowed, and it is they who are guided’ ([2]:155–157). Almighty Allah may test us with adversity; we may resent hardships or pain when they visit us. We must understand that it is these trials that serve us well; they crack up the shell that covers our hearts. We then realize who we are, why we are here, and how miraculously the creation of Almighty Allah works. We discover the lies we have been living. We must then empty our hearts and minds of information that is of no value, and replace it with all that is good, noble and true. Hardships, trials and tribulations are Almighty Allah’s way of transforming us and helping us develop spiritually, if we choose to allow them to do so. In the Noble Qur’an, Surah al-Ankabut Almighty Allah says: Do people think that when 12 PART ONE: TRANSFORMATION they say, ‘We make a faith-commitment [to Allah],’ and they would not be tested with trials and tribulation? Lo! We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah distinguishes those that are sincere [in their commitment to Him] and those that merely feign and lie [about their commitment]’ ([29]:2–3). Where we stumble, that is where our treasure lies. Almighty Allah wants us to endure the tests with fortitude, faith and strong commitment. Qadhi Shurayh (ra) and eminent judge during the Khilafah of Hadrat Ali (ra) said: ‘Whenever I am struck with a worldly calamity, I thank Almighty Allah for testing me materially and not spiritually.’ T hrough these trials Almighty Allah leads us to discover ourselves as a way to eventually discover Him. It is our reaction and response to the challenges that visit us in the guise of difficulties that can unleash the power of Almighty Allah within us. Almighty Allah wants every human being to develop both spiritually and materially. We must recognize that the challenges in this material plane develop and strengthen our insight that leads us to discover the spiritual power within. In Surah Yunus, Almighty Allah says: ‘We make mankind taste some mercy after adversity hath touched them’ ([10]:21). In Surah al-Hijr, Almighty Allah says: ‘We know how thy heart is distressed, but celebrate the praises of thy Lord’ ([15]:97). THE POWER OF THE MIND 13 By celebrating the praises of Almighty Allah, in response He will bless us with mercy, guidance and relief. In the face of inevitable misfortune in life, Almighty Allah wants us to remember Him with patience, perseverance and salah (that is, establishing a direct link with Him). This is an inexhaustible source of energy and strength. T he manner in which life is interpreted and processed separates people that are habitually positive and optimistic in life from those who are consistently miserable. Out of every adversity comes opportunity or prosperity. Every setback offers an equivalent opportunity if we take the time to search for it. Almighty Allah has blessed us with time. Time is beyond the control of man, and cannot be saved, stopped or reversed, even for a nanosecond. Make full use of these riches while we have them. There is no second chance to say ‘I wish I could do it all over again.’ We must awaken ourselves to the power of our minds, and express constant gratitude to Almighty Allah (SWT). Our absolute faith and belief will inspire us to work magic in our lives. In Surah al-An‘am, Almighty Allah pledges success to those who have made a firm commitment to Him: ‘We send not messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as warners [of punishment in case of rejection]. Thus, whoso makes a f irm commitment [to Allah] and acts righteously shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve’ ([6]:48). 14 PART ONE: TRANSFORMATION Almighty Allah sent messengers to direct humankind to realize that they have unlimited force (will). The human mind is addressed with a powerful, classic noble book revealed by the All-Powerful, All-Knowing Almighty Allah through the noble Messenger Muhammad (S). This mighty book is miraculous in its style and method that inspires and builds the human mind and intellect. It is necessary for man to read and understand this powerful mind builder. One who studies this noble book will be blessed with divine guidance. T hose who make a faith commitment to Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. Almighty Allah promises security and success in this material dimension as well as in the Hereafter. Almighty Allah sent the Noble Qur’an to guide us, to discover ourselves, then to discover His power in us. This is stated in Surah al-A‘raaf: ‘Verily, We have brought unto them a Book which We expound with knowledge, a guidance and mercy to those people that make a firm commitment to Allah’ ([7]:52). When we read the Noble Qur’an, we begin to control thoughts that are floating around the garden of our minds. T he mind is the servant, not the master of humankind. Read continually, and keep minds, thoughts and beliefs in Almighty Allah alive. In Surah at-Teen, Almighty Allah asserts: ‘We have indeed created man in the best of moulds’ ([95]:04). Almighty Allah favoured humankind in the best of moulds, endowed them THE POWER OF THE MIND 15 with the purest unsurpassed nature, bestowed upon them faculties and talents greater than the angels. Even the angels were asked by Almighty Allah to bow down to humankind in recognition of the lofty status bestowed upon them by Allah. Words are the verbal embodiment of power. If Almighty Allah inspires us because of our belief in Him, our thoughts will break the barriers, our minds will transcend limitations, our consciousness will expand in every direction, and we will find ourselves in a wonderful new world. Our dormant forces, faculties and talents come alive when Almighty Allah empowers us. We discover a greater per son than we ever dreamed we could be. Success on the outside begins with success on the inside; by changing our thoughts, we change our minds. We must not allow our mental muscles to become lazy and flabby. The mind is like any other muscle in the body. Use it or lose it. If we want to strengthen the muscles of our arms, we must train them. To keep our bodies fit we must exercise or ex ert pressure on all our muscles. Reading and contemplating trains the muscles of the mind, and we experience the won ders this goal-striving mechanism can achieve. The power that Almighty Allah has blessed us with will attract all that we desire in life. We must take care of our mind and take the time to train it to focus on the good in life. The price of success is to take responsibility for every one of our thoughts. To liberate our minds, we must first be able to harness them and direct total 16 PART ONE: TRANSFORMATION focus on the current task. The moment we focus our mind on a single purpose, extraordinary gifts will appear in life. T he mind has power that is sharper than a laser. When we concentrate and focus on a burning desire, we will attract that desire. When we concentrate the mind’s power on definite, meaningful objectives, we will, insha’Allah, ignite the flames of our personal potential and produce outstanding results. Jalaluddin Rumi (ra) said: ‘Freedom depends on the purity of the mind.