THE POWER OF SILENCE

‘He who keeps silent will be safe.’

—The noble Messenger Muhammad (S)

Almighty Allah’s Hikmah (Wisdom) operates silently.

Stillness is where creativity and solutions to the challenges in life are discovered, and Almighty Allah wants us to accept the moment as it is. When we are silent, we are at peace; this is the creative period. Silence has no form.

Imam Abu al-Qasim Qushayri (ra) said: ‘There are two types of silence: outer silence; and silence of the heart and mind. The heart of one who trusts completely in Allah is silent, not demanding any means for living.’

In Surah Fath, Almighty Allah says: ‘It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of those who have made a firm commitment [to Allah], that they may add faith to their faith, for to Allah belong the forces of the Heavens and the Earth; and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom’ ([48]:4).

Salat teaches us the power of silence; developing the ability to ‘just be’. Stillness and silence develop the ability to listen to the sounds in the mind, and to listen to the silence underneath the sounds. It is only through stillness within that we can be aware of silence. When our attention is on silence, we will be aware of not thinking.

The thinking mind is a powerful tool; but do not allow it to overtake our lives completely. The equivalent of external noise is the inner ‘noise’ of non-stop thinking. Through silence we will, insha’Allah, feel the energy of our inner body, where every cell is alive. In Surah as-Sajdah, Almighty Allah says: ‘He fashioned him [man] in due proportion and breathed something of His spirit’ ([32]:9). Through silence we can get in touch with the power of Almighty Allah that is within us.

Spend time with eyes closed; focus on the dark world of silence. Only the stillness inside can perceive the silence outside. Silence is present in consciousness; consciousness freed from thought is known as thoughtless consciousness and inner alertness.

In Surah an-Nur Almighty Allah tells us: Allah guides whom He wills to His light’ ([24]:35). Almighty Allah’s light spreads over the whole universe and lights up feelings and emotions filling hearts and minds. The light of Almighty Allah cannot be described or measured. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘There are seventy thousand veils of light.’

By practising silence we should be able to perform salat without distracting thoughts entering our mind. The mind won’t wander on to other subjects. This is the first sign that

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we are controlling our mind. We develop, through the power of salat, the ability to focus only on what we want or what we command the mind to focus on. The mind will become a wonderful servant, able to do the extraordinary for us. Remember, the mind is the sending and receiving station of thought; it is vital that we control the thoughts in our mind or it will control us.

As we begin to master the silence, we will notice that we feel calmer and experience being in a state of ecstasy. True happiness will enter our lives as we erase the habit of worrying and develop an attitude of gratitude. We will value the many gifts that surround us.

The secret to inner intelligence lies in performing salat. We must perform it punctually, every day, no matter how busy we may be or how many challenges lie ahead. This breakaway time is our oasis. Let us never forget that there is power in silence and stillness. Peace and calmness can only be experienced when we are able to free our minds from other thoughts. When the mind is settled and free, it becomes a channel for peace and gives up restlessness. Silence has power of its own; it is a potent carrier of presence; listen to the silence in salat. Silence is the stepping-stone to connecting with the power of Almighty Allah (SWT). Allah, Allah, Allah is the silence that throbs through all life. Repeat the ninety-nine Names of Almighty Allah every day. These powerful attributes of Almighty Allah are triggers for transformation.

Almighty Allah says in Surah an-Nisa: ‘Secret consultation is permissible with such a person who does this [spends of his wealth for the needy and poor, enjoins righteous conduct and makes peace among people], seeking only the good pleasure of Allah, We shall bestow on him a great reward’ ([4]:114).

Salat is our silent retreat; it is a simple way to connect to the power of Almighty Allah. Open the mind to the potential for living a rich rewarding life of infinite possibilities. By developing inner stillness, we get in touch with the self, the inner space of awareness. The power of Almighty Allah is in stillness, where creativity and solutions to problems are solved. Remember, we can measure success by measuring the degree of peace that we feel.

Almighty Allah’s spiritual forces, when released, work beyond our imagination. The truly committed to Allah who have faith will experience tranquillity, calmness and courage.

In Islam, peace is fundamental: it gives peace of mind, happiness and prosperity to humankind, and it is a way of life that empowers humankind with harmonious development of the dormant forces, faculties and talents that are inherent in us by the Grace of Almighty Allah. These will come alive. Almighty Allah says in Surah Yunus: ‘Follow thou [O Messenger] the inspiration sent unto Thee, and be patient and constant [in adversity] until Allah’s Judgement comes to pass’ ([10]:109).

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We must not spend our lives within the confines of our own thoughts, which can create conflict and confusion. Through the practice of silence we will develop the power of silence and be inspired by Almighty Allah and, insha’Allah, discover His power within us. Almighty Allah wants us to be patient; He wants us to persevere, never give up, and to remain focused. By being persistent and steadfast we will develop the power of silence and, insha’Allah, discover the power of Almighty Allah within.

In Surah al-Maida, Almighty Allah reminds humankind: ‘There hath come to you from Allah a light and a noble Book, wherewith Allah guides all who seek His pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of the depths of darkness into the light of His Grace and guides them to the path that is straight’ ([5]:16–17).

The Noble Qur’an was revealed by Almighty Allah to the noble Messenger Muhammad (S). He was a model for mankind because he was the embodiment of the teachings of the Qur’an. The Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah are, therefore, lights that guide us to peace and prosperity in this life and the Hereafter.

What we need is Almighty Allah. Invite Him to enter our souls through silence, He will, insha’Allah, direct us to discover Him. Almighty Allah enters the heart when we have developed the ability to be silent.

The great Shaykh Abd al Qadir Al Jilani (ra) says: ‘Anyone wishing for success must practise inner and outer silence. Be in harmony with destiny or it will destroy you. Walk with it along its chosen course, or it will slaughter you. Kneel before it until it takes pity on you and lets you ride behind it. You must die before you die, and then you will live in Almighty Allah.’

Salat develops patience, inner silence, and inner quietness and builds inner power. Patience is fundamental to establishing inner power with which we will find it easy to relax.

The man who can maintain peace in the mind, who allows all the disturbing factors of life to be evaluated in a spirit of detachment will be a tower of strength.

Through the power of inward stillness we will insha’Allah develop the ability to discover the power of Almighty Allah within. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘Much silence and good disposition, there are no two words better than these.’