5 Islamic Points Why Meditation is Halal in Islam
C.J Ahmed-04.06.2023
Meditation is basically a technique to practice mindfulness and is done by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and others. If we take Hinduism, meditation is practiced as Yoga and there is nothing haram in practicing meditation in Islam.
Let me Explains 5 points on why meditation is halal in Islam.
Point-1
Let us take the example of incantations. Incantations can be used for black magic and other things which are haram in Islam and you can use incantations which are not haram. The evidence is as follows,
Auf b. Malik Ashja'i reported we practise incantation in the pre-Islamic days and we said:
"Allah's Messenger. What is your opinion about it? He said: Let me know your incantation and said: There is no harm in the incantation which does not have Shirk in them is fine"
(Sahih Muslim)
When we look at the history of the use of incantations, we find that incantations were used by the Celtics, Anglo Saxons and even the ancient Egyptians and Hindus before the messenger of Allah (Sal) and some of them were used for witchcraft and black magic. Even in such scenario the prophet (Sal) never forbade the use of incantations and allowed the Muslims the use incantations as long as they do not include Shirk or Kufr or anything which is haram. Similarly, meditation falls in to the same category as the use of incantations because meditation is a broad term just like incantations.
Point-2
There is no direct evidence to prove from the Quran or authentic hadiths which says that meditation is haram. All the fatwas which state that it is haram are based on the various implications drawn by scholars. The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.” (Hasan Sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122)
In this hadith it is clear that Islam is actually silent on meditation and Allah's silence is a mercy and that proves clearly that meitation is also halal.
Point-3
There are many products that are inspired by the ancient medicine call Ayurveda. Ayurveda is inspired by the Hindu Vedas especially the Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. In the Atharva Veda, the use of herbs and plants for medicinal purpose is mentioned as follows
"The tawny colored, and the pale, the variegated and the red,
The dusky tinted, and the black – all Plants we summon hitherward.
I speak to Healing Herbs spreading, and bushy, to creepers, and to those whose sheath is single,
I call for thee the fibrous, and the reed like, and branching plants, dear to Vishwa Devas, powerful, giving life to men.
The conquering strength, the power and might, which ye, victorious plants possess,
Therewith deliver this man here from this consumption, O ye Plants: so I prepare the remedy"
(Atharvaveda 8.7)
The Hindu Idol Dhanavanthri is regarded by the Hindus as the avatar of Vishnu and the God of medicine and is associated with Ayurveda. Nowadays in some countries, Ayurveda products are in cosmetics, shampoos and even food and drinks. Now does this make all these products haram? No because the term Ayurveda is broad just like Yoga/meditation and we have to look specifically rather than giving blanket armchair fatwas stating that it is haram.
Point-4
The prophet (Sal) said.
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
From this hadith it is clear that the action of a person is judged according to what he/or she intended and the performance of meditationas a form of keeping your body healthy is a good intention and that intention itself proves that meditation is not haram in Islam.
Point-5
It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: “After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet (sal)me and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the duff and reciting verses mourning my father, who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ On that the Prophet said, ‘Omit this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari)
In this hadith, a few little girls started singing and they mentioned the phrase "‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ and then the prophet (Sal) advised them to omit the saying and to continue singing. Nowadays even whistling to a musical tune is also frowned upon by Muslims but in this hadith the prophet (Sal) did not forbid singing but only told the girls to omit a saying which was wrong because only Allah (Swt) knows about the future and not man. Similarly meditation can be performed by omitting anything that amounts to Shirk or Kufr.
Meditation is not haram in Islam.
Meditation is basically a technique to practice mindfulness and is done by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and others. If we take Hinduism, meditation is practiced as Yoga and there is nothing haram in practicing meditation in Islam.
Let me Explains 5 points on why meditation is halal in Islam.
Point-1
Let us take the example of incantations. Incantations can be used for black magic and other things which are haram in Islam and you can use incantations which are not haram. The evidence is as follows,
Auf b. Malik Ashja'i reported we practise incantation in the pre-Islamic days and we said:
"Allah's Messenger. What is your opinion about it? He said: Let me know your incantation and said: There is no harm in the incantation which does not have Shirk in them is fine"
(Sahih Muslim)
When we look at the history of the use of incantations, we find that incantations were used by the Celtics, Anglo Saxons and even the ancient Egyptians and Hindus before the messenger of Allah (Sal) and some of them were used for witchcraft and black magic. Even in such scenario the prophet (Sal) never forbade the use of incantations and allowed the Muslims the use incantations as long as they do not include Shirk or Kufr or anything which is haram. Similarly, meditation falls in to the same category as the use of incantations because meditation is a broad term just like incantations.
Point-2
There is no direct evidence to prove from the Quran or authentic hadiths which says that meditation is haram. All the fatwas which state that it is haram are based on the various implications drawn by scholars. The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.” (Hasan Sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122)
In this hadith it is clear that Islam is actually silent on meditation and Allah's silence is a mercy and that proves clearly that meitation is also halal.
Point-3
There are many products that are inspired by the ancient medicine call Ayurveda. Ayurveda is inspired by the Hindu Vedas especially the Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. In the Atharva Veda, the use of herbs and plants for medicinal purpose is mentioned as follows
"The tawny colored, and the pale, the variegated and the red,
The dusky tinted, and the black – all Plants we summon hitherward.
I speak to Healing Herbs spreading, and bushy, to creepers, and to those whose sheath is single,
I call for thee the fibrous, and the reed like, and branching plants, dear to Vishwa Devas, powerful, giving life to men.
The conquering strength, the power and might, which ye, victorious plants possess,
Therewith deliver this man here from this consumption, O ye Plants: so I prepare the remedy"
(Atharvaveda 8.7)
The Hindu Idol Dhanavanthri is regarded by the Hindus as the avatar of Vishnu and the God of medicine and is associated with Ayurveda. Nowadays in some countries, Ayurveda products are in cosmetics, shampoos and even food and drinks. Now does this make all these products haram? No because the term Ayurveda is broad just like Yoga/meditation and we have to look specifically rather than giving blanket armchair fatwas stating that it is haram.
Point-4
The prophet (Sal) said.
"Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
From this hadith it is clear that the action of a person is judged according to what he/or she intended and the performance of meditationas a form of keeping your body healthy is a good intention and that intention itself proves that meditation is not haram in Islam.
Point-5
It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: “After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet (sal)me and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the duff and reciting verses mourning my father, who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ On that the Prophet said, ‘Omit this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari)
In this hadith, a few little girls started singing and they mentioned the phrase "‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ and then the prophet (Sal) advised them to omit the saying and to continue singing. Nowadays even whistling to a musical tune is also frowned upon by Muslims but in this hadith the prophet (Sal) did not forbid singing but only told the girls to omit a saying which was wrong because only Allah (Swt) knows about the future and not man. Similarly meditation can be performed by omitting anything that amounts to Shirk or Kufr.
Meditation is not haram in Islam.