Chapter Three (Religious Spiritual Cure )

Steps of the Method of Remembering and Praising Allah

The following steps need to be followed to help prepare oneself for mental contemplation. This will have an effective influence on the degree of consciousness and the thinking processes, in order to stop and reject negative ideas. It is preferable to write down the emotions and feelings before starting the following steps of this training:

* It should be done in a quiet and comfortable place away from distractions.
* It should be done while sitting down on a chair; it is preferable to practice in the same place with dim lights and moderate temperature.
* A clock or watch should be placed in front of him.
* Disconnect the telephone.
* Wear comfortable clothes.
* Breathe in a deep and regular manner.
* Close the eyes during the first five minutes and when opened later they should be concentrated on a fix object.
* Prevent the mind from wandering by concentrating on his breathing process with air going in and out of his body.
*Repeat then the words ”Allah’s Remembrance” and a few short Suras from the Quran so that he deeply feels their meanings. One’s mind should be prevented from thinking in other issues while rejecting false and negative ideas.
* The training should last for 10-30 minutes or more.

According to a number of dictionaries and interpretations, ”remembering Allah” means ”tongue acknowledgment and heart confirmation”. i.e. it is a repetition and mind concentration that awakens one’s heart and feelings. These, in turn, affect the trend of thinking and help stop distorted and negative ideas that lead to psychological disturbances. This fact has been proven through practical and clinical experiments conducted during years of research and study by specialists.
Regarding the benefit of remembering and glorifying Allah, a number of verses in the Quran indicate this fact:
– ”Without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction”. [Surah Al-Ra’d (Thunder) ,verse 28]
– ”Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you” [Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow) ,verse 152]
– ”Celebrate the praises of Allah and do this often”[Surah Al-Ahzab (The Confederates), verse 41]
– ”Celebrate Allah’s praises standing, sitting down, or lying on your sides” [Surah Al-Nisaa (The Women) , verse 103]

Remembering and praising Allah requires concentration; it is not merely mechanical repetition of words. One needs to deeply think about the meaning of each word that describes the capabilities of Allah, the Almighty. This is what Allah calls ”submissiveness”. Praising Allah only with the tongue and not the heart because one’s mind in occupied with life problems, is of no benefit.
The remembrance of Allah include the repetition of the phrases : ”How far is Allah from every imperfection”, ”Allah is the Greatest”, ”There is no god but Allah”, ”Praise be to Allah”, ” In Allah I seek refuge from the devil”. One should also call upon Allah’s Benevolence, His love, and aspiration to Allah, in addition to repeating Allah’s exalted Names.
In other cases, the patient would recite the Suras of Al-Nas (Mankind) and Al-Falaq (The Dawn) or recite verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow). This helps in refuting delusions and discarding negative thoughts.
Ibn Jabal said” My last words to the prophet (Peace and Grace be Upon Him) were:” O prophet, what are the deeds that Allah likes best”. He said:” To die with your tongue remembering Allah, the Almighty”. Words of praise which the prophet used to repeat include the following:
– ”I seek refuge in Allah’s Complete Words from the mischief of created things”(Related by Muslim)
– ”In the Name of Allah with which no harm may be inflicted in earth or heaven ; He is the All-Knowing”.
– ”O Allah, Peace is You and from You, Glorified be Allah”.
– ”There is no god but Allah, He is the One to be praised and He is the All-Capable”.
– ”Allah is the All-Powerful”.
– Verse 255of Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow) says: ”There is no god but He, – the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him or sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding them for He is the Most High, The Supreme (in glory)”.

The above mentioned method is successfully used to stop bad thoughts and destructive ideas which stimulate emotion centers leading to worries, anxieties, depression, and obsessions. Some of the negative ideas my not be clear in one’s mind as they may appear in the subconscious in the form of scary illusions and depressing images. To get rid of all the unwanted mental factors, some specialists tried out an organizing chart in the following steps:

– The chart can be used any time of the day but it is preferable after experiencing negative feelings and emotions.
– The first column is used for specifying the day, date, and time.
– The second and third columns are used to identify the negative feelings and destructive thoughts and their degree (from 0 to 10).
– The previous columns should include the special data before the beginning of the session of remembering and praising Allah.
– The fourth column includes the repeated verses and praises and their duration, taking into consideration that some may require more than half an hour.
– The fifth and last columns will be used after the session ends, and in which one records the level to which the emotions have been reduced in comparison to when the session started (from 0 to 10 degrees).
– This chart is used after observing oneself for two weeks. The method of praising and remembering Allah immediately for a period not less than three months.

Regarding the voice level, the patient suffering from depression and melancholy needs to repeat the praises in a relatively strong and high voice. However, the patient suffering from anxiety, fear, and worries needs to repeat them in a deep slow voice with a regular beat to enforce his self consciousness and his trust in Allah. It is worth mentioning that if the patient can control his concentration regarding the verses and praises he repeats, then he can practice this treatment any where without restriction to the previously mentioned steps. Indeed one should avoid this practice while driving the car or operating machines and devices that require concentration and attention.