Heart Centred Meditation Week 1: Asking Forgiveness

‘I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel: 36:26)

Welcome to From the Heart. You will find here 8 Islamic Heart-Centred meditations to be used across 8 weeks. There is a natural sequence from week 1-8, where you gradually get closer to Allah, so do not try jumping across weeks.

The meditations are based in a long tradition of heart-centred contemplative exercises from the Islamic tradition that goes back to Al-Ghazali. They were originally developed by Wadud Hassan and edited by Dr Miguel Farias and Sara Shah.

These meditations were developed as part of a research project sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The protocol was published in BMC Psychology, 2024 and the research was led by Faye Ng, Miguel Farias, and Inti Brazil.

Transcript

Relax your mind and body. And sit with curiosity. Have you ever seen a bird just sitting in your yard? If you are sitting on the floor, Sit in a comfortable position. And support your back. If you are sitting on a chair. Support your lower back. Lengthen your spine. Soften your shoulders. Place your hands on your thighs, Feel your feet on the floor. This is called grounding. Bring your body to a relaxed yet alert position to do this guided practice together in Allah's name. Asalaamu Alaikum Lower your gaze, Close your eyes, Focus inwardly, And bring the remembrance of Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la into your mind. Take a deep breath in. And let a long breath out to fully relax. Let us do two more of those. Deep breath in. And a long breath out. You you you Let us breathe normally. No need to shorten or lengthen your breath. Just breathe in and breathe out normally And as you breathe, Focus upon the remembrance of Allah in your heart. Every breath. Every moment is a gift from Allah. And we bring a sense of gratitude into our heart. A smile on our faces. As we concentrate on all those remembrances with every breath. You our mind wanders, Bring it back by saying, Astaghfirullah. I return to you, Allah, And ask you to cleanse my heart of all sins, Shortcomings, Spiritual, Physical, And psychological ailments. All the unproductive energy, Worries, Anxiety, And difficulties. You you the Prophet Muhammad. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Used to repeat this 70 times in one sitting. Let us gather our mind, Body, And heart on this phrase. Astaghfirullah Allah, I ask your forgiveness, Forgive me, Cleanse my heart and soul so your greatness and beauty can shine through. Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah you you the Prophet. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Used to say, Allah, Your forgiveness is greater than my sins. And your reward greater than my actions. You Bring into your heart the sense of forgiveness. By imagining your heart and soul getting cleansed as you remember Him. Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullah you Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullah Bring into your heart the sense of forgiveness by imagining your heart and soul getting cleansed as you remember him. Astaghfirullah Astaghfarullah Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullah Astaghfirullah you you you the Messenger of Allah. ﷺ said, If anyone constantly seeks forgiveness from Allah, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety. And will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not. Before we bring this reflection to a close. Just gather your gentle attention on your breath. Just breathing in. And breathing out. Normally for a moment. You We ask Allah to forgive and cleanse all our sins and shortcomings. We send his blessings to the beloved messenger of Allah, Muhammad. May Allah bless this practice. Infinite praise and thanks to him alone. You you you you you You may open your eyes gently and take in your surroundings. After you finish. Write down the main experiences, Insights, Or questions from today's practice in your notebook.