Al-Waasi: The Vast

A visualization meditation themed around Al-Waasi, one of the 99 Most Beautiful Names of Allah. This meditation aims to stimulate a contemplation of the Vast, the All-Encompassing, the Omnipresent, the All-Embracing, the Boundless, the Infinite: Al-Waasi.

Transcript

As-salamu alaykum. Welcome to this visualization meditation centered on the divine name of Allah, Al-Wasiya, The all-encompassing, The vast, The all- embracing, The omnipresent, The boundless Al-Wasiya. Today we'll be delving into these qualities of vastness and boundlessness of the divine, Allowing you to feel a visceral sense of the immense and limitless nature of Allah's presence. So first let's find a comfortable position that can be sitting or lying down, However you're most comfortable, And just allowing your eyelids to get heavy and gently draw to a close. Now let's begin by grounding ourselves in the present moment by taking a nice deep breath in, Inhaling slowly, Filling the lungs with air, Alhamdulillah, And exhaling gently, Allowing a little bit of tension to follow the out-breath. Take another deep breath in, Just borrowing a little bit of air from this limitless ocean of air that surrounds us, And returning it back. With each breath envision yourself expanding like a balloon, Just filling up, Filling beyond your physical constraints, And when you exhale, You expand a little bit more. The cycle of breath itself is a chance to contemplate that the air in our lungs that we breathe into, It's not really separate from the air that surrounds us, And there's no real boundary between the air inside and the air outside. It's really just one continuum of air around us and within us, Space outside of us, Space inside of us, With no real firm division. Now that our breath is naturally just starting to relax and slow down of its own accord, And we feel this sense of expansion, Let's start to visualize in our mind's eye that we are lying on the desert sand in an endless serene desert on a starlit night, Just looking up at a wide-open starry black night sky, Just gazing into the infinity of the night. We might feel a gentle desert breeze caress our cheek, But this is a very peaceful place, And on all sides we feel the stretching out, The expansiveness of infinity in all directions across Allah's creation. Isn't it amazing that our imagination has this quality of conjuring a space that seems to have no limit? Even if we're in a small room, We can imagine that we are in an incredibly vast space, And this quality of boundlessness is a part of the imagination that we've been blessed with by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And in this boundlessness of the creative imagination that puts us in a serene desert underneath a beautiful starry night sky, We get a small glimpse of the immense limitless nature of Al-Wasi, The omnipresent, The all-embracing, The vast. And as you keep breathing, Keep expanding, Feel your physical boundaries just dissolve, Merging with this infinite space that surrounds you. And as you breathe in, You expand. And as you breathe out, This expansion intertwines with the boundless nature of Allah's universe and just embraces the limitless omnipresence of Allah, Al-Wasi. Allow yourself to really feel a sense of awe and reverence for the magnificence of this boundless universe that Allah has made us witness to. Reflect on how Allah's infinite nature surpasses all comprehension, And that as vast and immeasurable as this universe itself is, Allah's nature is much less constrained. Indeed, Not bound by time, Nor by space, Nor by any possible boundary that could be conceived, Al-Wasi is limitless and boundless. And this infinite universe that Allah has created is just a creation of Al-Wasi, The creator, The Lord, The sustainer of all possible worlds, Alhamdulillah. Realize that in this amazing ocean of air that we borrow our breath from and return it to, This amazing ocean of time and space that we find ourselves in, We are an integral part. Recognize that even though you are a tiny drop in this amazing, Amazing ocean, You are a cherished drop. You are a critical drop in this ocean. And indeed, As a drop of water returns effortlessly and seamlessly with an ocean, We too can recognize that there is no separation between us and the rest of creation. And we really are interconnected with everything else that exists. And in all of our connection and all of our disconnection, All of our moments of unity and our moments of isolation, Allah is always, Always, Always present. Al-Wasi is all encompassing, All surrounding, All enclosing, Infinitely vast, Infinitely boundless, Infinitely present, Omnipresent and all encompassing. And as we slowly start to conclude this meditation, Gently bring your awareness back to your physical body in this moment in time. But feel the sensation of spaciousness that accompanies this contemplation of Al-Wasi. And as you open your eyes, Bring this sense of Al-Wasi with you. Remember that you can return to this meditation whenever you would like to contemplate the limitless, Vast nature of the Divine, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la. And know that you, You drop of the ocean, Are loved and integral to creation. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Peace and blessings be upon you.