Fatwa ID: 05187

Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Question

Is it true that meditation is haram in Islam?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Meditation is not haram in Islam. In fact, it is recommended. In Islam meditation and reflection is to empty one’s mind from everything, except Allah (SWT)

Allah (SWT) says in the Quran,

كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ مُبَٰرَكٞ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

“[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.”[1]

Allah (SWT) also says in the Quran,

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَآ

Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?[2]

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَۚ وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ ٱخۡتِلَٰفٗا كَثِيرٗا

Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.[3]

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said,

أنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأنَّكَ تَراهُ، فَإنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَراهُ فَإنَّهُ يَراكَ

(Ihsaan is [4]) that you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don’t see Him, He, verily, sees you.[5]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Quran, Surah Sa’d, 38:29

[2] Quran, Surah Muhammad, 47:24

[3] Quran, Surah Nisaa, 4:82

[4] Umdatul Qari, 286/1, Dar IhyathTurath, Beirut, Lebanon.تَقْدِيره الإحْسان عبادتك اللهكَأنَّكتراهُ

[5] Sahih Muslim, 36/1, Dar IhyathTurath, Beirut, Lebanon.