Naseerah Nanabhai

28-06-2019

Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat gave a lecture on Positive Thinking in which he mentioned that in the world today, anxiety, fear, worry and negative thinking has overwhelmed many of us. Individuals are brought down by negative thinking, that results from financial problems, their health, their profile and so on. All of these anxieties over time adds up and kills our optimism. It is so easy to get stuck in the realities of this life and lose sight of the bigger picture.

There is so much going on around us, positive-negative, good, bad and this puts us on an emotional roller-coaster. Thus it is imperative to do a negativity test. We should strive to be a positive Muslim.

There are many reasons why a Muslim should be positive, Moulana mentioned seven reasons.

1. A Muslim should be positive because Allah (SWT) offers us a futuristic vision. Throughout the Quran Allah (SWT) reminds us that life is short. No matter how difficult a situation is now, it won’t last forever. Real-life is the life of the akhirah, and Muslims should focus their goals and life on the life of the akhirah.

2. Muslims should be positive because Allah (SWT) promises us a way out of any situation. If we become conscious of Allah (SWT) we will be happy.

3. Muslims should be positive because optimism is the attitude of a Muslim. A Muslim is always in a win-win situation if something good happens they should make Shukr if something bad happens they turn to Allah (SWT). In both cases, they are rewarded.

4. A Muslim should be positive because the reaction of a Muslim in every situation is one of gratitude. Praise be to Allah (SWT) irrespective of the situation.

5. A Muslim should be positive because positive thinking is the way of the Sunnah of Nabi (SAW

6. We should be positive as Muslims because Sahabah (RA) were positive and optimistic. We should follow in their example.

7. A Muslim should be positive because an optimist is an achiever. If we want to achieve things we should be optimistic. If the thoughts in our heads are mostly negative then our outlook in life will be negative and we will expect the worse in every situation.

Positive thinking does not mean we ignore the negatives of life. Rather, it means we approach a negative situation with a positive outlook. If we change our thoughts we can change the world. 

Moulana offered the following tips on how to think positively.

· Focusing on solutions and not problems. Always looking at the bigger picture.

· Being creative in our thinking and innovative in our methods.

· Be good to people irrespective of how they treat you, be the better person.

· Do not dwell on the past, but learn from the past. Know that Allah (SWT) is there for you, and never forget this.

· Keep in the company of positive people. Smile, when you smile you will be positive.

· Avoid suspicion, do not be concerned with what others say about you behind your back. Ask yourself will this matter, a few days or months from now. An optimist is healthier, people flock to him/ her and like to be in his/ her company.

· Be positive, Islam wants you to think positively. The core of being a positive thinker is having good and positive expectations of Allah (SWT).

· Have good expectations of Allah (SWT) your heart is constantly in ibaadah and devotion. This is particularly important, especially at the time of difficulty and at the time of Dua and supplication. At the time of death, we should also have a good expectation of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) forgives by your positive expiations of Allah (SWT).

Shaytaan deceives us into believing that we don’t have the mercy of Allah (SWT). He wants us to be dependent and to feel as if we don’t deserve any good from Allah (SWT). We should rather run repeatedly towards Allah (SWT), as Allah (SWT) is waiting to forgive us. Allah (SWT) is merciful and forgiving. Islam wants us to think positively and have good expectations of Allah (SWT). Any good we do will be seen in the eyes of Allah (SWT).

The world we live in today makes us prone to pessimism but we need to be positive Muslims. The real-life is the life of Aakkhirah and Allah (SWT) promises us a way out. Our Nabi (PHUH) was a positive person in all situations and we need to learn from this. We need to look for the good in others, have a positive view of ourselves, others and Allah (SWT) and there will be a transformation in our lives. We should not let this negative mindset get to us. Islam wants us to think positively and be positive Muslims.

May Allah (SWT) guide us all.