Late in January, I was approached by LOA Today (Law of Attraction Today) who kindly asked to host me in an Interview on their Online Radio show carrying the same name to discuss my view of The Law of Attraction, Rhonda’s book “The Secret” as a Muslim and writer who wrote a lot about Islam and related subjects.
It was a good chance to put right much misconception that sprouted and spread with the massive debate the publication of “The Secret” stirred some 7 years ago or so.I’ve written twice about the Law of Attraction, once in 2008 and that was in a LIfestyle Magazine, and another on the online portal I launched a couple of years ago (The Muslim Tribune: http://www.muslimtribune.org). I found it interesting to present the Islamic view of the notion of the law of attraction and in which way does it fit within the Islamic doctrine and the Muslims’ perception of fate, life and divine wisdom.
The famous quote of The Secret: “What you think about you bring about”- reflects to a great extent the core of the Law of Attraction, the essence of the book and referred to by its authors as “the most powerful law in the universe”.
In my view, the foremost idea that represents the core of The Secret is that one should watch his thinking and avoid indulgence in negative thoughts and negative events; i.e. fear! I see it not contradicting the Islamic faith in anyway. On the contrary it demonstrates a very important idea in Islam, that is optimism and applying positive thinking. If one is focussing all the time on the upsetting thoughts and incidents in life life, he’ll continue receiving depressing things. Whereas if he’s focusing on the good things then he’s more exposed to the possibility of receiving more good events. I.e. his thoughts are like a magnet, and according to the Law of Attraction, “likes attract likes”.
The reason the law of attraction and The Secret were received with such harsh criticism among some Muslim communities is perhaps more related to the flawed assertion of an absolute power hidden in human beings and that they are, alone, responsible for the happenings befalling them.
According to The Secret, “your life is a mirror of your thoughts”, and thus you’re the one who’s responsible for what happens to you, whether it’s good or bad. Surely I oppose the absoluteness of this statements yet cannot deny the fact that it is to a great extent true and can actually relate it to one beautiful Hadith Qudusi wherein Allah says:
“I am as My servant expects Me to be”.
Related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah)
Also the book explains that you first need to know what you want to happen to you then ask for it (step number one to enact the law of attraction), believe that it will be fulfilled (step number two), then prepare yourself to receive what you wished for and actually visualize yourself getting hold of it and it shall come to you; (step number three).
Replacing what The Secret calls the Universal Power with Allah, you’ll find what it says is somewhat conforming with what Allah commands us; i.e. that we supplicate with conviction and without having any doubts that He will answer our prayers. Allah commands us, Muslims, to avoid any doubtful feelings when supplicating to Him that He is listening and shall fulfil our prayers, as doubt hinders one’s prayers, and that’s the greatest reason our prayers are sometimes not fulfilled.
Another point discussed in The Secret is gratefulness and gratitude. Sure you should feel grateful for the good things in your life and busy your heart and mind with feeling joyous for the great things you already have instead of feeling sorry for those you don’t have. The Secret says that by so doing, you’re inviting more events to befall you. Again avoiding the absolute control of human power alluded to here, this is more or less conforms with what Allah says in the Quran;
“And when your Lord warned: If you are grateful I shall increase My favors upon you …” – Qur’an (14:7)
There is so much to Islam and its positive impact on life that needs to be explored and yet we miss out on by failing to recognise the great wisdom of Allah.
Have absolute faith in Allah and His power and wisdom. This is The Secret to a good life!!!
Listen to my interview on LOA Today Here…
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I watched The Secret many times and I have to say it sure boosted my happiness the first time I watched it! I have found out that you can get or do anything as long as you focus on it with all your might and without a doubt that you will have the opportunity to get those things. The Secret is very similar to a book that came out decades before it called “Think & Grow Rich” which also mentioned that thoughts become things!
nice article…my thoughts exactly after seeing the video “the secret” i.e just replace the word universe with ALLAH …apart from the hadice you quoatedted there are several lending credence to this concept of being positive.
For instance in Quran Surah yusf reference is made to not despairing and losing hope ..surah bani- isreal verse 11…a well known hadice “actions depend upon intent…and hadice regarding have good company..etc etc +Islamic sufisim is replete with it ..Also quantum physics is essentially what the mystices have always know..Observation or tawajjah of shiekh
Assalamualaikum,
the sentence you quote – just replace the word universe with Allah, is actually what i already see in the secrets movie, a science guy in the secret movie says about what created the world and he say all forms are energy, energy cannot be created or destroys, always was & always has been, always exist…….. and same what religious people quotes to Almighty God Allah, Allah cannot be created or destroys, always was & always has been, always exist……..so as a muslims who watched the secrets movie, we should be more a believer that Allah really exist, but it’s also on Allah will for those who doesn’t choose to believe will always stuck with thinking ‘the power is from the universe’……
the law of attraction is actually one of ‘method’ that Allah give us to use, stay positive & always feel gratitude/ syukur, the one who make all is this the truly from Allah power, same goes to law of gravity, it’s just a form of life method, the one who make apple fall from trees/gravity is still from Allah,
be careful …syrik can happen as small as if u believe eating that stops your hunger instead of Allah stops your hunger by eating…..
all bad comes from me, and all good is from Allah swt…..sorry if not so good english as because im not an english man……
Nice
Wonderful! Thank you for your clarification!
welcome….Also Super string theory of quantum physics is all Mysticism…And i suggest to check out some lectures of Dr Bruce Lipton on You tube …..Eye opening evidence of the Hadice of Prophet ..Regarding good and Bad company ….also wat Dr Rupert Sheldrake ..( You tube) extended mind..
JazakAllahkheir I will look into those! Thanks again! :)