An Islamic Perspective on Spiritual Intelligence and Mindfulness

Recently, mindfulness has gained popularity, and as Muslims, you might be wondering how mindfulness relates to Islam. To put it simply, mindfulness is the capacity to focus on the here and now without allowing our thoughts, feelings, emotions, or distractions to take over. 

From a Muslim perspective, this idea can be helpful for emotional well-being. But to us Muslims, without God, this popular understanding of mindfulness is lacking.

This article explores the distinctions between Islamic and worldly/mainstream mindfulness, as seen in the infographic below.

Spiritual versus Emotional Well-Being:
Numerous studies based on neuroscience have demonstrated a substantial correlation between emotional control well-being and mindfulness. On the other hand, mindfulness as seen from an Islamic perspective focuses more on spiritual well-being, which we think may support our emotional health and is fundamentally based on our awareness of and relationship with God, than it does on mental and emotional well-being.
"From an Islamic perspective, mindfulness addresses not just our mental health but also our spiritual health." Hassan Wadud

Heart vs. Mind
The brain, its functions in forming and maintaining new habits, and its impact on our well-being are the areas of the current discipline of mindfulness that most interest us. Islam holds that the Qalb, or heart, is the source of our awareness of God. When the prophet Muhammad remarked, "Taqwa ha-Huna," or "mindfulness of God is here," he pointed three times to his chest. [Muslim]

Islam, then, views mindfulness as a tool and practice to cultivate the heart and soul, which are linked to the mind, as previously discussed in the Productive Muslim article: An Islamic Psychology Paradigm: What Islam Offers to Contemporary Self-Help.  Click Hassan

Spiritual vs Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman, one of the main proponents of the contemporary emotional intelligence movement, claims that emotional intelligence is based on mindfulness and that emotional intelligence is essential for success in leadership, relationships, and the workplace.

However, Islamic mindfulness focuses on achieving excellence through a deeper foundation of Spiritual Intelligence that influences our intention, drive, and behavior to please Allah and achieve eternal success through everything we do. This is in contrast to the practice of emotional intelligence for career success.

"The key to emotional intelligence is mindfulness; the key to spiritual intelligence is mindfulness of God, which shapes our motivation, drive, and behavior to please Allah SWT and secure our everlasting success." Hassan Wadud To Tweet, click. 

Spiritual Intelligence, Productivity, and Mindfulness
After going over some of the key distinctions between Islamic and secular mindfulness, let's look at how Islamic mindfulness and spiritual intelligence relate to one another.
Since the core of emotional intelligence is being aware of how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect our teams, companies, and personal productivity, mindfulness is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. We achieve Spiritual Intelligence when we combine it with God's extra layer of mindfulness!

Our capacity for self-awareness, self-control, empathy, motivation, and proficiency in social skills like negotiation, conflict resolution, and communication is known as emotional intelligence.

We suggest that spiritual intelligence is the God-centered and prophetic self-awareness, emotional control, drive, empathy, and social impact that transforms our job into a kind of worship for God in addition to making us productive and successful in our employment. It supports the high standards of morality that God demands of us, and that the Prophet Muhammad set us.

Our conviction that spiritual intelligence is connected to Divine acceptance, protection, direction, blessings, and proximity is the primary driving force for its development.

"Spiritual intelligence assists us in maintaining the high standards of morality that God demands and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) modeled for us." Hassan Wadud To Tweet, click
Comparing Islamic and Mainstream Mindfulness
Here, we clarify how Muslims may benefit from the God-centric Islamic Mindfulness and Spiritual Intelligence approach on both fronts. One of the leaders of the contemporary mindfulness movement based on neuroscience in the United States, Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn, states that mindfulness is "paying attention on purpose...in the present moment, non-judgmentally."

Let's investigate each of the components of mindfulness that Dr. Kabat-Zinn identified using an Islamic framework:

1. Goal: The Spiritual Awareness of Purpose:
Setting an intention involves awareness and concentration, which is a mindfulness practice. Muslims are taught that the motives behind an action determine its outcome. As demonstrated by our prophet, whatever we do must serve God's will and be advantageous to ourselves and/or other people. Making intentions on a spiritual level gives us the energy, inspiration, and desire to perform to the best of our abilities.

 "Actions are lifeless forms, but the presence of an inner sincerity is what endows us with life-giving spirit," as Ibn Atai'll once remarked.

Our need to make things right and present our best selves to serve God and His creation, whether at work or at home, stems from our awareness of our last home and the Day of Judgment.
According to Abdullah ibn Umair, the Prophet Muhammad stated that whoever sets an intention for the benefit of the world will bring poverty before him and leave it wishing it.

When someone decides to pursue the hereafter, Allah, the Exalted, enlarges his heart, collects all of his lost possessions, and helps him depart from it with even more abstention. [Ibn Majah]

Even if we are only working toward it, we set our aspirations based on the idealized version of ourselves. For this reason, it is said that a believer's purpose is greater than his deed.


2. Presence: Hud Hur's Spiritual Mindfulness:

Our beloved Prophet showed us the importance of being in the moment both with the Creator and the created. In his Mysteries of Prayer, part 4 of his 40-book magnum opus, Ihya Ulum Deen – Revival of Religious Sciences, Imam Ghazali proposed the idea of Hud Hur, or being present with God, as the primary need of Khushu’, or a Mindful Salah.
"And know that Allah knows what is in your souls, so be mindful of Him," declares Allah. [Quran 2:135]

In this passage, Hud Hur refers to having a profound awareness of God (including everything that this awareness comprises, such as abiding by His will and doing what He pleases). Not only is presence of mind necessary for our service to our Creator, but it is also a necessary component for success and fulfillment in our line of work.

In research involving over 2200 participants, Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Matthew Killingsworth discovered that our attention stray almost 47% of the time. We are not in the present moment for half of our waking lives, and the study also discovered that a wandering mind was not content since a concentrated mind was more closely correlated with flow and contentment.

The Islamic principles of Mamala (interactions) view our job as worship when done with the proper intention and effort. This idea of being present at work and giving it our all is also fundamental to these standards.

The example of our beloved Prophet is a profound source of inspiration for the concepts of presence and attention. The Prophet listened from the bottom of his heart whenever he spoke with people. He rotated his chest in the direction of the person he was listening to in addition to merely turning his face. The Prophet made everyone feel heard, and in order to set an example at work and home, we must behave in this manner.

3. No Judgment: Being Spiritually Aware Enough to Not See Any Circumstance as Bad
As Muslims, we follow the teachings of our beloved Prophet when we are spiritually astute and refrain from passing judgment.
"How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything," said the Messenger of Allah. This statement is exclusive to believers. When good fortune comes his way, he gives thanks to Allah, which is beneficial for him; when bad luck strikes, he bears it patiently, which is also beneficial for him. [Muslim]

    A key trait of Spiritually Intelligent people is learning to expect the best from God in any circumstance, to be upbeat, and to see the bright side of every event. These skills require training.
Spiritual intelligence is the understanding that God is pleased and assisted when one is thankful and patient in any circumstance.

 It is based on God's attentiveness, His qualities, and His promises. This is what enables a Muslim to succeed at business or home, even in the face of difficulties that would readily discourage the typical person.