Short answer: yes, Islam has its own meditation. Scholars call it muraqabah (being mindful that Allah sees you), tafakkur (reflecting on His signs) and dhikr (remembering Him). Before revelation, the Prophet ﷺ spent nights alone in the cave of Hira, and the Quran praises those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down and reflect on creation. The aim is not an empty mind. It is a heart that is present with Allah. Breathing and relaxation exercises with no religious content are allowed, while chants and rituals taken from other religions are not.
What muraqabah, tafakkur and dhikr mean
Three Arabic words cover what people mean by Islamic meditation. They overlap, and most quiet sittings use all three.
| Word | Meaning | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Muraqabah | Watchfulness: knowing that Allah watches you | Sit with the awareness that Allah sees and hears you, and let it settle your heart and your actions. |
| Tafakkur | Reflection, deep thinking | Think slowly about a verse, a Name of Allah, death, or the signs in creation. |
| Dhikr | Remembrance | Repeat words of praise with attention to their meaning, aloud or in the heart. |
| Khushu | Humble presence in prayer | Bring the same stillness into salah, so the prayer itself becomes your meditation. |
The root of muraqabah is the level of faith the Prophet ﷺ called ihsan. When Jibril asked him what ihsan is, he answered:
أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
An taʿbudallāha ka-annaka tarāh, fa-in lam takun tarāhu fa-innahū yarāk
That you worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.
Sahih Muslim 8, from Umar; Sahih al-Bukhari 50, from Abu Hurayrah
That second half is muraqabah in one line: even when your heart cannot feel Allah's presence, you remember that He sees you.
What the Quran says
The Quran describes people of understanding as those who remember Allah in every posture and think about the heavens and the earth. Their reflection ends in a dua, which is a good shape for your own sitting: notice, reflect, then speak to Allah.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلًۭا سُبْحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Allazeena yazkuroonal laaha qiyaamaiw-wa qu'oodanw-wa 'alaa juno obihim wa yatafakkaroona fee khalqis samaawaati wal ardi Rabbanaa maa khalaqta haaza baatilan Subhaanak faqinaa 'azaaban Naar
"Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Quran 3:191 · translation by Sahih International
It also names the fruit of remembrance. Hearts find rest, not by emptying themselves, but by being filled with Allah:
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
Allazeena aamanoo wa tatma'innu quloobuhum bizikril laah; alaa bizikril laahi tatma'innul quloob
"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.""
Quran 13:28 · translation by Sahih International
And it reminds you how near Allah is: "We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein" (Quran 50:16). Read more on that verse on its own page.
The Prophet ﷺ and quiet reflection
- The cave of Hira. Aishah reported that before the first revelation, the Prophet ﷺ came to love seclusion. He would go to the cave of Hira and worship there for several nights at a time.1
- Night prayer. He stood in prayer at night until his feet swelled. The quiet hours before Fajr were his time alone with his Lord. See how to pray tahajjud.
- Tears in private. Among the seven people Allah shades on the Day of Judgement is "a man who remembered Allah in private and his eyes flowed with tears."2
- Balance. The Companion Hanzalah worried that he felt close to Allah with the Prophet ﷺ but distracted at home. The Prophet ﷺ told him: "An hour for this and an hour for that."3 Islam does not ask you to stay in a state of meditation all day. It asks for regular moments of presence inside a normal life.
A ten minute muraqabah practice
This is a simple routine built only from acts of the Sunnah. It needs no app and no special words.
- Prepare (1 minute). Make wudu, sit somewhere quiet, and face the qiblah if you can. Wudu is not required for dhikr, but it helps the heart. Put your phone away.
- Settle (1 minute). Sit comfortably and breathe slowly. Let your body become still. There is no special breathing method in the Sunnah, so do what calms you.
- Seek forgiveness (1 minute). Say astaghfirullah slowly, a few times, and mean it. It clears the heart before you turn to Allah.
- Reflect on one verse (3 minutes). Read one short verse, such as 13:28 or 50:16, and think about it. What does it say about Allah? What does it ask of you? If a thought pulls you away, notice it and come back to the verse, gently.
- Remember (3 minutes). Say subhanallah, alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar, or la ilaha illallah, slowly, thinking about each meaning. A tasbih counter keeps count so your mind does not have to.
- Speak to Allah (1 minute). End with a dua in your own words. Thank Him for one thing from today and ask Him for what you need.
Some people reflect on one of the 99 Names of Allah each day instead of a verse: ar-Raqib (the Watchful) suits muraqabah well. The best times are after Fajr and in the last third of the night, but any time is good.
Make it a daily habit
The morning and evening adhkar are the Sunnah's own daily practice of remembrance: a few minutes after Fajr and after Asr.
Open the morning and evening adhkarKhushu: meditation inside the salah
The highest form of presence is in the prayer itself. Allah describes the successful believers as those "who are during their prayer humbly submissive" (Quran 23:2). A few habits help:
- Learn the meaning of what you recite, starting with Al-Fatiha and the words of ruku and sujud.
- Pause for a breath before you say Allahu akbar, and remind yourself who you are about to stand before.
- Keep your gaze on the place of sujud and slow down in each position.
- Make your sujud longer than usual once a day and talk to Allah there.
Is meditation haram? Mindfulness, breathing and yoga
Reflection and dhikr are worship, and they are rewarded. The question people really ask is about meditation borrowed from elsewhere. Contemporary scholars, including Hanafi scholars, give a clear principle: meditation is permitted when it is "clean", meaning free of religious content and beliefs from other faiths.4
| Practice | Ruling in short |
|---|---|
| Breathing exercises and relaxation for health | Permitted. They are a means to rest, like exercise or sleep. |
| Secular mindfulness (noticing thoughts, the breath, the body) | Permitted, with the intention of a healthy mind. Many Muslims add dhikr to it. |
| Chanting mantras such as "Om", or names of other gods | Not allowed. Replace them with dhikr, such as subhanallah or salawat on the Prophet ﷺ. |
| Postures done as worship, such as sun salutations | Not allowed, because they are rooted in another religion's worship. |
| Beliefs about chakras, energies or a universal self presented as religion | Not allowed to believe. Islam's tawhid is the frame for everything. |
The difference between mindfulness and muraqabah is the direction. Mindfulness turns attention to the present moment. Muraqabah turns the heart to Allah, who is present in every moment. A Muslim can use the first as a doorway to the second.
FAQ
Is meditation haram in Islam?
No, not in itself. Reflection (tafakkur) and remembrance (dhikr) are worship. Breathing and relaxation exercises are allowed. What is not allowed is chanting mantras or doing rituals that come from another religion's worship.
What is muraqabah?
Muraqabah means watchfulness: sitting with the awareness that Allah sees you, as in the hadith of Jibril, "worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you" (Muslim 8).
Do I need wudu to meditate or do dhikr?
No. Dhikr is allowed without wudu, and so is reciting the Quran from memory. Wudu is better, and in the Hanafi school it is required to touch a printed mushaf.
Did the Prophet ﷺ meditate?
Before revelation he spent nights alone in worship in the cave of Hira (Bukhari 3). After it, his night prayer, long sujud and remembrance were his times alone with Allah.
How long should Islamic meditation be?
There is no fixed length. Ten minutes a day, after Fajr or before sleep, is a good start. Regular and small is better than long and rare.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3, from Aishah, the beginning of revelation.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 660; Sahih Muslim 1031, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Sahih Muslim 2750, from Hanzalah al-Usayyidi.
- SeekersGuidance, "Is meditation to improve mental health allowed?", answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat and checked by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
- Quran 3:191, 13:28, 23:2 and 50:16, Arabic from the Uthmani text, translation by Sahih International.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.