<ul><li>Pride</li><li>Envy</li><li>Greed</li><li>Wrath</li><li>Lust</li><li>Gluttony</li><li>Sloth</li></ul>

Why does being bad feel so good?

Research explains where these behaviors come from and help us understand why we continue to engage in them—and often celebrate them—even as we declare them to be evil.

Techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which highlights metabolically active areas of the brain, now allow us to view the biology of bad intentions.

The most enjoyable sins engage the brain’s reward circuitry, including evolutionarily ancient regions such as the nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus; located deep in the brain, they provide us such fundamental feelings as pain, pleasure, reward, and punishment.

More disagreeable forms of sin such as wrath and envy enlist the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. This area, buried in the front of the brain, is often called the brain’s conflict detector, coming online when you are confronted with contradictory information or even simply when you feel pain.The more social sins (pride, envy, lust, wrath) recruit the medial prefrontal cortex. Found just behind the forehead, this region helps shape the awareness of self.

No understanding of temptation is complete without considering restraint, and neuroscience illuminates this process as well. As we struggle to resist, inhibitory cognitive control networks involving the front of the brain activate to squelch naughty impulses by tempering their appeal.

Meanwhile, research suggests that regions such as the caudate—partly responsible for body movement and coordination—suppress the physical impulse. It seems to be the same whether you feel a spark of lechery, a surge of jealousy, or the desire to pop somebody in the mouth: The two sides battle it out, the devilish reward system versus the angelic brain regions that hold us in check.

It might be too strong to claim that evolution has wired us for sin, but excessive indulgence in lust or greed could certainly put you ahead of your competitors.

“Many of these sins you could think of as virtues taken to the extreme. From the perspective of natural selection, you want the organism to eat, to procreate, so you make them rewarding. But there’s a potential for that process to go beyond the bounds.”

There is no sin centre in the brain, no single node of fiendishness that we might be able to shut down with drugs or electrodes. With the advent of modern imaging techniques that peer into the brain as it functions, though, we at least gain some perspective on our bad habits. At the same time, we can indulge in another wickedly gratifying pastime: As other people misbehave, we can sit back and watch.

In the annals of sin, weaknesses of the flesh—lust, gluttony, sloth—are considered second-tier offenses, less odious than the “spiritual” sins of envy and pride. That’s good news, since these yearnings are notoriously difficult to suppress.

Lust

Watching pornography calls upon brain regions associated with reward, sensory interpretation, and visual processing. It enlists the amygdala and the hypothalamus, which deal with emotional information; it also stimulates the reward processing ventral striatum, probably due to the satisfying nature of watching erotic stimuli. All said, the most notable thing about lust is that it sets nearly the whole brain buzzing.

These responses are so unique and distinctive that, in the context of an experiment, it is possible to determine whether a man is aroused just by looking at an fMRI brain scan. “These are huge effects,” Safron says. “You’re looking at the difference between something that elicits intense desire and something that does not.” (Women show a less spectacular response, Safron says, and it is unclear exactly why.).

If lechery is all-consuming, how do we ever manage to control it? As with other powerful impulses, we try to shut down arousal by calling upon the right superior frontal gyrus and right anterior cingulate gyrus, according to research led by Mario Beauregard. He and others propose that these brain areas form a conscious self regulatory system. This network provides us with the evolutionarily unprecedented ability to control our own neural processing—a feat achieved by no other creature.

Today it is difficult to regard overeating as a sin, considering the overwhelming evidence of the powerful role of physiology in appetite. Physician Gene-Jack Wang has studied the brains of overeaters since 1999, when he and colleague Nora Volkow originally observed that obesity and drug addiction alter the same brain circuits.

Gluttony

These pathways, which rely on the neurotransmitter dopamine, are often referred to as the reward system, but they are also involved in motivation, attention, decision making, and other complex functions. In their studies, Wang and Volkow found that both drug addicts and obese people are less sensitive to dopamine’s rewarding effects. Being relatively numb to the pleasure and motivation signal may make them more likely to chase after a stronger thrill: more food or a bump of cocaine. Excessive stimulation further desensitizes dopaminergic neurons, and the compulsion snowballs.

In some of his experiments, Wang asks his volunteers to come hungry. He then torments them, asking them to describe their favorite food in detail while he heats it up in a microwave so that its aroma wafts through the room. When they go into a positron-emission tomography (PET) scanner, Wang sees the motivation regions of their brains go wild. Parts of the orbital frontal cortex, which is implicated in decision making, also light up.

In the brains of obese people, the regions that regulate sensory information from the mouth and tongue are more active, suggesting that overweight people may experience the sensations of eating differently. Other research shows that their reward sensitivity is lower. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and other areas involved in inhibitory control are underactive; the heavier the person, the lower the activity there.

“Our brain evolved for us to eat in excess, in order to survive. This kind of excess is built into the brain.”

Mere laziness seems out of place among the deadly sins. It helps to know that this moral failing was originally conceived of as acedia, a term that suggested alienation and tedium, tinged with self-contempt. Acedia afflicted jaded monks who had grown weary of the cloistered life. Their sin was turning away from their moral obligations and toward selfish pursuits—a monastic form of ennui.

Sloth

Today, paralyzing lassitude is often seen as a symptom of disease rather than of turpitude. Apathy is a classic sign of frontotemporal dementia. In this neurodegenerative disorder, the frontal lobes of the brain are slowly eaten away, causing social and mood changes as well as cognitive decline. Patients with such dementia often become increasingly withdrawn.

Sadness and listlessness are also hallmarks of major depression. With frontotemporal dementia the symptoms are caused by dead and dying cells; in depression the root cause is still unknown. In both conditions, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has an unusual pattern of activation.

Related to its ability to inhibit impulses, this region has a role in sustaining attention over the long haul. Abnormal function in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex might be connected to the lethargy associated with both conditions. Conversely, activity in this area may keep a lid on negative emotions; in some studies, depression lifted with stimulation of that part of the brain.

Early theologians saw pride as the fundamental sin—the “queen of them all,” according to Pope Gregory the Great, who codified the list of seven deadly sins in the sixth century. Indeed, psychologists say that arrogance is second nature in Western society. Most of us perceive ourselves as slightly smarter, funnier, more talented, and better-looking than average.

Pride

These rose-colored glasses are important to mental health, functioning as a psychological immune system that protects us from despair. “Those who see themselves as they truly are—not so funny, a bad driver, overweight—have a greater chance of being diagnosed with clinical depression,” says Julian Paul Keenan.

For most of us, it takes less mental energy to puff ourselves up than to think critically about our own abilities. In one recent neuroimaging study, volunteers who imagined themselves winning a prize or trouncing an opponent showed less activation in brain regions associated with introspection and self-conscious thought than people induced to feel negative emotions such as embarrassment. We accept positive feedback about ourselves readily,

“Compared with guilt or embarrassment, pride might be processed more automatically.”

Pride gets its swagger from the self-related processing of the medial prefrontal cortex, which Keenan calls “a very interesting area of the brain, involved in all these wonderful human characteristics, from planning to abstract thinking to self-awareness.”

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in which a magnetic field applied to the scalp temporarily scrambles the signal in small areas of the brain, he was able to briefly shut off the medial prefrontal cortex in volunteers. With TMS switched on, his subjects’ normal, healthy arrogance melted away. “They saw themselves as they really were, without glossing over negative characteristics”.

Righteous humility has traditionally been depicted as the virtue that opposes pride, but the work of Keenan and others calls that into question. He is using TMS to disrupt deliberate self-deprecation—the type of unctuous, ingratiating behavior that seems humble but is actually disguised arrogance.

Patterns of brain activation during self-deprecation are fundamentally the same as those during selfdeceptive pride, Keenan is finding. “They’re in the same location and seem to serve the same purpose: putting oneself ahead in society."

Despite the enormous pool of potential research subjects, greed has not yet been systematically investigated in brain research. However, neuroscience does offer insight into a related phenomenon, the indignant outrage of the cheated.

Greed

Our hatred of unfairness runs deep, even trumping rational self-interest. In the lab, researchers frequently use the “ultimatum game” to test our responses to injustice. One of two partners is given a sum of money and told that he must offer some amount of his own choosing to his partner. If the partner rejects the offer, neither gets to keep any of the cash.

On a rational basis, the receiving partner should accept any nonzero offer, since getting some money is always better than getting none at all. But people’s sense of violation at unfairness is so strong that test subjects reject offers of 20 percent or less about half the time.

In response to unfair offers, the brain activates the pain detection process. It also engages the bilateral anterior insula, an area implicated in negative emotions such as anger, disgust, and social rejection. The overall picture that emerges from fMRI is that of a brain weighing an emotional response (the urge to punish the guy who is cheating you) against a logical response (the appeal of the cash).

When Lieberman increased the money being offered, he found that accepting a share that was larger but still unfair—say, $8 out of $23—was linked with increased activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and downregulation of the anterior insula, changes that are often seen during the regulation of negative feelings. People seemed to be swallowing their outrage to accept a reward that was inequitable but appealing.

Similarly, getting a fair offer—even if it was small in absolute terms—activated regions in the brain that are involved in automatic and intuitive reward processing. Justice apparently feels good.

The sin of pride turned on its head, envy is the most social of the moral failures, sparked by the excruciating awareness of someone else’s supreme talent, stunning looks, or extremely expensive car. For that reason, it is also the least fun of the deadly sins; feeling jealous provides no dirty thrill.

Envy

Only one imaging study (conducted by Takahashi’s group in Japan) has probed the neural basis of envy. Volunteers in fMRI machines were asked to read three scenarios. In the first, “student A” was portrayed as similar to, but better than, the volunteer in every respect. “Student B” was depicted as equally successful but very different from the subject, and “student C” sounded pretty much like a loser.

Reading about the awe-inspiring student A activated the volunteers’ conflict-detecting brain region, perhaps responding to the gap between the default setting of self-aggrandizing pride and the ugly truth of someone else’s triumphs. This same region is enlisted when feeling pain, suggesting to Takahashi that envy is a kind of “social pain in the self.”

On the other hand, indulging in schadenfreude—delight in someone else’s downfall—can be downright bliss. Aquinas termed this “morose delectation” and condemned it as a failure to resist a passion. Indeed, Takahashi found that rejoicing in a rival’s defeat brings pleasure just as surely as envy does pain. In the second phase of his study, volunteers read about student A’s downfall, causing the ventral striatum to light up.

The striatum is part of the so-called reward system, which can be activated by such pleasures as money, food, or sex, Takahashi says. The stronger the activation of the brain’s conflict detector in the first study, the stronger the striatum response in the second.

It may not have been the original sin, but rage is certainly primordial: Much of the brain circuitry active during anger is very basic and very fast. In humans, anger also enlists the conflict-detecting dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which immediately alerts other regions of the brain to pay attention. The more upset you get, the more it activates, according to Tom Denson, a psychologist at the University of New South Wales in Australia. In people with short fuses, this part of the brain seems to be primed to feel provocation and personal slights, Denson says.

Wrath

Some of us are more easily enraged than others, but few are able to stifle rage completely. Instead we may convert overt hostility into angry brooding.To investigate the difference between short fusers and brooders, Denson antagonized his volunteers, insulting them while he scanned their brains. “Within seconds you see differences,” he says.

The medial prefrontal cortex, associated with self-awareness and emotional regulation, quickly lit up in angry brooders. So did the hippocampus, involved in memory. As they fume, people repeatedly relive the insult in their minds. Denson found that the degree of hippocampal activation predicted how much people tended to ruminate.

Probing the underpinnings of vengeful behavior, a German group led by neuropsychologist Ulrike Krämer allowed people who had been provoked during an experiment to punish their antagonist with a blast of extremely annoying noise. While the subjects pondered how loud to set the volume, the dorsal striatum, part of the brain’s reward circuitry, lit up at the prospect of retaliation.

“We have this primitive brain that says, ‘Do it! Do it!’” Denson says. Similarly, people asked to imagine themselves engaging in aggressive behavior actively suppress activity in the prefrontal cortex, where social information is processed. By deliberately inhibiting our natural social response, we ready ourselves to strike out.

Historically, moralists have not paid much heed to the findings of science, and it is safe to say that all the brain-scans in the world probably will not persuade modern theologians to recalculate the wages of sin. Still, they might want to observe one recent finding from modern neuroimaging:It turns out that acting virtuously does not really require a hair shirt. In fact, research suggests that it feels pretty good.

Jordan Grafman recently found that virtue literally is its own reward. Altruistic behavior sends reward-related brain systems into a pleasurable tizzy—even more so than the prospect of self-interested gain. “The big punch line is that all things being equal, your reward system fires off a lot more when you’re giving than when you’re taking,” says Grafman, who is chief of the cognitive neuroscience section at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Call it the dirty little secret about being good: It might be even more fun than being wicked.

A scientific exploration of the 7 deadly sins 🤷‍♀️

Brain researchers are finding the sources of our nastiest temptations.

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Philosophy

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

The Neuroscience of the Seven Deadly Sins

Some essential oils may benefit hair by<ul><li>Speeding hair growth</li><li>Improving scalp health</li><li>Improving texture</li></ul>Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT.

Essential oils are extracted from plants through methods like distillation or evaporation. While essential oils are most famous for their aromatic capabilities, they also contain strong chemical properties that can be beneficial for health.Essential oils have long been used in alternative, Eastern, and homeopathic medicines thanks to their effectiveness and low risk of side effects.

One benefit some essential oils have is improving hair health. Different oils can do everything from helping hair grow to adding strength and shine.

Lavender oil can speed up hair growth. Knowing that lavender oil has properties that can generate the growth of cells and reduce stress, researchers on one animal study found that this oil was able to generate faster hair growth in mice.It also has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which can improve scalp health.

Lavender Essential Oil

Mix several drops of lavender oil into 3 tablespoons of carrier oil, like olive oil or melted coconut oil, and apply it directly to your scalp. Leave it in for at least 10 minutes before washing it out and shampooing as you normally would. You can do this several times per week.

Peppermint oil can cause a cold, tingling feeling when it increases circulation to the area it’s applied to. This can help promote hair growth during the anagen (or growing) phase.One study found that peppermint oil, when used on mice, increased the number of follicles, follicle depth, and overall hair growth.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Mix 2 drops of peppermint essential oil with the carrier oil of your choice. Massage it into your scalp, and leave on for 5 minutes before washing out thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner.

If you want to improve both hair thickness and hair growth, rosemary oil is a great choice thanks to its ability to improve cellular generation.According to one study Trusted Source, rosemary oil performed as well as minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment, but with less scalp itching as a side effect.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Mix several drops of rosemary oil with olive or coconut oil, and apply it to your scalp. Leave it in for at least 10 minutes before washing it out with shampoo. Do this twice per week for best results

Cedarwood essential oil is thought to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can treat different conditions that may contribute to dandruff or hair loss.Included in a mixture with lavender and rosemary, cedarwood extract was also found to reduce hair loss in those with alopecia areata.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Mix a few drops of cedarwood essential oil with 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil of your choice. Massage it into your scalp, and leave it on for 10 minutes before washing it out.

Dandruff can be a common ailment, and having a healthy, flake-free scalp is an important part of hair health. Lemongrass oil is an effective dandruff treatment, with one 2015 study finding that it significantly reduced dandruff after one week. Lemongrass oil for dandruff is most effective when used daily.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Mix a few drops into your shampoo or conditioner daily, and make sure it’s massaged into your scalp.

Thyme can help promote hair growth by both stimulating the scalp and actively preventing hair loss. Like cedarwood oil, thyme oil was also found to be helpful in treating alopecia. Thyme is particularly strong, even among essential oils.

Thyme Essential Oil

Put only 2 small drops in 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil before applying it to your scalp. Leave it on for about 10 minutes, then wash it out.

Clary sage oil contains the same linalyl acetate that helps make lavender oil so effective in increasing hair growth. It can improve hair strength, in addition to increasing hair growth, making hair more difficult to break.

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Mix 3 drops of clary sage oil with your favorite conditioner, or with 1 tablespoon of carrier oil. If using it daily, rinse out after 2 minutes. If using it once or twice per week, leave it on for 10 minutes

Tea tree oil has powerful cleansing, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. When used topically, it can help unplug hair follicles and increase hair growth.Some are highly concentrated essential oils, and other products are mixed in a cream or oil.A 2013 study even found that a mixture containing tea tree oil and minoxidil was more effective than just the minoxidil alone in improving hair growth, though more studies are needed on using tea tree oil only.A review in 2015 found tea tree is commonly used in anti-dandruff treatment products.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

You can mix 10 drops of tea tree essential oil into your shampoo or conditioner and use it daily. Or, you can mix 3 drops with 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil, and leave it on for 15 minutes before rinsing it out.

While those with oily hair and skin would want to skip this one, ylang-ylang oil is ideal for those with dry scalps, as it can stimulate sebum production.As lack of enough oil and sebum causes hair to become dry and brittle, ylang-ylang can improve hair texture and reduce hair breakage.

Ylang-ylang Essential Oil

Mix 5 drops of essential ylang-ylang oil with 2 tablespoons of warm oil. Massage it into your scalp, and wrap your head with a warm towel. Leave it in for 30 minutes before washing it out. Ylang-ylang can also be found in preparations such as shampoo or creams.

Horsetail plant oil is an extract oil, not an essential oil. It contains silica, which is thought to improve hair growth speed and strength along with potentially reducing dandruff.While no studies have evaluated horsetail oil used topically, a 2015 study found that oral tablets containing the oil improved hair growth and strength in women with self-perceived thinning hair.

Horsetail Plant Extract Oil

It can also be effective as a topical treatment, with anecdotal evidence and theory suggesting that it may help boost circulation to the scalp and have the same benefits as the oral tablet. It can be added to shampoo or massaged into your scalp.

The biggest risk of essential oils is skin irritation or allergic reactions. This is especially common when an essential oil is applied directly to the skin, so it’s vital to always use a carrier oil to dilute it.Allergic reactions are also more common in those with sensitive skin or those who have allergies to the essential oil.

Risks and Potential Complications

Symptoms of skin irritation include:<ul><li>Contact dermatitis</li><li>Burning, discomfort, or painful tingling</li><li>Redness in the affected area</li></ul>

Signs of an allergic reaction include:<ul><li>Severe dermatitis</li><li>Blistering rashes</li><li>Difficulty breathing</li><li>Swelling of the tongue or narrowing of the throat</li></ul>

Only older teenagers and adults should use essential oils topically for hair health. If you think essential oils could benefit your child, ask their pediatrician first to make sure it’s safe.To evaluate for irritation, remember to test a small amount of the mixture on a small patch of skin before full use.

Essential oils can help you improve the health of your hair with very little risk of side effects at an affordable price point. They’re also easy to use.For many, mixing some with a carrier oil or your shampoo and applying that to your scalp regularly can increase hair growth, strength, or shine.

Conclusion

A study on the benefits of essential oils for hair health 🙆‍♀️

Some essential oils can improve the health of your hair with very little risk of side effects. Learn about which essential oils can help your hair grow and stay healthy. 

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Habits

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Mental Health

Essential Oils for Hair

Made up of 30 short chapters, this book is a spiritually enriching reminder of the Creator's love, which increases through everyday actions by remaining consistent with unnoticeable good deeds.We will explore the qualities and characteristics Allah SWT loves, and how we may become people who are loved by Him.I have also included some Duas (prayers) eloquently put in writing by Omar Suleiman, the author of this book 🙏🏼

This refers to the constant effort and mindset of steering back to Allah.If we were created by God to return to Him in a state that is pleasing to Him, then to demonstrate our desire to be loved by our Creator, we should show caution with things that compromise that love.The most practical way to do this is that we stop ourselves from thinking, saying or doing anything that is displeasing to Allah, we stop ourselves because we know that the greatest consequence is distance from Him.

Allah Loves..Piety

Indeed, the greatest way to be loved by Allah is to show that we fear losing that love.

May Allah show us to never compromise our love for Him, and may Allah entrench within us piety, that God-conciousness, and may Allah keep us in His favour, Ameen.

This means that we actually become closer to Allah SWT than we were before we commited the sin, we become more beloved to Him by repenting.Allah SWT didn't create us to not sin. Being sinful is part of our humanity, and forgiveness is part of Allah's attributes. We were given free will to sin, and so penitent human beings ascend even beyond the angels in rank.Allah SWT created us to know how to deal with sin properly. We acknowledge our sinfulness even when intentional, and try to get back onto the path to Him. The word tawbah means to turn back to Allah SWT

Allah Loves.. Repentance

There is no such thing as a sin that can permanently disqualify you from the love of Allah, if you repent afterwards and use that to propel yourself towards Him.

It doesn't matter what we did in our past, because He guaranteed us a better future if we learn how to deal with that past, And that will propel us towards Him. We ask Allah SWT to make us amongst those that are beloved to Him in our repentance and in our sin, and in our good deeds, Amin.

God-consciousness is the stepping stone towards excellence. To do beautiful things is to honour the sight of Allah upon us to earn extra love from Him.This leads us to hold ourselves to higher standards, so that we may distinguish ourselves and become amongst those who are especially loved by Allah SWT.You see the love of Allah through all your interactions, whether its in your worship, your relationships, your work ethics - you do this because the degree of Allah's love that you seek is that much higher.

Allah Loves.. Excellence 

In the Quran, Allah describes 3 types of self:<ol><li class="ql-align-center">The soul that commands itself with evil, that indulges in evil.</li><li class="ql-align-center"> The soul that is accountable, the self of God-consciousness.</li><li class="ql-align-center">The soul that is at peace with Allah, that is the person of excellence.</li></ol>

We ask Allah to make us the Good Doer, who are at peace with the favour of their Lord, who will always find His excellent favour on the Day of Judgement, and be amongst those motivated by His love before anything else, Amin.

Angels have no choice but to obey Allah SWT whereas a human being goes beyond obedience, carrying out acts of voluntary praise, voluntary love and voluntary worship. Therefore, Allah SWT allows a human being to be elevated in His sight, to a higher rank even above the angels. The words which Allah SWT chose for the angels:"سبحان الله وبحمده سبحان الله العظيم""Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allah-il-Azim""How perfect is my Lord and may He be praised, how perfect is my Lord, the Almighty"

Allah Loves.. Angelic Praise 

This chapter reminds us that we are in a good place if we have the ability and the will to call upon Him. Knowing that Allah SWT loves me despite how broken I am, despite how sinful I am, despite how distant I am from Him, yet he loves to hear me, in that there is a blessing.Any time Allah SWT unshackles your tongue to allow you to ask, any time Allah SWT allows you to make a request, know that He wants to give you something because He wouldn't have allowed you to make that prayer unless He wanted to answer.

Allah Loves.. Sincere Supplication 

We can become trapped in the mindset of feeling too distant from Allah SWT, that we refrain from calling out to Him sincerely. However, know that calling out to Him is a way of closing that gap and actually reducing that distance.Shaitan (the devil) invites us to commit sin, which causes the distance between us and Allah SWT. Then Shaitan invites us to feel too ashamed to turn back to Allah SWT with tawbah (repentance).This chapter provides words of encouragement to uplift the mindset from a state of doom and gloom, to one of hope and self determination.

Allah Loves.. Those Who Are Trying 

We ask Allah SWT to allow us to always be engaged in the effort of purification, to allow us to reach better states, and to always allow us to be in the state of His love even as we fall short, being in the state of repentance and being in the state of making effort for our purification, Ameen.

May Allah SWT heal our brokeness, may Allah SWT see us in our weakness and make it a reason for strength, and may Allah SWT bind us closer to Him through those moments when we feel distant from Him. May Allah SWT allow us to be used and consumed in ways that are good and in ways that are pleasing to Him, Ameen.

Tears And Traces

This chapter highlights the torment we may face when consumed with doubt as to whether Allah SWT hears us, when things feel out of control in our lives.It provides a summary for observing three levels to being in a state of absolute trust in Allah SWT.Where there is mistrust, there cannot be true love.

Allah Loves.. Trust

We ask Allah SWT first and foremost to protect us from being unjust to other people, to protect us from being complacent about injustice when it is apparent to us, to protect us from doing iniquitous things, and from judging in a way that's faulty when we find parties being swayed by some other interests.We ask Allah SWT to not judge us by His justice on the day of Judgement but to judge us by His mercy, Ameen.

Justice 

This chapter explains how we should treat people in accordance to the excellence that we seek from Allah SWT.The Prophet PBUH shows us how we can be the most beneficial to the people:<ol><li>"They put a sense of inner joy into their brothers or sisters heart". They don't just smile at them, they give them a reason to smile aswell. They are emotionally available to people, and serve as a vehicle of Allah's comfort just as they seek that from Allah for themselves.</li><li>"They remove a debt from someone". If we amplify love, mercy and kindness to others, then we will recieve more of that from Allah SWT.</li></ol>

Allah Loves.. The Beneficial People 

This chapter highlights how we are required to be in a place of emotional strength so that we are able to help someone through an emotional vulnerability, to be in a place of financial strength to be able to remove someone's debt or provide for them in their difficult time of need.Don't ever be a person who is helpless. Pick yourself up and try to be someone who is giving rather than receiving, seek to be someone who comforts rather than being the one comforted.

Allah Loves.. Strength

We ask Allah SWT to never allow us to be in need of anyone but Him, to make us people who always strive for goodness and strength and make us a people who are independant of all things but Him, for surely upon Him we are always dependant even if we don't recognize it, Ameen.

Independence 

This chapter explains how we should implement a sense of protectiveness, of honour for our family, and of people. A husband and wife should be protective of eachother in a way that they would not want either to be abused or harmed.Allah SWT encourages us to act honourably, to protect and uphold the honour of our fellow brothers and sisters. Allah SWT loves healthy pride and protective jealousy, having a great sense of honour, tied to honouring the dignity of others positively, without letting it become a means of transgression.

Allah Loves.. Honour 

This chapter explains how we should carry ourselves with dignity, gentlessness, a calm manner. It explains how the Prophet PBUH maintained composure and a sense of collectedness in the face of insults. He showed us that Allah SWT loves gentlessness in all affairs.We don't have to be aggresive or foul to denote strength, rather those things are actually a sign of weakness. So ask Allah to place gentlessness within us even when the Devil tries to stoke our anger and cause us to depart from it.

Allah Loves.. Gentleness 

This chapter goes into detail about restraining ourselves, and approaching things in a calm manner, to not be hasty, but to be intentional about the things that we do, to have self control. If we have forbearance, we are able to excercise self control, to restrain oneself.One of the names of Allah SWT is Al-Halim, One Who is forebearing. Allah tolerates our weaknesses, our wickedness, He does not punish us right away but instead He gives us a chance.Haste is from the Devil, and deliberation is from Allah SWT.

Allah Loves.. Forbearance And Deliberation 

This chapter explains how and why we should adopt a superior work ethic in all that we do. Paying attention to the details, making sure we are doing things right, bringing the spirit of due diligence and excellent work ethic together. The Prophet PBUH said: "Allah Loves that when any one of you undertakes a task, they do it right".

Allah Loves... Due Dillegence 

The Prophet PBUH said:"Do the deeds that you are able to continue with. Take up things that do not exhaust you. Allah does not tire of your worship until you tire of worshipping Allah. The most beloved deeds to Allah are the small ones, if they are consistent".

Allah Loves... Consistency 

The Prophet PBUH said that the very first thing that we will be asked about on the Day of Judgement is the fiver daily prayers. He taught us to practice this fundamental pillar with consistency. Prioritising prayer in our lives shows that we are prioritising Allah in our lives.As he was passing away, the Prophet PBUH said: "Your prayer, your prayer and treat women well".

Allah Loves... Punctual Prayers 

This chapter goes into detail regarding the physical and spiritual levels of purifying oneself by performing wudhu (the purification ritual). The Prophet said that cleanliness is half of faith. He taught us to take care of removing impurities from ourselves and making sure that our wudhu is done carefully with proper supplications.

Allah Loves... Cleanliness 

We ask Allah to make us amongst those who are spiritually purified and physically purified when we go to meet Him for the sake of spiritual purification, Amin.

The Prophet PBUH said: "The most believed of places to Allah are the mosques, and the most hated of places to Allah are the marketplaces"."Don't forbid the female servants of Allah from the houses of Allah" because these houses of Allah are meant to be their homes aswell. Every single believer, even a child, is meant to regard the house of Allah as the primary home in their lives, the place that they go to for mercy, tranquility and for nourishment.

Allah Loves... The Mosque  

This chapter looks at a particular kind of love, love the Allah's sake. The brotherhood in Islam unifies people across race, class, social barriers, preferences and hobbies. It brings people together who may not have any friendship outside of something as powerful as Islam. They love each other for Allah's sake.

Allah Loves... Love 

We ask Allah to make us amongst those who love and are loved for His sake and who are all brought together by loving Him and being loved by Him and that are shaded by His glory on the Day of Judgement because of His love for us and our love for Him, Ameen.

This chapter explains the importance of loving your mother, showing kindness to your parents, showing patience to them as they get older, as explained by the Prophet PBUH. There are no two people whom we can love for Allah's sake more than our parents.Allah has preferred the mother in a very special way. He has mentioned obedience to parents with obedience to Him in the Quran, that we worship and obey Him, and that we show similar level of kindness and love to our parents without ofcourse worshipping them or preferring them over the Creater.

Allah Loves... Your Mother  

"Truly Allah loves those who are pious, self-sufficient, and obscure" who are unnoticed by the people, who avoid the spotlight.It is a person who is quiet, does their service, does their worship, always greets people with a smile, who is barely noticeable in gatherings, doesn't boast and in fact they are gaining a special type of prominence in the sight of Allah.They maintain a low profile, remain quiet and have a sense of humility. They are not seeking their value through how other people see them.

Allah Loves... The Unnoticed 

The Prophet said:"Allah Loves the one who is generous when he buys, generous when he sells, and generous in repayments."The believers are more worried about being charged by Allah because they have wronged a person in business than making a little something extra. The Prophet PBUH explained that Allah is pleased with honest merchants and salesmen, with someone who doesn't cheat people or take anything extra.We see people selling tissue or other small items, it won't hurt us inshaAllah, to buy from them as a means of sadaqah, for the sake of honouring a person who is trying to earn a living.

Allah Loves... Generosity Of Trade 

The Prophet PBUH has such a comprehensive character, he gives us something to aspire to in every single aspect and element of our lives.We ask Allah to make us like the Prophet Muhammad PBUH to make us love him and to join with him under his love in Paradise, Amin.

Allah Loves.. Those Who Follow The Prophet PBUH 

"Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty."This Hadith speaks to the general mindset that we are supposed to have, especially relevant on Eid day.The Prophet said:"If Allah has given you a blessing, Allah Loves to see its effect upon you, so enjoy the blessing but don't be extravagant".Allah also says in the Quran:"Take your best appearance when you go to Allah's house". Don't boast or show off, don't attract envy. Mostly the people who are very paranoid about envy are the people who want to show off the most, who have the extravagant weddings and extravagant things, instead, be moderate.

Allah Loves... Beauty

This chapter goes into detail how Allah is loving, merciful and generous. We have a Lord who loves to be generous. Remember that we pray in the last 10 nights of Ramadhan "O Allah! You are forgiving and generous. You love to forgive, so forgive us."In the Quran, it is said:' Allah wants to lighten the burden upon you'.'Allah desires ease for you not hardship'.

Allah Loves... Acceptance Of His Gifts 

30 short chapters exploring who and what Allah loves ❤️

In Allah Loves... Omar Suleiman explores who and what Allah loves so that we may become one of those who are beloved to Him. The Prophet Muhammad said that one of the supplications of Prophet Dawud was, “O Allah I ask You for Your love and the love of those that love You and all of those actions that would bring me closer to being loved by you.” Looking at our actions, characteristics and beliefs, this book will help us become better people, citizens and believers that are deserving of Allah's endless, infinite and ever-lasting love. Made up of 30 short and spiritually enriching chapters, this book is a reminder that throughout our lives, the Creator's love is always there, increasing through everyday actions such as showing generosity or remaining consistent with unnoticeable good deeds.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

Allah Loves

Colours are a great gift by Allah SWT. They are so universal in our daily life that we often take them for granted.Has any one of you imagined life without colours? It would be in fact all black and white. But wait, black and white are also colours, right?Follow my art therapy Instagram account for more information @my_whitemoon.x

Our emotions, feelings and frame of mind are all associated with colours. Upon passing through a prism, white light splits or disperses into seven colours of light, each having its own characteristic frequency and behavior. Difference in frequencies or vibrations means diverse magnetic effects by each colour. Have you ever felt charmed because of any colour? Have you ever wondered why some colours are comforting to you?

Our body contains all the colours in perfect equilibrium, similar to how vitamins and minerals are for us. Disturbance of this balance can cause malfunctions and lead to onset of anxiety and other diseases. Hence colours are pillars of healthiness and happiness. They are healers and nourishers that create and stimulate varied responses in us. Being at peace is most desired by any person existing on the earth and colours are peacekeepers. They create calmness and rest in your soul. Why does a person become happy upon seeing a rainbow? You know the answer.

Colours exist from the very beginning of the universe and have been utilized for varied purposes from ancient times. In many religious books like the Quran, there are verses mentioning colours. Chapter Al-Insan mentions that those who believe in Allah shall wear fine green silk in heaven. Chapter 35 verse 27 (Surat-ul Fatir) Allah says: Do you not see that Allah sent down water from the sky with which We brought forth fruits of diverse hues? In the mountains there are white and red, of diverse hues, and pitchy black.

Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi in his book Muraqaba defines colour meditation and there has been no conflict regarding his theories so far. With the advancement of science, photodynamic therapy (PDT) came into existence. This technique uses a drug that is activated by light, called a photosensitizer, to kill cancer cells.Chromotherapy is used to perk up the performance of athletes. The endocrine system is known to get stimulated by colour therapy as the radiations of colour interact differently with this system.

White light has seven primary components and each of them is represented by VIBGYOR. Among them the first three (VIB) are soothers and the last three (YOR) are great stimulators. Read on for an insight into the healing powers of VIBGYOR.

This colour has the least wavelength and maximum frequency.This colour is an element of air, transformation, relaxation, compassion, sensitiveness, dignity and spirituality. It provides an immunity boost, deepens ones appetite, nourishes brain cells to battle against diseases and is useful for the treatment of skin ailments and nervous imbalance.

VIOLET RAYS

Indigo is the colour of imagination, stabilisation and purification. This colour is known to create tranquility, awareness, accurate intuition, deep sleep and relaxation. It increases glow on skin, nourishes bones and cartilages and treats urinary tract problems.

INDIGO RAYS

Blue is a most bounteous colour of the universe. This is the colour of confidence and truth. It is astringent, miraculous, electrical and antiseptic in nature. It increases speaking capabilities, relaxation and vitality. This colour can cure throat problems and hearing impairments by providing proper magnetic vibrations. Skin ailments can also be cured by the blue colour because of its bactericidal nature. Anti-stress and anti-inflammatory effects have been achieved by this colour. Scientists in late nineties reported to have used this light for treatment of depression and addictions.

BLUE RAYS

Green is the master colour and creates calmness, psychological harmony, hope, rejuvenation, inner peace, healing and sense of love. It represents creative intelligence. Skin problems, digestive ailments, ulcers, typhoid, fever, kidney problems can be treated with this colour. Turquoise-Blue is an amalgamation of blue and green color that can be used to cure skin tanning and wrinkles.

GREEN RAYS

The Islamic perspective of colour therapy 👀

Great gift by God, colors are involved in daily life of ours. Colors are so universal in our daily life that we often take them for-granted. Has any one of you imagined life without colors? It would be in-fact all black and white. But wait, black and white are also colors, isn’t? Our emotions, feelings…

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Allah Loves

Chromotherapy: Cure by Colors and Quran

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HANA BIBI