“Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers. Or you can grow weeds.”

Thinking positively can work miracles. You may have been told to “guard your thoughts”, but felt the advice to be pointless. After all, your thoughts are private. How can they possibly affect someone else? The fact is, thoughts do seem to boomerang in some mysterious ways. A Muslim only say the truth. He never tells lie through his words and delivers fake news to others. It’s an absolute quality that every Muslim should have. Allah says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

“Give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: We are Allah’s and to Him do we return.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155)

Sincerity in worshipping Allah is everything. Every little action is judged by the intention and a good Muslim must have the intention to please Allah SWT in everything. Don’t do any good deeds to receive praise from others. Science has not found a way to measure them as they have invisible sound waves. To understand how positive thinking works, and how to use it efficiently, it is important to understand the power of negative thinking. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افْتَدَىٰ بِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

“Indeed, those who disbelieve[d] and died while they (are) disbelievers, then never will be accepted from any one of the earth full (of) gold [and] (even) if he offered it as ransom. Those – for them (is) a punishment painful and not (will be) for them any helpers.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:91)

Patience means not doing things in a rush. But patience also means keeping going strong no matter what obstacles come in between. Allah SWT shows His affection to His servants in various ways: through wealth, sickness, and unfortunate things. Allah SWT is teaching them to be patient since He is with those who are patient.

“Negative thoughts and tensions are like birds. We cannot stop them from flying near us but, we can certainly stop them from making a nest in our mind.”

The mind can be directed towards positive thinking or negative thinking. The power of thought is neutral. The way one thinks determines whether the results are positive and beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same energy acting in different ways. Persistent inner work can change habits of thought. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

“O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful people.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:119)

You must be willing to put energy and time into avoiding negative thinking and pursue positive thinking, to change your mental attitude. Think of those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, in other words, to fill your mind with noble, good thoughts, leaving no room for negative ones to take root. Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

“Indeed, We [We] have revealed to you the Book in truth; so worship Allah (being) sincere to Him (in) the religion.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:2)

There are many ways to purify oneself. Make wudu, pray to Allah SWT and ask for His forgiveness. Constant repentance from sins is also the way to purify the soul since we sometimes don’t know that we commit sins every day.

Personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas there are some positive attitudes:

1. Positive thought means a best is going to happen
2. Positive thinking means that you keep your head
3. Positive thinking performs better in everything
4. Positive thoughts release neurotransmitters
5. Positive thoughts purify your heart and soul
6. Positive thoughts make your better habits
7. Positive thoughts maintain great success
8. Positive thoughts reduce stress
9. Positive thoughts can excel in purpose
10. Positive thoughts stop negative self-talk
11. Positive thinking is the core of social life
12. Positive thinking often starts with self-talk
13. Positive thoughts lead to respect for others
14. Positive thinking means you have a good image
15. Positive thoughts control the way we perceive life

Pay respect to others, especially your parents, elders, and other relatives. Respecting them can be done in many ways, such as talking to them tenderly, treating them with kindness, and mentioning their names in our dua. The purpose of human creation is to do good. Surely doing good and kindness is one of the many positive attitudes in Islam. Positivity acts like a magnet that invites more positive things to come in. Allah says:

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ

“Those who [they] about their prayers (are) neglectful.” (Surah Al-Maun 107:5)

The beloved Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) advised us if we look forward to good things, it will happen Insha’Allah. Thinking positively is a very important element of Islam. Always think that ALLAH has a plan for you, if something goes wrong, it will probably lead you to something good. He is working things out for you, even if you don’t feel it. Have faith and be thankful. Where faith and hope grows, miracles blossom, Allah says:

وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“And not were their words except that they said, “Our Lord forgive for us our sins and our excesses in our affairs and make firm our feet and give us victory over [the people] the disbelievers.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:147)

While Allah forgives even our worst and biggest sin, a mere human should be forgiving as his Creator. More than that, Prophet Muhammad had shown the forgiving manner when he had defeated his enemy in Mecca and gave the following words to forgive them:

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

• “Do good to others, surely Allah loves those who do good to others.” (Quran 2:195)
• “Do not ascribe purity to yourselves. Allah knows best who is righteous.” (Quran 53:32)
• “O you who believe! keep your duty to Allah and speak straight true words.” (Quran 33:70)
• “He indeed is successful who purifies himself (in mind and body), and remembers the name of his Lord, then prays.” (Quran 87:14-15)
• “Don’t go near the property of an orphan, except in a goodly way, till he attains maturity. And fulfil the promise (you make) . . .. Give full measure when you measure out and weigh with a true balance.” (Quran 17:34-35)
• “The servants of the Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility.” (Quran 25:63)
• “O you who believe! do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted the inmates . . . and if it is said to you, ‘Go back, then go back.” (Quran 24:27-28)

Selflessness is one of the best qualities, yet hard to follow, from our beloved Prophet Muhammad. He always put others first than himself, even until the last seconds of his breath. The last thing he was concerned about was his ummah, not his family well well-being. There is no higher power than Allah SWT in the whole universe, and the only way to acknowledge it is by being modest. Credit everything to Allah and arrogance will never come close to you.

What does it take to be an Optimist?

1. Keep company with positive, result-oriented people
2. Keep your eye on the bigger picture
3. Tawakkul (Trust in Allah for results)
4. Engage in physical exercise
5. Smile more!
6. Focus on solutions, not problems
7. Allow for less exposure to media and news
8. Maintain a balancing act of fear & hope and optimism & reality
9. Develop creative thinking and innovative ways of doing things
10. Start your day with the empowering Duas (supplication) of the Prophet, peace be upon him

Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst. It’s no secret that living rightly on earth is pretty hard. But it’s a trial to have a better life in the Hereafter. We have to be honest in life, not only with our words but also with attitudes regarding properties that do not belong to us. Allah says:

قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

“He said, “No blame upon you today. Allah will forgive you, and He (is) the Most Merciful (of) those who show.” (Surah Yusuf 12:92)

At first, this kind of thought control may seem like an inner game but you’ll be surprised at how, slowly but surely, your outer circumstances begin to change. For thought precedes action, and the right thoughts precede a chain of good actions. Destructive thoughts, on the other hand, act as poisoning agents. They embitter and limit the thinker, preventing him or her from developing good relationships, because others sense the wrong thoughts telepathically, and shy away instinctively.