Detox….
The new fad in the world of health today. I have been hearing about it for some time now. Recipes for juices and smoothies for a liver or colon detox have been doing the rounds in my social media .In fact, I recently heard of a clinic in Australia that is visited by the rich and the famous to get detoxed!
So what is Detox?
Detoxification or Detox is the removal of toxins from a living organism. And by “toxins”, they mean poisonous material that is produced within the living organism.
I would like to confess here that the word “detox” has been stuck in my mind for quite some time now.I am trying to “detox” since my chemo finished in 2014 and I got my Cancer back in 2015, knowing that “detox” is an ESSENTIAL step for fighting cancer.
So with my brain buzzing with the word “detox”, I arrived at the door of the blessed month of Dhul Hijjah. Having missed out on the opportunity to fast during Ramadan , I decided to fast in Dhul Hijjah and make the most out of the 10 blessed days.
As I went through A-W-E-S-O-M-E resources on Dhul Hijjah, I was again incredibly amazed by the mercy of Allah 
that He keeps providing us with opportunities to have our sins forgiven. He so wants us in Jannah!
And then, some thing happened in my brain, akin to an electrical cross connection of wires. The wires labelled “detox” and ” productive 10 days” connected and produced an electrical cloud which was full of question marks.
I brushed the “cloud” aside and decided to focus on the 10 days and having my sins forgiven and prayers accepted. And then, I chanced upon a post on my Facebook Feed which said, ” Have you thought “Why are these the 10 blessed days while we had the 10 blessed nights in Ramadan?”
A huge explosion sounded in my brain, the electrical cloud had burst.
The words “Spiritual Detox” poured down upon me, drenching my senses completely.
My mind became illuminated by the answer to the question on my Facebook newsfeed .
Allah wants us to detox our lives. He wants us to remove the poisonous activities in our daily lives which harm our faith. In other words, Allah wants us to have a Huge Super Recharge of Imaan (Faith) .
Armed with this thought, I closely observed my activities and emotions for those 10 days. I noticed that I was conscious of reciting the takbirat more often, dealt with my negative emotions, kept a check on my temper with the kids and felt my heart soften. In general, my heart was in a better condition than before the commencement of the 10 days.
Thus, I acknowledged the immense wisdom behind each action of Allah .
You and me are human beings, created weak. Allah says “…. And man has been created weak.” (An Nisa, 4:28). Falling prey to the onslaught of Shaitan as the Messenger of Allah 
said, ” “The shaitan flows through man like blood.” 1
It is extremely essential to detox our hearts from the waste that Shaitan creates as he moves in around us, luring us towards sin. Glory Be to Allah who loves to make it easy for us, to strengthen us so that we can withstand and fight the attack of the shaitan on us, as He says “…Allah intends to make things easy on you..” (An Nisa, 4:28)
The inability of our hearts to forgive, love, restrain from sin, feel guilty upon committing one, submit to Allah is because of loads of toxins in our heart. Once the process of detoxification is over, the capacity of the heart to love, forgive, learn and submit increases manifold.
And thus, we acknowledge the utmost importance of “detoxing ” our hearts and of “enrolling” in self-help programs to do so.
Let’s see some “programs” for Spiritual Detox that we can successfully implement:–
- Fasting – The third pillar of Islam gives us a great all rounded “program” for spiritual detox. Allah says ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it”. 2. When we fast, we do it solely to gain Allah pleasure and stay away from telling lies or backbiting and yelling. We are controlling our nafs(conscious). So, if you can fast, then go for it. Fast the 3 white days, or Monday and/or Thursday. Now what if you are like me and can’t fast due to some illness? Hmm…no problem, imagine you are fasting and watch over your actions that day.
- Read and understand the Quran -There can be no better cleanser of the heart than reading Quran and understanding what it says. It enters your heart and settles down quietly. You won’t notice it till it raises it’s voice to draw your attention to an act that you commit intentionally or unintentionally , which displeases Allah. And then, it won’t quieten down till you seek forgiveness from Allah and fix your mistake. It boosts spiritual health and growth. So read with understanding insha’Allah.
- Do istighfar excessively — Have you ever felt like there is a heavy weight on your heart? Like there was something that was holding it tight? It is the sins that we commit intentionally or unintentionally. The Messenger of Allah said , “There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day.”3 Allah says “And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful” (An Nisa, 4:110)
- Treat your heart to the dhikr of Allah — Let me ask you a question. What happens to a fish when its taken out of water? It dies. Exactly! Ibn Qayyim said, “Remembrance of Allah to the heart is what water is to the fish“. When toxins overload our system, we feel fatigued and sick, rendering us unable to do many things. That is why we “detox our system” by eating foods that cleanse our bodies. Similarly, remembrance of Allah is that “food” for our hearts that cleanses our sins and negative emotions.
- Treat yourself to a “deeni treat” – Usually, we have a favorite smoothie or juice that we drink to detox. Similarly, do you have favorite speaker, writer or website that you regularly follow for their content? Or maybe a friend with whom you enjoy discussions on hadith or tafseer or a dua? Grab yourself a cup of your favorite coffee and listen to the speaker or while you read. Sit back, relax and enjoy the flow of conversation with your friend.
- Talk to Allah – I cannot tell you what a quick and thorough spiritual detox occurs when you do an act that pleases Allah and have a good hearty talk with Him after that. Tahajuud is the best time but if you can’t make it, then just have a “talk” with Allah any time of the day. Sit alone without any distractions and go for it. You will feel the tears flow quietly down your cheek, the ties that hold your heart tight will start loosening and a warmth will surround your soul.
- Inculcate a Good Habit – Some act/s of goodness like visiting the sick , joining a local weekly halaqa, volunteering, etc., acts are excellent quick detox actions as they increase the level of faith and God consciousness in a person.
In the end , I would sincerely like you to give spiritual detox your serious attention. Toxins, physical and spiritual are a reality. They restrict our growth and restrain us from enjoying this beautiful life that Allah has given us. Its our right to live a life in which we fulfill our purpose for being created which is to worship Allah and enjoy the various blessings that He has bestowed upon us. The only way to do it is to continuously detox and grow. It doesn’t take long to do. 🙂
Allah says , “The day wherein neither wealth nor son will avail a person except the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart} (Al-Shu’ara: 88-89)
May Allah make us those who, when they leave this world, have a pure heart that has been cleansed so many times that it shines bright with His love and mercy. Ameen
What are some of the spiritual detox deeds which we can do in order to live a better life? Please share them in the comments section below. 🙂
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30 replies on “A Self-Help Spiritual Detox Program– Are You In ?”
Maa shaa Allaah! BaarakAllaahu feeki!!
Wa iyyaki Sis
MashAllah what a well written, comprehensive article. So true. You mentioned excellent spiritual detox ideas. Another one is to send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
jzk for your input Sis,
🙂
Much appreciated. JazakAllah kher
Wa iyyaki Sis,
Barak allahu feek.
That was just what i needed.
Allah give you health and make your patience on it a testimony for you on the day we will all stand in front of ArRahmaan. Ameen.
Wa iyyaki Brother
i am happy you liked it.
jzk for your du’a
Assalam alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh!
MA SHA ALLAH!
MA SHAA ALLAH!!
I’m fond in self help topic and this article is very food for thoughts!
See you with all the Umma in the ultimate better Shade of the Day D with shining ♥ in shaa Allah
wa iyyaki
Ma sha Allah,may ALLAH swt reward you both on this earth and the hearafter.Another way we can detox ourselves is through doing lots of nawafils.from tahjud,two rakah at sunrise,two rakah of fajr,two rakah before and after dhur,two before asr,two after maghrib,and two after isha.And so many more.may Allah swt accept it from us.
awesome Sis Maryam, good points
Asalamu Alaykum,
MashaALLAH TabarakALLAH, Allahuma Baarik, May Allah bless you, protect you, preserve you and grant you and your family Jannatul Al firdows Al’ala.
This is a great article, what I needed to kick start my spiritual detox process.
May Allah reward you for it and increase it in your scale of good deeds.
Salamu Alaykum
Jzk Br Ali,
I am happy that you liked it
Jazaak Allah Khair Sheikh for the very valuable advice May Allah bless you!
Ma sha Allaah!
Beautiful words beautifully said. Something which is a dire need for the internal purity of every Muslim. May Allaah Bless you and your family.
jzk Brother Ahmad
Jazzak Allah Kheir. What an excellent method and reminder of the purification of the heart.
I think even simple kindness, like helping an elderly on the road, or helping someone with their broken down car can help a little with the detox.
Awesome Tips
trying to give some tips.. May be I have not completely followed them yet..
1. Try to be in wudhu
2. Have a busy schedule which keeps you occupied always which includes a time for relaxation and family too
3. Beware and take a note of the intuitions Allah sends when you intend to do any unpleasant act or thought. They are from Allah who makes you stop a while and think and take advantage of the halt to slip yourself from bad deeds
4. Last but not the least. Remember Allah’s love for you which is much greater than anything that attracts you on the Earth!
the biggest and most dangerous toxin of our times for body and soul is the addiction of social meadia and electronic media,,we got to stay very careful in use…….it not only is making humanity impassive under virtual life but also taking us away from practicality in life
Indeed man has been created weak.. Thank you for this good advises. In Shaa Allah it will help me. Ameen.
Masha ALLAH!!!
Refrain absolutely from backbiting. But that doesn’t mean that you can be rude to people. That’s another negative trait which will not help in doing away with toxins.
Jazakallah khair sister.
MashA Allah baarakallahu feeki. Allahumma jaddidil IMAN fii qulubina
I think giving sadka is also a kind of detox
MaashaaAllah an amazing article jazakallahu khayr. .may Allah swt shower His blessings, protect you and your family Allah yashfiik ameen
Barakallah fik. Jazakallahu khairan
Wa iyyaki Sis