In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, all praise is due to Allah who did not leave his creation wandering astray but supported them with revelation, and peace be upon his final messenger, Muhammad, who was sent as a mercy to all the worlds, and upon his family and companions and those who follow the guidance as it should be followed.
The Secret is an American self-help book by Rhonda Byrne (2006) which dresses itself in the sheep’s clothing of traditional religion. In doing this it gives itself the veneer of authority and authenticity and attempts to pass off its fake coin as real gold. This is a concern because it can be misleading to people who are looking for psychological support that is both holistic and spiritual. Something that talks of another dimension, or the underlying reality beyond existence, or something greater than cause and effect operating upon matter. On this blog, we firmly believe that psychological support should be holistic and spiritual, but also that it should be grounded within knowledge. This knowledge comes from the authentic teachings of divine revelation as revealed to God’s prophets and messengers, peace be upon them all.
The ideas in the Secret are presented as if they are arising from authentic religious teachings going back into ancient times, including Islam, when in fact they are not. Even the name of the Book is suggestive of traditional teachings like The Secret of Secrets by Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani. The main teaching of the book, that mankind can have whatever he desires in this world, simply by willing it, is contrary to the Qur’an, as well as contrary to reason and logic. The teachings are grounded in chasing material prosperity, so even if some of the methodologies are helpful, the goal is mistaken and the intention is misdirected. The teaching inverts the Master-Slave relationship that is at the heart of Islam to the point it claims that “You are God manifested in human form, made to perfection”!
Problem 1: The presentation of these ideas as if they are authoritative, rooted in ancient religious beliefs, and coming from great spiritual masters when they are not.
The following are all quotes from the Secret.
“The great avatars and master teachers from the past, whose writings lit a burning fire of desire within me. I have walked in the shadows of their greatness, and I honour every one of them”
“When I discovered one teacher, that one would link to the next, in a perfect chain”
“Bob Proctor’s wisdom came to him through a lineage of great teachers. It began with Andrew Carnegie who passed it to Napoleon Hill, and then Hill passed it to Earl Nightingale Earl Nightingale then passed the torch of wisdom to Bob Proctor.”
This sounds like the language used to describe a Sufi silsila and this is intentionally misleading, because it is trying to give a veneer of spiritual authority to the ideas in the book by imitating something that is true.
Then the book also claims that this is the message of famous people such as Shakespeare, Browning, Blake, Beethoven, Leonardo de Vinci, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Pythagoras.
And then they make an even grander claim:
“Religions, such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations, such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, delivered it through their writings and stories. Recorded throughout the ages in all its forms, the Law can be found in ancient writings.”
The Qur’an tells us that one message has been delivered to all peoples and it is this:
“Though all they were ordered to do was worship God alone, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of true faith, keep up the faith, and pay the prescribed alms, for that is the true religion.” (Qur’an 98:5)
Unfortunately, the secret they claim that Islam teaches is not this: see below.
Problem 2: The Secret teaches that we can control what happens to us through our thoughts and have whatever we desire which is contrary to the Qur’an (and to logic)
The following are all quotes from the Secret.
“The secret is the Law of attraction…. The law of attraction says that like attracts like, and so as you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.”
“Thoughts become things.”
“If you see it in your mind, you’re going to hold it in your hand.”
“You can have, do, or be anything you want”
“We can have whatever it is that we choose. I don’t care how big it is.”
“You have a choice, and whatever you choose to think will become your life experience.”
“Our job as humans is to hold on to the thoughts of what we want, make it absolutely clear in our minds what we want, and from that we start to invoke one of the greatest laws in the Universe, and that’s the law of attraction. You become what you think about most, but you also attract what you think about most”
“You can think your way to the perfect state of health, the perfect body, the perfect weight, and eternal youth.”
“Illness cannot exist in a body that has harmonious thoughts.”
“Let go those limiting thoughts. Food cannot cause you to put on weight, unless you think it can.”
Is this really the secret that Islam teaches – or indeed any of the great religions of the world?
The Qur’an says: Is man to get whatever he wishes for? Nay! To Allah belongs the hereafter and the earlier (Surah 53:24)
The Qur’an also says: But if the Truth had followed their desires, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in it would have been ruined. Rather, we have brought them their reminder, but they are from their message turning away (23:71)
There are a lot of claims in this book that the Secret actually works. Could it work for some? Even if it did work for some, it doesn’t mean it is a good thing, but a form of magical way of evading the limitations and responsibilities of being humans. The Qur’an tells us:
Whoever should desire this fleeting life (al-3aajila) – We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will [enter to] burn, censured and banished. (17:18)
And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.” But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.” No! But you do not honour the orphan. And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor and you consume inheritance, devouring it altogether, and you love wealth with an immense love. (Surah 89:15-20)
So whatever thing you have been given – it is but [for] enjoyment of the worldly life. But what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely(42:36)
Have you seen him who takes his own desires for his god? Are you a guardian over them? Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are but as the cattle; nay, they are farther astray from the path.” (The Holy Quran, 25:43–44.)
And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds. (Surah Al-Kahf, 28)
Problem 3: This book talks a lot about using the power of thought to get rich and is a form of prosperity religion that is growing in America and is grounded in following your own desires and chasing material wellbeing in this world
The following are quotes from the Secret.
Bob Proctor, one of the gurus tells us that the Secret is only known by a small select group of people who can use the knowledge for creating prosperity. He says, “Why do you think that 1 percent of the population earns around 96% of all the money that’s being earned? Do you think that’s an accident? It’s designed that way. They understand something. They understand The Secret, and now you are being introduced to The Secret”
And part of what they claim is that somehow, we deserve to get whatever we want:
“You deserve all good things life has to offer.” (p. 41)
Really? Is this really true? This is obviously contrary to Islam which teaches
And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment). (16:61)
Taken from the story of the fabulously wealth Qarun in the Qur’an:
Verily, Qarun was of Musa’s people. And we gave him of the treasures, the keys of which would have been a burden to a body of strong men. Remember, when his people said to him, ‘Do not exult’, but seek what Allah has given you, and do not forget your portion in this world. And be good, as Allah has been good to you. And seek not mischief in the land. Allah does not love those who do mischief. He said, “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.” Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount they had collected. But the criminals will not be questioned for their sins. (Qur’an 28:76-80)
Ibn Katheer says:
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And the Qur’an tells us in Surah 43:33
“And were it not that all mankind would have become of one community (all disbelievers, desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Beneficent (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators (and stair-ways, etc. of silver) whereby they ascend,” (43:34)
And 18: 103-4 Say, [O Muhammad], “Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work.” Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any importance. |
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| Our job as humans is also to be clear in our minds that what we want is the right thing to want. An believer who devotes her thoughts solely to Allah and pleasing Allah is doing a great thing, but someone who devotes his or her thoughts to something other than Allah, such as becoming wealthy, could be doing a very bad thing.
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Problem number 4 This book places makes the slave the master of the Universe, inverting the true spiritual teachings of Islam
The following are all quotes from the Secret.
“You are the most powerful magnet in the universe…. This unfathomable magnetic power admitted through your thoughts.”
“All power is from within and therefore under your control”
“The earth turns on its orbit for You. The oceans ebb and flow for You. The sun rises and sets for You. The stars come out for You. Every beautiful thing you see, every wondrous thing you experience, is all there, for You. Take a look around. None of it can exist, without You. No matter who you thought you were, now you know the Truth of Who You Really Are. You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life.” (p 83)
“You are God manifested in human form, made to perfection”
“As we let go of all thoughts of limitation and know that we are unlimited, we will experience the limitless magnificence of human kind,”
“Remember Aladdin is the one who always asks for what he wants. Then you’ve got the Universe at large, which is the Genie. Traditions have called it so many things – your holy guardian angel, your higher self. We can put any label on it, and you choose the one that works best for you, but every tradition has told us there’s something bigger than us. And the Genie always says one thing: “Your wish is my command!…
You are the Master of the Universe, and the Genie is there to serve you. The genie never questions your commands.” (p. 46)
“Make a command to the Universe. Let the Universe know what you want.”
The ‘Something bigger than us’ is there to serve us? Is this not a complete inversion of the Master-slave relationship in Islam? Who is the rabb and who is the abd again?
But the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allah and His beloved.” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination. (5:18)
This book the Secret teaches that humans are rich, independent, amazing, with the Universe at their command. But the Qur’an tells us that Allah is the truly Rich and the praiseworthy.
Indeed man is tyrannical when he views himself as independent of want, indeed to Allah is your returning (in need) (Qur’an 97:6)
If this is true, that we control everything, that we are at the centre of the Universe, it also negates the idea that what happens in life is Allah’s decree. The Prophet Muhammad does not tell us to meditate on the things that we want in life in order to attract them towards us. He tells us to remember Allah, and that if we do that then Allah will protect us.
One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth. Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.
This hadith tells us that the Islamic way is a third way in which we should neither, like the materialists, fear people and events, because of what they might do to us, but nor should we believe that we can control people and events. The only one with control is Allah, al-Malik al-Qahar, and this is the meaning of tawheed.
The Qur’an tells us even our will is dependent upon Allah’s will, which I have personally witnessed many times on my own life.
This is an reminder: Whosoever will, let him take a (straight) Path to his Lord. But you cannot will, unless Allah wills. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surah 76:29-30)
May Allah protect all of us from being led astray, and guide is to the truth and help us to follow it as it should be followed.
