Overthinking is a violent storm in our heads that causes fear, doubt, and mental clutter. Intuition, on the other hand, feels calm, soft, and gentle. It is easy to discern intuition from overthinking. Intuition is peaceful, even without tangible evidence. Unfortunately, too many people ignore the quiet voice to listen to the loud voice of fear or the ‘what-ifs.’ As a reminder, the voice of fear is not from Allah. Islam teaches us to trust the fit rah that is within each of us.
Fit rah is our internal voice of purity and origination. The process for reconvening the fit rah within us will be demonstrated in the subsequent chapters of the book.
Evaluation of the Roots of Overthinking
Overthinking usually originates from fear, whether it is fears of failure, rejection, or just being wrong in general. The brain repeats thoughts over and over because it is trying to establish a comfort barometer of safety. This way of thinking is patterned by unsafe moments that originated in the early years of shuffling between childhood and adolescence.
Psychologists have termed this as a trauma-response. The mind is trying to maintain control over something it cannot have control over. As individuals begin to forget the ability to trust themselves or especially Allah, we start to rely more on thoughts, and exacerbate this by over-analyzing every situation. Islam teaches us to find a balance in thinking. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not overburden yourselves.”
Recognizing the Difference: Thought vs Intuition
Thoughts are loud, restless, and full of fear, continually thinking and questioning everything without a break. Intuition is soft and fast, showing a feeling of quiet knowing.
Real Life Example: Prophet Musa عليه السلام
When Allah told Musa عليه السلام to go in front of Pharaoh, he understandably felt fear in his heart. He said, “My chest is tight, and my tongue does not move easily” (Qur’an 26:13).However, he did not overthink.
He simply turned to Allah and sought help. He followed his heart and trusted the divine, not delaying his mission. What the Quran shows us is that prophetic-strength actually comes from trusting the heart, not the mind.
Read more:7 Layers of the Inner Self
Tip 1: Make Daily Silence Practice
You can’t hear your intuition amongst the chaos of the mind. Silence restores connection to spirit.
Try to dhikr daily – repeating Allah’s names calms the soul. Try letting go: “Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel.”Even five minutes of stillness can breathe new life into your thoughts. When the heart is conscious of Allah, fear runs out of the mind.
Tip 2: Start by Ask Yourself More Empowering Questions
Overthinking starts with self-defeating questions such as “What if I fail?” or “What if people judge me? “Instead, ask better questions such as “What is Allah teaching me from this moment?” or “What feels right in my heart now? “Good questions get better clarity. They open your soul to the divine space of answers. The Qur’an states “And He taught Adam the names of all things…” (2:31) you were designed to know all along. You just need to ask it better.
Real Life Islamic example: Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام
Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام has a dream to sacrifice his son – an enormous faith test. He didn’t overthink the meaning. He neither delayed nor worried; he did not ask a million people, he simply followed it – it sat deeply in his heart – he initiated to sacrifice his son. His commitment was sincere, so Allah accepted the sacrifice by switching it for a ram instead. This is quite the evidence of the power of trusting the divine inner guidance without the endless overthought.
Tip 3: Pay Attention to Your Body
Your body has courage and wisdom. It already knows what is right, before the rational analytic thesis of the conscious mind does. When we are anxious in distress, does your chest not tighten? And if something is wrong in your tum-tum or stomach, what happens there first? Your stomach reacts first. In psychology, this is called somatic intuition; your body has reacted faster than the rationale of the thoughts. In fact our Islamic prayer is a great example of this procedure – we pause and we feel, our Salah is training us to listen.
Trust your body; it gives early signals always.
Tip 4: Write First, Then Decide
Writing externalizes racing thoughts. It creates space for feelings and truth. Write all your fears onto paper. Then take an evening and write about what feels right inside of you. Sometimes you already know what to do – the noise simply obscures it.
The Qur’an states, “By the pen and what they write.” (68:1) Writing is a spiritual practice to hear the fit rah clearly.
Psychology Case: Trauma and Overthinking
Dr. Bessel van der Kook did research on trauma and memory. He said, “The body keeps the score. “Those that have unhealed trauma tend to live in fear, and their mind plays a scene they developed since stressing over a trauma and it’s played on repeat. This infernal loop of thinking will stop your intuition and keep you stuck in survival mode. However, once regression starts to heal the person’s trauma work, the heart starts to open again. You will start to trust the soul more easily now.
Tip 5: Make Istikhara a Practice
Istikhara is a prayer asking Allah for guidance, combining divine aid with inner understanding.Rasulallah ﷺ said “Whoever does Istikhara will never lose out. Once practicing Istikhara, many feel an immediate wave of calm. Many find doors swing open effortlessly and clearly. This is Allah’s answer to the one who gives their heart away in trust.
Tip 6: Trust it, then Move
Intuition, and fit rah–may not give absolute clarity. Intuition gives you gut feelings–not evidence. It is important that you move even in the fog of uncertainty. In surah ash-Shu’ara, He said to Musa عليه السلام,”Go forward with My servants at night….” (26:52)And the sea did not separate until he took his first step. Sometimes you have to take the first action–then trust the outcome.
Final Thoughts: Come back to Fitrah
Overthinking is not your natural state. You were made in comfort, ease and clarity, with the knowledge of fitrah.Allah has endowed every human in the state of fit rah. Your task is only to remember it, and come back to its Allah says in the Qur’an, “And the soul has been inspired as to its wickedness and its righteousness.” (91:8)
So, trust that fit rah. Trust Allah. Think less; feel more. Talk to your Lord, and then follow your soul home.
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