The concept of automatic thoughts in REBT refers to spontaneous and unconscious patterns of thinking that occur in our minds. These automatic thoughts are often negative, irrational, and can lead to prolonged emotional problems. In REBT therapy, individuals are taught to identify their automatic thoughts, evaluate their rationality, and replace them with more realistic and rational thoughts. By transforming negative and irrational automatic thoughts into more adaptive ones, individuals can reduce the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress they experience.
A similar concept to automatic thoughts can be found in Ghazalian psychology, referred to as “khathir.” Al-Ghazali viewed khathir as the origin of human emotions and actions. Khathir, or the flashes of thought, can lead individuals toward both positive and negative behaviors. Al-Ghazali emphasized the importance of being aware of khathir, as understanding the stream of thoughts enables us to direct and control our actions. Khathir can be controlled through the practice of muraqabah, which involves vigilantly observing the flow of thoughts.
In summary, both concepts, automatic thoughts in REBT and khathir in Ghazalian psychology, highlight the role of thoughts in influencing emotions and actions. They stress the significance of self-awareness and the ability to guide and control our actions by understanding and redirecting the stream of thoughts. By training ourselves to replace negative and irrational thoughts with more rational and adaptive ones, we can reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.
The Concept of Khathir (Flashes of Thought)
The most specific influence which happened in the qalb is the flash of the heart, that is thought and memory which happened in the qalb. What it means is that it is related to the qalb’s knowledge about sciences, either by understanding or memorizing it. It is called flash because it has crossed the qalb after it forgot it. Indeed, the intention, desire, and will are formed from khathir or the flash of the heart. The beginning of all deeds is khathir and it does not include choice or man’s consciousness because it just occurs beyond the control of man’s mind.
The working process of khathir could be explained as follows. (1) The first one which occurs in the qalb is khathir (2) then it gives birth to a certain inclination of the will or instinct (raghbah). The instinct which is aroused by khathir, whether it is syahwaniyyah or ghadabiyyah, depends on the khathir which was coming in. (3) Then it will create determination or ‘azam, and (4) the intention will be shown in the form of bodily movement or a’dhau and becomes (5) actions or fi’il which moved after the absence of obstacles. If the action is performed continuously in a consistent manner then it will be established to become (6) character, as something which occurs easily without too much process of thinking.
All the flashes of the heart are in reality created by Allah Ta’ala as a beginning in the heart. The flashes are called khathir. There are four types of khathir. First, the khathir which originated from Allah Ta’ala is called merely khathir, and the next three types will be explained in the next sections. Khathir or the flash of the heart which is present in man’s soul moves it towards two forms of desires. Firstly, the Khathir urges man towards evil things with dangerous consequences. Second, the khathir urges towards good things that will bring fortune as well as benefits in the Hereafter. Those flashes are contradicting each other. And in the following are the next three types of khathir:
A. Hawa nafsu
Khathir which was created by Allah Ta’ala according to nature or man’s behavior is called the hawa nafsu. Due to its relation to the nafsu, this khathir has the form of letting loose impulsive and primitive desires, such as legalizing all means, eating all haram foods, and following the nafsu (nafs). The good and bad of this khathir depend on self-control. If the person observes the Law of Allah Ta’ala then the khathir is good.
B. Waswasah
It is the khathir which is created by Allah Ta’ala along with the devil’s persuasion and enticement is the whispers from the devil which is called waswasah because it whispers to the man’s soul to do a sinful act, ungratefulness, corruption, associating God, and destructive deeds. The signs of waswasah are the whispers that persuade a man to abandon obligatory and supererogatory worship and to do sin and consume syubhat things. Waswasah lies in the chest.
The presence of waswasah in man’s soul is as subtle as the bloodstream which flows in the whole of man’s body. Its presence is so subtle that it is so difficult for one to prevent it. Waswasah will be harder to be detected when infiltrating into good deeds.
“Indeed the devil is flowing (cover) in man’s body as the bloodstream. And I fear that if something bad happened in your soul.” (HR. Bukhari).
Avoid the coming of waswasah; it can be done by remembering Allah Ta’ala. Abu Hurairah said: “Waswas is brought by the devil, if there is mentioned the names of Allah then it will disappear, but if there is no mentioned of Him that it will stay in the qalb.” (HR. Bukhari).
C. Ilham
It is a type of khathir which is created by Allah Ta’ala along with the invitation of the angel mulhim. It is a whisper that comes from the angel. It is imbued with the character to obey, be honest, and be sincere to Allah Ta’ala so it brings salvation and happiness in this world and the hereafter. The function of this khathir is as the comparison of waswasah or khathir which originated from the devil.
Rasulullah said: “In the qalb, there are two whispers; first, the whisper from the angel who invites towards goodness and affirms the truth. Whoever receives it knows then that the whisper came from Allah, and he should praise Him. Second, the whisper from the enemy, who invites badness, negates the truth, as well as prevents doing right. Whoever received it then he should ask for protection from Allah from the cursed devil.” (HR. Turmudzi). Allah said: “There is no soul but has a protector over it.” (QS at-Tariq [86]: 4).
If the qalb is full of syahwat, ghadab, greed, covetousness, full of daydreaming, and other characteristics which incline to follow the hawa nafsu then it is surely the qalb is full of waswasah from the devil.
Nabi SAW said: “Every person among you has a devil.” Then the Companions asked, “How about you O Rasulullah?” He said, “Me too, but I am helped by Allah in facing this devil. Then the devil embraces Islam, thus he does not persuade except to what is good.” (HR. Bukhari).
In ihya ‘ulumuddin it is explained that the devil did not do anything except through the means of the hawa nafsu. Therefore, the person who received help from Allah Ta’ala is him who can defeat his animal soul so that it is no longer able to persuade him towards evil. If worldly things occur in the qalb along with the wish of the hawa nafsu, then the devil will have a way to whisper evil in man’s qalb. But, if the qalb is focused on remembering Allah Ta’ala then the devil will go away. Then, the angel will come before the qalb with true faith.
Waswasah which is originating from the devil will be gone from the qalb when the person remembers things other than the very cause of the waswasah. If the qalb comes to remember something then the previous remembrance will be gone. But, if the remembrance is related to Allah Ta’ala then remembering Allah Ta’ala will bring peace to the qalb.
Khathir is categorized into three that are (1) which is surely known that it brings towards evil. No doubt that it is waswasah. (2) Khathir which persuades man towards goodness which is no doubt that it is ilham. (3) Khathir which makes people doubt, which is not certain whether it is from the devil or the angel.
No one is free from the whisper of the devil unless by closing the doors of khathir in the qalb. The doors are the senses, especially the doors which originated from the syahwat and worldly pleasure. To be alone in a dark house is also a means to close the doors of the senses. Whereas to be away from family and wealth is referring to the lessening the crossing doors of the qalb from within.
Syahwat which is seething due to a lot of eating will bring influence the qalb. Even though the stimulants towards the syahwat are stopped through the senses, the fantasy in the soul is still there and difficult to be gone. The fantasy could move from a thing to something else. By the movement of the fantasy, it is often that the qalb is moving from one state to the other state lain. Qalb is always changing and influenced by some causes.
In minhaj al-‘abidin, to know the difference between good khathir and bad khathir, a person should consider it by comparing three things:
- To adjust the whisper of the qalb with the Syari’ah Law. If it is compatible then it is among the good khathir, and if it is otherwise then it means it is among the bad khathir.
- To compare it with the deeds of pious people. If is compatible then it is among the good ones, and it also means otherwise.
- To compare it with the hawa nafsu. If the hawa nafsu rejects it with the rejection according to its nature and not due to fear of Allah Ta’ala, then it is a good khathir. Otherwise, if the hawa nafsulikes it according to its nature and not hope for Allah’s pleasure then it is bad khathir. For, the hawa nafsu is always persuading towards evil, not goodness.
If we want to know the difference between the bad khathir which is originating from the devil or the hawa nafsu with the first khathir as a test then we should give attention to these three things as follows:
- If the condition is strong and not changing, it sometimes comes from Allah Ta’ala or the hawa nafsu. And, if it is moving forward and backwards undecidedly or in doubt, then it is from the devil. Some of the shalihin explained that the hawa nafsu is like a tiger. If it attacks, it does not know when to stop, except with great push, and then it will be lost. Whereas, the devil is like wolf, if it is expelled from one direction, then it will come from other directions.
- If bad khathir comes after a person did sinful action, then it comes from Allah Ta’ala as torture for what he did. If the khathir is coming in a sudden manner, which is before a person does sinful action, then the khathir is coming from the devil. It is as such in general because it is the devil that first persuade, and then bring people astray.
- If the khathir is not decreasing and weakening through dzikrullah, and cannot be eradicated, then the khathir is coming from the hawa nafsu. But, if it is lessening or weakening by remembering Allah Ta’ala (dzikrullah), then the khathir is coming from the devil.
If we would like to know, which khathir is coming from Allah Ta’ala and which one is coming from the angel, then we should consider these three aspects:
- If the khathir is strengthening the qalb and giving wisdom then it comes from Allah Ta’ala. And, if it is changing then it comes from the angel. For, the angel is merely an advisor. It accompanies man in every good thing and guides man hoping that they will be happy to do goodness.
- If the good khathir accompanies a person’s seriousness in doing worship, then it comes from Allah.
- If the khathir is about the fundamental things (i’tiqad) and internal deeds, then this khathir are coming from Allah Ta’ala. If it is regarding the branch (furu’) of the external science, then it is generally from the angel. For, the angel does not know deeply about the inner side of God’s servant.
It is the condition of qalb that it is in trade-offs between the devil and the angel, in the condition between two rulers, Rasulullah SAW had said: “The qalb of the believers is in the two fingers of fingers of the Lord who is Most Merciful.” Allah does His Action by commanding the angels and the devils. Both of them are commanded to turn a person’s qalb, like the fingers which are obedient to turn other body parts. Therefore, qalb is called as such which means turn back and forth.
The pulling (lammah) of qalb which is done by the devil brings behavior which is destroying (muhlikat) whereas the pulling (lammah) which is done by the angel brings goodness (munjiyyat). To erase the pulling of the devil to the qalb on its track is by remembering or thinking other things. If there is something else is crossing in the qalb then a new thought will occur and replace what was previously the qalb thought about. A good replacement is the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala by asking for protection and liberation from the deception and power other than Allah Ta’ala.
Ricky Firmansyah
Ghazalian Psychology Practitioner