Restorative Killing: Self-Renewal and Spiritual Growth

Dr Sam Garcia talks about the concept of regeneration that helps you renew yourself . It's a self-improvement system and I wanted to share it with you , with the hopes that it will benefit all of us , inshaallah . The main concept around which I'm developing this podcast is about the removal of damaged elements .

Death of that is consuming you or draining you or killing off a part of you that is not benefiting you anymore And , when used in a medical term , is a removal of damaged or dead tissue from a wound .

While it might paint a picture of removal of physical elements , how I mean it in this podcast is , in a metaphorical sense , removing something that you can't touch or see , but you know needs to be eliminated in your life . It's a process of controlled death . This is about purposefully eliminating something to promote new , healthier and more beneficial growth .

Just as farmers burn off old , unproductive crops to make room for new ones , you need to take off and shed off the dead weight of your mental burdens . This is about purposefully killing off the part of you that doesn't serve you anymore . I want to take some time to create emotional safety around these terms of death and killing .

Again , i mean them in a metaphorical sense . No one is actually dying . If you don't have a sense of safety around these words or something gets triggered in you , then maybe this podcast is not for you . But if you are able to listen to it from a perspective of renewal , then you will have a great strength and ease at the end .

From an Islamic perspective , this concept aligns seamlessly with the teachings about self-renewal and self-improvement . This is a practice where you're encouraged to shed off your detrimental habits for a mindful , better version of yourself . And I want you to only approach this podcast if and when it feels safe for you .

And if a point comes when it doesn't feel safe , you can always take a break for deep breathing exercises . But in reality , nothing dangerous is being discussed . Nothing actually fearful is going to happen . Nothing actually dangerous is going to happen during this podcast .

So in that light , this podcast is also not for people who are deeply traumatized , having active suicidal ideations . Please seek help with a licensed mental health professional if that's the case .

While that is my general recommendation , always , it is worth reminding ourselves of this disclaimer and this option as it relates to this podcast , in case the word death or related terms are triggering to you . So , as an introduction , take the analogy of the pharma organ . This is about the art of making room .

In agriculture , farmers practice crop rotation and field resting , clearing away old or the non-productive plants to make room for new ones . There are habits in you that need clearing away as well . You have beliefs that might have served you to survive at one point , but no longer serve you . These are the old crops that you need to clear away .

By doing so , you create space for the newer , healthier habits and traits to develop and flourish . Understanding that your mental habits does not mean that these habits are you . These habits are the weeds of your life , the behaviors that impede your personal growth . They also might create disconnection in your personal relationships .

They might be habits of anger , dishonesty or arrogance . As the Quran says , and be moderate in your pace and lower your voice . Indeed , the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys . Surah Luqman , ayah 19 Habit of being in a triggered state around family . Raising your voice or yelling or screaming is just that a habit . It is not your identity .

These undesirable traits can be uprooted and discarded as weeds controlled killing , just so you will have room for positive change . Restorative death is a process of consistency and perseverance . There will be parts of you that will need shedding , improving , and I cannot say this enough .

But this is not a moral flaw , or this is not because you're genetically or inherently damaged , but because it is the effect of our nafs as it goes through the life on earth . Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said the best of people are those with the most excellent character .

Rushing off of the excess weight through restorative killing is just like you killing off a crop just so something else can grow in its place . Cultivating this level of a good character requires patience , effort , time and perseverance , and there is great importance in self-reflection when it comes to this restorative death .

It's like the gardener assesses the soil before deciding to plant something , assessing our spiritual and emotional soil . Before deciding to kill something off , before deciding to plant something new , you have to assess the situation . Self-reflection is not a self-blame exercise .

Self-reflection is just like assessing the soil , looking at it , seeing what belongs and what doesn't belong anymore . The Quran encourages self-reflection . Indeed , in that are signs for a people who give thought . Isura Ar-Rad 13 , part of Ayah 3 . Once we have cleared away the old crops and weeds , we can now sow new seeds .

These seeds represent positive traits such as compassion , honesty , gratitude or anything of the like . And again in the Quran it states Indeed , allah loves those who act justly . Quran 49 , part of ayah 9 .

Maybe a trait you want to sow this time is that you want to act justly , having given your fair share of attention to your work , to your family , to your acts of worship . At this point , i do want to interject one other concept from this book , and that has to do with cycles of nature .

Just like seasons are an example of a cycle , your energy level during the day are also examples of cycles , something that are recurrent , with highs and lows and has regular intervals , human beings have cycles inherent in them . For women , they can be their monthly hormonal cycles .

With people in general , the greater cycles of the body birth , aging , death and going back to the soil Cycle of the soil , creation , witnessing of Allah , cycling through the earthly body and then returning to the celestial Cycles are ever present and so common that we don't take note of them .

So when I talk about restorative killing , i don't mean kill off the part of you that gets tired at the end of the day after work . That's a cycle , natural and inherent . It is your requirement to get restful sleep , to come back to life the next day so that you can repeat the cycle again .

Restorative killing is not about shedding the natural lows of the cycle . You need these lows to experience the highs . This type of debraiment process is not an invite to judge yourself for feeling sad when you lose a pet or one thing , to kill off that anxiety .

When you get laid off , if you're worried about how to make the next mortgage payment , that worry does not need killing . That worry needs to be channeled into what you're going to do next . But any of that would require restorative killing , the debraiment . If you get laid off and you make it mean that you don't have the skills , the world is a horrible place .

You can't keep a job because either you're neurodivergent , or because of your paths , or because of your family . If your layoff derives you to put responsibility on something that is not in your control , that calls for an immediate , restorative killing .

That worry that you have about making your bill payments can be healthy if you direct it to create more opportunities for yourself . The worry as an emotion is the low of the natural cycle . That in itself does not need to be killed off .

And again , i choose this strong language of death and killing because we have to first of all start developing a healthy relationship with death . It is a part of who you are , it is a part of life , and also because the lower brain of yours sometimes need strict language .

If you see a toddler putting their chubby finger in an electrical outlet on the wall , if you catch them in that position , you're not going to be like oh honey , please take that finger out , can't you see ? it's going to hurt you . That will leave a boo-boo . You're not going to use that language .

If you catch them in a position where they can just electrocute themselves , you're going to bolt into action and yank their finger out .

This language and phrasing of killing off and death is supposed to be giving you that sense of urgency , that bolt , that energy to leap into immediate creative action , because that toddler brain of yours is in a position to electrocute you in any moment . The toddler brain hurts us and we end up blaming the world .

This dynamic needs immediate intervention Action like yanking the hand out of the outlet , action like restorative killing . From an Islamic perspective , this is about continuous self-improvement . It involves identifying and eliminating detrimental habits or characteristics , replacing them but positive ones , and recognizing that this process is an ongoing cycle .

With patience and perseverance , we strive towards becoming better versions of ourselves . With this conscious act of burning off the excess noise , you can restore the balance , harmony and equilibrium .

If you have a luxurious lifestyle because Allah swt has made that possible for you and you've worked hard for it that is a natural high A grateful embracing with grounding will be the right thing to do .

But if and when you see the thirst of materialism superseding that gratitude , that's when it's time for the restorative killing A part of you that needs to be sloughed off cleanly , precisely and painlessly . Your lifestyle does not cause your gratitude , your mind does .

Just like a woman living in poverty will have times in her life of spiritual connection , she will also have times when she will question why she has the hardships , that she doesn't even know where her next meal of the family is going to come from . She will have moments of gratitude and disobedience , just like you will .

Gratitude and disobedience is not a function of your lifestyle . It's a function of your mind , a part of the mind that needs to be metaphorically killed off . This is the process of liberation . This is the process of restoration , heart liberation , embracing this duality of the mind to strengthen your positive identities .

Identity is a thought on repeat Competing identities that will help you become closer to Allah , the teachings in his book and the sunnah of the Prophet . Peace be upon him . Muslim women in the West almost always have a dual heritage and they are competing identities .

Most of us are desperately trying to incorporate elements from our ancestral culture and Western culture And sometimes internal conflict arises due to these overlapping identities . But conflict , if it disrupts your mental well-being , needs to be killed off . Your dual heritage has more than enough room to grow . The conflict is the product of your mind .

Recognizing and eliminating this conflict is a form of restorative killing If living in a different culture leads your mind to create stagnation and personal growth , if it confines you to your comfort zone .

Recognizing these weeds of stagnation calls for targeted killing , the abreadment , and this might look like taking up educational courses , learning a new skill or simply reading more about different cultures , philosophies and perspectives . The focus here is making room for whatever is developmentally healthy for you . In cases like this , you relinquish some to rise a lot .

Your fear of failure needs to be relinquished . This fear that paralyzes you , prevents you from taking calculated risks , doesn't let you pursue your dreams . By consciously relinquishing this fear , you allow yourself to rise above your limitations . The difference between burnout or brilliance is the work of restorative killing . That's it As a workaholic .

You will experience severe burnout If you don't know when to leave work at work and when to be present with the family and when to relax . That will be unsustainable . The recognition of this burnout is a signal for change .

You take steps to create a healthier lifestyle , such as setting boundaries at work , prioritizing self-care , nurturing spirituality and personal relationships . Through this transformation , you move from a state of burnout to a state of brilliance and you will experience enhanced productivity and overall well-being .

The difference between distrust and trust is a factor of debreement healing emotional wounds , thriving in connection , being vulnerable with people that can hold your vulnerability .

It's just a matter of calculated death If the distrust comes from broken relationships , past experiences , just the understanding that the past is a part of your journey and it shapes you into a woman you are today . The difference between self-pity and self-compassion , resentment and serenity , going from fear to courage .

The only difference between all of them is restorative killing . Targeted death , precise and painless removal of the unwanted Is a Quran , remind us . And whoever fears Allah , he will make for him a way out .

Chapter 65 , aya 2 . Your fears are a part of Allah's Vanu-Tarla's plan , serving a purpose when used to direct your life of spirituality , but needs to be killed off when it's faceless , overused and pushes you to incest and worry . Find your passion under the debris of apathy , demotivation and propel your life with the right emotional fuel .

Create heart liberation and mental fortification . With that I pray to Allah's Vanu-Tarla . Grant me and everyone listening the strength to overcome internal conflicts . Grants us mental fortification while we selectively kill the unwanted , the useless . Guide us to release what holds us back , allowing for space for what is developmentally healthy . Put us on the right path .

Siraatul mustaqeen and O Allah , allow us to free ourselves from our mind's burdens so that our hearts are pure . Allow for this work to lift us spiritually so that we can benefit from it on the Day of Judgment . Ameen Ya Rabul Alameen , please keep me in your door as I will talk to you guys next time .