Yaser El-Waly on Finding Clarity in Quiet Moments

The Need to Step Away
One’s life is bound to be filled with a lot of talks, notifications, duties, and nonstop needs for attention. According to Yaser El-Waly, there may be times when one requires getting away from all this noise in order to know what is going on in his/her own life.
A quiet time will enable one to contemplate his/her recent decisions, to figure out what is worth paying attention to, and to remember one’s core values. According to Yaser El-Waly, silence does not mean inactivity.
Not Every Moment Needs to Be Filled
Current practices tend to favor an individual being engaged at all times. One can quickly find oneself occupied with something even when one has a couple of minutes of freedom.
In the opinion of Yaser El-Waly, spending some time being unoccupied could actually prove to be advantageous. A stroll without the noise of the surroundings, time devoted to reading, some time spent with one’s family undistracted by anything else, and even a few moments of meditation are all examples.
For example, people residing in big cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth in Australia would have to make efforts to ensure that they get such leisure time.
Quiet Can Improve Decision-Making
According to Yaser El-Waly, decisions that are considered critical are better left to moments where there is no noise and pressure involved.
Distracted thinking may make it hard for an individual to determine true priorities from transient worries. The detachment could make us aware of what matters most.
A brief period of reflection could allow one to realize that his initial reaction was irrational, devise a practical solution, or figure out that the situation is not that significant as he thought before.
Creating Space for Faith
Spirituality is also associated with peace for Yaser El-Waly. These are instances where one takes time for prayer and recollection.
As per his belief, these events do not always need to be grand in nature. At times, it is the perseverance that counts.
It just requires some time for reflection to understand one’s debt, what he needs to do, and the relationship with Allah.
Silence Can Strengthen Relationships
Surprisingly, Yaser El-Waly thinks that silence will also help build connections with others. Not all interactions have to involve constant talking or immediate reactions.
One can spend time with his family members, listen to them without interruption, or be present with another person, showing that one cares without saying too many words.
Yaser thinks that people underestimate the importance of presence, since contemporary communication involves a lot of speaking and reacting.
Learning to Be Comfortable With Stillness
According to Yaser, getting used to silence requires practice because there are individuals who are used to continuous stimulation and who might feel uneasy in silence.
Nevertheless, in the long run, silence can prove to be very beneficial and useful to people’s daily lives, allowing them to understand their thoughts and think about whether or not what they are doing corresponds to their priorities.
For Yaser El-Waly, silence is not a way to escape reality but rather to come back to reality and look at life from another perspective. In this case, silence becomes important as it allows people to stop and reflect, to give space to faith and personal priorities.