Following the recent release of his debut self-help book “Bulletproof
Peace: 30 Spiritual Secrets of Peace and Happiness”, Spiritual Coach, Author,
Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner, Sabbir Muslim shares how spirituality miraculously
transformed his life from one of debilitating physical illness, addiction, and
inner turmoil, to one of optimum health, joy and daily miracles.
For the first thirty years of
life, Sabbir Muslim did not have any relationship to spirituality. “It had
never been taught to me. I had maybe done some light reading of Deepak Chopra
and Louise Hay briefly but there was nothing spiritually going on for me.”
Instead, he describes his early life as one filled with self-loathing and self-disgust,
in never-ending pursuit of just about anything
external to fix him.
“From an early age I had a
feeling of not fitting in anywhere, almost like I was a bit of an alien or
something. I was chubby, isolated a lot, and comforted myself with food,
fantasy books and series like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings- anything that
would transport me to another universe so I wouldn’t have to be in this one. What I
didn’t realise at that time, was that I had a food addiction.”
The only child in his school
referred to a fat clinic, this only further added to Sabbir’s sense of
isolation. “I didn’t go to parties. I was terrified of the opposite sex. I felt
so fat and ugly,” he admitted. To deal with this inner pain, he became obsessed
with extreme dieting in an attempt to lose weight which soon created health problems
such as bad breath, constipation, anaemia, and balding. “I told myself I should
just avoid people. I felt absolutely worthless and disgusting.”
With no sense of direction in
life, Sabbir took his father’s advice and studied Biochemistry in Imperial College,
London, as a side door into a career as a doctor, despite despising maths and
suspecting dyslexia. “I used food to try to cope with the stress of trying to
pass exams and keep me awake but then there were exams I didn’t show up for as
I was so knocked out with the food.”
Having to repeat a year, he did
manage to pass his degree, and thereafter set his sights on a job in the stock
market, believing biochemistry jobs were few. “I wasn’t getting anywhere in
trying to be thin, so this became the next obsession. I thought this would be
the answer. I’d be successful and make loads of money.” But it never seemed to
hit the mark. From his first job as a salesman in Vienna, to his decision to
study a Masters in Business Administration in Cass Business school, London (“as
a heavyweight qualification would be the answer”), his job as an equity analyst
in the Docklands, the rapid promotions, travelling overseas, wining and dining
with representatives in high class restaurants, it was never good enough; his
mind constantly convincing him that it may as well be the bottom rung of the
career ladder, and he was getting nowhere. “I felt like a fraud trying to be
someone in the stock market.” Food addiction progressed into workaholism and
his feelings of self-loathing deepened.
In the year 2000, at age thirty,
Sabbir’s body had had enough. Flying home from a business trip to New York, his
feet began to swell, rapidly filling with water. Admitted to the Royal Free
Hospital on landing, the doctors eventually diagnosed kidney failure, though
they knew of only four medical cases in history of someone losing their kidney
function so rapidly.
“It’s quite ironic that I always
had this goal to get my life sorted and perfect by thirty,” he said, with a
small laugh, attempting to make light of a clearly horrendous time in his life.
“I had to feel like I had arrived. Yet here I was; my kidneys had collapsed. I
was in emotional, physical, and spiritual hell, literally facing death.”
It was at this rock bottom point
that Sabbir’s life was to change forever. Lying on the hospital bed he had a
profound spiritual experience; a beautiful heavenly light, and a voice which
clearly instructed him to find a spiritual solution. “It resonated on such a
deep level. I didn’t know where or how or what I was looking for but I knew the
rest of my life would be focused on trying to find something spiritual.”
Although hugely grateful that the
doctors had been able to stabilise his kidneys at 30%, Sabbir’s quality of life
greatly diminished. He developed asthma and gout, often requiring the
assistance of a walking stick and within three months lost his career due to
underperformance. “This was extremely difficult for me. I had invested so many
years, qualifications, money, and effort, working so hard, my attachment to
being successful in the stock market was ferocious but I didn’t have a choice.
I was too ill.” Distressed by his condition and subsequent unemployment,
Sabbir’s mother had a severe heart attack soon after and spent several months
in intensive care. This was an incredibly painful time for Sabbir, as her
chances of recovery seemed slim. Following a triple bypass surgery procedure
she did eventually recover.
Still using food as a comfort,
Sabbir embarked on his spiritual quest with great haste and tenacity, and spent
several years exploring many different avenues, from training in TM meditation
(inspired by Deepak Chopra’s teachings), attending a host of spiritual groups
in churches and Buddhist centres across London, receiving a range of
alternative therapies, visiting spiritual healers, and training as a Reiki
Master, Spiritual Healer, and hypnotherapist. Each time he felt “this must be
what God wants me to do”, yet his intuition ceaselessly urged him to seek
further, elsewhere. “I had some
wonderful spiritual experiences and some disturbing ones," he shared. "One church group I
attended ended up being more like a cult! In another- a meditation group led by
an Indian guru- I was warned not to leave or I would go to hell!!”
Although disconcerted and
unnerved at times, Sabbir continued with his quest and in 2006 he finally hit
gold-dust! Upon discovering the Energetic Matrix Church of Consciousness, he
had his second and third spiritual experience; watching a man named David R.
Hawkins giving a spiritual talk, on a DVD presented to him by group founder,
Hans, and through a process of self-enquiry, guided by enlightened teacher
Mooji- unpinning the ego layers, bringing him to a space of deep peace. “I had
a blissful white light spiritual experience, the strongest experience I had
ever had in my life,” he gushed.
On this DVD, Hawkins shared how
he had recovered from 23 illnesses, some life threatening, by utilising
spiritual resources in attending a 12 step group for his addictions and
studying A Course in Miracles (ACIM).
Not only this, he had initiated a spiritual healing group for those with
life-threatening conditions such as cancer patients and AIDs sufferers all of
whom recovered through applying A Course in Miracles. There was no doubt in
Sabbir’s mind that Hawkins’ experience traced the path towards enlightenment
for him.
Recognising that he had a food
addiction, he began to attend a 12 step fellowship related to food. “I have had
remarkable freedom from my food addiction; I haven’t had overeating or
unproductive behaviours around food in eight years,” he expressed gratefully. With
his kidney functioning at 15%, by 2008 Sabbir’s day-to-day living was further
limited by having to spend eight hours on a dialysis machine daily. Desperate to
gain freedom from his debilitating physical illnesses, he wholeheartedly
dedicated himself to practicing the daily lessons presented in A Course in
Miracles. “I have had so many miracles. This is the inspiration behind my new
book,” he shared.
On a waiting list for a kidney
transplant, Sabbir was advised that it would take at least 2-4 years before he
would receive a donor however within 1.5 years he had a successful transplant. Following
his operation thirteen different medications were prescribed and within three
years he was taking but one. “The consultant said to me that he knew of no one
taking less medication than me who had gone through a transplant,” he
exclaimed. “It was astonishing!” He was discharged from the asthma clinic he
had been attending for some years and he no longer required medication for his
gout attacks as they had ceased.
Sabbir has experienced many other
miracles in his life such as an improved relationship with his mother, his
drastic change in the direction of his vocation in life, and what he describes
as his move away from “cultural hypnosis”. “There has been a huge shift in what
I gravitate towards in terms of people, places, things, and situations which
are more aligned with spirituality, love, and service and less in line with
what I once thought would make me really, really, happy. If you have a
spiritual essence everything is good; small miracles happen all of the time;
all the buses, all the tubes arrive on time, it’s magical! The universe is just
bending everything to be in your way.”
Today, Sabbir is in optimum
health, free from physical ailments, and lives from a place of joy and
gratitude most of the time. He continues to practice A Course in Miracles daily
and runs a spiritual group weekly in London Waterloo teaching these lessons to
others. “I have an inner calling to share my experience of healing with
others,” he avowed. He intends to write more self-help books, liaise with magazines and
other media channels, continue to expand his series of spiritual videos on
Youtube, and offer spiritual talks to the public in a variety of locations to
further spread his message.
“My message to anyone who reads
this article is that if they are suffering with anything, it could be an
addiction, an unhealthy relationship, physical suffering, depression,
disillusionment with life, a feeling that nothing is quite working, no matter
what they try, that pursuing spirituality is something that can offer real hope
and relief. My book offers a number of simple spiritual tools that may help you
to begin to tap into your own inner happiness.” For a taster of Sabbir's new self-help book "Bulletproof Peace" click here. Now available on ebook for only £2.25.
For information on the ACIM spiritual group in London, Waterloo, access to his Youtube videos, and the opportunity to subscribe to his weekly newsletter check out his website:
http://www.sabbirmuslim.co.uk
"I wish you all miracles."
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