In Muslim families, Mental Health is often not taken seriously. Culturally, we are taught to struggle in silence and are not provided with ways to cope with stress, depression or anxiety. When those issues are not completely dismissed, they are at least belittled and made insignificant. Islam however, has not intended these problems to go ignored. And if depression and stressed are not explicitly stated, fear, sadness, worry are key themes in some of the prophets’ stories. Here is some tips to help with your Mental Health.

The first step: Acknowledging the reality and importance of mental health

Because our lives will be filled with tests sent by Allah.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:155)

Every single one of us will be tested in one way or another, including with our own emotions.

Sadness, anxiety, worry are emotions that we all experience to a certain degree in our lives. Even the prophets (peace be upon them all) went through these emotions and there is much to learn from their stories, which we find in the Quran.

Prophet Yaʿqūb (peace be upon him), for instance, was so distressed at the news of losing his son Yūsuf (peace be upon him) that he cried to the point of becoming blind.

Prophet Zakariyyah (peace be upon him) was very worried about not having any child at an old age and turned to Allah SWT in supplication.

Maryam (may Allah ﷻ be please with her) was going through the pains of childbirth when she expressed her fears and said, “Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.”

Even Prophet Muhammad ﷺ experienced deep sadness in his life, successively losing his beloved wife Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib, in what is remembered as the Year of Sorrow.

By mentioning these stories, Allah ﷻ shows that those hardships are sent as test for us, human beings and hints to the solution to difficult emotions. On to the next point.

Step 2 :Turn to Allah ﷻ and remember that He ﷻ is with you

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (Surah Ġāfir, 40:60)

Remember that God is always listening, in times of happiness and in times of struggle. Making dua (supplication) is therefore a powerful tool that Allah ﷻ is giving to the believer.

Engaging in dhikr (remembrance of Allah ﷻ) , for example by saying:

• “bismillah”, in the name of Allah
• “alhamdulillah“, all praise is due to Allah,
• “subḥānAllah“, glorified is Allah,
• “lā ilāha ill-Allah“, there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah

is a great way to remind ourselves that Allah ﷻ is here with us.

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

Truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace. (Surah Ar-Raʿd, 13:28)

Step 3: Nurtur your Faith like you would your own child

Spirituality is an important aspect of mental health. What we mean by spirituality here is not the fulfilment of our religious obligations, such as the five daily prayers, fasting during the month of Ramaḍān, or paying the Zakat (alms-giving), as one could complete those without any sense of spirituality.

Rather, it is the constant seeking, to the best of one’s ability, of getting closer to Allah ﷻ. Making our best efforts to take care of our relationship with our Creator can go a long way in making us feel better about ourselves and regaining some of the inner peace we have lost.

Here is a short list of a few extras you could engage in – be realistic though, and focus on what you can do, even if it is just one thing from the list:

• Offer extra prayers
• Listen to the Quran or read the Quran, or a translation in your native language
• Learn and recite new duas
• Stay in touch with family and friends
• Listen to or watch Islamic lectures
• Spend money or time on a charitable cause (more on this later)
• Read a book on the life of the Prophet ﷺ , or listen to the Audiobook version.

Step 4: Acknowledge your body’s rights over you

It is reported that when the Prophet ﷺ was informed one of his companion fasted all day and stood all night in prayer, he said, “Do not do that! […] Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5199)

This shows that we should not overwork ourselves to the point of burn out and must remember to give their rights, to Allah, our bodies and the people in our lives.

He (ﷺ) also said, “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6011)

This goes to show self-care is not a personal responsibility, something that each of us is supposed to initiate on our own, but a communal one, to make sure that our loved ones and the people around us are feeling okay, so that they feel comfortable doing this move when we need it most, creating a loving and caring community.

Step 5: Check your consumption of media – yes, that includes social media

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نافِعاً، وَرِزْقاً طَيِّباً، وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً

O Allah, I ask You for knowledge which is beneficial and sustenance which is good, and deeds which are acceptable. (Hisnu-l-Muslim 73)

If you are struggling with Mental Health, then try and do some clean-up on your devices:

• Are you sure ALL these accounts that you follow on social media are bringing anything positive to your life? (#sheikhBeyoncé)
• Are all of these news applications and websites giving you beneficial knowledge of our world?
• Are you spending your time in a way that will help you not only in this life but also in the next?

Do this clean-up regularly.

A useful tip: Give

It may seem counterintuitive:

How can I give to others when I feel sad, depressed and worried? How can I give from an empty cup?

But it has actually been proved that doing acts of kindness helps improve our self-esteem, our connection to others and support network, our sense of belonging in the world, and reduce feelings of isolation.

And this can be the simplest acts, smiling – which releases endorphins and helps a person feel happier and more positive – is a charity!

Today, try to give ! A smile, helping your mother with chores, siblings with homework… You will see the difference Inshaallah !

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Every joint of a person must perform a charity each day that the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. And the good word is a charity. And every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim, 40 Hadith Nawawi 26)

Sources:

Main ideas are from the website below – this article is a condensed version of what I found applied best to my muslim society audience:

https://studioarabiya.com/blog/12-mental-health-tips-from-the-quran-and-sunnah (15/12/2022)

Studies on the science of kindness:

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness (27/04/2023)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29702043/ (27/04/2023)