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Is depression one of the disease of the heart? And if so what is the cure? Question on Nov,21 2017 depressionduaprescriptionpsychiatric Question: Is one of the disease of the heart depression? And if so what is the cure? Answer: Bismillahi Taʿālā Assalāmu ʿalaykum waraḥmatullāhī wabrakātuh, At the outset, we should not see everything in a linear fashion. While the linear thought process is easy to grasp, life is not linear. It is constantly being influenced by different factors. There can be a number of these factors which leads towards depression. Just as there are medical and psychiatric procedures to tackle depression, Islam also gives guidelines towards restoring such balanced state of contentment. Every individual will have different conditions and factors that cause his depression may be different. This is why the psychiatrist would go through multiple sessions to assess the key factors contributing towards the depression. Sharīʿah does not discourage taking such medical treatments. In fact, Islam complements these efforts to keep a healthy mindset and disposition. In Islam we recognize that Allah Taʿālā is the absolute power over all the factors that may contribute towards one’s depression. Hence, it is pivotal that along with medical procedures which tackle any physical factors, we ultimately rely on Allāh to guide us through emotional, mental and religious factors as well. Rasūlullāh ﷺ taught a great supplication for such instance. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالحَزَنِ، وَالعَجْزِ وَالكَسَلِ، وَالبُخْلِ وَالجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ Allāhumma innī aʿūẓu bika minal hammi wal hazan; wal ʿajzi wal kasal; wal bukhli wal jubn; wa ḍalaʿi dayn wa ghalabati rijal O Allah, I seek your protection from stress, depression, weakness, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, the burden of debts and being overpowered by men. This beautiful duʿāʾ should be recited as much as possible, while focusing on the meaning and concientizing oneself that Allah is more powerful than all these factors and with the aid of Allah, overcoming these factors can become a breeze. May Allah grant you complete contentment in life and rest from any difficulties therein, Āmīn And Allāh Taʿālā Knows best, Wassalamu ʿalaykum, Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi صحيح البخاري – دار طوق النجاة (8/ 79) 6369 – حدثنا خالد بن مخلد، حدثنا سليمان، قال: حدثني عمرو بن أبي عمرو، قال: سمعت أنس بن مالك، قال: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الهم والحزن، والعجز والكسل، والجبن والبخل، وضلع الدين، وغلبة الرجال» Source

Answer to a question regarding Islam and depression Source: Islam Online Archive According to psychological studies, a large percentage of people today are subject to some kind of depression, even small children, so it is important to explore this issue in relation to being better Muslims. The Islamic system aims to create a balance in the Muslim’s life, by putting life matters into perspective, rearranging priorities accordingly, and harmonizing all circles of relationships between the individual and his inner and outer environments: *{Seek the life to come by means of what God granted you, but do not neglect your rightful share in this world. Do good to others as God has done good to you. Do not seek to spread corruption in the land, for God does not love those who do this.}* (Al-Qasas 28:77) People feel depressed or sad when this harmonious equilibrium is disturbed, in which case Islam steps in, not to condemn the feeling, but to offer a solution for regaining psychological and mental balance. What Is Depression? You seem to know the difference between situational depression (temporary deep distress or sadness) and clinical depression, which is a mental health disorder that can affect the way you work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy pleasurable activities. A depressive disorder is more than a passing mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness, and it cannot be willed or wished away, because it is a change in the chemicals of the brain(neurochemistry) which trigger a certain mood, and it needs professional help for treatment. The causes of depression are numerous: genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are often involved. Yet, the relation between the chemistry of your brain and your experience in life is a two-way street: true your brain affects how you handle your life situations, but also the way you solve your problems and handle challenges greatly affect the mood-chemistry of your brain. So, people who have low self-esteem, who are consistently pessimistic, who are readily overwhelmed by stress, or who have a severe physical illness are prone to depression. Can Muslims Be Depressed? To become Muslim, you submit your will to God alone and no one else, and you trust that He will take good care of you no matter what happens as long as you keep your side of the relationship with Him. You admit your limitations as a human, so you go through life looking ahead positively, worrying only about what is in your knowledge and ability as a human, and you leave the rest to God’s wisdom. Existential concerns can cause serious distress as one tries to understand: why am I here, where am I going, what is the point of living if I am going to die anyway? As a Muslim, you get affected by life’s troubles and disturbing thoughts like everyone else, but you can deal with them much better because you have a clear roadmap of where you came from, where you are going and why, so you have a head start having this fundamental knowledge from its source. In other words, you are resistant to existential emptiness, so your focus is on taking control over your life to make the most of it according to the purpose it was given to you for, and you make decisions that will not cause you to feel worse in bad times. Someone who feels completely lost and alone in the face of a crisis would probably feel helpless and depressed. But someone who feels supported by a compassionate God who genuinely cares, who listens to desperate pleas, and who grants generous help, has a better chance of getting back on track much faster because there is a strong helping hand to reach for while dealing with life’s troubles. Depression: Condemned in Islam? Islam does not require us to be superhuman. If one experiences negative feelings, he is encouraged to resist them with positive thoughts and actions if possible, or to seek professional help if the case is clinical. We are required to take charge of our lives since we are accountable for our deeds and decisions, both for ourselves and for others who will be affected, and we are not allowed to hate or harm ourselves; instead we are taught dignity, self respect and protection both as a right and a duty: *{And make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loves those who do good.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:195) *{Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah has been to you Most Merciful!}* (An-Nisaa’ 4:29) Self hatred results from low self esteem in reaction to feelings of worthlessness or guilt. In Islam you always have hope of God’s mercy even if you have committed the worst sins: *{And never give up hope of Allah’s soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah’s soothing mercy, except those who have no faith.}* (Yusuf 12:87) There is no place for despair because you are encouraged to have confidence in knowing it is God Himself who is in charge of everything, the All Seeing, All Knowing, and All Fair and Wise God: *{… and for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, and He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.}* (Al-Talaq 65:2-3) You are certain there is no impossible situation which has no solution: *{So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.}* (Al-Sharh 94:5-6) You also have a simple and effective prescription against grief and anxiety. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: No person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says this supplication but Allah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy. O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety). (Ahmad)

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following to a person who was overcome by depression and grief: What is the need for such worry and grief? When a person is overcome by depression and grief, I generally advise them to engage in a certain muraaqabah (meditation). This meditation is a cure for all types of depression, worries and anxieties. The method of this meditation is for one to always reflect and ponder over the fact that “Allah Ta‘ala loves me and wants the best for me”. In the Qur’aan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala says that He is the true friend and guardian of the believers. Hence, Allah Ta‘ala always decides the best for His servant. If any person experiencing depression and grief engages in this muraaqabah, then he will find that all his worries and anxieties will come to an end. An example through which this muraaqabah can be understood is the love of the mother for the child. Every child believes that his mother loves him and wants what is best for him. Despite this, the mother still does certain things that outwardly seem unpleasant to the child. In some instances, she even reprimands and disciplines the child. However, even though the child gets scolded by the mother, the child feels satisfied that his mother has the utmost love for him, and that whatever she is doing is for his benefit. (Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 8/352)

The Cause for Insecurity Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Daamat Barakaatuhu) mentioned: The amount of comforts and luxuries we see around us today was probably never experienced before. But strangely the more the items of luxury, the more the discomfort and depression. The same applies to medicine. Doctors have progressed to this level that a man’s heart can be removed from his body, get treated and then replaced. But here also every coming day there are more and more complications. Similar is the case with security. We enjoy so many levels of security yet we still feel so insecure. The reason for all of this is that we have removed Allah Ta‘ala from the equation. We need to firmly believe that Allah Ta‘ala does. The controls are solely in His hands. The stronger this conviction becomes the more comfort, mental ease, guidance and direction we will find. On the contrary the more godlessness comes into a person, the more he will find himself falling into depression and despondency.

The Effective Cure for Depression and Worry عن عبد الله قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ما قال عبد قط إذا أصابه هم وحزن : اللهم إني عبدك وابن عبدك ابن أمتك ناصيتي بيدك ماض في حكمك عدل في قضاؤك أسألك بكل اسم هو لك سميت به نفسك أو أنزلته في كتابك أو علمته أحدا من خلقك أو استأثرت به في علم الغيب عندك أن تجعل القرآن ربيع قلبي ونور صدري وجلاء حزني وذهاب همي إلا أذهب الله عز وجل همه وأبدله مكان حزنه فرحا قالوا : يا رسول الله ينبغي لنا أن نتعلم هؤلاء الكلمات قال : أجل ينبغي لمن سمعهن أن يتعلمهن (مسند أحمد رقم 4318) Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “If any servant of Allah Ta‘ala is afflicted by worry and grief and recites the following du‘aa, Allah Ta‘ala will remove his worry and replace his grief with happiness: اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِيْ بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِيْ كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِيْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيْعَ قَلْبِيْ وَنُوْرَ صَدْرِيْ وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِيْ وَذَهَابَ هَمِّيْ “O Allah, I am Your slave, the son of Your slave, the son of Your slave woman. My forelock is in Your hand and control, Your decree will surely prevail over me, Your judgment in dealing with me is full of justice. I beg of You through the medium of every name of Yours with which You have named Yourself or You have revealed in Your Book or which You taught to any one of Your creation (e.g. any of the Ambiyaa (‘alaihis salaam)) or which You have kept hidden within Your knowledge, that You make the Holy Qur’aan the source of comfort (and happiness) for my heart, and the light of my chest, and the means of removing my grief and sorrow, and the means of removing my worry.” The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) then asked, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! Should we learn these words of du‘aa?” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “Yes! The one who hears these words of du‘aa should learn them.” Source: Whatisislam