According to recent research conducted by leading mental health organizations, one in four people will experience mental health issues during their lifetime. At the end of 2019, it was estimated that one in 12 people suffer from depression, while a total of 450 million people – including children – were battling some alternative form of mental illness. These numbers were based only on cases which had been reported, suggesting that the reality of mental health issues is much larger. Needless to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has most certainly made the situation worse.

Thankfully, the fact that such a significant percentage of people have begun reporting their mental health issues is a step in the right direction. For centuries, depression and other mental health issues were simply not talked about. In our Muslim communities and family circles, it remains a topic that is not being addressed enough and can even be a taboo. It doesn’t have to be: the importance of mental health was never a taboo in Islam. In fact, we find many verses in the Quran and aḥadīth (narrations of the words, actions and character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) addressing the issues around mental health, including depression and anxiety, and offering mental wellbeing tips that we can and should apply in our daily lives. Our religion is complete, and mental health is no exception, alhamdulillah. Read on to find out how the Quran and sunnah can help with mental health!

1. Acknowledge the Reality and Importance of Mental Health

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)

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى makes it very clear in the Quran that our worldly life will be filled with tests. Every single one of us will be tested in one way or another, including with our own emotions. One such emotion, mentioned in the ayah above, is خَوْف, which carries the meanings of fear, dread, worry, concern.

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 عليه السلام, for instance, was so distressed at the news of losing his son Yūsuf عليه السلام 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 سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in supplication. Maryam (may Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى be please with her) was going through the pains of childbirth when she expressed her fears and said, يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا (the interpretation of which is: “Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.” Even Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) experienced a lot of deep sadness and great worry in his life, culminating with the Year of Sorrow during which he ﷺ successively lost his beloved wife Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib.

By mentioning these stories (and many others) of despair and distress in the Quran, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى acknowledges those difficult emotions that we, human beings, go through, but He سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى also reassures us and gives us the keys that we need to overcome them.

2. Turn to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and Remember that He is With You

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

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

With this beautiful and powerful ayah (usually translated as “verse” in English), Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى makes a promise to the believer: if we call upon Him, He will respond – guaranteed, no doubt about it. In his commentary about this ayah, Ibn Kathir recorded that Sufyan Ath-Thawri, one of the great Islamic scholars, jurist and hadith compiler, used to say: “O You Who love most those who ask of You, and O You Who hate most those who do not ask of You, and there is no one like that apart from You, O Lord.”

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is indeed الْمُجِيب, The Responsive, The Supreme Answerer, The Acceptor of Invocation. He سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is here for us to call upon Him at all times: in times of happiness, in gratitude; and in times of struggle, in need. Making dua (supplication) is therefore a powerful tool that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is giving the believer. Engaging in dhikr (remembrance of Allah) by starting anything we do with “bismillah” (in the name of Allah) and saying “alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah), “subḥānAllah” (glorified is Allah), “lā ilāha ill-Allah” (there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah) often is a great way to remind ourselves that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى 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)

3. Take Care of Your Body

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “O `Abdullah! Have I not been formed that you fast all the day and stand in prayer all night?” I said, “Yes, O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ!” He said, “Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave them (the fast) at other times; stand up for the prayer at night and also sleep at night. 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)

Our body is a trust that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has given us for a short, limited time in this worldly life. It is part of the many great blessings and favors that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has bestowed upon us, and it is our obligation to take care of it properly, not only to try and maintain good health in this life, but also and most importantly to make sure that we will be able to confidently answer to Allah on the Day of Judgment, when asked about how we took care of the body He gave us.

Additionally, recent research has shown that the way we take care of our body has a direct impact on our mental health. Eating healthy (more on that later), exercising, practicing breathing techniques, being outdoors, having balanced habits, sleeping enough, etc. all have been shown to have a really positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and even pessimism. This is not about preparing for the next marathon, or following the latest trendy diet. Rather, the idea is to understand that we function as a holistic being: our physical health has an impact on our mental health and vice versa.

4. Take care of your spirituality

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي
بِيَـدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ
اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ،
أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي
عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي،
وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي

O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the
knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.
(Sahih (Al-Albani), Ahmad 1/391)

Spirituality is an important aspect of mental health. What we mean by spirituality here is not the mere fulfillment 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 SWT. 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
• Read the Quran, or a translation in your native language
• Listen to the Quran
• Learn and recite new duas like the one above – we have compiled a list of duas for depression, anxiety and sorrow in a previous blog post
• Stay in touch with family and friends
• Listen to or watch Islamic lectures – there is an increasing amount of recordings out there around the topic of mental health from Muslim professionals, masha’Allah!
• Spend money or time on a charitable cause (more on this later)
• Remember Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى by saying “alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah), “subḥānAllah” (glorified is Allah), “lā ilāha ill-Allah” (there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)
• Read a book on the life of the Prophetﷺ, or listen to the Audiobook version

5. Seek Expert Help When You Need It

Narrated Usamah ibn Sharik: I came to the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions were sitting as if they had birds on their heads [i.e., they were very still]. I greeted them and sat down. The desert Arabs then came from here and there. They asked: Messenger of Allah, should we make use of medical treatment? He replied: Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease, namely old age. (Sahih (Al-Albani), Sunan Abi Dawud 3855)

When we become sick with the flu, experience recurring pain in a part of our body, or break a bone for instance – may Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى protect us all from these issues – we seek medical attention from experts: we visit our family doctor, we consult a specialist, we go to an urgent care facility. Similarly, if we regularly experience feelings of anxiety, worry and fear that keep us from functioning normally or affect our relationships with others, we must seek the help we need from experts. This can mean different things for different people depending on the situation. For someone experiencing difficulties related to the practice of their religion, seeing a qualified imaam, shaykh or mufti might be what is needed. For someone experiencing extreme sadness, feeling overwhelmed with everyday responsibilities, a professional in the field of psychology might be more beneficial. When in doubt, you can also start with your primary care physician as they are trained to help you with general wellness, identify signs of chronic anxiety and depression, and they will refer you to the adequate specialist if particular care is needed.

There tends to be a taboo in our Muslim communities around seeking help from professionals in the field of psychology and psychiatry. We often hear comments that deny the existence of depression and other mental health ailments: “she should pray more,” or “he should fast more,”– even more common, “it’s in your head,” or “this person is possessed.” Depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are real issues that require medical attention and sometimes medical treatment. People showing signs of these disorders should be advised to seek expert help rather than be told their issue is not real or that the solution is simple and they just aren’t trying hard enough.

Additionally, there may be underlying causes that trigger those feelings. It could be due to a trauma that the person experienced in their life, perhaps even in their childhood. It could also be the result of a chemical imbalance in someone’s body, or a symptom of a serious disease such as a cancer or an autoimmune disease. We should never take these signs lightly.

6. Make the Quran an Integral Part of Your Life

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

People, a teaching from your Lord has come to you, a healing for what is in [your] hearts, and guidance and mercy for the believers. (Surah Yūnus, 10:57)

The Quran is full of inspirational stories, reminders, warnings, practical tips, and words of wisdom. It is the Word of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and as such, it is the greatest book that we could hope for in our lives. Making the Quran your life companion by reading it, reciting it, learning from it and applying it will benefit you in all aspects of your worldly life but also your afterlife.

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى says in the Quran that it is Al-Kitāb – the book about which there is no doubt; Al-Furqān – the criterion to distinguish true and false, right and wrong, lawful and unlawful; Adh-Dhikr – the reminder to help us remember Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). It is also Shifā’ – a healing, a cure for whatever is in our hearts; Huda and Raḥmah – a source of guidance for humanity and mercy for the believers. The Quran has everything we need as Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى made it a blueprint, including on how to navigate mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and sadness.

Surah Aḍ-Ḍuḥā is a particularly powerful surah to reflect upon for that purpose. This surah was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ as reassurance, as he had not received any revelation for some time, which made him anxious and worried. It also gives hope to the believer:

وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ

And the future will be better for you than the past. (Surah Aḍ-Ḍuḥā, 93:4)

If you find it too difficult to read or understand the Quran because you do not know Arabic and do not want to rely solely on translations, consider finding an Arabic or Quran class to help you acquire the knowledge you need to improve your understanding and your relationship with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.