Ways
to Deal with Stress and Anxiety
by Abdul Malik Mujahid
-----------------------
Relying on Allah: Tawakkul
When you awaken in the morning, thank Allah for giving
you life after that short death called sleep. When you step
out of your home, say 'in Your Name Allah, I put my trust in
Allah, and there is no power or force except with Allah' (Bismillahi
Tawakal to al Allah wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah).
At night, remember Allah, with His praises on your lips. Once
you have established a plan you intend to follow through on
to deal with a specific issue or problem in your life, put your
trust in the most Wise and the All-Knowing. "When you have
taken a decision, put your trust in Allah" (Quran 3: 159).
Rely on Allah by constantly remembering Him throughout your
day. When you lay down to sleep, remember that sleep is death.
That is why one of the recommended supplications before going
to sleep is "with Your (Allah's) Name I die and become
alive".
Connect
with other human beings
You are not alone. Muslims are not alone. We are not
suffering in silence. There are millions of good people who
are not Muslim with beautiful hearts and minds. These are people
who have supported us, individually and collectively, post-9/11,
by checking up on us and making sure we are safe. These are
individuals and organizations who have spoken up in defense
of Muslims as we endured harassment and discrimination. We must
think of them, talk to them, connect with them, and pray for
them. Through our connections, we will break the chain of isolation
that leads to depression and anxiety.
Compare
your dining table with that of those who don't have as much
as you do
Rasulullah SAW said: Whenever you see someone better
than you in wealth, face or figure, you should look at someone
who is inferior to you in these respects (so that you may thank
Allah for His blessings) (Bukhari, Muslim). Next time you sit
down to eat, eye the table carefully. Check out the selection
of food, the quality, the taste, the quantity, and then think
of the millions of others who don't have even half as much.
Rasulullah SAW's Hadith reminds us of this so that we can appreciate
and thank Allah for all that we have. Also remember that Rasulullah
SAW only encouraged us to compare ourselves to others in two
respects: in our Islamic knowledge and level of belief in Allah
(Deen). In these two areas, we should compare ourselves with
those who have more than what we do.
Say
it Loud: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar: Takbirat & Adhan
Find a corner of a lake, go out in the wilderness,
or even stand on your lawn at your home and call the Adhan with
your heart. While driving, instead of listening to the same
news over and over again, say Allahu Akbar as loudly as you
can or as softly as you want, based on your mood. Year ago,
I remember calling Adhan on a Lake Michigan shore in Chicago
after sunset as the water gushed against my knees. I was calling
it for myself. There was no one else accept the waves after
waves of water with their symphony. It was relaxing and meaningful.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Sleep
the way Rasulullah SAW slept
End your day on a positive note. Make Wudu, then think
of your day. Thank Allah for all the good things you accomplished,
like Zikr and Salaah. Ask yourself what you did today to bring
humanity together and what you did to help Muslims become servants
of humanity. For everything positive, say Alhamdu lillah (Praise
be to Allah). For everything negative say Astaghfirullah wa
atoobo ilayk (I seek Allah's forgiveness and I turn to You [Allah]).
Recite the last two chapters of the Quran, thinking and praying
as you turn on your right side with your hand below your right
cheek, the way Rasulullah SAW used to sleep. Then close your
day with the name of Allah on your tongue. Insha Allah, you
will have a good, restful night.
Begin
the Day on a Positive Note
Get up early. Get up thanking Allah that He has given
you another day. Alhamdu lillahil lazi ahyana bada ma amatana,
wa ilaihin Nushoor (Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after
death and unto Him will be the return). Invest in an audio tape
driven alarm clock so you can get up to the melody of the Quran.
Sing along if you like. Develop your to do list for the day
if you didn't do it the night before. Begin with the name of
Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens or the earth can
hurt you. He is the Highest and the Greatest. (Bismillahillazi
la yazurru maa ismihi shaiun fil arze wa la fis samae, wahuwal
Alee ul Azeem). Rasulullah SAW used to say this after every
Fajr and Maghrib prayers.
Avoid
Media Overexposure: Switch from News to Books
Don't spend too much time checking out the news on
the radio, television or internet. Spend more time reading good
books and journals. When you listen to the persistent barrage
of bad news, especially relating to Muslims nowadays, you feel
not only depressed, but powerless. Cut down media time to reduce
your stress and anxiety. It's important to know what's going
on but not to an extent that it ruins your day or your mood.
Pray
for Others to Heal Yourself
Rasulullah SAW was always concerned about other people,
Muslims and non-Muslims, and would regularly pray for them.
Praying for others connects you with them and helps you understand
their suffering. This in itself has a healing component to it.
Rasulullah SAW has said that praying for someone who is not
present increases love.
Make
the Quran your Partner
Reading and listening to the Quran will help refresh
our hearts and our minds. Recite it out loud or in a low voice.
Listen to it in the car. When you are praying Nafl or extra
prayers, pick it up and use it to recite portions of the Quran
you are not as familiar with. Connecting to the Quran means
connecting to Allah. Let it be a means to heal your heart of
stress and worries. Invest in different recordings of the Quran
and their translations. "O humanity! There has come to
you a direction from your Lord and a cure for all [the ills]
in men's hearts - and for those who believe, a Guidance and
a Mercy" (Quran 10:57).
Be
thankful to Allah
"If you are grateful, I will give you more"
(Quran 14:7). Counting our blessings helps us not only be grateful
for what we have, but it also reminds us that we are so much
better off than millions of others, whether that is in terms
of our health, family, financial situation, or other aspects
of our life. And being grateful for all we have helps us maintain
a positive attitude in the face of worries and challenges we
are facing almost daily.
Ideals:
One step at a time
Ideals are wonderful things to pursue. But do that
gradually. Think, prioritize, plan, and move forward. One step
at a time.
Efforts
not Results Count in the Eyes of Allah
Our success depends on our sincere efforts to the best
of our abilities. It is the mercy of Allah that He does not
demand results, Alhamdu lillah. He is happy if He finds us making
our best sincere effort. Thank you Allah! |
| President
Thabo Mbeki has urged South Africa's business sector to continue
investing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He says
investments would assist the Great Lakes nation with its post
war reconstruction programme.
Regional
Magistrate Dries Lamprecht of Lydenburg made legal history yesterday
after sentencing paedophile Fanuel Masiya to 15 years in prison.
Masiya was convicted for sodomising a nine-year-old girl.
Iran
and the UN International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday said
that they had agreed on a plan to help diffuse suspicions on
Tehran’s atom work. The move is hailed as a "milestone".
The
N1 south at Centurion in Gauteng remains closed this morning
after yesterday's chemical spill. The highway is closed at the
Botha Avenue Interchange.
Reserve
Bank governor, Tito Mboweni, says further interest rate hikes
are expected. Speaking in Polokwane Mboweni said higher interest
rates were the only tool to tame generalised inflation.
ANC
deputy president Jacob Zuma will apply tomorrow to the Pretoria
High Court to stop the national director of public prosecutions
(NDPP) from extending an investigation to the United Kingdom.
A
fire has destroyed a timber factory at Fort Gale in Mthatha
in the Eastern Cape. Emergency Services says the fire started
in the veld before engulfing the Highbury timber factory.
An
Israeli air strike in eastern Gaza yesterday has left at least
one Palestinian dead and several others wounded. Reports indicate
those injured belong to the fighter group of the al-Qassam Brigades.
US
President George Bush has withheld his support from Iraqi prime
minister Nuri Al Maliki. He has warned that voters could decide
to replace him.
|
Allah
Tests the Israelites
Musa AS and the Israelites had just crossed the Red
Sea and were now beginning their journey to the promised land
of Canaan . Allah told them that this was the land of abundance
and that the Israelites were to be an example for all of humankind
to follow. But Canaan was still far away and the sun grew
fierce and hot. Allah, in His mercy, shielded the people
from the sun by making clouds follow them wherever they went. As
they crossed the desert it was impossible to find enough food
to feed all the people. Allah knew this so He created a
food called manna and made it fall from the sky as if it was
rain. For meat Allah made quails fly to them which they
could easily catch. Surely these people were blessed to
have Allah as their Protector.
For
many days they went without water and they became thirsty. Allah
told Prophet Musa AS to strike a large rock with his rod. When
he did water gushed out of it from twelve different places. There
were twelve tribes in the nation of Israel and each one had
their own fountain of cool clear water. With all of these blessings
it is hard to imagine the Israelites disobeying Allah. Yet
they started to complain to Prophet Musa AS that they wanted
to go back to Egypt . They were tired of manna and tired
of travelling. They wondered if there was really a land
called Canaan after all. They had forgotten that not too
long ago they were mere slaves to the Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
Then the Israelites passed through a town. The people of
this town worshipped idols like the Egyptians did. The
Israelites said to Prophet Musa AS , "O Musa make us a
god like the gods these people have." Prophet Musa
AS warned them that Allah is the only true God.
Allah
commanded Musa AS to go to the top of Mount Sinai so that He
could give Musa AS the Tablets. The Tablets were stone
slabs that had special laws to govern the Israelites.
Musa AS told his brother Aaron AS that he was to be in charge
of the people while he was on top of the mountain. The climb
was long and difficult. When he got to the top Musa AS
said, "O my Lord show Thyself that I may look upon Thee." Allah
told Musa AS that if a nearby mountain could withstand the full
Glory of Allah then Musa AS may look upon Him. Allah showed
His Glory to the mountain. The earth began shaking and
there was a shining light. Within a few seconds the mountain
crumbled to dust and Musa AS fell over backward. When Musa
AS regained consciousness he prayed to Allah. Allah then
gave Musa AS the Tablets to take back to the Israelites.
After
forty days Musa came down from Mount Sinai with the Tablets
in his hands. When he came down he was horrified by what
he saw. The Israelites had melted down their jewellery
to make a golden calf. They moulded the calf so that it
was hollow inside. When the wind blew through the hollow
calf it made strange noises. The Israelites worshipped
the golden calf. Musa AS became angry. He grabbed Aaron
AS by his hair and said, "Did I not tell you to watch the
people in my absence?" Aaron AS tried to stop the
people form worshipping the calf but they didn't listen to him
and threatened to kill him. Musa AS let go of his brother
and asked Allah for forgiveness for himself and Aaron AS. The
one who actually led the people to make the false god was the
Samari. He said that this calf was their god and the god
of Musa AS , but Musa AS had forgotten. When Musa AS questioned
the Samari he said in reply, "I took a pinch of sand from
your footstep, O' Musa, and tossed it into the molten gods as
it was being shaped." The Samari thought this would
flatter Prophet Musa AS but instead Musa AS became more angry
and said to the Samari, "Get out of my sight and from now
on whenever someone comes to you say, "Touch me not.'" That
was his punishment in this life but Allah has a greater punishment
waiting for the Samari and his followers in the next life.
Musa AS then seized the golden calf, melted it down, and scattered
its gold across the sea.
Still
many of the people did not believe in Allah. Musa AS took
seventy men with him to the mountain to prove that Allah did
exist. When they approached the holy place the ground began
to shake and they started to fall. They cried to Musa AS
to ask Allah for forgiveness for them. But each time Allah
forgave the people they went against Allah and Prophet Musa
AS again and again.
Then
Allah commanded that the Israelites to sacrifice a cow. Instead
of doing it they laughed and told Musa AS to ask Allah what
kind of cow. Then they wanted to know what colour it had
to be. They kept on asking Musa AS more and more details
about the cow until they forgot that the reason they were sacrificing
the cow was for Allah. In the end, many of the Israelites disobeyed
all of Allah's commandments. Allah said to them, "You
are apes, despised and rejected." Allah broke up the
Israelites into many different tiny groups. They never
reached Canaan. After the generation of Prophet Musa AS
came another generation. These people thought only of this
world and nothing else. They felt that they were the chosen
people and that if they would do anything wrong they would be
forgiven.
Allah
tested the Israelites in times of bad while they lived in Egypt. Allah
also tested them in times of prosperity after they crossed the
Red Sea. Allah wanted the Israelites to strive for the
straight path. Some listened but many did not. |