Modern Stress And Its Cure From Qur’an

Allah will make everything happen at the right place, at the right time, for the best reason. Allah is the best of Planners.

 

Modern Stress And Its Cure From Qur’an

By Shahid Athar, M.D.

Stress is the most common aliment of modern age. It has been implicated in the causation of peptic ulcer disease, coronary heart disease, depression, auto immune disease, hypertension, diabetes and even cancer. In milder form it manifests in form of unrest, violence, at work, school and home. Common medical problems like tension headache, insomnia, and obesity are also attributed to unusual stress. None of us are free from stress but some deal with it better than others.

Stress results from the following factors:

·         a. Fear of the unknown and trying to see through and control the destiny.
·         b. Losses in our life of people and things dear to us and our inability to recover those losses.
·         c. Inner conflict between our heart and mind between what is known to be the truth and our failure to accept it as truth. Acceptance of truth may require changing our habits and way of life which we       may adhere to for some reason like pleasure, joys, taste, pride in race or heritage etc.

Let us examine how Quran deals with such situations.

Our losses are a trial for us:

“Be sure we will test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, but give glad tidings to those who are steadfast, who say when afflicted with calamity: To Allah we belong and to him is our return. They are those on who (DESCEND) blessings from Allah and mercy and they are the once that receive guidance.(2:155)

Thus in Islam, we do not have concept of the ownership of goods and life. Everything belongs to Allah and returns to him. So if we don’t own that thing why mourn our loss?
·         a. Our destiny is predetermined. We do not have control on that part. What we have control over is a limited free will, that is our actions, our choice to do good or bad, to believe in Allah or not to believe in Him, but we have no control over tomorrow’s event not related to our actions i.e. whether my wife will have a son or daughter, whether his/her eyes will be brown or black, or whether I will have an accident or not tomorrow. Worrying over such things is of no use.
b. Rejection of faith in Quran is called a disease. This denial of truth is due to arrogance.

“In their heart there is a disease and Allah has increased their disease and grievous is their penalty because they lie to themselves.” 2:10

Therefore after lying to ourselves, we set up an inner conflict – between heart and mind. In order to contain that conflict the mind sends signals to glands for secretion of harmones like adrenaline which leads to rapid heart rate, perspiration, tremor, the basis of lie detector test.

This lying conflict could be due to “SMALL” crimes like theft or adultery, or big crimes like rejection of Allah.

3 stages of spiritual development of soul are:

o    a. Nafs al Ammarah: -The Passionate soul

“I do not absolve myself Lo the (human) soul is prone to evil, save that whenever my Lord has mercy. Lo, Lord is forgiving; merciful.”(12:53)

This soul inclines toward sensual Pleasure, passion and self-gratification, anger, envy, greed, and conceit. Its concerns are pleasure of body, gratification of physical appetite, and ego.
Hadith“Your most ardent enemy is your evil self which resides within your body” (Bukhari).

If this evil soul is not checked it will lead to unusual stress and its resultant effects.

o    - b. Nafs al Lawwamah (The Reproaching Soul).

“Nay, I swear by the reproaching soul”(75:2)

This soul is conscious or aware of Evil, resists it, asks for Allah’s grace, and pardon, repents and tries to amend and hopes to achieve salvation.

“And (There are) others who have acknowledged their faults. They mix a righteous action with another that was bad. It may be that Allah will relent toward them. Lo! Allah is relenting, merciful.”( 9:102)

Hadith: “These are two impulses within us. One spirit which calls towards good and confirms the truth. He who feels this impulse should know that it comes from Allah. Another impulse comes from our enemy (Devil) which leads to doubt and holds untruth and encourages evil. He who feels this should seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil.”

This soul warns people of their vain desire, guides and opens the door to virtue and righteousness. It is a positive step in spiritual growth.
o    c. The satisfied soul (Nafs al Mutmainnah).

“O (you) soul in (complete) rest and satisfaction. Come back to your Lord, will pleased (yourself) and will pleasing unto him. Enter you then among my devotees, enter you in my heaven.”(89:27-30)

This is the highest state of spiritual development. satisfied soul is the state of bliss, content and peace. The soul is at peace because it knows that inspite of its failures in this world, It will return to Allah. Purified of tension, it emerges from the struggle with obstacles blocking the peace of mind and heart.

What should we do in panic and despair?

In panic non-believers behave differently than believers. They have no one to turn to, to ask for mercy and forgiveness, their life is this life, which they cannot control, thus they get more depressed and increase in their state of wrong doing. Then we will see that if they are used to casual drinking will start drinking more and become alcoholic, or a criminal.

On the other hand a believer should do the following:

o    a. Increase dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

“who have believed and whose heart have Rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verify in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest.”13:28

o    b. Increase their prayer.

“O you who believe, seek help with steadfastness and prayer. For Allah is with those who are steadfast.”(2:153)

c. Ask forgiveness

“And I have said: seek forgiveness from your Lord. Lo He was ever forgiving.”(71:10)

In addition to above we are also asked to continue to struggle to up-grade ourselves.

” surely Allah does not change the condition in which a people are in until they change that which is in themselves.”(13:11)

 In summary, I conclude that stress results from lack of inner peace due to conflicts within us and leads to external disturbances in our behavior and health. Inner peace can only be achieved by believing in Allah, the All Mighty, and remembering him frequently and asking for his help and forgiveness in times of difficulties.

********************************************************
 

The importance of security and that it is from the essentials of life

O Muslims fear Allah, glorify His commands, and be grateful to Him for His bounties. Servants of Allah, having security is one of the essentials of life, it may be more important that eating and dressing and one will not enjoy fruits of life if he does not feel secured. The reality of security in its definition cannot exist without faith and without Islam. Allah Subhanhu Wa Taalah says which translates as:

"It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with association and worshiping with Allah for them only there is security and they are the guided" (Al-An‘am: 82).

The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Salaam)said in the books of Al Imam Ahmad and Al Baihaqi;

"One who cannot be trusted and felt secured with, has no faith".

In the books of Al Imam Bukhari and Muslim the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Salaam) said:

"A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are secure and he who enters into Islam has entered into the circle of safety and security".

In the book of Al Imam Muslim, the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Salaam)said:

"Whoever says La ilaha ill Allah and disbelieved in all that is worshiped besides Allah, then his wealth and blood has become inviolable and Allah Subhanahu Wa Taalah will hold him accountable".

In the books of Imam Muslim and Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi and others, the Prophet  (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Salaam)said:

"All things of a Muslim are inviolable for other Muslims, his blood his property and his honor".

Ref.: Taken from Khutbah Title Penal Laws and Secured Countries by Saalih Ibn Humaid
 

The Earth will reveal its News

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) recited, "That Day it (the earth) will reveal its news (about all that happened over it of good or evil).'' (99:4). Then he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) inquired, "Do you know what its news are?'' He was told: "Allah and His Messenger know better". He said, "Its news is that it shall bear witness against every slave man and woman they did on its back. It will say: `You did this and this on such and such day.' Those will be its news.''  [At-Tirmidhi]

Commentary:  This Hadith makes evident the perfect Omnipotence of Allah by telling us that He will bestow power of speech on the earth and it will bear witness to the acts committed on its surface. It has stern warning for people that however they may try to hide their sins from others, they will not be able to save themselves from Allah and His system of accountability.

Ref.: Imam Al-Nawawi's Riyad-us-Saliheen # 408.
 

Ruling on smoking and chewing tobacco

Is smoking permitted in Islam? And is chewing of tobacco permitted in Islam.

Praise be to Allaah.

Smoking is haraam, because it is evil and because it causes a great deal of harm. Allaah has permitted to His slaves only good kinds of food and drink, and He has forbidden the bad kinds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“he allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods)”  [al-A’raaf 7:157]

All forms of smoking are kinds of khabaa’ith (evil and unlawful things), and they include harmful and intoxicating substances. It is haraam to deal with it in any way, whether one inhales it, chews it or deals with it in any of its other forms. It is obligatory upon every Muslim to give up these things and to hasten to repent to Allaah, and to regret having committed this sin, and to resolve never to go back to it. May Allaah help us and you to do all that is good.

Fataawa Islamiyyah, 3/442