10 Tips to Fight Depression

By Abdul Malik Mujahid

Feeling down in the dumps, depressed, having the blues: these are just some of the terms used to describe a feeling of hopelessness and despair that can hit even the most optimistic of us at some point in our lives. While clinical depression requires proper professional treatment, the occasional feeling of sadness due to factors ranging from economic difficulty to harassment and discrimination can be helped through some simple spiritual practices. Here are a couple that can help:

1. Look at those below you

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, 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” (Bukhari, Muslim).If you are reading this article online, consider this: you are one of the lucky set of human beings on the planet who can afford a computer and internet connection or at least have access to one.
The United Nations Development Program's 2007 Human Development Report notes that there are still around 1 billion people living worldwide at the margins of survival on less than $1 a day, with 2.6 billion living on less than $2 a day.
Also consider that in the Quran (14:7), God says that if you are thankful to Him for what you have, He blesses you with more.

2. Serve your fellow human beings

The best way to thank God is to serve humanity, especially those who have less than you. Serving others is uplifting and rewarding. It helps us gain a better perspective on life's challenges, making us realize how very often, are problems seem so small compared to the awesome difficulties others face.
That's why when the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims were a small, poor and persecuted community, they used to give to the poor even more. They understood that when you are generous when you have less, you achieve the perspective of a winner. You are focused on the bigger picture.

3. Read Surah Ad Duha

According to one report, after the Prophet had begun receiving revelation from God, at one point a long period of time passed with no such communication from Allah. As a result, the Makkans ridiculed the Prophet and he became severely depressed. That's when this chapter was revealed (Quran 93: 1-11). The chapter is a beautiful reminder to us to see life in the greater scheme of things, to be grateful for what we have and to never give up striving for what is right. This chapter of the Quran can be considered a direct recipe from God for depression.4. Turn to God in all situationsRemember that nothing can harm you without the consent of God. While you must take care of yourself, rely on God and know that He is always with you and only He can give you strength in difficult times. Also remember that He will help you can come out of a trying situation as a better person if you deal with it positively.

5. Remember God's Names

God has many beautiful Names which describe His attributes and powers. These are reminders of His Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, Justice, Strength and much, more. Supplicating to God using these Names reminds us that God has these attributes more than any other being and that we can and must rely on Him during good and bad times.

6. Say Hasbun Allahu wa Ni' mal Wakeel

This has been translated as "God suffices me and He is the best guardian." It is an excellent way of reminding us that whatever worries we have or problems we face, God has the answer and cure to all of them and is the only One who can really do what is best for us.

7. Make sure when you leave home, you read this Dua, ‘In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah.’ Bismillahe tawakkaltu alAllahe la haula wa la quwwata illa biAllah.

8. Take your spiritual break from the world, five times a day

Taking a break away from school, work or other life activities to spend a few minutes to remember God helps you reconnect with the Creator of the Universe, fortify your soul and strengthen your resolve to live a better life that is in tune with your faith and principles.

9. End your day on a good note

Shakespeare once wrote a play entitled “All's well that ends well.” That's good advice for dealing with depression too. End a day that may have been riddled with challenges and frustrations by making Wudu before going to bed, thinking of God and the Prophet and counting every blessing you have.

10. Stop Shaytan in his tracks

Shaytan is the source of many of our negative emotions. It's his job to make us feel pessimistic and to despair of any good in life. When you feel these feelings coming on, stop him dead in his tracks: say Aoutho billahi minash Shaytan ir Rajeem (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan).

Persevere...

Persevere, have faith in His benevolence.
Through afflictions God only tests your faith;
He is completely aware of your condition.
Have patience and wait for the divine decree.
Do not become like the foolish laborer who is removed from the king's palace for demanding his wages ahead of time.

-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani"

Remembrance or Forgetfulness?

I had a discussion with a student yesterday. He asked me about a conversation he had with a co-worker, who, upon learning that my student liked to do zikr on his motorbike on his way to work, asked my student why he needed to say that particular surah so many times when, according to the Prophet (SAW), saying la ilaha illallah once with sincerity is sufficient. My student did not know how to answer his co-worker at the time. The incident reminded me of something my teacher taught me, so I relayed it to him. Based on what I was taught, the answer is, actually, quite simple and it lies in the Hadith Qudsi which states very clearly, "I am with My slave when he remembers me." Every moment in this life is an opportunity to be in one of two states -- that of remembrance or that of forgetfulness. To be in remembrance is when Allah returns the favor and remembers us, resulting in infinite goodness. To be otherwise is, well, otherwise. As such, after your one sincere moment of remembrance, what then? What do you do with the remaining moments? The Great Jihad is fought at this level -- in the heart and the mind. To live in remembrance as often as possible, or in forgetfulness. This is the choice we have as we go through this life and its string of moments.

Allah and His Creation...

God created suffering and heartache, so that joy might be known as their opposite.
Hidden things become manifest through their opposites.
But God has no opposite; so he remains hidden.
Light is known as the opposite of darkness.
But God's light has no opposite.
Thus we cannot know him through our eyes.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi"

Learning About Ourselves...

People differ greatly in the amount of anxiety and worry they can stand: some can endure a great deal without being adversely affected, while others soon show signs of strain.
You should observe yourself closely, so that you understand your own powers of endurance.
By this means you will learn to divest yourself before any harm is done.

-Razi: Kitab al-Muluki

The Miracle of Spiritual Healing....

Here's what Real Healing is all about.

With Forgiveness and Justice, we investigate your life and the validity of your limiting beliefs. Seen in the right light, all problems are understandable. Once they are understood properly (brought into consciousness), the lessons they are there are to teach us are learned and there is no further need for the problem. That's why we all need a healer: someone who can help us make sense of our lives. When your past is completely clear to you, your future becomes equally clear. The only reason we do not see clearly into the future is that we are attempting to view it through the unclear lense of the past. Spiritual Realization is the very foundation of our well-being, our health, happiness and prosperity. Bringing body and soul into alignment relieves the mind of its preoccupations and heart of its burdens. This allows our natural healing energies to operate freely and unencumbered within the body.

- Ali Ansari

Refraining from Wrongdoing

I once saw a Christian monk gaunt through self-sacrifice and doubled over by the fear of God.
I asked him to show me the path of God.
He replied, "If you knew God you would know the way to Him.
I worship Him although I do not know Him; you disobey Him though you know Him.
With knowledge comes fear, yet you are self-assured; with heresy ignorance, yet I feel fear within me."
His words moved me so deeply that since then I have refrained from wrongdoing.

-Abd'Allah bin Mubarak al-Marwazi, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"

If You Wish to Shine Like the Daylight....

If you wish to shine like the daylight, burn up the night of self-importance.
Dissolve the self like copper in the elixir; dissolve in Him who fosters all existence.
But you are bound by the discord of "I" and "We."
The cause of your ruin is this sad dualism.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi"

Trust Your Heart!

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "…Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul, and moves to and fro in the breast even though people again and again have given you their legal opnion [in its favor]."

(An Nawawi #27)

Come Against Your Will

Come against your will is the toggle of the intelligent;
Come willingly is the spring-time of those who have lost their hearts.

-Mathnawi [III, 4472]

Against your will is to go against your nafs; giving in to every desire by following your own whims is the path to self-destruction.

Allow God's Power to Pervade our Actions....

When we allow God’s power to pervade all our actions, and submit to his decrees, we shed all anxiety about the effects of our actions on others;
we cease even to consider the effects of our actions.
When we cease to consider the effects of our actions, we are adopting the attributes of God himself.

- Qushayri, "Risalah"

Ask Allah for the Remedy and Be Patient....

This world is full of remedies.
But you have no remedy until God opens a window for you.
You may not be aware of that remedy just now.
In the hour of need it will be made clear to you.
The Prophet said God made a remedy for every pain.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi"

What is Soul?

What is soul?
Soul is conscious of good and evil,
rejoicing over kindness, weeping over injury.
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul,
the more aware you are the more spiritual you are.
Awareness is the effect of the spirit:
anyone who has this in abundance is a man or woman of God.

- Rumi, Mathnawi [VI, 148-150]

The How is Chosen by Allah...

"Rabi'a," Hasan asked, "how have you attained such a degree of holiness?"
Rabi'a replied: "By losing in him all that I have attained."
Hasan asked, "How do you know God?"
Rabi'a replied: "You want to know how to know God. I know God, without knowing how to know him."

-Attar: Rabi'a

Knowledge Saves the Heart from Ignorance

Knowledge is the spirit that saves the heart from the death of ignorance;
it is the light that saves it from the darkness of iniquity.
The hearts of the iniquitous are dead because they are oblivious to God, and the hearts of the heedless are sick because they ignore His commandments.

-Abu Ali Thaqafi, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"

A Leader Says So Much

If in the darkness of ignorance,
you don’t recognize a person’s true nature,
look to see whom he has chosen for his leader.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi" [IV, 1640]

This stanza speaks volumes....

Way to go Guys!

Terrific idea and effort by our youth....

Muslim Free Blood for Non-Muslims
By Ahmed Soliman, IOL Correspondent

The website has built up a worldwide database of more than 15,000 donors.

RIYADH — A brainchild of four technology-savvy young Saudis following the teachings of their faith, an online blood bank is assisting thousands of people, Muslims and non-Muslims in desperate need of blood donations.

"The website is serving Muslims and non-Muslims alike," Khalaf Al-Goudi, one of the founders of the http://www.freeblood.com/, told IslamOnline.net.

"It is quite often that a Muslim donates to a non-Muslim through our site," he added.

The website was established four years ago by Goudi, his cousin and two friends as a unique electronic blood bank that offers services to patients who need blood donations from around the world.

It has built up a worldwide database of more than 15,000 donors.

A person can visit the website and register as a blood donor or a patient who needs blood donations, providing information about city and country of residence, exact address, phone numbers and blood type.

The data are made available to those who badly need blood, hospitals as well as local and international blood banks.

The website clearly states that donors should not expect to be financially compensated for their donations.

"It is totally non-profit," says Goudi.

"The goal is to follow Islam's teachings of solidarity and helping others in need."

Efficient

The founders say their project offers an easy, accessible venue for donors and patients.
"It is more of a fast donor-patient link," says Goudi.

The four young Saudis were inspired by a situation they had experienced four years ago.
"There was this patient me and my cousin knew who needed a donation from a very rare blood type," Goudi recalls.

"When we went to the hospital's blood bank to ask for donors who can help him, they handed us this huge, tattered donors' record book.

"We were supposed to search it for donors who can help the patient."

The idea for the online blood bank was born only days after this experience.

"Six months later, the website was launched."

Goudi says he and the other founders were convinced that record books and paper archives can not be efficient in the age of computers and internet.

"A website would be much easier to access for both donors and patients, especially those who desperately need a life-saving blood donation," he maintains.

"All what it takes is one click and you have a list of donors who can help you out."

Pretension is a Veil

No denser veil than pretension exists between God and the devotee.
There is no closer way to God than spiritual impoverishment before Him.

-Tustari in ‘Attar: “Tadhkirat”

Enjoy Your Coffee!

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general... Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering...''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems! ' He continued...''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups....''

''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Enjoy your coffee!''

The happiest people don't have the best of everything - they just make the best of everything they have... So please remember: Live simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

See God in Everything...

Those who believe everything to be created by God see Him in everything.
They find comfort in regarding the Creator and not His creation.
All problems stem from the illusion that created things hold the ultimate power.
Turn to Him, therefore, if you seek deliverance.

-Al-Nuri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub"