Living Islam #02 – Practical Guidelines for Protecting Our Islam

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low rahmati Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa sallahu wa sallam on a sale I will leave all accurate in Nabina Muhammad then, while they're early, he was happy he robotic wasallam

called praise adieu to Allah, Lord of the worlds and peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, the master of the first and the last, and upon his family, his companions and all those who called his way to the day of judgment as to what follows my beloved brothers and sisters to our viewing audience. salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah lie about our cat Alhamdulillah. We thank Allah azza wa jal for another opportunity to reflect upon the revelation and also to reflect upon our present situation.

And that is important for us to get a balance, a balance between the divine revelation, the divine commandments, Serato stuck him and the reality that we are facing on the ground.

Too many times people stay within the texts, they stay within the Quran and the Sunnah, and the Sierra, and they forget about what's actually happening to us, in our real life. Other people focus on the real life, and then they lose track of the fact that many of the solutions that are being offered to us by doctors and psychiatrists and economists, are actually within the revelation.

Because the last message was not only a message for spiritualism, or for rituals for prayer, for fasting, but it is also a revelation for everyday life. That is crucial for the Muslim Ummah today, on all levels, we are faced facing unprecedented challenges going into the 21st century. We are facing challenges internationally, locally, personally. And of course, what is on people's minds today, all over the world, but especially in the Western world, is the pandemic, the covid 19 pandemic, which is causing people to be to be forced inside. So instead of coming outside, to solve the issues, they have to go inside. And for many people going inside is a type of isolation for many

people who are used to going to masjids, going to community centers, going to malls, going to the marketplace, to say that you're locked down.

To say that you cannot go except for essential activities is a type of prison in a sense, it's an isolation.

And this is where we are challenged as believers, because we recognized that there are all types of circumstances that we will live in.

And just the making of our morning prayers and our evening prayers, where the darkness has come in remembering Allah subhanaw taala many aspects of our life has a type of isolation, isolation to it. So it is not strange. Secondly, there is great economic and social stress that people are living under today.

It's something which is growing, and it is causing people to turn on each other. Even in the so called great nations of the world, the United States, the European Union.

Countries that claim to be the most stable areas on earth is a type of implosion that is happening, and that is a rumbling from the inside. And it's causing people to be stressed out and to turn on each other in ethnic violence, in tension, even in religious strife. And what this is leading to, for many young people, especially is depression.

And for amongst the many challenges that we spoke about last week, and again, this is our practical guide to defending our preserving protecting our Islam in the time of crisis. For the many challenges that we looked at.

I wanted to focus on the area of depression, because we don't want to spend time just in a lot of theoretical discussions. They are important, but our theoretical discussion needs to

be connected with a reality on the ground. And that was the ability that Allah gave to many of the great valamar, the great scholars throughout Islamic history. And so the issue of depression, which in some cases is an elephant in the room, when we're talking about youth issues, when we're talking about what's going on, why is there abuse? Why is the families breaking up? Why are people acting so strange? This depression is a very serious thing. And it leads to general mental health issues.

These issues, also lead to illegal substance abuse. And so we want to look at these areas, to try to get some grounding, not only in what's actually happening to us, but what did the great scholars give us, in order to bring us out of these different diseases, maladies, these different problems that we are facing, what is depression,

add, people use it many different ways. But if we look at it, from the point of view of our minds and our bodies, you could say that depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Now, this is important because we all should look at ourself, because this is hitting everybody, look at our own life, and then look at these different definitions to try to understand what is happening to your young people, especially teenagers. Because when we look at our children, the children that are very small infants, they're coming into the world, and they're happy. And as long as they're fed, and they're close, and they're clean and warm, they're happy,

when they get a little bit bigger, they start to have their, their needs. But when they reach that age, somewhere between 11 and now puberty is coming earlier for some people, but somewhere between, say 1112, and about 19, or 20, the teenage state, and that is that is the time when the human being is not a child, but they're not an adult. In the Western world, they call a teenager, we don't have a word for teenager, because either you're underneath puberty, or you're in puberty, and when you reach puberty, you're an adult, and you take on responsibilities. So when we look at depression, we find also that it affects how you feel, think and behave. And it can lead to a variety of emotional

and physical problems. So this depression is serious. It can affect your feelings.

A person who's who's depressed, their whole day can be grazed, so to speak, and things can be negative, they start thinking in a negative way, and start behaving in a negative way.

This can come out emotionally, that even lead to physical problems.

And also,

you have what is called when it gets really complicated and medical, so to speak, you could call it a major depressive disorder, or clinical depression.

And now, we're not really focusing on clinical depression so much, because that really is the area for doctors.

We want to look at depression in a general sense,

to try to understand what is actually happening. So what are the symptoms of depression, and these symptoms that come out of you, you might have mild symptoms, or you might have severe,

or these symptoms are include feeling sad, or having a depressed mood. So sadness, righteous, feeling negative, the world is against me. I have a mountain on my back.

It also affects affects the human being

with a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that they once enjoyed. So the person for instance, used to play basketball. They used to hike. They used to be involved in different social activities. And when depression comes in, even the things that used to interest them. There's no longer any interest. So once you see that kicking in, and why don't you watch your teenager, you're here

An adult. And you see that the activities that they used to enjoy themselves in, they used to smile, that these activities no longer bring that light to their face, it could be the onset of depression, or it could be the mild form.

depression can also change a person's appetite. And it could lead to weight loss, or weight gain. But something which is not based upon the food intake. So something is happening, the person's body is actually reacting to this negative stimulus, and it causes them to overeat, or causes them even to lose their appetite.

Also, with depression,

the person in many cases has trouble sleeping,

and that person is getting up over and over again, or just stays awake, staring at the ceiling all night. But then you have people who sleep too much. And this is something to watch out for. Because you'll find many people, especially young people, when they're depressed, they just can't get out of the bed. And they just stay there all day. And then for too long, they're going 810 12 hours are sleeping. And this is too much for a human being, when you start to get into 12 hours of sleeping in the night. Depression also causes a loss of energy,

or increased fatigue. Like they get tired, easy, the energy they used to have, is sort of gone out of them. And this is something which can lead to a lot of different issues.

Some of these issues come into an increase in purposeless physical activity. In other words, inability to sit still. So they're pacing their ring or hand wringing, or slowed movements or speech, right, these actions may be severe enough to be observable by others. So sometimes the person's pacing up and down, the person's doing strange activities, are banging their head banging their head, talking in the wrong way. Even they're, they're slurring their speech.

So this is now something which can be serious. Now, when you start to get into the severe forms of depression, you will find, and this is a common thing, and many of our youth are actually feeling this. It's like a feeling of worthlessness. So they feel like I'm nothing

or they feel guilty. Why are these things happening? Why is my parents fighting with each other? Why is the world like it is? What value do I have, they don't see value in themselves. And so this is like, this is serious. And it can cause difficulty in thinking, concentrating or making decision. So the person becomes, in the worst form, almost like a vegetable. And they're not even thinking right, and can't decide on anything in life. And the worst for the highest level of depression, of course, leads to thoughts of death or suicide. So this is something that we need to seriously consider now, as one of the challenges that we have taken. And the great scholars, Imam Al ghazali, shakos man,

Dan fodio, you find that you know, many of the discussions, practical discussions come out of these scholars, that I have found, they break the cure for the solution into two parts. There is the knowledge cure.

And there is the action cure. So the knowledge cure for us comes from first revelation. So what did Allah subhanaw taala say about this? What did Prophet Muhammad Salah establish in his Sunnah? What is the Islamic understanding of this phenomenon? So this is the first issue that you have to deal with, because the knowledge is critical now, in terms of solving a problem. How do I relate to this, in terms of what Allah subhanaw taala has given to me? So the Islamic response to the issue of depression, and that is this sadness, this grief is that we should remain steadfast sabreen we should have sober patience, perseverance, that is the Islamic response. And we are to remain

optimistic, regardless of the circumstances, and the province al Salam on one occasion, said

I Japan The moment that the affairs of a believer is a very strange, and there is nobody who has affairs like this, because if he is finding himself in good times, then he thanks Allah subhanaw taala. And it's very better for him.

If he finds himself in difficulty, then he has patience, and it's better for him. So the Prophet is saying all of his affairs are actually good, how, because the patience is there. And the optimism is there to get more specific in dealing with depression, and these are our terminologies. And we have to realize that the concept of dealing with depression is not something that just happened in the 20th century, or the 19th century, Muslim scholars had been dealing with depression, right from the time of the great cities and universities of Islam. And I remember the Ottoman Turks that I was traveling in Turkey, and we reached a place called e darnay. And this is on the border with

Bulgaria. So this would be like more north, you're going toward the right toward the European side. And this became the second capital of the Ottoman Empire, and they had developed outside of a journey as another places. Hey, Doris shifa, it is like a psychiatric hospital. Had this, you could say is one of the first organized psychiatric hospitals in the world. And it's amazing that Johns Hopkins University, one of the top psychiatric hospitals in the Western world, it based a lot of its practices on the arguments. Even the buildings in john hopkins are sort of built in that Turkish type of style. And so, one of the issues leading into depression.

And that is the issue of Al Hasan or al Hassan. And this is what you could call sorrow, or grief, or sadness. And whenever you see hosen mentioned in the Quran, is what Allah subhanaw taala is actually forbidden. And Allah tells us well, that I know what that is, I know what animals are alone in quantum meaning, do not falter or grief. For you will have the upper hand if you are truly believers. Allah tells us in Surah two Eunice also Allah and the only Allah law, how often are they him Allah home? Yeah, so known alladhina amanu? What can we attack on? So now Surely, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grief, those who believe and guard themselves against evil

to the consciousness of Allah. So here it is saying, the friends of Allah, they're not going to have health, and they're not going to have hoser.

So there's nothing for them to fear in the future. And nothing for them to be grieved about what to be sad about, and what has gone on in the past. And so either hosen is being forbidden, or it's being negate it.

And so it's a very strong stance against this, this quality against this disease, this bad issue can come into the light.

shakima Nakayama Rahim Allah He said, sadness weakens the heart and diminishes determination and wanting to go forward. There is nothing more Beloved, to the shaytan than the sadness of a believer.

And then he said, Don't ruin your happiness with worry. And don't ruin your mind with pessimism. Don't worry about this and worry about that. Some people have stopped watching the news now we shouldn't stop altogether. But much of the news that comes to us is that will make you worry. And it may not affect you actually at all.

So we need to be balanced in how much time we actually spend on the news, understand what's going on around you because the world may be tumbling in right across the street. So I understand what's going on but don't spend hours on all of these depressed depressive type of things. And a Saudi also said that he said be happy and optimistic thing good about Allah has not done Billa and this is a very important concept that that we should always think the best. Allah subhanaw taala knows why we are in this. Remember the verses insert a Tilak in aloha Valley or Omri

kajiado lol equally shy in podra, Allah will reach his purpose. So be optimistic, because what's going on with the COVID, what's going on with the world crisis, there's a reason for it. And Allah made a limit for everything.

A Saudi also said, have trust in what Allah is able to do, and depend upon Allah,

then you will find happiness and pleasure in all circumstances. So this gives us an Islamic background. And it's very interesting

what a Saudi said. He said that, you know, just think about

the goodness, don't be negative. He said, you could be sleeping, and the doors of Paradise are being opened with to us that are made on your behalf, perhaps someone poor, for you helped, they could be making to offer you, someone said, Who you brought joy they could be making for you, someone who passed you by and you smiled at them, they may be making a draft for you, somebody in this in distressed and you removed it from their life, they could be praying for you. Don't ever underestimate good deeds.

Because you don't know when it's going to come back to you. So even though the news might seem negative, it doesn't necessarily mean that all of our life is going to be negative. And so

the

knowledge cure shows us very clearly, what Allah wants for us,

what we need to strive for, and the way we need to struggle. But for many people, this may not be enough. And we want to be as practical as we possibly can, in this particular set of discussions, because of the issues that we are fake, fake facing. And it's amazing to show that the the the scholars and one of the scholars who I focused on myself circles, mendon folio of West Africa, he used to bring the knowledge cure, and then action cure. So he didn't leave you with just the theory. He talked about the action. So what can we do this is our basic way of trying to deal with depression. And you'll see that the doctors start like this, when it gets to clinical depression.

We're talking manic depression, that's another stage. But we're talking about the basic grieving sorrow, sadness, depression, you know, that we're facing and our young people are facing,

one of the cures could be

reach out, stay connected. And so that means that don't just stay isolated in your house, try to be around people who make you feel safe.

Reach out to people. And we're fortunate enough to have devices now. We have laptops, we have cell phones, we have all types of devices and ways to relate. So even though we're in a lockdown, we can still relate. And if you're not just reaching out, in order to get them to reach back to you support other people. So you may be reaching out to somebody that you want to support them. Because in the action of supporting somebody else, this can actually raise your feelings. And then the province on Sallam said, We need you if you're feeling bad, look at the person who was worse off than you. So sometimes coming to the assistance of other people, it actually helps to lift our depression. So

stay connected join groups, you may join classes, you may join chat groups, you may join other action groups that are online. But try to stay connected as much as you as possible with people who are on the outside.

The next point is that, you know, do things that make you feel good. And this is not being selfish. This is being realistically depressing when we're in the lockdown. And of course, you know, the process I love said, law, you know, I had to come had to call Hawaii or whatever the manager to be that none of you will truly believe until his Hawa until his desires are follows what I have brought, so even when he's enjoying himself, it still stays within shadia. So those things that make you feel good, and you know, it may be for instance, you may have had a hobby before. There was something that you really liked to do. And maybe

Because of the, the the the hustle and bustle of the 21st century life, you couldn't. Now you have free time. What are you going to do with the free time, it's not just sitting there in front of a tube. And watching Netflix, a hobby, you may have done your own gardening, it could be even gardening within your house, you may have been a person who actually produced things, you may have made certain objects, you may be a writer, whatever your hobby was before,

get into it. And if you do go on, out to the television, try not to be watching a lot of the mainstream programs that have the sexuality and the swearing and whatnot, get into documentaries, we can actually travel around the world online now. You can look up a country. And maybe as they say, you put it in your in your basket, where you'd like to travel in the future. Think about that. Think about the time when you come out of COVID-19 What would you like to do for yourself, right? So think positive things and do things that make you feel good, relax, do stretches, join yoga, tai chi, are learn relaxation techniques.

They're very important in these types.

Number three,

we need to get moving. And that means that I know it's difficult, especially in these times, we're in January and February. Here in Canada, it's not easy, because this is the time when we have a lot of cloud cover around overseas or it's very great. And at least in the summer, the sun would come out and whatnot. And you know, you can feel the sun, but now it's very great. So it's not easy. Imagine living in none of it. In the Northwest Territories, or living in Iqaluit. I remember a few years ago, I went to none of it in Northwest Territories that's in the Arctic Circle. So I went there to deal with the community in terms of

dour, how to do outreach to the community. And the people were the the Gretchen and evaluate, you know, as the Inuit people were living in the north, and there were Muslims there, there were Muslim business people who had actually gone to that path and established themselves. And they built the masjid called the master Masjid, the mosque of the midnight sun.

And so just imagine

when I reached there,

and it was the summer,

the sun was out all the time. But imagine if you reach there in November, going into December, then you would see darkness all the time.

has a lot of dough, it would be like 10 o'clock at night. salata lassa 10 o'clock at night, even in the morning at 11am in the morning,

like the darkness of night. So that's not easy. There's no doubt about that. But at least we're here in Ontario, or in other areas and other people in the Western world, maybe listening to this as well. Wherever you are get moving, even if you move inside your house, but get moving, move around. And that means that you can go on for walks even in a lockdown. Here you are allowed to exercise. And so exercise, go outside, pair up with somebody, it may be a family member, or you may even pair up with a friend. But get together. You know, we keep our distances we have our masks whenever we need. But we move outside and

make goals walk a certain amount of distances. Don't let the cold and the snow even stop you because we can put on our warm clothing. And we can walk in the cold. And that's good to acclimatize our bodies actually to the cold. So let's continue to move. Next point is to eat a healthy depression fighting diet. Now what is that? Because many people now because they're inside. Now it's Pizza Pizza. So they're ordering their pizzas and they're ordering their starches and their sweets and you know, they want to make themselves good by eating

food that brings the dopamine it's like the chocolate sweets, and whatever this is a mistake. Because the body is actually going to work opposite on the body. So we should eat the type of foods that

To actually fight depression, and that means cut down on the sugar cut down on caffeine. We shouldn't be drinking too much caffeine during the day. Also the carbs, you know cut down on that. more vegetables and more fruits and even vitamins if we can get as much vitamins as we possibly can get. Then even get get a multivitamin had. We had a formula before when I was young. Growing up in New England, my mother used to give us cod liver oil. And for me as a young person, it was torture at the drink a tablespoon of cod liver oil in the winter. But now I understand why she was doing this vitamin D.

It's very important for the immune system.

And this is where our Islamic diet comes in. The province all seldom said

take the black seed la combi habitus sewed up for inner harda and men colada, Bilal not take the black seed, it will cure every disease, except for deaths. Why is that? The scholars found that the black seed strengthens your immune system. And if the immune system is strong, it even fights off the Coronavirus. The immune system is strong, it fights off flu.

And so not only are we dealing with depression, but we're also dealing with the COVID-19 as well. The next point from amongst our action cures is

get a daily dose of sun. Now, again, that might not be possible in up in the part of the world if you're living here in Canada, or in the northern countries, but focus on making sure you get vitamin D, because vitamin D is one of those

vitamins that helps to fight depression. And surprisingly enough, it also fights to COVID-19.

It's amazing that even though in Africa

and in the Caribbean, although they do not have the technologies and do not have the medical facilities, there's less people dying from the COVID-19. It's less effective in this area, because in sunny areas, they're getting the vitamin D.

And so the vitamin D is strengthening the immune system at the same time, it works with depression.

So that's very important. The sunlight works with depression. And so we need to get a daily dose of sunlight. Also we need to challenge negative thinking.

And this is very important because we know that Allah subhanaw taala has told us about enough Salah Mara is so that there is a part of our knifes our internal self that actually commands you with negative things. And for some people, it's actually a voice. They hear a voice telling them, oh, you're nothing. You're a loser.

You people are weak, you're going nowhere. Don't listen to this challenge this. This is where our do ours are coming in. I will be carrying out a lifetime map. When Charlie McCulloch I seek refuge with the complete words of Allah from the evil He has created.

So say those two hours believe in that. I took corsi read it constantly, especially in the night before we go to bed had challenged negative thinking. This is extremely important in dealing with

the issues that we are facing

in this dark time outside, and also in this time of the pandemic.

So I want to with this open up the floor for any questions. I've said a lot of different things covered a lot of areas. But remember, we're dealing with depression as one of our challenges that we are facing, and we're trying to preserve our Islam. This is a real thing now. It's not just theoretical. It's hitting us. Okay, so we have the knowledge cure, and we have action.

Okay, so let's open up the floor to see if there are any discussions or questions

that anybody may have concerning these issues today. So I want to open up the floor for any questions that anybody may have.

Yes, please type your questions in the question and answer section in the bottom of the zoom.

What I want you to do is to

go back over these points. And I specifically put it in a PowerPoint so that you can go back to this, it'll be there on your islam.ca, you'll be able to go back over the points.

And keep them in mind when you're dealing with young people especially. But this is this will be the adults as well. There may be certain characteristics, certain things happening, and you need to check it out to see if depression, mild depression is actually starting

floors open. Any questions?

Shall there is a question here is sort of also a sewer that is about depression.

The chapter of Doha

it is in a sense that,

as a scholars tell us that right in the beginning of the revelation in the meccan period, when the prophet SAW solemn, you know, God is the first revelation, Accra Bismillah, bicolored, the kulluk and gibreel was, you know, coming to Him, and then for a period of time, it was, it was stopped.

And this was very depressing to the province on Sunday. He was very anxious, how Khadija rhodiola now actually assisted him, you know, showing him that he really is a messenger of Allah.

And Allah subhanaw taala revealed in these early meccan periods, this beautiful chapter that Allah subhanaw taala, you know, has not left you, he guided you as an orphan, you know, he brought you to the light. And it's a it's a beautiful chapter, you know, and we all need to think about this, how Allah was merciful to us, we nothing and became into human life. You know, we're all problems that we have and challenges, think of the good things that have happened in our life. And Allah ends this chapter, telling him that he should speak out. Now do the dour. So. So it's a chapter that raises up, the prophet SAW Selim from his depression into action. And that's what the idea is, with our

discussion is that we want to focus on bringing ourself, you know, into a dynamic form of Islam,

that we don't stagnate. But we come out of ourselves, and we actually benefit ourselves and benefits society.

floor is open again, for any other questions, or any comments that anybody has concerning this topic of depression.

Go no more questions. And so, we can see

what is happening in the world itself. Now remember that the shaitaan will he other Billa has the scholars have said this is one of the issues which is the most enjoyable to the devil. And that is when I believe it becomes sad, and depressed, and full of grief. Because this turns into self destruct

your self esteem loess, and you actually work against yourself. And that really is the work of the evil one. And we can see in the way the world is going in a sense, and how the media is, you know, focuses on the negative, it doesn't focus on the positive, but the focus is on the worst qualities of human beings and the murder and the destruction of the world. How much time in the news actually goes toward positive things. People being cured. People being educated societies, you know, saving on their youth. There's not much discussion and the fact that since we've been locked down, and it's not so many planes flying, that the earth is actually repairing itself that there are fish swimming

around in different parts of the world, where they will last in places like

New Delhi in India.

They actually breathing air jogging. They haven't seen the mountains you know, in here

But now they can see the mountain because the smog, that horrible chemical fog, which which is over their heads constantly, it lifted.

So there's a lot of positive things that are going on, along with the challenges that human beings are facing. But you can see that the forces of evil, wanting us to feel negative about ourselves, wanting us to feel there's no hope

and then providing their solutions. This is where we need to resist and that is to resist negativity with positivity, I had to realize that once we focus on our faith,

once we focus on our spiritual solutions, the spiritual solutions will help us out of this. Because remember that Allah subhanaw taala told us, who are the Olia of Allah? Allah, Dena amanu. Where can we attack

those who believe and they have the consciousness of Allah. They have Taqwa. And so, this is important for us to remember that those spiritual issues, how we are approaching our faith, to preserve our faith is part of the solution

on the ground, to the problems we are facing. And so we will look at next week in Sharla.

other challenges we are facing, and then look at some of the spiritual solutions within our faith had within the way of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, how to transform our character, and how to raise our faith and raise our taqwa so that we can overcome the challenges because the challenges are both physical and spiritual. And sometimes, the spiritual pandemic.

The spiritual pandemic is worse than the physical pandemic. Because the physical pandemics they come and they go.

But when a person is lost when their heart is lost, when their faith is lost, when their fitna is in their Deen

when their trial or test is in their religion, it is the one of the most dangerous positions to be. So we need to know how to protect our Islam.

What are the great scholars show us how to protect our Islam, from the spiritual pandemic, from the onslaught that is that is coming on us. We want to look at this in a practical way. And we pray that Allah subhanaw taala will help us to be able to come again. And we pray that Allah azza wa jal would lift any depression and sadness and grief from your hearts, from the hearts of the children. For the hearts of the poor people around this world, we are loss of our dollar bring joy back to the world. May Allah subhanaw taala soften our hearts and fill our hearts with the light of faith and taqwa and they'll accept us for those good deeds that we have done. And forgive us for the wrongs that we do.

I leave you with these thoughts. And I asked the Lord have mercy on me and you da home via subhanak particular home what to hear tone via Salaam. We're after the Dowell home and Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salaam wa Alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh