Ebrahim Bham – Mental Health

			Alhamdulillah
		

			Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala ala Nabi Avada a Mavado for the villa humanus shaytani R rajim
Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem,
		

			and levena Manawatu my inocula Woombie decorilla Allah BT crill toma Inula. Kuru said Allah Allah
Zim.
		

			My dear respected elders and brothers.
		

			In every age,
		

			we have certain types of challenges.
		

			Sometimes even sickness and illnesses,
		

			which are more common
		

			than others. This has always been part of history.
		

			One of the challenges that we, as Muslims and humanity are facing,
		

			together with the COVID pandemic, which has caused great amount of turmoil in the individual and
collective life of humanity
		

			is something that I would like to speak on today,
		

			which many times is not spoken about. And that is about mental health.
		

			And the reason why I'm making mention of it, it is one of the illnesses and sicknesses which have
become quite common. Perhaps it has been exacerbated because of what is happening in COVID, and
people's uncertainty with regard to the situation. Now when I speak about mental health, I'm going
to speak about the aspect of the stigma attached to it.
		

			And why it has become one of the reasons why it is not given the importance and why we do not deal
with it sufficiently. And also, given some aspects with regard to how Islam has taught us to deal
with it, the holistic
		

			way of dealing with it, I'm not going to speak that much with regard to the medical aspects of it,
because I'm not an expert in it. But I will just sort of briefly explain with regard to what is
regarded to be mental health, and what is the common understanding with regard to it. Mental health
is all about our mental well being. And it includes our emotional, psychological and social well
being
		

			on the converse, it includes psychotic disorders,
		

			personality disorders, mood disorders, it has a great impact upon our individual life, especially
people who go through it. It determines how we handle stress,
		

			how you handle challenges, how you relate to others, and how you make choices in your life.
		

			mental health disorders exist in broad categories.
		

			It includes anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and they are different manifestations of that. For
example, one of the disorders or one of the manifestations of that is anxiety. So excessive worry,
which sometimes may even result in panic attacks,
		

			depression, which has low moods for long duration, sometimes that low moods can go for one week, two
weeks, sometimes four months. And that particular low mood disorders, results in such a mental state
of a person, that sometimes it even leads to him taking his life.
		

			And whereas we know that in Islam, to take one's life is not permitted. What sometimes people do not
make the distinction is, one is taking one's life When one is fully cognizant of one's faculties.
And one knows what is one what is doing and one is where a person doesn't have control over what he
is doing. And that leads to him taking his life because of mood disorders, because of personality
disorders. And we need to make that distinction because unfortunately, we become so judgmental in in
our situation in our community today that we don't make that particular type of distinction. So
sometimes it is this depression. Sometimes it is bipolar, and when we talk about bipolar, we talk
		

			about two polls. So two polls means to varying degrees of moods. So sometimes you are on a low
sometimes you on a high. So basically what I'm just showing you is the definition of mental health.
The examples of mental disorders, as I've said this is not so
		

			much, from my perspective giving you no talk on the mental, or the medical aspects with regard to
it, but just for us to understand the definition. Now one of the difficulties we have had
		

			in dealing with mental health has been the stigma.
		

			Previously, they used to be a greatest stigma nowadays, with some awareness, the stigma is slightly
less previously to be to be honest, you know, and while sometimes we romanticize our past, there
were aspects of our past that were not very, according to Islam. So normally a person who had mental
health in the past, we used to call him almost like, you know, I pagando. He is he's crazy, he is
mental, without any consideration of helping him without giving any particular way of trying to deal
with the matter. You know, it was just sort of taken his his mental, his gondola leaving one side,
and let him suffer the consequences as the people who are the caregivers at what they went through
		

			with regard to it. So and today, what is actually happening is also that we might not go to that
extreme that was done previously, but we still regard him to be weak.
		

			And it is still regarded to be a stigma that people who have it or even the families who have people
who have mental health issues, they normally what they do is they try to hide the sickness, they try
to hide the person away from the community and society, and they hide him away. And this is so so
sad. I'll give you some typical examples of how we deal with people who are in depression, or how we
deal with people who have mental health issues. So sometimes we will tell people, pull yourself
together, it's all in your mind.
		

			Pull yourself together, it is only in your mind. Well, yes, sometimes it is in your mind, because
there's a chemical imbalance in your mind. But when we say it's only in your mind, we don't mean it
in that way. We'll pull yourself together, it is only in your mind. Well, it is like telling a
diabetic patient who we never actually stigmatize to that extent. In someone who's a diabetic, we
take it to be a sickness and illness. No one ever tells her diabetic pull your pancreas together if
your insulin will create insulin on its own. Why do we then tell a person who has mental health Pull
yourself together is only in your mind, we don't tell a diabetic patient that pull your pancreas
		

			together, it will create insulin. That is one way of dealing with it, which is so incorrect, like
pull yourself together as if he has a choice in the matter. He doesn't have a choice in the matter.
Right. Sometimes it is beyond him. He needs assistance, he need medical assistance, he need other
type of psychological emotional assistance. The second aspect is with regard to it is many attended.
This is so unfortunate. When a person is has mental health issues or depression issues. We tend to
make it into a situation that he doesn't have a man
		

			UI depressed because you don't have a man you have lack faith, you don't have enough to work or you
don't rely upon Almighty Allah subhanho wa Taala sufficiently now tell a person who has high blood
that you don't rely upon Almighty Allah subhanho wa Taala sufficiently to ever do that. When a
person has high blood, then we do take necessary steps with regard to dealing with it. Why is it
different a person has mental health issues? And we say that no, you have you have you have no Eman.
		

			Sometimes it's not to do with the man, he might have more human than what we have. But we have this
whole particular stigmatization with regard to it. Now, let me give you another example with regard
to it many times what we do with regard to the stigmatization of mental health issues is, we just
refer it to you know, Jadu now I don't deny the aspect of Jadwal because the Quran has made mention
with regard to it, but to say each and everything of a person who has certain signs of mental health
issues, that this is Jadu it is it is undermining the situation. And it reminds me of a little bit
of a humorous type of joke that a woman you know, had stomach disorders and she had stomach pain. So
		

			she went to a mana as it is normal a lot of people, but I bernucci You all know what these mean?
bernucci is a Gujarati term that say it is outside forces meaning it is black magic, it is Jadu. So
it is something that is outside forces, external forces bernucci. So this human goes to the Maulana
who who goes and checks checks the woman up, realizes that has nothing to do with external forces,
the the woman is pregnant. And because of pregnancy, she's got this odors and she's got, you know, a
nausea, etc. And she's got stomach pains. So the Manasa burner, namely under torture. It's not
something to do with outside forces. It is something that is inside her body, she is pregnant. Now
		

			this is how we sometimes undermine the aspect and this is something now is this justified? The three
ways that we normally deal with depression
		

			in mental health issues, sometimes we tell a person he doesn't have enough human. Sometimes we say
it is in your mind, it is not serious, you know. And thirdly we sometimes just refer it to Jabu. Now
let us look at it from the Islamic perspective.
		

			One of the aspects that we have to say that one of the as I said that mental health is also part of
psychological emotional, you know, challenges is the thing that coke creates mental health issues.
Now, the Quran tells us that the Ambien he was Salatu was Salam experienced emotional challenges.
They were not immo immune to emotional challenges. One of the most beautiful examples in this regard
how Allah Tala dealt with it, and how you and I deal with it, as it Meriam when she miraculously
conceived, obviously she was worried she was anxious. Such was her anxiety that Allah Tala said she
made mention of a statement. It's such a statement that taken out of context people will see you
		

			know, how do you make such as the year later the mid to Kubla Hara? If only I could have been dead
before this day. Welcome to NASA man see if only I could have been forgotten. No one could have made
mention of me. Here Allah Allah was about to reveal one of the greatest signs of Allah's greatness
through her Allah was about to reveal one of the greatest signs of Allah's greatness through her and
here this was a situation have been so anxious she said if only I could have died before this. And I
could have been forgotten no one would have taken my name. What Allah Tala till till Allah Tala tell
her that she could no faith did Allah Tala Tala she could no Eman What did Allah Tala do Allah Tala
		

			reassured her Fernanda Harmon Katya alerta has an e o Meriam do not become grief and said do not do
come anxious
		

			do not become Fanad Allah does Caja Allah, Allah will create a way with regard to your anxiety. And
then what Allah Tala did Fernanda
		

			rabuka Wahoo si la ke BJP NOC Allah, Allah Tala Tala to go and stay at a place where there was clean
water and there was a date palm and Allah Tala said shake the date palm Wahoo CLA keep it to circuit
la ke Ruta ban geneia Fresh schedule for and that is very very important and very nutritious for
women who are in pregnancy.
		

			Look at how Allah then Allah says for coolie what should I be eating during and be comforted for a
matter a nominal Bhushan Yaga I find the so amazing if anyone comes to speak to you for only in in
Rahmani Saman Philando, Colima Lian that today I have taken a fast of not talking that time there
was a fast just as you don't eat in the previous religion they were fast of not talking for the
entire day. It actually might do us a quite good nowadays.
		

			So one of the reasons that I find it so interesting is because one of the major reasons of causing
more trouble to people who have mental health issues is the negative statements people talk to Allah
Tala told her that you tell when anyone come to talk to you say, I have taken an oath. I'm not
speaking to anyone today.
		

			Because many of these issues is because of the negative statements again. Let me give you another
example. As it Iacobelli Salatu was Salam had such emotional challenges after the disappearance of
use of Ali salaam, we know the issue we know the incident. I want to I want to refer you to a verse
in the Holy Quran. With the year that a woman Allah muslim,
		

			his eyes became white, his eyes do weaken because of grief and sorrow.
		

			He had weak Weak Eyesight and according to Unreal it even became partially blind or completely
blind, because of sorrow would be that a no Minal Husna. So Hannah Nebia Karim saw Selim went
through challenges to such an extent that we all know anyone who reads a Sierra knows that there is
one year the 10th year of Prophethood that is known as omul husen. The year of sorrow for the
Prophet. Why because in that, particularly the year he lost his era, the Allahu ta he lost. As you
know, he lost as the Altana Abu Talib, his uncle, who although not become a Muslim, who has a pillar
of support to him. It is known as Amazon Nebia Kareem sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to make dua
		

			and tortoise this dua Allahumma India will become in a hammy will hosel yeah Allah yet we say we
create a stigma with regard to it. Allah I seek Your protection, from sorrow from from unhappiness
from distress.
		

			This is a reality. How can we say that this is not the reality when we give you example two or three
		

			How ambi Ali was Salatu was Salam. We're not immune from emotional challenges. And then for Muslims
to be in the in the aspect with regard to creating a stigma about it is so unfortunate.
		

			Why? Because we were the pioneers with regard to mental health. We were the pioneers with regard to
mental health. The first psychiatry Ward, known as Daru. Shiva was built by a Muslim physician in
the eighth century. It dealt with matters in a holistic manner. He dealt with, you know, mental
health issues in a holistic manner as I will go on to explain Abubakar Razi, he studied medicine
conducted the largest dedicated psychiatry ward. Amazingly, after the holistic treatment that was
given in this particular hospital. After the discharge, they were given a certain stipend for them
to stay and to remain independent. It is part of what today is called relapse prevention strategy.
		

			One of our great scholars Abu Zaid al Belfie. And remember both is in were both in Afghanistan.
Right. Abu Zaid al Belsky wrote a book in which he diagnosed one of the aspects and one of the
		

			mental disorders, obsessive compulsive compulsive disorder, and him describe it almost verbatim as
the way it is regarded to be in modern psychiatry.
		

			So near we are the ones who have become created a stigma one of the things that I like to I'm going
to make mention with regard to it, we have become so insular, we have become so narrow, that we have
lost touch with our heritage, our heritage was not as narrow as what we are today in our own
community and society. We this whole particular aspect of piety being insulin, you know, being so
narrow, it is not the way of Islam. Islam was progressive Islam was something that looked upon
things and looked upon this one particular aspect of you know, stigmatizing mental health. It is
part of our narrow, insular way of looking at things which is not part of our Sharia and is not part
		

			of our teachings. Now, since Islam is so comprehensive, one of the ways with regard to Islamic
method of dealing with it is holistic wellness,
		

			dealing with things in a holistic manner. And when we talk about mental health is not only about you
know, the aspect of one one aspect of wellness, it is a wellness in for, for amongst many other
ways, physical health, intellectual health, emotional health and spiritual health. When you have
wellness in these four, four categories, then you will have holistic wellness. Let me give you some
broad examples with regard to that. Physical health we all know with regard to it, the health of our
physical, you know, body is vital to our entire well being, maybe a cream sauce sallam said a strong
believer is better to Allah than a weak believer. Now, the alarm I have made mentioned that
		

			sometimes this world particular aspect means spiritual, spiritual strength, the person where
spiritual strength is better than the one who has spiritual weakness, but some will Am I have said
it also includes physical well being physical strength. A believer who is physically strong he can
do more about it he can help people more he can be a greater asset to the community than the one who
is weak. So when maybe a cream sauce looser mineral away Hiram in a minute that if when am I have
made mentioned is also part of physical well being. We don't take enough care with regard to our
health. And yet Allah Tala and our beloved Livia Karim sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has given us so
		

			many great examples with regard to taking care of our health. Look at the aspect of Islam emphasis
upon cleanliness. Allah loves those who are clean. Allah wa creme saw some said to her Rooney's full
Eman cleanliness is part of you know, half of Eman we didn't need to be told with regard to washing
our hands, you know, all the time. You know, with regard to cleanliness, maybe a cream sauce Lama
said find a barakaatuh Tom, the burrito of eating is to see to it that you wash your hands before
and after eating. We never need to be told to sanitize, because that is part of our legacy. It has
always been part of our teachings. So this is, you know, share Saudi Aramco Lolly makes mentioned
		

			with regard to this whole beautiful aspect of, you know, the example of how we don't take care of
our health gives an shucks it was of course, a power to us to give small incidents, which used to
give very important lessons. So for example, to give an example of a person, a king who has gone
into an expedition, and in the expedition, he took people with him there was one person who was
making everyone's life in the expedition of Missouri. He was constantly complaining about C motion
and seasickness. And he was saying this is such a terrible expedition. So the king one person came
to the king one day and said, Just give it to me. Allow me to try
		

			Allow me to cure him from this excessive complaining. So how will you do it? He said, Leave it to
me. One day he got food strong people took him in threw me into the ocean, right? And thereafter
when he threw him into the ocean, he put a lock to it. And somehow the other he came back, he came
back to the ship after that there was no complaining. So the king said, How did you complain in
through this whole particular method? So he said, he under estimated the safety the ship was given
him in the perils of the depth of the ocean. Once he realized the depth of the ocean and the dangers
that are lurking there, and he came back to the ship, then you realize the safety that the ship was
		

			providing? So she excited Rahmatullah. He says, We, all of us, we underestimate our the, our health
until sickness overtake us. Then only all of a sudden we will say what we had our health Why didn't
we look after our health? Nemea Kareem sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is spoken, just talking about
this mental health Nebia Kareem saw Salam spoke about the aspect of Kobina and this is this is made
mentioned in the hadith of our beloved, maybe Kareem saw Selim that you know, the aspect of taking
Albina for the sick and for the grieving person and in one rewired it makes it is relaxation for the
heart of a sick person.
		

			It is relaxation for the heart of a sick person, it keeps him away from anxiety while he is sick. So
this physical health is part of the holistic wellness that we are talking about. The second aspect
with regard to you know, holistic wellness is intellectual wellness. And that is why Islam has paid
so much attention towards knowledge, corrupt disegni Ilma Allah increase me knowledge and our video
so let's say someone sent me a clip, you're a small, you know, humorous type of clip or small
humorous type of image. They say one person was in a in a examination, and he was asking his friend,
you know, for for tips with regard to cheating in the examination. So the friends send him one small
		

			type of paper. So you got happier maybe the answers have come you in the paper. So when you open up
the paper, he said corrupt visit nail Ma, or like Chris me by knowledge, you are supposed to make
the DUA and you're supposed to prepare not now come as people at the time of examination with regard
law speaks about the aspect of intellectual well being the Hunahpu lie of Tahuna BIA, people have
hearts and they don't, they don't understand. They don't use it to understand when to lie or smoke.
They have ears but they don't want to listen to the truth and good things when
		

			you're small. And they have eyes and they don't want to see the truth or they don't want to see good
things. They are a number who Mazel they are like you know animals and even they are worse than
animals. So this whole particular therefore maybe a cream sauce, some seeds, a hadith al hikma to
volatile movement, wisdom is a lost property of the believer wherever he finds it, he goes in
acquire it. The one of the reasons why Islam has made alcohol Haram is it before the intellect it
takes away your intellect. Look at a person who is drunk. One person one day told me he was a Muslim
person who was a lawyer. And he said he was once you know at the end of the year party, you know at
		

			the end of the year, what they have this whole particular aspects of the closing of the entire year.
And he said he was absolutely you know, embarrassed that people who were supposed to be so great in
terms of intellect because of alcohol, how they were carrying on how they were behaving. I said when
we thank Allah Tala that Allah gave us a religion, that that particular aspect which distinguishes
between a person who has intellect and doesn't have intellect, Allah has made it haram. So this is a
reason why Allah Allah has made alcohol Haram is because if before the intellect, then of course the
emotional well being which I've already spoken about. And then lastly, let me say one of the aspects
		

			with regard to you know, wholeness and wellness and holistic wellness, spiritual, spiritual
wellness, and spiritual well being, we cannot have a healthy and a positive life without a strong
and positive connection with Allah subhanho wa Taala and Latina among
		

			those who have Eman with that my inoculum their hearts find contentment with the remembrance of
Allah. Allah be the green light at my inner guru, only in the remembrance of Allah Allah has found
contentment many times I feel that one of the reasons why we have to tell people with regard to
drugs etc. Is there is a vacuum in their life and they are trying to fulfill and create and fill
that vacuum was more entertainment and you know drugs is supposed to give you a high so therefore
they take to it but at the end of the day, that vacuum is not going to be filled by materialism
anything material.
		

			Ever notice with regard to a child who give him the best toy after two days that whole particular
toy which he was crying about is on one corner he is no more happy with it. It's part of what you
are seeing the days Allah doesn't isn't created contentment in material things.
		

			You buy the best particular gadget your best particular phone after one year you say this is
nonsense.
		

			And I want another one. The people who used to have computers which were that, that time were
regarded to be the marvels of technology. If today you got it so you got a dinosaur. And this is a
reality. Allah hasn't created the aspect of contentment in material things. What Allah has kept it
contentment is in remembering Allah. The more we remember another more Allah, Allah will give us
that particular aspect and he would, who discards Allah. Listen to this verse in Surah Omen Rodin
decree for Enola Houma he shall
		

			we ever neglect the remembrance of Allah. I don't know how do I translate them?
		

			Allah will make his life narrow.
		

			Allah will make his life constricted. There will be construction in every aspect of his life there
will be no Baraka in his risk. There will be no Baraka in his time, there will be no Baraka in his
relationship, there will be no blessings in any aspect of his life. I don't know if a better way of
describing this verse woman Arada and victory for in Allahumma Schatten Vanka Yuri used to forget
Allah Tala every aspect of your life will become restricted. And that is why one of the beautiful
ways you know I always tell people one of the ways to remember Allah and it is so uplifting is to
read the morning do us brothers make a point of reading the morning to us in going to see what is
		

			the meaning of those morning to us. Allah wa Habima NetMeeting Obeah Hardiman Kalki Furman Kawada
kala Sharika follicle hamdulillah Kushok Allah whatever nemetz me or anyone of the creation is this
morning. It is because of you follicle hamdulillah cashew All praise is due to all gratitude is due
to you as BANA Allah.
		

			Allah filter Islam what Kalamata Allah has what Allah Dena Bina Muhammad is awesome. I have got up
this morning upon the fifth of Islam upon the dean of Nivea cream sauce upon the middle of Ibrahim
Alayhi Salatu was Salam. Ala can you get a more befitting way and a more better way of starting your
morning starting your day? Allah when Mama as Bobby minimum, you know, Allah Romania is back to mean
come in, but you are forgetting we're sitting in fact my family and Matakohe raffia Tico silica
Feedburner Allah, Allah, I have spent this morning with your Namath with your affiliate with your
concealment Allah If Allah doesn't conceal us and conceal our deeds, we will not be able to walk
		

			with respect and dignity amongst people. For me, alien amateur Coca Cola, Centrica will not continue
your off yet, continue your concealment, continuing. It's upon us. So brothers, in let me just sort
of say, we started the aspect that one of the challenges of our age is mental health. I gave a small
definition with regard to mental health, saying I'm not a medical expert, but just to us to
understand the aspect with regard to it. Then we said that there is a stigma with regard to it. I
gave examples of that stigma. I think it is so sad. Because I'm dealing with salatu salam, we're not
immune for emotional challenges, examples of which I gave, then I said, Well, how can we be amongst
		

			those who stigmatize this because we were the pioneers of addressing this whole particular aspect of
mental health. And thereafter, I gave you the example of four four ways of having holistic wellness,
to be able to save ourselves from in every aspect with regard to mental health, health issues,
mental disorders or any other type of disorders. May Allah give us a topic of understanding and we
can work through that one