Muhammad Hoblos – Mental Illness in Islam

			Why is it that whenever we come across someone with a mental illness like depression, we assume one
of two things.
		

			Either this person is possessed by demons and jinn, and therefore needs to seek an exorcist. Or that
this person is far from Allah, or is a sinner, and therefore Allah is punishing this person.
		

			You know, I've been guilty of such crimes for far too long. And now I realized that I acknowledge
the damage that I have caused it and it's simply not the case. A lady came to the Prophet of Allah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and she says to my prophet of Allah, I have a mental condition where I
sometimes lose control. Can you make a prayer to Allah and ask Allah to cure me?
		

			So the Prophet of Allah, He said, Well, look, you have one of two options, I can either ask Allah
for a cure, and you will be cured. Or you can be patient on your illness, and for you is paradise.
And the amazing thing is here, that the Prophet of Allah acknowledged that she had a mental illness
and did not tell her that know that you are possessed by jinn, or that you are far from Allah, that
you're a sinner and that Allah is punishing you.
		

			My brothers and sisters, the World Health Organization states that one in four people will be
diagnosed with some sort of mental illness at some stage in their lives. These are statistics that
we cannot ignore. mental illness is very real. What is mental illness? In short, mental illness is a
condition that affects one's thinking, or behavior. mental illness is not a choice. People don't
wake up in the morning and choose to have a mental illness. mental illness is not laziness. It's not
a bad diet. It's not seeking attention. It's not a physical or a mental or spiritual weakness.
mental illness is very real. It is as real as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Now we're not
		

			denying the power of spirituality, and the miracles of the Quran as a form of healing. But for the
purpose of this video, what we're saying is the seriousness of mental illnesses, that there is no
harm and no shame in seeking professional advice. In fact, Allah subhanho wa Taala says in the
Quran, that ask the people of knowledge, if you do not know, and our Prophet has said, sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and this is this is the blessing of Islam, that seek the cure of your illnesses.
For virtually every illness that Allah brings down. He also brings its cure along with it. So
please, if you feel in any way, shape or form, that you may be suffering from the symptoms of mental
		

			illness, do not be afraid. start a conversation with your GP, with a psychologist with a social
worker, go seek professional help, and we as a community, need to support our fellow brothers and
sisters that are suffering we really need to start showing people hope and support because that is
what a true Muslim does