Yasir Qadhi – Suicide Prevention Week
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hamdulillah All praise is due to Allah, the One and the unique. He it is whom we worship. And it is his aid that we seek. He is the Lord of the oppressed. And he answers the prayer of the week as to what follows on an unrelated but a very, very important topic. This week, is the National Suicide Prevention Week of this country. And it is a topic that I have spoken about before and others have spoken about as well. Some of you find it awkward, but your awkwardness is not going to stop the rest of us from preaching and perhaps saving a life. We have to be aware of brothers and sisters, that suicide is on the rise in a manner that is not just unprecedented, but inexplicable. We don't
understand why in this country, it is the 12th cause of death of the entire population. In the state of Texas, the suicide rate has risen over 30%, it is now the 11th cause of death of the entire state. Think about that you have cancer, you have you know, sickness, you have this not number 11. In this state, it's people taking their lives. And the number one demographics young men, young men in particular, the number one demographics. In fact, in a certain category of young men, I think from 11 to 20 or something, it is the second highest cause of death Subhanallah second highest costs, and anybody who thinks that our community is safe, has not understood the reality of our
community. Every few weeks here in Dallas, a janazah is prayed over one of our own, who for whatever reasons, ended their own life. And brothers and sisters, it is important that as parents, as educators, as community leaders, we understand the symptoms, the telltale signs, we are monitoring, when we see a young one, when we see our own son, usually it's a son, sometimes a daughter, when we see our own loved ones going down this path, it is imperative we educate ourselves about the symptoms, I have given a whole host but others have given and log on to mine and check very briefly, one of the main symptoms is complete withdrawal from society to change one's moods radically, for no
reason, to start blaming oneself to force here, your son or daughter start saying, I wish I weren't alive, the world would be a better place without me. These types of things, when you start hearing them, you start seeing a mood change very radically, you start seeing a decline into depression, you start hearing the the notion or the wish that I wish I were not here, I wish I were dead. These are all symptoms and signs that you start alarm bells in your own in your own brain, you should realize when you see this, you need to take this challenge seriously. And I have said this before, I will say it again.
Times have changed. Maybe we don't understand why this generation is feeling this way. It doesn't change the fact that they are it doesn't change you're not understanding and my not understanding is not going to change the reality. And the reality speak to any psychiatrists speak to any person in therapy, they will tell you the reality is depression. And also thoughts of suicide are rising exponentially in the next generation. And that includes our own children that includes our own our own kith and kin. So parents, community leaders, educate yourselves about the symptoms of depression and suicide, understand that it is a diagnosable disease. It is a disease of the mind. Do not
dismiss it. Our generation and our elders. They were on the more dismissive side. Okay, that's fine. That was their generation. They were wrong. We cannot dismiss depression. We cannot just say, Oh, this is a figment of your imagination. It doesn't change the fact it's an actual tangible psychological psychiatrically diagnoseable disease and therapy does help, not just Imani. IMANI is also helpful, good friends helpful. But therapy does help as well. So when you find a young man or woman, when you find somebody whom you feel is going down this path, engage with them, reach out to them, show them that they are wanted and loved brothers and sisters, I will tell you one episode in
my own office and my own interactions Wallahi It shook me to the core, a young man from our own community, our own Dallas community wanted to get rid of his own life. And I'm trying to explain to him and what not one phrase he said it struck me.
He said the one reason I didn't do that was because I knew my mother loved me, and it would cause her harm. It would feel she would feel hurt. So in order to not cause her pain, I didn't do it. This phrase Subhanallah what saved him was the fact he knew his mother loved him, and he knew the pain he would cause his mother
That simple Realisation to know that a person is loved to know that a person feels validated. That's on us. That's our job to make sure because all too often such young men or such young women feel nobody cares about me. My parents don't like me they think I'm a disappointment. My parents think I'm the biggest decision regret they ever had my heard my dad say so I heard my mom say, I wish I wasn't born. When you start hearing and start thinking along with modern culture, along with everything, along with whatever it might be, I don't know, I'm not a psychiatrist. I can diagnose. I don't understand why, but it is on the rise. And I know that one suicide is not is more than enough
for our community much more every few weeks is happening. If we can save one life, if we can save one of our youth from going down this path, as Allah says, it is as if we have saved all of mankind. So I urge all of you, all of you to reorient your thinking when it comes to suicide. When it comes to depression. I urge all of you to be vigilant, especially with your teenagers, especially with the next generation, no matter what they've done, okay? Sometimes they have to be rebuked, understandably, but that rebuke must be within love. They must know they are loved, they must know they're appreciated, they must know that your future and theirs are intertwined together, they must
feel validated about who they are, even with their mistakes and shortcomings. Be careful, parents, don't be so harsh that your children start thinking I wish I was never born, you have definitely gone too overboard if they start thinking this way. So use your language with wisdom and understand the next generation is not me and you we grew up in a different time and place you will have to change because it's not their fault. They're being born at a different time in place. Frankly, it's our responsibility. We were the ones who came most of us from another land, we were the ones who chose to come here we were the ones so you cannot blame them for absorbing the values and the
concepts that we find around ourselves. So the compassion has to begin with you. And in the end of the day, you're the adult, not them. So please forgive my harshness, you need to step up to the plate, and you need to act with the maturity and the love and the wisdom that only you can have. What do you expect a 15 year old a 17 year old, they're still children trapped in the bodies of an adult? What do you expect them to say except be a little bit harsh, mean nasty, they're throwing tantrums. It doesn't justify you going the other way. You're the adult please brothers and sisters act like that. And I'm sorry to be blunt here. But if you listen to their stories, if you listen to
what their own parents say about them, if you listen and you interact with somebody who's flirting with suicide, your own heart changes and you start thinking through different things. Brothers and sisters make dua to Allah show love to your children have your households to be a household of love and Eman and Taqwa and just lots of DUA and lots of love. That's all that we can do. And obviously, if you find one such young man or woman, then please understand therapy does help. I have seen myself some of these young men after therapy, they're singing a different tune, not necessarily fully solved, but much better. therapy does help going to a professional train and Alhamdulillah
Muslims are also getting involved in therapy and we now have Muslim psychiatrist and Muslim therapist that can help out as well. So ask around any shoulder domestic as well can help you in this regard. Most important thing it's our responsibility to protect the next generation. So we need to learn we need to understand and we need to take on that responsibility. May Allah subhana wa Tada help all of us in
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