Lecture was delivered on May 6, 2016
Yassir Fazaga – Mental Illness Does Not Mean A Lack Of Faith
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of the state of mental health, which is the state of alpha, and encourage people to pray for the state of well being. They also discuss the negative impact of past experiences on one's mental health and encourage men to take action. The success of the Easter month is highlighted as a theme of mental health issues, and the importance of listening to the group and encouraging them to take action. Additionally, the speakers emphasize the need for everyone to be present in the community and mention upcoming events and events for people to attend.
AI: Summary ©
The Ashraful ambia le sheffey image levena Mojave rockville alameen Mohammed salatu salam wa alayhi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa hearin in Alhamdulillah.
Study when I wrote on fusina Malina, Maria de la palma de La La MaMa Youngblood Fela howdy Allah, Allah Allah Allah Allahu la sharika Mohammedan sallallahu alayhi wa sallam solo, America in
LA. We're hiring a new Mohammed in Salalah alayhi wa sallam, the name of Allah, the Compassionate, The Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. We bear witness that no one is worthy of worship but Allah, and we bear witness that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is indeed his final messenger. The best of speech is a book of Allah. The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. May Allah Subhana Allah make us amongst those who listen to the best of speech, the Book of Allah unfolds commandment. And may Allah Subhana Allah Nichols amongst those who come to know the best of ways the way of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and make us amongst his
followers along mean a lot. I mean, according to Salalah alayhi wa sallam, Allah nee booty to Giovani.
The Prophet peace upon him said, I was indeed granted, given blessed by Allah to pray for so much. Using little words Ott Giovanni adrar, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam knew how to pray, and he was the best of those who prayed. See, brothers and sisters, we can learn so much about a person by listening to what it is that they are praying for. Somebody is praying for good health, you know that you know what they're not doing? Well, in their health. Somebody is praying for wealth, because their finances are not really going that well for them. Maybe they're praying for their loved ones. But the one who prayed best is indeed Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And we can learn so much about him by paying attention to what it is that he prayed, for example, would be the processor I'm saying along them in parallel Hi, Rod, otter, calm karate Misaki. Allah I asked that I be of those who are committed to the doing of good of those who are committed to the shunning of evil. And Oh Allah, put in my heart, the love for the poor and the needy, only a mature person, a kind person, a compassionate person, would make part of the drama in my heart, put the loves for the poor and the needy. Usually we do our is just only about us, and sometimes maybe our loved ones, and sometimes during times of calamities, those who are suffering, but Mohammed
sallallahu, alayhi wasallam. Without any of this happen, he would say that part of what I pray for Allah, put in my heart, the love for the poor and the needy, so that I do not become de synthesized to their needs.
In one of his throughout the process, Allah will teach the people
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is an ask Allah for alpha, the state of well being. For there is no better provision that Allah provides for desert a servant of his than alpha granting him the state of well being are for you. When people speak about Africa, they say is engines. It is the kind of that it's very inclusive, everything well being in your health, well being in your wealth, well being in your relationships, that is what we call complete alfia. And that's why he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would also pray and would say along the local artwork when alpha or Allah we ask that we be of those who are pardoned by you.
And we ask that we always be in the state of alpha. And today brothers and sisters, I would like to focus on one aspect of alpha, the state of well being that is what we call emotional and psychological and mental well being, being mentally sound, emotionally healthy, psychologically intelligent. And sometimes these topics they become very difficult to navigate in the religious community, especially in the Muslim community because it's very
Difficult to talk about mental health. Because we have been indoctrinated with been told many myths and misrepresentation about this notion of mental health, and how it relates to the Muslim community and to the religious community. So much so that if you ask anybody here diabetic, most of the people who have diabetes, you know, nobody yamba raise my hand, I'm diabetic, I have high blood pressure. Yeah, maybe I'm struggling with my cholesterol, people won't have a problem with that. But if I were to ask and say, anybody who has depressed,
anybody has anxiety, we would shy away from saying this, because society has taught us that some diseases are good, you can say publicly, and some diseases are not good. And you should never speak about publicly. But that is not the approach of a believer. That is what how a Masjid conducts its affairs. The job of the message is to be as relevant and to be as real as possible. Especially when there are no religious restrictions for doing something like this. We'll give you a few examples. Brothers and sisters. Do you know that the most repeated the most repeated reward for the believers in the Quran in the here after is actually an emotional one.
When people think of Paradise when people think of Jannah what most of us think of physical pleasure, you get to eat all what you want. You've got partners, you've got spouses, you've got people serving you, you've got running water, and the fruits are so close to you. And these are true. The Quran doesn't speak to this. But in 53 different places. The Quran speaks about fella
said the believers when they make it to paradise, a promise that can only be made by Allah. Today you shall have no fear, nor shall you grief. Usually fear comes out of our imagination. What is going to happen tomorrow or next. And grief is usually about what went wrong in the past. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would wake up in the morning and the very first thing that he would ask Allah for his alarm in the becoming an HMI one has an O Allah I asked refuge I seek refuge in You from being in the state of
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say that, you know, Allah He asked that I be in the state of well being all I seek refuge in You from being in the state of him, I am worried.
Allah I seek refuge in You from being in the state of grief, or depression.
80% of mental health issues are related to mood disorders. And it's usually about anxiety and depression. We're in depression, we are so sorry and sad about what went wrong yesterday, and anxieties about being worried about what would go wrong tomorrow. So we become the prisoners of our memories, or we become the prisoners or the captains of our imaginations. We are too sad about yesterday, we are too worried about tomorrow, that we miss out on living today. So Allah Subhana Allah tells us that this will be granted to you in general Salah whorfin, Allah, Allah whom
you shall not agree, and you shall have absolutely no fear.
And not only that the prophets assalamu talk to us about these things. You know, the idea of mental health, the idea of being mentally sound, being emotionally intelligent, the Quran is full of these things, but we have again been taught, unfortunately wrongly and erroneously, about how it is that we ought to feel about this in the Muslim community. One common myths that is out there is if you are having mental health related issues, it has to do with weakness of a man. So I say to people, I am depressed and then somebody comes to you and you tell me that you know, or have you read the Quran lately? Have you prayed lately? To see I was depressed before I spoke to you now that you made
this mistake and I'm even more depressed at this point? Because you're blaming me now that you know what? You're depressed because you're a man is number one that is wrong. religiously speaking, that is wrong. Your colon abuse
masaba min min min Weller has any masaba
masaba Nina Min hamin Wanda hasm says, anytime a believer is challenged with the calamity of worry, anxiety and depression I'm sorry prophet Allah. What did you just say? That anytime a believer is tested with anxiety and depression
A believer can have anxiety and depression. Of course he can. So when people say believers don't get this, they're telling me that Muhammad wa sallam lied.
He just said, anytime a believer goes through this, meaning that believers can go through this brother's a believer can be very tender in their heart and troubled in their minds.
Believers can be very tender in their heart, and very troubled in their mind. It does not make them weak. It does not make their faith weak. And certainly, their disturbance is not necessarily because they don't have a relationship with Allah subhana wa tada Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam thoughtless, his disciples and companions knew this. In the Hadees we are told that a man came to the masjid while Abdullah Rama has decided to make actigraph seclusion. You know, when somebody decides that today is dedicated for Allah, I am going to come and just sit in domestic and do nothing but be a guest of Allah subhanho wa Taala. You know how beautiful that is. So he's sitting
in the masjid, when somebody walks in, that person walks in, and just his facial expression said so much. You know, sometimes when people come in, and you can just look at them, and their facial expressions say so much. And what do we usually do? Avoid Them? Man, I have enough negativity in my life already. I don't want to hear your problems. Abdullah looks at the man and he clearly the man is very disturbed. He goes to him. What is going on? anaka man woman, I can tell that you're very worried. City of Norman. Do you know lesson?
he said. He said that's laws that I have incurred. And I have absolutely no way of paying back. And today is the day to pay off. And I cannot afford and I have nothing. I don't know what to tell my creditors.
Man is having anxiety about this. What does it say? or What happened? Don't you remember Allah? Allah provides for all and make our kola nuts, not how you deal with it. So Allah said, What did you borrow the money from my borrowed it from such and such person? Because Would you like me to go and talk to you? Maybe I can relieve you of this distress.
And the man said, Man, I would love it if you can do this because I know he would listen to you. So I said let's go. And as they leaving the message, somebody reminds you of nyama NSE. And democratic if
you forgotten remember you are in the state of ethic of grammar looked at him and said this could
be quiet. He said, for what law in nice America Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told
me, he said man Be quiet. I have heard Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam say, to walk with your brother to get something done for them. It is better for you than being in the masjid as a guest of Allah for 10 consecutive years.
What is going on? Well, somebody was not doing well. Somebody was not doing well emotionally and this person decided that you know what, I will do something, I will do something about it. See brothers and sisters, it takes so much courage for people to come and say, I am depressed. I have anxiety. It takes so much incredible amount of courage. And sometimes people are in pain. And they come to the masjid hoping that you know today I will have something that would lift me up. But they come to the masjid and they tell somebody that they're depressed and that person looks at them goes, maybe there is something wrong with your Salah. You know, maybe there is something wrong with you
the way that you read the Quran and that is just depressing. And worst of all, it is not true. Let me give you another example.
Allah subhanaw taala tells us in the Quran about jacoba Salah Yaakov is the Messenger of Allah. He is the son of a messenger of Allah, and he is the father of a messenger of Allah. And the Quran tells us that jacobellis salam went blind. Question is, why?
Why did iacobelli salam go blind? The Quran gives us the answer for BIA, but
men and
men, women and
men, above or below but I know Minal has said that in his eyes became blind, out of grief. You ask a doctor and say, Doctor, does grief cause blindness, because blindness is very physical. Grief is emotional. That person will tell you see sometimes people have emotional pain, but it manifests itself in a
physical form. And that's a common condition in psychology. It's known as somatization. A person is emotionally in pain, but it exhibits itself in the form of physical manifestation. Have you been so worried that your stomach was hurting? No, sometimes people are so worried they start developing also, people sometimes are so worried they get a panic attack. Well, these are war is an emotion, but it manifested itself in a physical form. Can somebody did and say Yaqoob alehissalaam was not a good believer.
Can somebody did and say this about jacobellis alone. So what happens brothers and sisters, is that when people are having emotional and psychological and mental health related issues and challenges in their lives, please remember to tell people that their Eman is weak is a myth. And the worst thing of it, we said it's erroneous, it is wrong. But then also we are teaching people to suffer in silence. Who would want to come and tell people that I'm depressed because somebody is going to slap you on the face and say that you know what? Your Email is weak. So what do we do? We suffer in silence. And listen to this
80% of the people who commit suicide, it is because of either untreated or undiagnosed depression.
Now listen to this 80% of the people who commit suicide prior to them carrying out their mission of suicide, they make a phone call, they reach out to a friend
80% of the people, this is almost there.
They have this a story about this young man who decided that he was going to throw himself jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.
From the day that that bridge is being put 126 people have committed suicide out of the 126 for people survived 126 attempted, only four of them survived. That person woke up in the morning, and they felt that life was not worth living. And he decided today, I am going to bring it to an end. Unless somebody asks me, how are you doing?
That's what he wanted. I want somebody to ask me. How are you doing? Said I stepped out of the house. I see my neighbors and everybody's saying hi, and Hello, and good morning. But nobody's asking me, how are you doing? I make it to the Golden Gate Bridge. I get off my car. I am walking on the bridge, waiting for somebody to ask me. How are you doing? And said that there was a man and a woman. They looked like they were newlyweds. Visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, said when they saw me passing by. They said Good morning, sir. Can you please take a picture of us? They handed me their camera said I smiled and I took their picture. But they didn't ask how I was doing.
The man went, got on the bridge, I jumped.
The minute you jump from the bridge, we hit the water takes four seconds. So the minute I jumped, I knew I wanted to live.
I went in feet first. And he said for some reason the man survived. But the point of the story is I wanted somebody to ask me. How are you doing? How are you doing? Now sometimes we sit with our families? How are you doing? No, really? How are you doing? Not talking about whether you did your homework or not. Not talking about whether you made the appointment or not? Whether you ate or you showered or took the trash? Now, I really want to know how are you doing?
Because people sometimes we want to invite them.
And we want to be invited by them. How are you doing? So please remember, when somebody comes in, they tell you this. Remember that it took a lot of effort on their part. Because sometimes we understand that, you know, if I come and I tell you that I am depressed, I'm almost confessing weakness. But that's not the case.
People who are depressed they're not weak.
But the weight is just too much to be carried by one person. You know, sometimes you be feeling a certain way and you just feel that you know what you're carrying so much on you. And then you talk to a person and then all of a sudden you feel lighter.
Did they solve your problem? No, they didn't do what happened. They listened. They listened.
So next time somebody like this comes to you brothers and sisters, listen, but see if you can listen with your own
Just listen. See if we can listen to these brothers and sisters who are at with our hearts, because that's what Mohammed sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught, and that's what Hamlet's Allahu Allahu wa sallam practice as well. young sister one time was not feeling well. She went to her father and she said, Dad, I am depressed. For the slam the table said, depression is not a word that we use in this house.
Well, Father is not a bad father. He really intended Well, what he meant is we have a happy family, we have a good family. Depression is not a vocabulary that we use in this family, when intended, poorly conducted, healings ended well, but what happened is that the way that it was said the way that it was so poorly done, not because he is not a Godfather, but he thought that this is what a good father ought to do. So what does she do now that she has nobody to talk to? She starts cutting herself.
Because now that is the only venue that she has.
So look into this and say, what is it that we want? We want to make sure that this mess is not in our midst. Never think that somebody is having these types of challenges, because their Eman is weak.
Remember, believers can be very tender in their heart and troubled in their mind. Second Miss,
you have mental health related issues because you are weak. So it's always about human, you know, next time just don't talk to people at all. Because they will either tell you that your Eman is weak or now you you are weak. I give you giving you you know, the bumper sticker type of a slogan, you know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, really? And I'm supposed to feel better now, because you made this smart statement, good sounding statement. But then again, throwing the blame back at the person is not the answer.
It is not. People again, are depressed not because their Eman is weak. Not because they are weak. It is what it is. It is part of life. Somebody is going through a divorce. Somebody just found out that they have cancer. Somebody just found out that their loved one is not doing well. Somebody just was involved in a car accident somebody lost their job laqad Hala cannon in Santa Monica but for people to think that because I am religious religion, regardless of what religion it is, including Islam does not inherently promise the believers those who practice it, that you are inherently protected from this because you're a practicing Muslim.
It doesn't. No way does it ever say in the Quran in the teachings of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam that if you practice your deen, you will never have problems. It never says this. Nowhere does it say this. However, the deen gives us enough tools, that when you are in that situation, you should not go into the space for in Nevada asuma rohilla in La Mancha, Pharaoh said people who give up on the mercy of Allah is that these people are indeed in manifest at a bamboo cafe room. So that is now this is the tool that the team gives us Do not go into despair. So rather than judging, rather than pointing the finger, either at the people or at their, at their email, or just listen
and say something good, no Subhanallah the impact that our words have on people are unbelievably tremendous. And sometimes we misuse the gift of speech.
Not because we're bad people, sometimes we are informed
when we tell people that you know what your email is weak the other day, but it's talking to me said you know, I have a son who's autistic.
Now an autism is a spectrum. some form of it is mild, some is moderate, and some is severe. And in this case, say my son's Autism is severe. He has not spoken, doesn't have any social skills. But he said man lately, he's gotten so aggressive. And he's been punishing and punching his parents, his siblings, he hits them. I had gotten so bad that we needed to put handcuffs on him. Imagine this, imagine that this is what's going on. So this is the challenge that these people
Have. And he said, even when we put the handcuffs on my son, seven for father who just getting my heart to see that this is what I'm doing to my son. And we could not figure out what was wrong with him. And for a month this is happening. And he doesn't talk. We have no idea what is going on. Finally, we go to the doctor and the doctor is trying to find out what is going on. You know what happened? Poor kid was having acid reflux.
He was having acid reflux, but he couldn't talk.
He could not say it hurts. It feels like my heartburn is so bad. I don't know how to tell it to you. So he was being aggressive, being violent. Not that he wanted to be that. He said this is what's going on. So now imagine I meet that father and I say, brother, your Eman is weak?
I slap you in the face. If you ever say that. What do you mean you're in man? Do you not know what that person is going through. And your best statement is your man is weak. You know, when we speak like this, you may sound religious.
Speaking like this makes us sound religious. But it does not make us religious. Anytime brothers and sisters, if our religiosity is making us rude, cruel, and judgmental, chances are We are not worshiping Allah, but we are worshiping our own ego.
Chances are We are not worshipping Allah.
But we are worshiping our own ego.
So the month of May, is Mental Health Awareness Month,
simply because there are many people out there who are suffering in silence. And sadly, and unfortunately, this includes our Muslim community, as well. So we want to make sure that in our masajid, that we address these topics, man, relevancy, we got to be relevant. And we've got to talk about things where there is pain, but people have nowhere to go. So if you or your loved one, you're suffering from mental health related issue, maybe you have depression, maybe you have anxiety, maybe somebody is diagnosed with bipolar, whatever the case is, I want you to know that this whole book is dedicated to you and to your family.
Because we want to make sure that no segment in our community is left out. And when we speak like this, we bring validity to the issue, simply because again, many people out there are suffering and they are suffering in silence. We want the member of the pulpit here to be the voice of those who have been told to be quiet, because that has been the tsunami of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. But remember what the prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Allahumma in nanus, a local alpha one alpha, Allah we seek and we asked you for pardoning us and keeping us in the state of Africa. Over all, just in a sound, sound, state. A lot of cool.
stuff.
Alhamdulillah hoka salatu salam ala rasulillah Mustafa
Imam even has
a very, very popular Muslim jurist who lived in Indonesia.
He makes the statement that he said it needs to be earliness. He said he never pondered the affairs of people, mean Arabs,
the Arabs and the native and the non Arabs and Muslims.
Those who are Muslims, who are not Muslims are sorry,
the young and the old,
the rich and the old, and the genuine Messiah, the men and the women said for it to extend America. Why is it upon pondering, he said, I found out that they all have one thing in common. Each terminal Allah
said that I found out that all these people have in common is that nobody likes being awarded. Nobody likes war. He's said someone will get to unpack well as the Deaf and harmony minister Sakurai unveiled,
he said and I found no better medicine. No better cue
To keep worrying away from you, like pondering about the here after, why is that? Everything becomes so trivial at that point, what will matter at the, at the end?
And he's not being passive here saying yes, there are the challenges here. But he said that you know what, sometimes when you think of the bigger picture, sometimes the answer may be maybe the,
if people reach out to us for this first thing that you want to do is like I said, we want to listen to the heart, but you also want to be encouraging in what we say. And then try to do whatever it takes whatever is we are capable of doing, alleviating their pain. You're calling the
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The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives this this beautiful parable, you know, he's saying that uses two wards, where it says that sometimes we are partially able to help and sometimes we are completely able to help. He said whether it be partial or whether it be complete, he said the processor do show to a believer and Allah subhanaw taala will do the same to you. Not being judgmental, not spreading these lies and these myths, it's not weakness of a man it's not weakness of character, the pain is too much to be carried by one individual. inshallah, this is going to be a topic for tonight and inshallah tomorrow. Do you know between icoi and ocimf, this is Mental Health
Awareness Month. inshallah, part of it is bringing this awareness, awareness to our community. So inshallah tonight it will be myself and Chef about Hi Sam and we're going to talk about some causes of mental health related issues. Some people believe that if you have mental health issue then it must be the jinn who have done something to you. So inshallah, this is going to be our debate and the point here is that being informative inshallah, but part of this is all about discussing this and also inshallah tomorrow all day long from 10 o'clock, all the way to 8pm. inshallah, we'll have professionals licensed therapists, psychiatrists who will be here and they will be talking to our
community about this about this issue. So inshallah, please be here and make sure that you attend along with your family. Some of our brothers and sisters are not doing well. Sister as is Mr. Chang passed away last night from a heart attack mela and Allah bless her soul era Malala mean, our brother outwater Sulayman show that a young new student from UCSD was involved in a car accident and he is still in a coma under intensive care melas pantalla give him a speedy recovery, as well assisted Amina farahan brother Ahmed, Mohammed, and ultimate fara. Also we want to remember our brothers and sisters in Holland, and our brothers and sisters wherever they may be. Our brothers and
sisters in Islam and our brothers and sisters in humanity, wherever they are oppressed, may Allah subhanaw taala come to their area of Allah mean we give the speedy recovery to those of them who are sick and alleviate the oppression and the suffering of those who are oppressed and suffering.
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