Islam as healer of mental disorder

Islam as healer of mental disorder

We Kashmiris have suffered a lot since 1947, and one consequence of this is widely prevalent mental disorders among the Kashmiri population. As per the World Health Organisation, mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” As prevention is better than cure, mental disorders can be prevented by having constant belief and faith in Almighty Allah (SWT). A study titled “Islam and mental health”, done by T.A. Baasher of the University of Khartoum, Sudan, concluded that, “Islamic culture is rich with essential guiding principles, appropriate directives and models of excellence for the promotion of mental health and the realization of the meaningful quality of life.”
Islam enjoins people to stay hopeful, so even if someone has committed the worst sin or faced the most distressing event, there is always Allah’s mercy. In Holy Quran, Allah (SWT) has said, “And we send down, of the Quran, that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers” (Quran, 17:82). The Quran can be used as a guide to those suffering from emotional distress and help them find meaning in life.
It is mentioned in Quran: “Do not kill (or destroy) yourselves, for surely God has been most merciful to you” (Quran, 4:29). It is also mentioned in the book of Hadith Sahih Al-Bukhari (2:23:446.), that Prophet Muhammad said: “He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell Fire.”
Life can never be a burden as people think of it today. The saying of the great Kashmiri poet Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki inspires me always. He has beautifully said, “Adian afsoos duniya kyazi fanni, adian hasrat thaewain fanni jawani, mea tcham panas yehai sath zindae thawaan, na gham poshaan na rozaan shadmaeni (Some regret for the end of the world, some desire for why there is end of youthful life, but only this hope keeps me alive that neither lasts sorrow nor happiness).”

—The writer is a PhD scholar at Department of Clinical Biochemistry, SKIMS, Srinagar. [email protected]

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