Ways to Overcome Sadness in Islam

Human beings face a lot of problems and troubles nowadays. A human being is battling daily with sadness and worries which can lead to sadness and depression. Most of the time they are in the condition of stress, depression, and anxiety. Sometimes they experienced sadness, and do not know how to overcome it. They feel sadness and anxiety that they have no idea what it stems from. Islam guides Muslims or all human beings on how to overcome sadness and be thankful to Almighty Allah in every circumstance of life. We have the solution to this problem in the light of Quran and hadith, our religion has given every Muslim the easiest ways to overcome sadness.

Ways to Overcome Sadness

Below mentioned are some ways to overcome sadness in Islam:

One Should Understand Difficulty is a Test

Allah Almighty says in the Quran that He will surely test us, Whether through poverty, fear, and hunger. But Islam teaches us that remain thankful to Allah (SWT) in every matter to get His blessings and mercy. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him, we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Quran 2:155-157)

One Should Be Positive in Every Situation

Whatever the situation is Muslims need to be positive and be thankful to Allah Almighty.  Narrated by Ibn Jaz (RA): “I have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah (SAW)” (Tirmidhi). We can say that we have to focus on the solution and not on the problems. You can find the number of solutions for a problem by using your Brain which is a super gift by Allah Almighty. 

One Should Be Grateful for What They Have

If someone is facing problems and sad, he/she should believe in Allah Almighty and thanks to Him for the blessings that He (SWT) has given us. Allah (SWT) gives you more if you will be thankful to Him. As Allah Almighty stated in the Holy Quran: “So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me” (Quran 2:152). In another verse of the Holy Quran, our Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, my punishment is severe.’” (Quran 14:7)

One Should Find Consolation in the Quran and Salah (Prayer)

Almighty Allah describes that the Holy Quran has a healing effect on our heart and a mercy for the believers. The Prophet (SAW) would also refer to his prayer as a source of “comfort”. In the Holy Quran Almighty Allah stated that: “O mankind, there has to come to your instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breast[s] and guidance and mercy for the believers. Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate” (Quran 10:57-58). The Prophet (SAW) says: “O Bilal, make the call for prayer: give us comfort by it.” (Abu Dawood)

One Should See Goodness in Everything

“Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delighted, he thanks (Allah), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.”(Sahih Muslim)

So, by following the golden principles and teachings of Islam, we can overcome sadness. Make a habit to offer regular prayers and recite the Holy Quran daily to get the comfort and blessings of Allah Almighty. 

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Many of us have a black and white understanding of mental health. Sadness is often attributed to weakness in īmān or committing sins; however a person must understand that just as one can be bruised physically, one can also be bruised emotionally. How did the Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) advise us to overcome sadness?

The Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) said,

مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً

‏“There is no disease that Allāh has created, except that He also has created its treatment.” [1]

Allāh (subhānahu wa ta’ālā) says,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

“Certainly, We have created man to be in distress.” [2]

Sadness is needed in life; it is something that was felt by the best of those who came before us. Ya’qūb (ʿalayhi al-Salām) felt sad when he lost his son Yūsuf (ʿalayhi al-Salām). Fāṭima (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) felt sad when she lost her father the Prophet Muḥammad (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam), to the extent that she did not recover until she departed from this world. When the Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) lost his uncle Abū Tālib and his wife Khadījah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā), he, too, felt extremely sad. In fact, historians named this year ‘The Year of Sadness.’

It is very important to note here that Islām did not come to eliminate sadness; it came to teach us how to regulate it.

Defining Sadness

People experience sadness at various times due to difficulties and challenges in life, but it is generally a temporary state. Depression is distinct from sadness in that it is more severe and prolonged. In Arabic, sadness is termed ikti’āb, which comes from the root word ka’iba, meaning to be dejected, dispirited, downcast or sad.[3]

There are three types of sadness. Al-huzn is sadness referring to what has occurred in the past, al-gham is a current state of sadness and al-hamm is the sadness of what may occur in the future.

A common trick of the shaytān is to isolate oneself when feeling sadness. Isolation is not the cure. The Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) tells us that a believer who mixes with the people will be harmed whether you like it or not. Therefore, our mindset should encourage us on how to proactively overcome the state of sadness rather than allowing it to consume us.

The Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) said,

الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ، وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ، خَيْرٌ مِنَ الَّذِي لاَ يُخَالِطُ

النَّاسَ، وَلاَ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ‏ ‏

‏‏‏“The believer who mixes with people and endures their injury is better than the person who does not mix with people nor endure their injury.” [4]

Du’ā

Allāh (subhānahu wa ta’ālā) says,

فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

“And he called out within the darkness, ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.’” [5]

This is the du’ā of Yūnus (ʿalayhi al-Salām) by which he invoked Allāh (jalla wa ʿālā) whilst in the depths of the ocean within the belly of the whale. Allāh (jalla wa ʿālā) tells us immediately after this verse, that He rescued Yūnus (ʿalayhi al-Salām) from al-Gham. This is one of the three states of sadness mentioned above. Therefore, du’ās such as the above are ideal for a person feeling a current state of sadness.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.” [6]

The Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) said regarding the one who supplicates with this du’ā,

فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَدْعُ بِهَا رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ فِي شَيْءٍ قَطُّ إِلاَّ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ لَهُ

“So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allāh responds to him.” [7]

Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) taught the below du’ā to Abū Umāmah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), upon seeing him feeling stressed in the masjid:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ 

وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ 

“O Allāh! I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by [other] men.” [8]

This particular du’ā covers the other two types of sadness, al-huzn and al-hamm (sadness over the past and sadness of what may occur in the future). As can be seen from above, the prophetic way in making du’ā is to be proactive in one’s du’ā.

Walking

At a point when the Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) was feeling very distressed, he walked miles upon miles from Makkah to Tā’if, where he went to give daʿwah. Numerous scientific studies have also stated the positive impact walking has on reducing levels of sadness.[9] When sadness affects the brain with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well.[10] Studies have shown that walking and other physical activity decreases overall levels of anxiety, elevates and stabilises the mood, improves sleep and improves self-esteem.[11]

Salāh

Allāh (subhānahu wa ta’ālā) says,

وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ

“Seek aid through patience and salāh. Verily it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allāh].” [12]

If Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) was disturbed by anything, he would go and pray salāh. However, there is a condition to receive this aid from Allāh (jalla wa ʿāla). It is only given to the person who can give the salāh it’s due right, with khushūʿ.[13]

Optimism

When the enemies of the Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) twisted his name to “Mudhammam” (meaning the “dispraised” instead of praised one), he said to his companions,

أَلاَ تَعْجَبُونَ كَيْفَ يَصْرِفُ اللَّهُ عَنِّي شَتْمَ قُرَيْشٍ وَلَعْنَهُمْ يَشْتِمُونَ مُذَمَّم 

وَيَلْعَنُونَ مُذَمَّمًا وَأَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ

“Doesn’t it astonish you how Allāh protects me from the Quraish’s abusing and cursing? They abuse “Mudhammam” and curse “Mudhammam” while I am Muḥammad.” [14]

This is absolute genius thinking from the Prophet (sallAllāhu ʿalayhi wasallam), he flipped the propaganda and attacks on him through positive thinking. Similarly, we should strive to think in an optimistic manner in situations that could harm us emotionally.

To conclude, the above Prophetic advices touch upon some practical steps a person may take, but it is without a doubt that the most important aspect a person should focus on is their connection with Allāh (subhānahu wa ta’ālā).

Allāh (subhānahu wa ta’ālā) says,

فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ

“…And if there should come to you guidance from Me – then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer.

And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [difficult] life, and We will gather [raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” [15]

The pursuit of happiness lies with the believers. If we yearned for something and it did not happen, know that Allāh is al-Mu’ākhir, He is the Delayer. He delays certain things so we become more patient, so be patient. Know that Allāh is al-Hāfīdh, He is the Preserver. He preserved our bodies, our minds, our īmān and our very own existence. And thus, we are saved every day from accidents and catastrophes. When you feel down, know that Allāh is al-Walī. He is your Friend and Protector as well as your Creator and Lord. He is your protective supporter in your time of need, closer than the jugular vein in your neck. Friends can go missing but Allāh is always there for you, no doubt. And whoever really understands this, by Allāh they will always be the happiest of people in the long term in spite of the transient sorrows life comes with.