There
is no denying the fact that the lives of people of this generation are not the
same as people of the previous or the generations before them. The one element
that is present in the life of every person of this generation is stress. All
of us are stressed in one way or another about one thing or another. Therefore,
the one cure or treatment, which people seek the most at present, is for their
stress and tension.
People
have all sorts of problems that give them stress, for some it is money,
education, career, health and for others simply getting by in life is a matter
of stress. Muslims are also a part of this world and they have the same needs
as well, therefore, it is quite natural that a Muslim might also get stressed
over different matters. However, the edge a Muslim has pertaining to stress is the
fact that in Islam there is great solace and peace that helps in avoiding and
getting relief from stress. The lines below discuss some major guidelines,
which a Muslim must follow pertaining to dealing with anxiety and stress.
Supplicate:
The
first thing that a Muslim must do pertaining to stressful situations is
supplicate in front of Allah Almighty. We get stressed when we want to control
everything and when that thing does not remain under our control the result is
stress. Therefore, a Muslim with the belief that Allah Almighty controls
everything can successfully avoid stress as supplicating to Him results in help
from Him thus relief from stress. Ergo, praying to Allah Almighty and
supplicating for His assistance means a person relying on Him for help and
assistance, thus, the burden of stress gets relieved from the heart and mind of
a Muslim.
To
learn number of supplications and to add them in your daily lives, you can use
different
Islamic applications available, few that I can recommend are
MuslimDua Series and
Kids Dua Now. The two beautiful applications to learn and teach
Islamic duas to your kids in an effective manner.
Do What Is In Your Power:
Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) said in one of His hadiths to a Bedouin when He saw him leaving
his camel without tying it:
“Why
don’t you tie down your camel?”The
Bedouin replied:
“I
put my trust in Allah.”
Prophet
(PBUH) replied:“Tie
your camel first, then put your trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
From
this hadith it is clear that leaving everything on Allah Almighty and expecting
Him to do each and everything without you making the slightest effort towards
making the life better or getting out of a problem is not the right ploy.
Rather, a Muslim is encouraged to first do the required and possible effort and
then put the trust in Allah that He will assist in times of difficulty and calamities.
So, the solution to stress is neither full reliance on Allah Almighty, nor is
it trying to everything in control by yourself, rather, you need to make effort
and then put your trust in Allah and He surely will come to your help.
Understand Your Limitations:
The
other thing that can help a Muslim in fighting stress is the understanding of
human limitations. Being a Muslim one has the belief that there is an Authority
that is above all and that has everything in power and humans are merely His
subjects who can do very little. This understanding of human constraints and
limitations makes the belief of a person strong and makes him or her put trust
in Allah Almighty. When a person realizes that he or she cant control every
thing in life, then they turn towards the One who knows and controls all, the
help from Whom results in solace and relief from difficulty and adversity.
Therefore, instead of trying to take everything in control, a Muslim must
understand that he or she is merely human and it is Allah who can provide
relief and serenity.
Pray:
Perhaps
the best shield that a Muslim has pertaining to fighting stress is the regular
prayer. A Muslim prays to Allah Almighty five times a day. The prayer signifies
worship, as well as submission to the will of Allah Almighty, moreover, prayer
also gives a Muslim chance to be close to Allah and present to Him their
problems. Hence, when a Muslim prays five times a day by keeping the worldly
problems aside, he or she is actually asking assistance from Allah Almighty,
that He may bless them, make their life easier, and solve their problems.
Seek Patience:
One
of the major reasons why people are so prone to stress and anxiety is the fact
that people of today have grown impatient. We want each and every thing to be
done the way we want done and the time we want it done, therefore, when things
don’t go the way we like them or there comes some sort of problem, we don’t
tolerate it and get it on our nerves. Therefore, being impatient leads to us
making things hard for ourselves and enter into the malice of anxiety and
stress. Hence, a Muslim is to remember that patience is one of the major Sunnah
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and one of the greatest teachings of Islam.
Therefore, in the times when things don’t go as our planning, then a Muslim
must resort in patience as a means of getting through the tough situations and
remain hopeful for His blessing and help.
Bottom Line:
In a
nutshell, stress is one of the major elements that exists in life and the power
or control over it results in a person achieving happiness or otherwise.
Therefore, it is imperative that a Muslim seeks guidance and assistance from Allah
Almighty when facing tough situations and adversity.
