Islam vs. Society on Mental Heath

In our culturally-driven societies, many Muslims seem to think that with lack of faith, mental health problems arise. Our society views people with mental health challenges as “sinners” or a “disgrace to society.” A friend of mine conducted a short survey addressing the false misconception that “lack of religion leads to depression” to which 60% of medical students agreed to. This survey provides strong evidence that this misconception is present in our society and is important to be corrected.

Some people claim that mental illnesses have been on the rise among the region’s youth due to the drop in how connected the youth are to Islamic practices. While this doesn’t explain the world-wide phenomena, we will explore how stronger Islamic piety does not necessarily mean the eradication of mental health problems. They believe that a person is automatically “a bad Muslim” when that person struggles with mental illness. Others, on the other hand, believe in the presence of mental illnesses, but they are convinced that it can only be treated through religious means like prayer or Ruqya.

Contrary to what the first group believes, there is great evidence that even the “greatest of Muslims” face mental challenges. The stories of our Prophets within the Holy Quran show us that mental health challenges can happen to anyone, from all ages, genders or religions regardless of the strength of their faith or their closeness to God. Let’s look at the story of our Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, when he was spreading the message of faith and was only receiving rejection by his people. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) soothes him by saying “Perhaps you may destroy yourself with grief, chasing after them, if they do not believe in this information” (Surat Al Kahf, 18:6) ⁽⁷⁾. In this verse we see the mercy of Allah as He tells our Prophet to remain calm. Allah cautions Mohammed to be careful not to destroy himself with grief, as grief is a painful response to loss. If prolonged or not expressed correctly, grief can lead to mental illnesses like Major Depressive Disorder. As for Prophet Yaqub (Jacob), peace be upon him, we know that his greatest pain started when he lost his dearest son Yusuf (Joseph). Allah describes the way Yaqub felt by saying “his eyes became white from sorrow, and he became depressed” (Surat Yusuf, 12:83) ⁽⁸⁾. This example tells us that if the powerful emotion of sadness was not dealt with the right way; it can drive our mental state uncontrollably to depression. These verses prove that mental health challenges are present, even among the “good Muslims.”

Looking at the Qur’an, Wagdy ME explains in his book The Holy Book Interpreted ⁽¹⁾, the significant difference between the ordered physical development of humans in contrast to their emotional mayhem. The Qur’an also describes the ‘holistic model of the self’ which includes many elements. Self (Nafs), in specific, is one of those elements which divided into three categories; the evil-commanding self (nafs al-ammara), the accusatory self (nafs al-lawwamma) and the peaceful self (nafs al-mutmainna). If our emotional needs are not met, the evil-commanding self begins to dominate. Consequently, the accusatory self induces guilt and self-blame. As a result of a clash between those two subcategories of the self, one will experience an internal imbalance that may lead to mental illnesses like anxiety. Therefore, a balance between all components is vital to live a healthy life; free from physical, mental or spiritual illness ^(3,5). However, Islam argues that this pursuit of the perfect balance is a life-long challenge that even our Prophet and his closest companions struggled with. They feared that their Nafs will overtake them so they constantly tried to tame it through the teachings of Islam. It’s not merely being Muslim or practicing Islam that helps in preventing mental health problems, it’s the Islamic spiritual and mindful teachings that help improve the symptoms of mental illnesses. Nowadays, such teachings have become a common school of thought under spiritual teachings, even for those not following any religion.

As for the second group of people mentioned before -the ones who believed that mental illnesses can only be treated through prayer or ruqya– when it comes to physical health, like sustaining a bone fracture, they are programmed to seek a doctor’s help immediately. So why is it that when our mental health is compromised they ask us to just pray our mental illnesses away and not get medical attention? Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, once said that “There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment”(Al-Bukhari). Keeping this in mind, let’s examine this issue through a modern scientific lens. Today, we know that certain individuals are more susceptible to mental illnesses simply due to their genetic makeup. Our genes are unalterable units that we inherit from our parents which give us innate characteristics, or inevitable mental illnesses in some cases.

From a scientific perspective, many mental health illnesses are caused by irregular levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are chemicals produced in our bodies, released in nerves and are required for normal neurological function. An imbalance of these neurotransmitters can result in serious damage to the nervous system leading to mental illnesses. For example, if there was an excess amount of dopamine in the nervous system, one would start to develop Schizophrenic symptoms like hallucinations or delusions. Similarly, an insufficiency of serotonin could lead to depression. In many cases, psychotherapy alone doesn’t help, and medicinal aid intervention becomes vital to correct the levels of neurotransmitters, which can be done through antidepressants. While prayers may be helpful in a meditative and religious aspect, the biological changes must be normalized by medication as with any other physical health issue. Refusing to seek medical help, like seeing a psychiatrist, will only exacerbate the condition.

This is not to say that practicing Islam doesn’t contribute positively to mental health. It can complement, support, and go hand-in-hand with the treatments of mental illnesses. In fact, studies show that the daily Islamic prayer can allow our bodies to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which is linked to a calm and a happy state of mind. During a specific phase of our daily prayer, Sujood in particular, we practice the method of “grounding” or “earthing,” where we place our forehead, nose, palms and knees on the ground. When practiced mindfully, this method helps us connect with the abundance of the earth and allows us to give away our negative energy and replace it with a positive one. This practice is also seen in meditation and psychotherapy and is proven to be very effective in the treatment plan of mental illnesses. Lastly, one of the miracles of the Quran, known as “Alif-Lam-Mim”, was also considered to be a vocal method that helps the reader focus on the vocal vibrations to develop a peaceful state of mind. This vocal method is equivalent to the sound “Om” known in the world of mindfulness and meditation, which can help reach to a mindful state of mind.

Islam is a beautiful way of living. It teaches us patience and calmness in the face of adversity and that we are worthy of wellbeing. Islam is an accepting and understanding religion that not only provides us with life-altering tools to help us through dark times but also advises to seek treatment and the help of others. Therefore, we need to reconsider the way we address mental health illnesses when it comes to Islam, and become more accepting of the members of the community who struggle around us without projecting on them certain assumptions of their faith levels. Correcting these false misconceptions will help us learn how to tackle mental health issues in a more mindful way thereby moving forward towards becoming a more socially inclusive society and help those who suffer heal along the way.

References:

1. Wagdy ME. The Holy Book interpreted. Cairo, El-Shaal, 1970 (in Arabic).
2.  Al-Issa I. Mental Illness in the Islamic World. Conneticut: International Universities Press, 2000
3. Ally Y, Laher S. South African Muslim faith healers perceptions of mental illness: Understanding, aetiology and treatment. J Relig Health 2008;47(1):45-46. [[http://dx.doi. org/10.1007/s10943-007-9133-2]http://dx.doi. org/10.1007/s10943-007-9133-2]
4. Okasha A. Egyptian contributions to the concept of mental health. East Mediterr Health J 2001;7(3):377-380.
5. Al-Issa I. Mental Illness in the Islamic World. Conneticut: International Universities Press, 2000.
6. Laher S, Khan S. Exploring the influence of Islam on the perceptions of mental illness of 6. volunteers in a Johannesburg community-based organisation. Psychology Developing Societies 2011;23(1):63-84. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097133361002300103]
7. Itani, Talal. “Quran In English – Clear And Easy To Read.”. Quran In English, 2019, https://m.clearquran.com/018.html.
8. Itani, Talal. “Quran In English – Clear And Easy To Read.”. Quran In English, 2019, https://www.clearquran.com/012.html.