Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I would like to ask the sisters & brothers for a prayer for me. There are a lot of problems going on in my life and I just cannot bear them anymore. I have became very cynical and always feeling depressed, I cannot even carry the most basic functions of my life anymore. Could anyone tell me that all these crisis, I`m facing are bad luck? My family is suffering and I am so tied up with incidents in my personal and academic life that I cannot even talk to anyone. For some reason all the doors look closed. I was reading posts sometimes on this site and now I felt that I would need some advice, please. Is there a Duaa or a holy verse that I could read and ask God to help me? Regards.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Remedy for depression

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

155 (O you who believe!) Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

156 Who when afflicted with calamity, say: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return."

157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 35:

Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good, by way of trial: to Us must ye return.

Beloved sister in Islam, whatever good or bad condition that befalls a person in the life of this transitory world, we must realize that these are nothing but a trial from our Lord, Who tests mankind to see who amongst them are grateful in good conditions, and patient and steadfast in bad conditions. There is absolutely no such thing as good or bad luck in a believer’s life, for he should be firm in his belief that whatever condition befalls him, it is the Will and with the Permission of his Merciful Lord.

Whatever calamity might befall a person, if he realizes that his condition is only a trial and a test from his Lord, and he puts his full trust in his Lord, and is patient and steadfast, and beseeches Allah Subhanah humbly and with hope to change his condition; Allah Subhanah will, if He Pleases, soon change his condition and bestow upon him a huge reward from Himself.

The best statement one can make when afflicted with a calamity, is the statement taught by the All-Mighty to the believers in the Holy Quran:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

156 Who when afflicted with calamity, say: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return."

Allah Subhanah has cited many examples in the Holy Quran of how His noble servants and Prophets used to beseech Him, whenever they were tested.

Prophet Ayyub (a.s.) was tested by Allah Subhanah for a long period with a severe disease, loss of children, property, wealth, etc., but he (a.s.) remained steadfast in his trial from His Lord and beseeched Him in humility and in hope as follows:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verses 83-84:

And (remember) Ayyub when he cried to his Lord "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful." So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him and doubled their number as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration for all who serve Us.

And when Allah Subhanah tested Prophet Sulaimaan (a.s.) with abundance and bestowed His unlimited Mercy, Grace and Bounty on him, he (a.s.) recognized his trial and was indeed grateful to his Bounteous Lord and prayed thus:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 27 Surah Naml verse 40: Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord! to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful truly my Lord is Free of All Needs, Supreme in Honor!"

Thus our beloved sister in Islam, whatever conditions that might befall us, please realize that they are no more than a trial from our Lord; who is well aware of our condition and is testing us only to see whether we are patient and steadfast in our hope and trust in Him or not. If one remains steadfast and patient, and beseeches Him Alone in their prayers, He Will, if He Pleases, soon change their bad condition into good and bestow upon them His Unlimited Mercy, Grace, and Bounty; and bequeath upon them a huge and unending reward in the Hereafter.

Thus, a believer must never ever despair of the Mercy of his Merciful Lord, and always remain firm in his faith and belief in Him, and put his full and absolute trust in Him Alone; for none can remove calamities or bestow good except Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything that exists between them!

May the Merciful Lord make your trial easy for you, help you, have Mercy on you, guide you to be firm, patient, and steadfast, and remove your calamities from you; for none can remove calamities except the Most Merciful. May Allah Subhanah make your trials a means of your achieving the ever lasting and unending rewards promised to the righteous in the Hereafter. Ameen.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan