“Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research is a research institute which aims to instill conviction and inspire contribution based on mainstream Islamic texts.”

Below is an in-depth look at the scientific and spiritual secrets behind the Prophetic supplication for anxiety and grief. ‘Oh Allāh, certainly I am your slave, the son of your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand. Your Judgment upon me is assured and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that you have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qurān the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.’ (Musnad Imam Ahmad Sahih)
  1.  Oh Allah certainly I am your slave, the son of your male slave and the son of your female slave.
By emphasizing your servitude to God, you are acknowledging your absolute submission and reliance upon Him. This effectively shifts all your concerns to a higher source and can therefore be both protective and therapeutic in the context of mental health.
  1.  My forehead is in Your Hand. Your Judgment upon me is assured and Your Decree concerning me is just.
This is an acknowledgement of everything being in the decree of God (Qadr), and it is fundamental to moving on from past mistakes and calamities. Through decree, we learn that there is wisdom and meaning in all God does. For instance, it is in our times of pain and desperation that we truly come to realize our neediness and dependence upon God.

3.  I ask You by every Name that you have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You.

The previous sections reassured us of our servitude and reliance upon God, while this section instills hope in our hearts by reminding us of the power of God to deliver us from whatever affliction we may be in. God has a name and attribute to deliver us from all of our affairs. He is the Provider Al-Razaq for our financial burdens and the Al-Qadir the All Powerful for the times we are overwhelmed.

4.  Make the Qurān the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.

As our heart was once filled with sadness and stress, it now needs to be replaced with comfort and solace. And there is nothing like the Quran in this regard.

Allah has labeled the Quran a source of “guidance”, “mercy” and “glad-tidings for the believers”. Our relationship with the Quran will transform our former pessimistic mindset into a cognitive worldview of optimism, hope, and meaning.   Read more in

Islamic Spirituality and Mental Well-Being by Zohair Abdul-Rahman

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