Question:

Want to ask about my future life overall I am in severe depression.
Went into psychiatric problem 8 years ago still facing consequences I am a doctor doing specialization recently my exams are also got stucked. My married life is also in trouble My all relatives are also my enemies they don’t want to see me happy and succeeding in life Kindly tell me what my future holds for me Will all these troubles go away? Can I be happy healthy n successful again? Can my marriage will last forever? What kind of thing that was, really a psychiatric issue or some kind of black magic or other thing people imposed on me?

 

Answer:

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.  

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Sister in Islam,

We sympathise with you during your difficult times.

Sister, we are currently living a transitory life in this world. This life will always be full of trials and tribulations. These tests are from Allah ﷻ. Allah ﷻ explains the reason for putting us through these tests:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ 

[العنكبوت: 2، 3]

Translation:  Does mankind think that they will be left to claim “We are true believers” and they (this statement of theirs) will not be examined? Verily, (we will test them just as) we have tested those that came before them so that Allah ﷻ will expose those who are truthful in their claim and those who are not. [Al-Ankaboot:2, 3]

These tests are, in reality, a means of drawing us closer to Allah ﷻ. One must never feel that these tests are a punishment from Allah ﷻ.

Nabi ﷺ says very beautifully in a Hadith:

مُصْعَبُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاءً؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ: ” الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ، فَالْأَمْثَلُ، يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ دِينُهُ صُلْبًا اشْتَدَّ بَلاؤُهُ…… فَمَا يَبْرَحُ الْبَلاءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَهُ يَمْشِي عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مَا عَلَيْهِ خَطِيئَةٌ [مسند احمد] 

 

Translation:  Mus’ab Bin Sa’d narrates from his father “I asked Rasulullah ﷺ , Who is most severely tested?” Nabi ﷺ replied, “The Messengers (Ambiyaa’) then those who are closest to them. A person is tested according to the level of his Imaan. If he is very strong in Imaan, then his tests will become worse…and he will continue to be tested until he walks the earth while he has not a single bad deed to his account.” [Musnad Ahmed]

 

As people of Imaan, we take courage from the fact that whatever situation we find ourselves in, no matter how incessant and severe it may seem, one day it will all come to an end. One day every single one of us will leave this temporary life and will travel the journey to the perpetual hereafter. That is the real life. Trouble, problems and depression there will be real difficulty. Allah ﷻ says:

وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ [العنكبوت: 64]

Translation: And the life of this world is but a (temporary) play and amusement. Verily, the life of the hereafter is indeed the actual life, if only they (mankind) realised. [Al-Ankaboot:64] 

Hence as believers, success in the hereafter should be our true ambition. Remember that whatever problems one faces in this world, however severe it may seem, will definitely come to an end one day. A difficulty that seemed to be consuming your world today, in just a few years time will become very small. And a few years after that this difficulty will probably be completely forgotten. One will look back and wonder how something so insignificant could cause one so much of agony.

Everyone desires an ideal life. However, the true ideal is for one to make the most of the situation one finds him/herself in.

You state that you had previously been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. As a medical practitioner, you best understand the diagnosis and importance of medical treatment for your condition. You are also in the best possible position to understand the complications of neglecting ones chronic medication for these and similar conditions. Very often, one encounters other, unrelated difficulties due to merely neglecting adherence to treatment. These difficulties cease immediately upon adhering to specified treatment. Therefore, we advise that you seek medical advice from expert psychiatrists, and adhere to treatment regimes.

Sister, remember that whatever you are going through is from the side of Allah ﷻ, and He is observing your reaction. All of this will pass. For the time being, try to divert your mind from any negative thoughts and do not pursue the cause of these difficulties. Engage in extra Ibaadah and lengthen your Salaah. Increase in Dua and speaking to Allah ﷻ. Explain to Him what you are going through, and ask Him to remove these impediments in your path.

We make Dua that Allah ﷻ alleviate your suffering and grant you joy and bliss in this life and the next. Ameen.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

________________

مسند أحمد ط الرسالة (3/ 159)

1607 – حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ بَهْدَلَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي مُصْعَبُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاءً؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ: ” الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ، فَالْأَمْثَلُ، يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ دِينُهُ صُلْبًا اشْتَدَّ بَلاؤُهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ رِقَّةٌ ابْتُلِيَ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَمَا يَبْرَحُ الْبَلاءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَهُ يَمْشِي عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مَا عَلَيْهِ خَطِيئَةٌ “

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إسناده حسن، رجاله ثقات رجال الشيخين غير عاصم بن بهدلة، وهو صدوق. وأخرجه الحاكم 1/41، وعنه البيهقي في “الشعب” (9775) من طريق عفان بن مسلم، بهذا الإسناد. وأخرجه ابن ماجه (4023) ، والترمذي (2398) ، والبزار (1154) ، وأبو يعلى (830) ، وابن حبان (2901) ،والبغوي (1434) من طرق عن حماد بن زيد، به. قال الترمذي: حسن صحيح. وانظر (1481) .