With 20% of UK employees taking leave due to stress last year, it’s clear workplace mental health must be a priority. Burnout is becoming a significant challenge in our workforce. For this reason this year’s World Mental Health Day, which is today, is focused on the theme: “it’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace.”
As Muslims, we must bear in mind that this world is a test and remind ourselves of the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which was: “If Allah wills good for someone, He afflicts him with trials.”
The Islamic intellectual heritage has squarely recognized mental health and played an active role in cultivating mental wellbeing—starting from the Prophet ﷺ and his companions (May Allah be pleased with them) and inspiring Muslim scholars who followed.
For instance, Persian physician and philosopher, Muhammad ibn Zakariyyah al-Razi who was the chief physician of Baghdad and the director of one of the world’s first psychiatric wards wrote works on mental illness and psychotherapy. 9th Century scholar Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi discussed the functions of the soul and cognitive strategies to combat depression.
Abu Zayd al-Balkhi acknowledged the impact of satanic whispers on the psyche, but also used biological and cognitive explanations for mental illnesses and Abu Hamed Muhammad al-Ghazali also wrote about the importance of psychospiritual health and its relation to our connection with Allah.
The Qur’an describes human nature as prone to anxiety and fear: “Truly, man was created anxious; when evil befalls him, fretful; when good befalls him, begrudging, except for those who perform prayer.” (Qur’an 70:19-22)
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Verily, Allah sent down the disease and the cure, and for every disease he made a cure. Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment by the unlawful.”
Join us in raising awareness and taking action, because a mentally healthy workplace isn’t just important—it’s essential for everyone.
Donate and Support the People of Lebanon
According to the United Nations, the attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon and the capital Beirut have been the deadliest in years. As of 29 September 2024, 346,209 IDPs, including 121,200 displaced children, were counted in Lebanon. More than 100,000 people fled from Lebanon to Syria by 30 September 2024, according to UNHCR.
The people of Lebanon are facing an unimaginable humanitarian crisis, and they need your urgent help. Many are traumatised from losing homes and loved ones. We are expecting casualties and fatalities to increase unfortunately, the need is already immense. IHRC Trust is monitoring the situation and looking to deploy in the worst hit areas. Urgent medical aid is needed to help treat civilians and support the local health system. We will aim to assist with procuring supplies of blankets, hygiene kits, medication, and medical supplies for the treatment of casualties.
Please donate generously below and support the people of Lebanon in the tribulations they face.
THROWBACK: Author Evening with Ibn Daud: A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine
Two years ago, IHRC hosted an author evening with Ibn Daud to discuss his book, ‘A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine’, hosted by Talha Ahsan. Click below to watch the online recording of the event.
Jamal Parekh, popularly known as Ibn Daud, is the author of the books. Born and raised in Britain, he recognized the need for a comprehensive handbook to address the daily struggles faced by individuals like himself. While working as an IT consultant and settling into married life, Ibn Daud’s fervent desire to create such a resource remained unwavering.
Inspired by the transformative book “Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart” by Hamza Yusuf Hanson, Ibn Daud aspired to take it a step further by presenting the classical science of internal purification in an accessible way, using modern management techniques to help us more easily understand and overcome the insecurities and spiritual maladies that plague the modern world.
Below are books that are available at IHRC Bookshop:
Let It Go: Learning the Lesson of Forgiveness – Na’ima B Robert & Mufti Menk
We all have days when things seem to go from bad to worse. Follow one little boy whose frustrating day is making him angrier and angrier and see where it takes him… A charming way to introduce children to one of the core character traits in Islam: forgiveness.
Inspired by the motivational words of the popular/ well-loved Mufti Menk and crafted by award-winning author Na’ima B. Robert, this story invites children to identify and talk about their feelings and learn how to cope with them.
Don’t Be Sad – Dr A’id al-Qarni
A popular book that is full of practical advice on how to banish sadness and disappointment from our lives. The author illustrates through the Qur’an and Sunnah how with an Islamic outlook, one can find a remedy for every modern spiritual ailment. This book provides the means to attain emotional strength and spiritual equilibrium. It provides examples and insights by both Muslims and non-Muslims who have used this Islamicate psychology, as well as historically based anecdotes about scholars and prophets.
A Place of Refuge – Asmaa Hussein
In a series of powerful and thought-provoking essays, Asmaa Hussein draws on her experience maintaining resilience and strength in the face of overwhelming personal hardships. With moving pieces that address the realities of single parenthood, the challenges of maintaining a healthy private life while living in the public eye, and the effects of old traumas, Hussein makes insightful spiritual connections between her lived experiences and stories from the Quran and Sunnah.
The Productive Muslim – Where Faith Meets Productivity – Mohammed Faris
Ever wondered if there’s a practical way to lead a productive lifestyle that combines the best of Islamic tradition and modern psychology and science? In “The ProductiveMuslim” Mohammed Faris, the founder of ProductiveMuslim.com, provides this practical framework that helps urban global Muslims lead a productive lifestyle Spiritually, Physically, and Socially.
The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma – Bessel Van Der Kolk
The effects of trauma can be devastating for sufferers, their families and future generations.
Here one of the world’s experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for treatment, moving away from standard talking and drug therapies and towards an alternative approach that heals mind, brain and body.
