We are human beings, feeling sad, grief and being upset is part of our nature. There is not a single person in this world who has never felt it, it's only natural that we feel sad when we encounter some kind of loss, such as money, health, or loss of a loved one. We usually get upset or depressed whenever things don't go according to plan. The kind of education we want to achieve, the certain kind of job we want, the amount of money we want to make, the cars we would like to drive,the type of house we want to live in, the kind of spouses we want and so on. But, what do we often do when we don't accomplish these things? We get upset, frustrated and even angry at times for not getting what we want.
We tend to think it's all in our hands and get angry, disappointed and upset when things don't go the way we want it to but, what we don't realize is that it is all in fact in Allah's hands and not ours. We don't realize that all the things we run after are all weak and temporary, none of those things are permanent and ever lasting. Even a house that is made of brick that lasts for decades can turn to dust if an earthquake or a tornado strikes. We might get fired tomorrow from the job we have today. We could even lose all the money we have today. We could lose the body we work so hard to maintain if caught with an illness today and none of it are in our control.
Similarly, if your happiness is defined by and attached to people, remember that it is temporary because people are only meant to be on this earth for a limited time which means the thing or the person that your happiness relies on is also temporary. Also, that people will disappoint you at some point and none of it will be in your control, they'll hurt you, disappoint you, even the person you love the most in this world will hurt you because people are not perfect or perhaps you will encounter a certain situation where you won't be able to be with them anymore. And this all this in fact will be Allah's way of testing you, for sure Allah will test you by reversing your situation.
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives" (2:155)
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives" (2:155)
At this point, if your faith, prayers and you relationship with the Qur'an is not strong enough, your sadness will have the power to destroy you, simply because you have lost focus from the reality that the entire world and everything in it is temporary and we are here only to be tested by Allah.
So how do we deal with this? How do we fight sadness and depression and not get upset?
▼ Realize that Everything happens by the will of Allah whether we like it or not, so when certain things don't go our way it is because that is not what Allah wants for us or may be because something better is in store for us. Allah knows best.
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners." (8:30) so next time something does not go the way you pictured it, remember Allah has better plan for you!
“….and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (Al-Baqarah:216)
▼ Be Grateful for all the privileges you have because so many people around the world today are suffering to extent we can't even imagine.We should look at those below us and be grateful for the things Allah(swt) has blessed us with. If you have a family that loves you, a few good friends, food on your table and a roof over your head, you are indeed richer than you think. So be sure to thank Allah sincerely everyday for all those blessings.
"If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]" (14:7)
▼ One of the most incredible truths of Islam that Muslims are told to say is "Innalilahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon" - "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." When you truly internalize this verse you will begin to acknowledge that everything in fact belongs to Allah(swt) including ourselves and we own nothing in this world and to him is our ultimate return.
And Allah promises in the Qur'an "Who, when disaster strikes them, say,"Innalilahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon" Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy." (2:156)
▼ Try to remember Allah and do dhikr because when you do them correctly it should remove the sadness and grief from the heart because Allah says in the Qur'an,
" Verily in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest" (13:28)
Check out my article on 5 Simple & Easy Dhikr You Can Do Everyday to learn some of the simplest dhikrs.
" Verily in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest" (13:28)
Check out my article on 5 Simple & Easy Dhikr You Can Do Everyday to learn some of the simplest dhikrs.
If you reflect ne these verses and truly internalize then these few steps should help drive out the sadness and on top of that, try to improve the quality of your Salah and make dua'a and ask Allah (swt) to help you conquer your sadness and grant you the ability to deal with any difficult situation with ease In Shaa Allah because a sincere dua'a can change everything.
