October 2018 – The Warrior Within

I’m not sure that any one of us really understands the power of dua. When my non-Muslim friends ask me what the difference is between dua, and salah I try to explain to them the difference. One marked difference is that dua is embedded in salah and it is a type of prayer in which you simply ask God for anything and everything you want. You can make it at any time, any place, and however many times you want. But the magical thing about dua is not necessarily its fluidity in terms of when you can say it but rather in the binding it does between an individual and their one and only, Allah (swt).

You see, the dua is only as powerful as the person holding it, makes it out to be. This is why in Islam the dua is called “The weapon of the believer.” (For the love of all that is good please don’t go around calling me violent just because I used the word weapon, in fact this is the most peaceful, yet powerful kind of weapon if you think about it).

Anyway, its called the weapon of the believer because it can do anything. You make dua and you ask Allah swt for whatever you want, a car, a nice house, a pet cat, an A on your next exam. You could ask for intangible things like love, and an easy pregnancy or an easy exam, or lots of good company. But the ones who truly know how to yield their weapon well, and use it in the most efficient way possible are those who ask for things that will bring them closer to Him. Not only this but they make dua for everything. Every little thing they are constantly aware that Allah swt is there, with them, and can help them.

Now why am I talking about all this, well because for the first time in my life, after many many many years of making dua I realized that while I was making it, I wasn’t completely relying on Allah (swt). I wasn’t asking for the right things because there were some great things that a part of my heart felt like it wasn’t possible. What am I talking about? Depression- my illness, Clinical Depression.

For as long as I have had depression I have always seen it the way my society sees it- that it is a life-long illness that you will have forever. That you can take pills to curb the effects but you have to take the pills forever, that even if you change your lifestyle, etc, you will still always be stuck with this disease.
And while this is true sometimes, I realized there is also a chance that for me it could not be, yknow why? Because I have Allah (swt). And so at that moment I put my hands up to the sky and I prayed to Allah swt that He cure me of my illness. For once I wasn’t praying for others to understand my illness, for me to learn to get through my illness, for me to find a spouse who can understand my illness, no I prayed for Allah (swt) to CURE my illness.

Because if I was truly a Muslim, and if I was truly a Mu’min, then I knew that Allah swt created EVERYTHING including mental illnesses, including mine. And I prayed to Allah. I made salat-ul-istikharah asking Him to lead me to what was best for me. If it was medication, then I would take it because I would it was what Allah swt wanted. And I didn’t just make dua I took/am takng action. To better my lifestyle and improve myself and my daily routine. And I continue to pray that Allah swt remove from me my depression and cure me of my illness.

In either case, this is my point, that never doubt Allah’s ability in anything. If you are suffering from a mental illness, take your medication, and listen to your therapist, but don’t forget Allah swt. Let Him be the first one that you reach out to in times of need. Let Him be the first one to lean on when you are struggling because He is Al- Adheem.

I hope this post finds you in the best of states, and if I have said anything wrong it is entirely of my own mistake and not of my religion’s. And if there is anything that I said that was of benefit, it was only by Allah swt that I was able to do it. Keep trekking!

I will hopefully be posting more frequently in the coming days!