Mentally Disabled People and Islam

Assalaamu Alaykum brothers and sisters.

I was wondering about how mentally disabled people will be judged as they cannot understand Islam and found this answer on a forum: "Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):

'The pen does not record the deeds of three persons: the child until the age of puberty; the sleeping person until he wakes up; the insane until he is sane.' (Reported by Aḥmad and at-Tirmidhi.)" http://islamww.com/bb/index.php?showtopic=1888

I find this very reassuring and I understand Allah (SWT) has a plan for everything, including the mentally disabled. However, I can only hypothesize about how they fit into the plan of Allah (SWT). Is it to teach us to be thankful for our capacities? For indeed, I am grateful. Alhamdulillah

:wa:

"I am sorry if my daughter is bothering you"
"It's okay, ma'am, it's okay"
"Not easy to live with a child like this"
"Ma'am, every child is mandate from Allah, and we must take care our children as best as we can as our responsibility on this mandate".

She looked at my face for a moment before she nodded her head.

That's what I said to a shop owner, a woman who has daughter with mental disability when I was shopping there and her daughter tried to talk with me, as she always did when she met me. She was one of few people with mental disability who ever interacted with me.

Why does Allah make some people have mental disability?. I don't know. Should we be thankful for our capabilities when we meet mentally disabled people?. No!

Feel grateful because we are luckier than them will make us feel sorry for them. And it will make them unhappy. Mentally disabled people cannot think and understand something as good as we can, but they can feel something because they are human, and must be treated as human.

Try to smile at them, try to listen when they try to talk to you although you don't understand what they say. And you will see a happiness in their eyes.

This is the time when you can feel grateful because you still have a pure heart and a love that you can share to other people.

Yeah, I agree. It is not right to take pleasure in another's condition. That's what I had questions about. I always treat them with respect. Thanks for clarifying! Jazakallah

That is, I am thankful for everything Allah (SWT) has given me but not at the expense of others.

We must be grateful with what Allah has given to us, but we must avoid be grateful because we see someone who is not so lucky like us, because it can hurt his feeling.

Just imagine if you were born as unattractive man, and then when a handsome man see you he says "Alhamdulillah, I am not ugly like him". Can you imagine what you feel?. Then imagine if you were born as mentally disabled person. Can you imagine your life?

That's why I smile at them and tried to listen to what they say although I don't understand. They are human who need attention, love and affection. But unfortunately, other people often see them as useless people who can disturb other people comfortability and should be shunned.

Little attention that we give to them can make them feel love and affection, and it will make them happy.

Empathy, this is what we must have as a Muslim.

That makes sense. Don't worry, I have empathy for all my brothers and sisters.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] [/FONT]

My dad always told me to always say Alhamdulilah whenever I see someone of bad condition. However, I always thought it was a horrible idea. Like what Ardianto said, it just hurts their feelings. We shouldn't pity others, that's not what Islam teaches us. Of course, we should always be grateful to Allah for our condition, but when we compare ourselves to someone who isn't as lucky as we are, that's not being grateful anymore.

When you see a person cry, you want to be nice and ask them if they're okay, but you also don't want to embarass them or hurt their feelings, so you just pretend to not notice anything. Which is the right choice? I don't know, I always just followed my instincts

Yeah, I understand and it can be difficult to show care without being patronizing. For example, if someone is 4 feet tall, you do not say, "Hey, you're short, let me help you." As a general rule, I am equally respectful to people and only go further when they welcome it, such as if the person asks me to get something high up on the shelf. I know some people who do not want other's charity. And it's a judgment call oftentimes.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]"Show mercy to those on earth so that He Who is in the heavens (i.e. Allah) bestow mercy to you[/FONT]." (At-Tirmidhi)

Mentally disabled people are human too who have need of interaction, and this is what often make other people feel annoyed. But we must understand that they cannot understand that other people are in busy or do not want to be disturbed.

Mentally disabled person cannot thinking as good as us, but they a feeling which they can feel our attitude toward them. They can be sad if we ask them to go with the rough, and they can be happy if we can give them little attention and little smile.

Always remember, when a mentally disabled person try to interact with you, that is the time when you are in test. Test for your patience, test for your ability to do amal salih (good deed) toward another human.

Absolutely.

Would things like OCD, Bipolar, Depression etc be classed as mentally disabled? Or is there difference between mental illness and disability?

فرحان;n2232303 said:

Would things like OCD, Bipolar, Depression etc be classed as mentally disabled? Or is there difference between mental illness and disability?

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OCD, bipolar, depression, are a mental disorder that is caused by external factors such as traumatic experiences, which then affects a person's ability to think or act. Mental disorders still can be cured.

While mental disability caused by brain disorder that occurs when the baby was still in the womb or during brain development. It can not be cured.

For analogy. If brain is computer, then mental disorder is problem with software while mental disability is problem with hardware.

Islam does not recognize concept of bear other people's sin. So, mental disability of a child has nothing to do with sins that ever committed by the parents.

But unfortunately, not every Muslim know it. There are parents who still think that have child with mental disability is a punishment, and there are other people among them who think like this too and issue a rumor that the parents committed big sin in the past.

One thing that parents must realize is, every child is amanah (mandate) from Allah. So they must able to accept this amanah and do not regard having child with mental disability is disgrace for the family. They should not hide their mentally disabled children from public while let their normal children live in society because this is one kind of injustice toward children.

فرحان;n2232303 said:

Would things like OCD, Bipolar, Depression etc be classed as mentally disabled? Or is there difference between mental illness and disability?

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Legally and medically speaking, I think OCD, Bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, etc. are considered mental illness or disorders but if they interfere with a person's life to the point where they cannot function in daily life, then it is considered a disability.

Ocd is from waswaas of Satan

Schizophrenia also the work of Satan

My psychiatrist told me it's all Satan...

But as is mentioned in islamqa.com
Senilty dementia is the insanity that excuses one from sin also severe retardation...