Feeling sad and hopeless!

[Pink]

Asalam u alikum my brothers and sisters. I'm a female who's in her 20's from the UK.
I would briefly like to explain my situation..I have been a Muslim by birth yet I did not pray. However, almost 2 years back I felt really agitated, guilty and bad as I did not pray. In fact I did not know how to pray or read namaz. So I stared watching videos of different Mufti and Islamic scholars. Because I felt as if I knew nothing about Islam yet I called myself a Muslim.
Every night I would cry and pray to Allah Talla desperately to somehow teach me how to read namaz. And I remember crying every other night. I slowly started feeling paranoid or felt scared for no reason. I got jumpy and would atomically recite Ayat Ul Kursi. Some nights I would even feel as if someone has jerked me to wake me up. One night I had a dream. To summarise it...I saw a huge black figure and somehow felt very scared. The next day I told my friend who told me that what I saw was probably a Jin who was maybe sent by someone to make me scared. I knew my uncles second wife used to practice black magic so i knew then and there what my friend said.
Alhumdullilah that Witch is no longer in my life. May Allah Talla protect all of mankind from these people and evil practices.
So my friend taught me literally step by step how to read Namaz ( may Allah grant her Jannah ) And Alhumdulliah I am still learning and haven't stoped reading since then.
Even though my life has turned 360 degrees. And I myself feel very happy now that I have started praying.
Yet for the past month or so idk but I feel very sad and low. I feel as if I don't feel anything. If I'm suppose to be happy or excited..I don't feel that way. I feel I'm so confused and my mind is all over the place. Even when someone tells me it's ok you feel that way just trust Allah Talla. I do but I still feel hopeless. I feel as if I'm in a quicksand and cannot move. Every time I go to Sujood or think of my situation or remember Allah I cry. Even idk why but I can't help myself. I know it is wrong but when I look at my friends I start comparing their lives with mine. Which is wrong yet when I do I feel depressed. I wonder if I'm doing so much, I'm praying I'm keeping it halal all the way...then why is the other person who's the complete opposite ( in religion) having it to so easier then me.
i know it is wrong but I feel like I've gone numb, beyond depression, and just....a walking zombie. I have no idea if it's because Allah talla is testing me, or maybe I have gone mental unstable .... all I know is I trust Allah and just have sabar. Please do tell me is it normal to feel the way I do.

 

[Eric H]

Peace be with you Pink, and welcome to the forum;

all I know is I trust Allah and just have sabar.

I am struggling with life, and I am only 73, so little changes. Life is a journey always one day at a time, you will have good days, bad days, and really bad days in the future. But if you truly trust in Allah, you will find the strength to keep going. Hard days are not impossible days, Allah will not burden you with anything you cannot bear, so trust in Allah when he says this.

Study and reflect on the 99 names of Allah, he is merciful, compassionate and forgiving. But Allah can only be merciful and forgiving to those who need it. Anything in your past can be overlooked when you repent and turn away from your old ways. Remember, we are all weak, we repeat our sins despite our best efforts.

And just a thought of comfort, why fear any jin or witch? Allah is far more powerful, make duas for the wisdom, strength and the peace to do the will of Allah. Never give up hope that Allah wants what is best for you.

May Allah bless you on your journey through life,
Eric

 

[Murid]

:bism:

Kind and good words from Eric as often, may Allah reward him!

What is perceived from experience and religious sources, jinn/sihr/witches/some priests etc. can harm humans and other creatures with Allahs leave.

Strange are unorthodox ways. Some even scary you to cause you to return to religion.

As Eric similary said in summary:
https://m.facebook.com/Powerfulisla...ber-you-in-times-of-difficu/3372149772923929/

In addition we should know that Islam is a balanced religion.
Some are to harsh and anachronic, like taliban etc.

We must not neglect socialising, fun, family duties, ties of kinship, altruism, volounteering, educations, wealth, health, fitness, marriage, friendships, psychologist, mental and medical check ups etc.

Some supplements help to get out of the rut, like, Rhodiola rosea, Saffron, Shilajit, Neuromind by Vitabiotics, Nigella Sativa etc.

Eat only wholegrain bread. Get enough of different fruits and veggies, enough sun exposure, enough bottled water, use olive oil, fermented milk products, dark chocolate etc.

Try chewing edible frankincense.

Drinking mornings and evenings 200 mL 100% organic pomegranate juice with a Tbsp of honey helps a lot.

Talk with your family about your concerns. Consider full medical checks, psychologist and psychiatrists.

As I wrote before:

Against shaytan there are known remedies, like 10x surah ikhlas after fajr, Manzil recitation, 10x audhubillahiminashshaytanirrajeem, 100x mornings and evenings la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer, staying with ablution, fasting, reciting first thee ayats of sixth surah mornings and evenings etc.
Please find in Arabic.

It is enough inshaAllah.

Against other spiritual and other attacks, morning and evening duas from like Hisn al Muslim or in English translated Momin ka hatyar are needed.

Recite duas before sleep:
https://backtojannah.com/before-sleep/

The step after that is increasing nawafil, like salat duha, awwabin, tahajjud amd increasing mornings and evenings salawat, estegfar, kalima tamjid etc.

One "ustadh" prescribes asma Ya Muqtadiru Ya Raqeebu 1000x daily in similar cases. Helpful inshaAllah.

Try to give daily sadaqah, even if small.

Try to use essential oils, like rosemary, frankincense, grapefruit, eucalyptus, mint, vetiver etc.

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

Asalam u alikum my brothers and sisters. I'm a female who's in her 20's from the UK.
I would briefly like to explain my situation..I have been a Muslim by birth yet I did not pray. However, almost 2 years back I felt really agitated, guilty and bad as I did not pray. In fact I did not know how to pray or read namaz. So I stared watching videos of different Mufti and Islamic scholars. Because I felt as if I knew nothing about Islam yet I called myself a Muslim.
Every night I would cry and pray to Allah Talla desperately to somehow teach me how to read namaz. And I remember crying every other night. I slowly started feeling paranoid or felt scared for no reason. I got jumpy and would atomically recite Ayat Ul Kursi. Some nights I would even feel as if someone has jerked me to wake me up. One night I had a dream. To summarise it...I saw a huge black figure and somehow felt very scared. The next day I told my friend who told me that what I saw was probably a Jin who was maybe sent by someone to make me scared. I knew my uncles second wife used to practice black magic so i knew then and there what my friend said.
Alhumdullilah that Witch is no longer in my life. May Allah Talla protect all of mankind from these people and evil practices.
So my friend taught me literally step by step how to read Namaz ( may Allah grant her Jannah ) And Alhumdulliah I am still learning and haven't stoped reading since then.
Even though my life has turned 360 degrees. And I myself feel very happy now that I have started praying.
Yet for the past month or so idk but I feel very sad and low. I feel as if I don't feel anything. If I'm suppose to be happy or excited..I don't feel that way. I feel I'm so confused and my mind is all over the place. Even when someone tells me it's ok you feel that way just trust Allah Talla. I do but I still feel hopeless. I feel as if I'm in a quicksand and cannot move. Every time I go to Sujood or think of my situation or remember Allah I cry. Even idk why but I can't help myself. I know it is wrong but when I look at my friends I start comparing their lives with mine. Which is wrong yet when I do I feel depressed. I wonder if I'm doing so much, I'm praying I'm keeping it halal all the way...then why is the other person who's the complete opposite ( in religion) having it to so easier then me.
i know it is wrong but I feel like I've gone numb, beyond depression, and just....a walking zombie. I have no idea if it's because Allah talla is testing me, or maybe I have gone mental unstable .... all I know is I trust Allah and just have sabar. Please do tell me is it normal to feel the way I do.

Wa Alaikum Asalaam,

Jazakallahu Khayran for being so open about your feelings. Firstly what I would say is that you must learn to love yourself and to forgive yourself for whatever has happened in your life. You have not given much detail but maybe something has happened in your past. However whatever has happened in your life and in the past does not define you. Be easy on yourself and ignore the negative voices that are trying to make you feel low and down. We need to quieten the negative voices by making the positive voices louder. Shaythan knows that he cannot make us totally lose our faith, so he tries to make us go astray in other ways like making us feel down, lose hope and be depressed in life. He tries to make us feel low about ourselves and make us feel like we should give up or that we are not worthy or that we wont be forgiven or that our prayers and good deeds wont be accepted.

So what I would say to you is to write down positive mantra's about yourself in order to oppose the negative voices and quieten them. So firstly write down the negative voices that you are getting and what they are saying and then next to those negative voices write down positive replies. The most important thing is for you to love yourself for who you are and to forgive yourself. Also know that there is nothing wrong nor shameful about getting therapy/counselling especially if past traumas are still having a negative impact upon you today. A lot of the times we have deep rooted issues that have not been resolved hence why we behave the way we do and procrastinate which is linked to a deep fear and anxiety. Look for a good Muslim therapist/counsellor as they will be able to understand your issues from an Islamic perspective.

Also we must never compare ourselves to others. This is because every one of us is going through a different and unique journey in life. We are all at different stages in our journeys. It is impossible to compare our journeys to that of others as everyone of us has a completely unique set of dynamics throughout our lives. Also you assume that the other person is "having it so much easier than me". How do you know that? Do you know what is hidden between them and Allah? do you know what is in their hearts? None of us truly knows what another person is really going through. They may give you snippets but regardless of how close someone is to you they will never tell you everything as somethings are too personal. We may see people and think they look happy, their social media profiles displays their happiness and they seem to have everything going for them in life etc. However only Allah knows what they are really going through behind closed doors and how much anguish, emptiness and void those people who do not fulfil their obligations to Allah have in their hearts and lives. So we must never compare ourselves to anyone nor must we ever assume that others are better off or happier in their lives as only Allah truly knows that. It is just shaythans tricks as he is trying to get at us and make us feel down about ourselves and our lives. So ignore it and put your trust in Allah that only he knows everything and we know very little.

Also the fact that you are here showing concern over your imaan is a sign of imaan itself. Know that one of the biggest reasons why our imaan decreases and we do not feel any Khushu' (concentration) in worship is due to the major sins we are committing. So the first step must be to eradicate the major sins particularly those that concern the lower carnal desires. When we are shackled by our sins and love of the dunya (the world) has entered our hearts and we have forgotten our inevitable death and our eternal destination - The Hereafter - then Imaan (faith) will inevitably leave the heart like water leaves a bottle when you tip it over. So even if we pray or fast or do good deeds then we will not feel the good effects from them because of our major sins. Therefore we must overcome any major sins we are committing and keep turning back to Allah in repentance and for his help to overcome our major sins. Also where is our focus? Is it for the Hereafter or this Dunya? or are we just wandering aimlessly? How is our relationship with Allah? Are we developing a closeness to him or do we just pray without any concentration (Khushu)? What is holding us back? we need to identify those things and then discard them from our lives immediately.

Just like we service our cars, valet them, clean them, refill them often. A similar analogy can be applied to our hearts. It must be regularly serviced, checked, cleaned and re-filled with the love and remembrance of Allah so our imaan can remain topped up all the time. However if our main focus is on the dunya then we lose sight and focus of our main purpose which is to prepare for the Hereafter. So it is about trying to balance Deen and Dunya and giving more credence to that which is more lasting - There Hereafter. So devote some time everyday to sit there and remember and glorify Allah and ponder over his magnificence, creations and favours upon us. Spend a few minutes in the morning thinking about what things you can be grateful to him about today. Write it down. Write down your thoughts and feelings sot at you can overcome the negative voices and thoughts.

I would also recommend reminding ourselves daily of death and the Hereafter. Death is called the "destroyer of pleasures" because no matter how happy we are indulging in our desires then the thought of death will awaken us to reality. So we must never forget death and our next destination - the grave. Most of us think "Not me, I wont die until old age". How many young people thought that and they are in the grave right now? Go to the grave and take a look at the ages of the residents of the graves and you will see that they range from 0 - 100+. So by remembering death our attachment for this world and materialistic things weakens. The more we love this world the more we will forget Allah, death, our graves and the Hereafter.

So firstly we must abandon any major sins that we are committing as that tortures our hearts and souls and keeps us away from Allah. Repent sincerely and make a firm commitment never to do all your prayers on time. Surely we cannot get closer to Allah and have khushu in our prayers and deeds if we are committing major sins.

Secondly learn knowledge of the Deen. It is knowledge that opens up our hearts, souls and minds and brings clarity to that which was not clear before. Knowledge draws us closer to Allah and enables us to see with both eyes clearly. Join a sisters group or circle of learning knowledge and that way you can also find good company of like minded sisters.

Thirdly connect with the Quran and also learn the meanings of what you are reciting and try to implement them in your daily life. Ponder, reflect and contemplate over its meanings. By connecting with the Quran we are connected to Allah. We also remain in his remembrance. The more we remember Allah the less impact shaythan will have upon us by his whispers. The following is a very good English translation of the Qur'an with summarised commentary:

https://islampdfs1.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/the-meanings-of-the-noble-quran.pdf

Fourthly adopt the Tahajjud prayer in the latter part of the nights. You may be thinking "If I struggle to do my daily Fard prayers then why would I pray a voluntary prayer"? You see this is a trick and a short cut to increasing your imaan to the extent that you will eventually begin to adopt all the 5 daily prayers automatically. What better way to increase our imaan and connect to Allah than getting up from our comfortable beds whilst most people are asleep?

The Tahajjud prayer is one of the best ways of gaining a fearful awareness of Allah at all times and an intimate connection to Allah as well as increasing our imaan and Khushu in our prayers. It is also one of the best ways to get our Dua's accepted and get closer to Allah. Beg of him, cry unto him and ask of him with all of your heart like you have never done before and he will never abandon your call. He loves you far more than your parents and anyone else ever will. No one can love you more than him. If only we walked towards him then he would run towards us.

Please refer the following threads which have many help, advice and resources to enable us to overcome sadness, trials and hardships and get closer to Allah and boost our imaan:


10 Ways To Overcome Sadness in Life


How To Get Through Hardships & Trials!


Leaving Bad Habits/Haraam for the Sake of Allah!


10 Steps to Increase our Iman (Faith) - Updated version


10 steps to getting closer to Allah


10 Steps to Gaining Taqwa (Fearful awareness of Allah)


How to Overcome Waswasa/OCD in Worship


Defeat Shaythan by learning his tricks!


30 ways to Gain the Top Ranks of Jannah


Do you feel that your Dua's are not being accepted? Then read this!


3 ways of attaining focus in our Salaah (prayer) - You will be amazed!


Utterly regretful in the Hereafter


https://www.islamicboard.com/manners-and-purification-of-the-soul/134342101-angel-death-coming.html

I hope my advices and the above links to beneficial threads will be most help to you inshaAllah. Please save them so you can refer to them. Surely Allah brought you here for a reason and that is because he truly loves you and he wants you to be closer to him. So do not be sad nor lose hope but put your trust in Allah and rely on him fully and grab this opportunity with both hands. If we walk towards Allah then he will run towards us!

 

[Nooralhuda]

one of the reasons why people get depressed is a negative thoughts that are stuck in one's head