His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) is a beaming beacon of Divine guidance and support. His Holiness (aba) represents the highest level of connection with God in today’s world and thus he is the spiritual leader for tens of millions across the world, and champions the message of fulfilling the rights owed to God, and fulfilling the duties we each owe to our fellow human beings. Over the course of his Friday Sermons, addresses on various occasions, meetings with different organizations and children’s classes, His Holiness (aba) imparts invaluable knowledge and insight on a remarkably vast array of topics.
The Review of Religions is honoured to present some of these ‘Rays of Wisdom’ from His Holiness (aba) taken from various sources, for the benefit of its readers.
Contents
What is the True Philosophy Behind ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’?
How Can the Righteous and Prayerful Deal with Depression?
How Can We Pray for Help with Mental Health?
Excellent Morals and Good Manners on Every Occasion
What is the True Philosophy Behind ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’?
‘Love for all, hatred for none’ is the motto of the Ahmadiyyat Muslim Community, a Community which claims to represent the true Islamic teachings as revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). In a world where divisions continue to increase and enmity is boiling over into societal and international conflict, this motto is something which cannot only be appreciated but is necessary now, more than ever before. This phrase has become synonymous with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and is appreciated by religious, and non-religious alike. On one occasion during an audience with a delegation from Georgia, His Holiness (aba) was asked about the true philosophy behind ‘Love for all, hatred for none’.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘We don’t have any enmity, any grudge, any jealousy for any one person in our heart. So, we are open and we spread this message that you love each other and the standard of love and the definition of love is different for each other. When you sympathize somebody who is your enemy then even that is love because you are not going to create some problem for the person or you are not going to take revenge from the person or you are not going to attack the person. So, if you understand this thing that peace and harmony and love is the teaching of God the Almighty who has sent all the prophets, all the religions, then we can all live amicably, peacefully. This is the teaching of Jesus Christ as well, that you must live harmoniously, peacefully so that you can follow the true teaching of Jesus. So, this is our message and this is what we spread and this is the only thing – it is a matter of understanding. If you understand that what is religion and what religion wants from you, then you can create love and harmony. If you don’t understand, then there are so many people who hatch envies and enmity in their heart, so they cannot live together. So, if I have understood your question well, this is the only thing, that it is a matter of understanding and seeing in which perspective you are taking the religion. If you think the religion is for the sake of peace and love and harmony, then you can live in this way. If you think that your religion is just to take revenges and put trouble before others, then you cannot live together.’[1]
How Can the Righteous and Prayerful Deal with Depression?
Mental health is an integral part of anyone’s well-being, in fact, it is just as important as any other facet of a person’s health. To a degree, no one is immune from it, as it is quite simply a part of human nature. But then what of those who are people of faith; those who are considered to be righteous and are regular in offering prayer? Is it possible for them to suffer from mental health issues such as depression? Once, a person asked His Holiness (aba) how those who are righteous and prayerful can deal with mental health issues such as depression.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘You believe he has a close relationship with Allah the Almighty because the person offers Salat and prays. Depression is one thing and anxiety is another; these are two different terms used by psychologists. Anxiety is when a person feels restlessness in their heart, and this stems from a particular reason – this is not depression. Depression is when one becomes isolated and wishes to do nothing but cry the whole day. Even the smallest matters worry them, and they cry over the smallest things, worrying about what may happen and the sadness is apparent on their faces.
The other is anxiety, which makes one nervous and inhibits a person from staying in one place. They will wander here and there or go outside. They are unable to find comfort at any turn. Hence, there is a slight difference between the two. Righteous people can also become anxious, and that is due to being concerned about how they will fulfil all the responsibilities which Allah the Almighty has entrusted to them, or [they worry about] how people can be freed from the clutches of Satan. Despite all of this, they still pray. Allah the Almighty had assured the Holy Prophet (sa) at the Battle of Badr that he had no reason to worry because his victory was certain, yet he still anxiously prayed and with such intensity that his body would tremble and his mantle would fall off. What did Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) ask him? He asked that when Allah the Almighty had assured him, then what reason was there for him to worry? [The Holy Prophet (sa) responded that] we do not know about Allah the Almighty’s hidden knowledge and whether the Muslims would meet all the requirements upon which Allah the Almighty had decreed the Muslims’ victory.
Hence, such states do come about. However, one form of depression is when a person becomes isolated and even forgets Allah the Almighty. They lament all day and think that Allah does not exist and so there is no benefit in praying, eating, or drinking. Rather, they just sit alone in a room, and remain lonely and lost. That is actual depression and this form does not come about within righteous people, and if it does, it indicates that their worship is not up to standard and they have not developed a proper connection with Allah the Almighty.’[2]
How Can We Pray for Help with Mental Health?
Every person deals with struggles in their own way, however, sometimes there can be encompassing methods that can help with things such as mental health. Being a religion that is in line with human nature, Islam also bears within it certain aids and methods that can be used in order to help with all aspects of life, including mental health. His Holiness (aba) was asked how and what can be prayed in order to seek help with mental health.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘Allah the Almighty teaches in the Holy Qur’an ‘Aye! It is in the remembrance of Allah that the hearts can find comfort’ (13:29). Meaning that by remembering Allah the Almighty a person can achieve comfort in their heart. Doctors also say that those who commonly have ailments of the heart and have heart attacks will usually experience them in the early morning, around the time of Sehri [pre-dawn meal before keeping a fast]. Those who offer Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers] are awake during that time; they offer ablution and offer Salat. Generally, the ratio of heart attacks amongst such people is very little. Hence, this proves that waking up in the early morning, offering Tahajjud, and offering Salat helps to remove this illness. Aside from this, there is the remembrance of Allah the Almighty, praying to Him and bowing down before Him. Otherwise, everyone is susceptible to the human psychology, illnesses, and human nature, whether they are prophets, saints, or ordinary people. These things are all attached to them because they are human after all. Hence, these things are a part of life. Therefore, one cure is to remember Allah the Almighty.
The second cure is to step forward in serving humanity. The third cure is to interact with people, whether at home or in a gathering outside as I have mentioned before. Then, those who are suffering from depression and who feel like doing nothing other than crying, it is said that their depression generally peaks at 11 or 12 o’clock. At that time, they should go outside and walk around in the open, fresh air. I have seen many patients suffering from depression and they have cried themselves into a bad state, but they prayed to Allah the Almighty, and He took them out of that phase. Years have passed and there is no sign of their illness. Aside from this, there are some who also take medication that is prescribed by psychiatrists, so those should also be taken in order to pass through the depression. Nowadays, depression has increased due to worldliness. As people pass through this phase, then they slowly begin to improve as well.’[3]
Excellent Morals and Good Manners on Every Occasion
Islam’s teachings are all-encompassing, complete, timeless and a perfect code of conduct for any person in any walk of life. From seemingly minuscule matters to matters of societal and international importance, Islam has presented teachings which – if implemented in their true form and sense – can establish a heavenly eutopia on earth. Not only did Islam present these perfect teachings, but God also commissioned the perfect man to embody and emulate these teachings so that they could be followed and practised for the coming eternity. This of, course, was none other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) who was after all, ‘a mercy for all peoples’. Of course, any successful society begins with the manner in which people treat one another. In this regard, the Holy Prophet (sa) set the perfect example for all people, young and old, of how to treat others with the highest level of morals and the greatest manners, beginning from our very own homes.
On this topic, His Holiness (aba) once said:
‘Adopting excellent morals and showing good manners on every occasion, be it at home, at any level of the society, towards one’s close ones or other people, has been taught by Islam to such an extent that not even the smallest aspect has been left unaddressed. No other religion addresses these matters in such detail.’
His Holiness (aba) further stated:
‘If we look at the practical example of the Holy Prophet (sa), we see astonishing [moral] standards. If we take a look at his family affairs, we see that, for example, he expressed his utmost displeasure to one of his wives for mocking another’s short height, saying that one should not inflict emotional pain to anyone.[4]
At times [we hear of him] advising one of his wives not to show the slightest displeasure at any of the other wives’ action.[5]
At times [we hear of him] advising children to raise their moral standards. He said to a child, “You should not throw stones at people’s fruit trees and thereby destroy their ripe or half-ripe fruits. If you are hungry and you cannot bear it anymore, then you may eat the fallen off ripe dates.” However, he also told him, “What would be excellent is that I pray for you that you may never be faced with such a situation where you have to pick up the dates from the floor to eat. May Allah the Exalted continue to provide for you.”[6]
With this prayer, he drew the attention of the child towards turning to Allah the Exalted for the fulfilment of his needs instead of taking people’s property by using wrongful means. Although, under some circumstances, such things, which are just lying around in excess may become lawful but he said that one should adopt higher morals, which is true righteousness.’[7]
ENDNOTES
[1] Meeting with Delegation from Georgia – This Week With Huzoor Germany July 2019 Tour Special
[2] Meeting with Khuddam from Belgium – 15 June 2019
[3] Ibid
[4] Sunan Abi Dawood, Bab Fil Ghibah, Hadith 4875
[5] Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Al Ahkam, Hadith 2333
[6] Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitabul Jihad, Hadith 2622
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