Question:

Is one of the disease of the heart depression? And if so what is the cure?

Answer:

Bismillahi Taʿālā

Assalāmu ʿalaykum waraḥmatullāhī wabrakātuh,

At the outset, we should not see everything in a linear fashion. While the linear thought process is easy to grasp, life is not linear. It is constantly being influenced by different factors. There can be a number of these factors which leads towards depression.

Just as there are medical and psychiatric procedures to tackle depression, Islam also gives guidelines towards restoring such balanced state of contentment.

Every individual will have different conditions and factors that cause his depression may be different. This is why the psychiatrist would go through multiple sessions to assess the key factors contributing towards the depression. Sharīʿah does not discourage taking such medical treatments. In fact, Islam complements these efforts to keep a healthy mindset and disposition.

In Islam we recognize that Allah Taʿālā is the absolute power over all the factors that may contribute towards one’s depression. Hence, it is pivotal that along with medical procedures which tackle any physical factors, we ultimately rely on Allāh to guide us through emotional, mental and religious factors as well.

Rasūlullāh ﷺ taught a great supplication for such instance.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالحَزَنِ، وَالعَجْزِ وَالكَسَلِ، وَالبُخْلِ وَالجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allāhumma innī aʿūẓu bika minal hammi wal hazan; wal ʿajzi wal kasal;
wal bukhli wal jubn; wa ḍalaʿi dayn wa ghalabati rijal

O Allah, I seek your protection from stress, depression, weakness, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, the burden of debts and being overpowered by men.

This beautiful duʿāʾ should be recited as much as possible, while focusing on the meaning and concientizing oneself that Allah is more powerful than all these factors and with the aid of Allah, overcoming these factors can become a breeze.

May Allah grant you complete contentment in life and rest from any difficulties therein, Āmīn

And Allāh Taʿālā Knows best,

Wassalamu ʿalaykum,

Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi

صحيح البخاري – دار طوق النجاة (8/ 79)
6369 – حدثنا خالد بن مخلد، حدثنا سليمان، قال: حدثني عمرو بن أبي عمرو، قال: سمعت أنس بن مالك، قال: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الهم والحزن، والعجز والكسل، والجبن والبخل، وضلع الدين، وغلبة الرجال»