Guest writer for MUSLIMNESS, Mohammad Shakir works at International HIV Fund and shares his thoughts on why taboo diseases should not prevent Muslims from visiting the ill. Contact Mohammad on info@internationalhivfund.org.

In Islam, Muslims are encouraged to help people who are ill. Supporting them at a vulnerable time is a rewarding act. I would like to remind readers that HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a disease much like a cold, flu or cancer. A previous Friday Nasiha post on MUSLIMNESS left an important message about illness from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

"God did not send down an illness for which He did not send a cure." (Bukhari)

When a person sneezes a Muslim is obliged to show mercy on them by replying, Yarhamukullah, may God have mercy on you. Similarly, when a person is chronically ill, Muslims are told to show them mercy by visiting them and praying for them.

There are illnesses in this world which divide us. The world has been aware of HIV for 30 years, according to the BBC. It is a virus which can affect anyone. Muslim or non-Muslim, male or female, the virus does not discriminate who it infects and so we should not discriminate against someone living with HIV.

HIV as an illness
A person living with HIV in the simplest term is ill. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the body’s immune systems and increases the risk of developing serious infections and diseases such as cancer (NHS).

The Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic tradition) explain how Muslims should behave and treat a person who is unwell or infirm. The rewards for simply visiting with a smiling face and asking about their health are immense. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said,

"[If a] Muslim visits a (sick) Muslim in the morning seventy thousand angels will bless (and pray for) him until the evening, and if he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels will bless (and pray for) him until the morning, and fruits from Paradise will be his." (Tirmidhi 3:292)

Visiting the sick builds the bonds of unity, respect and understanding. This understanding then helps to breakdown those barriers and reduces discrimination and stigma towards an otherwise taboo illness.


Muslims believe in a day of Judgement, and so we have to remember that one day we will all be judged in front of Allah, and we will be asked about how we treated others during our time on earth.

In the Hadith Qudsi (prophetic statement derived from God), Allah subhanahu wa ta`la will say on the Day of Judgment: “O son of Adam I was sick and you did not visit Me. He will say: O Lord how can I visit You. You are the Lord of the worlds? He says: Did you not know that My servant so and so was sick yet you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him you would have found Me with him?” (Muslim).

We have to remember that people living with HIV humans just like us and are ill and need our help, support and understanding.

Different ways of supporting a person with HIV
The International HIV Fund is organising a skydive which will raise money for their project, Mothers of Sudan. North Sudan is currently witnessing a looming HIV epidemic. The total number of adults and children living with HIV is estimated to be over 122,216. Children are also affected with over 27,000 children orphaned due to HIV.

We want to help them by helping the Mothers of Sudan through HIV awareness and skills that will enable them to afford the important HIV drugs that will keep their families together and alive.

A Skydive? Tell me more!
International HIV Fund are organising two skydive challenges – one in November 2011 and another in January 2012 – where you can raise funds for the project and take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

To participate, all the organisation asks is for a £50 deposit to sign up and to get really creative with fundraising ideas. Each skydiver has a challenge to raise an easy £500 for Sudan by getting sponsors and supporters. Think you can do it?

Your contribution will go a very long way in changing not just one life, but a whole community.
For more information visit the International HIV Fund website.
e | fatima@internationalhivfund.org

About International HIV Fund
The International HIV Fund (IHIVF) is a global initiative aimed at enhancing collaboration between Muslim and non-Muslim organisations in combating HIV and AIDS. They work in partnership with different organisations and within communities around the world to ensure the next generation lives HIV-free.

More on health:
Get 'Fit4Ramadan', The Fitness Program For Muslims
Plans For Cleaner Zam Zam Distribution In Madinah
Human Appeal's Gaza Water Purification Project

Hot new stuff, Muslim Quarterly is the first magazine exclusively for Muslim men.

In the aims of addressing challenges faced today, Muslim Quarterly is a male-orientated publication for the American Muslim man. We saw an absence of the magazine for a while, which Editor-in-Chief Omar Haq explained was because the team worked towards defining its unique identity.

Muslim Quarterly is back, with a culturally sleek and broader depth. It arrived on my desk in October, shrink-wrapped in opaque plastic and ready for a woman's critique.

The magazine is published four times a year, giving rise to its name, and explores areas that are typically a man's arena. Sexual appetite, budget spending on the other half, and easy cooking for the laid back bachelor.

A great shot of American Muslim comedian Ali Ardekani made the front cover of the latest issue, accompanied by fellow Alis - finalist of HBO's Lucky 21 Comedy Festival, Asif Ali, and one half of the 30Mosques duo, Aman Ali. The three Alis give an candid interview of how they got into performing. It's one of the better parts of the magazine.

Designed by Nazia Sharif, MQ is based in Chicago and backed by an experienced team of writers. The first issue of MQ launched in 2009, dedicated to Ramadan with nutritional guides, lessons on control and an interview with Muslim 'celebrity' Omar Regan.

A weaker area is in the multiple full page spreads of men modelling contemporary Muslim fashion. I understand and appreciate advertising spaces but ten pages, six of which make up the first section, dominate the entire magazine. On that note, a power-fist-in-air gesture to Lomar Thobe for their clothing line.

The magazine itself covers an increasingly interesting range of topics, not that dissimilar to a popular science or health publication. Algerian Chef Muhammad Benabdelmalek writes about aphrodisiac food groups, categorising them by their uses and nutritional value and referencing Islamic texts.

Following fruity concoctions and Arab inspired recipes, we see a spectacular feature of Egyptian Kickboxing Champion, Khaled Fahim. Sharing his training routine and athletic family background, I go on to flip a page where Khaled Fahim is shown with his leg in mid-air in an almost horizontal split. As a Muslim woman I think two thoughts: A and E. Awra exposure.

Women writers have the marital columns with great gift-giving tips for husbands and signs that a guy is having an 'emotional affair': sharing more personal information with female co-workers, hiding new friendships, "innocent" online and text flirting, and relaying fantasies about another woman. It's valuable information and a slap in the face for Muslims everywhere.

Here's the winning quality of MQ, it actually provides solutions to such pitfalls and instead of side-stepping the issues, seems to say, Muslims can make mistakes, they are human, but this is how to stop it recurring. Excellent.

Our favourite Muslim dude blogger, Halim Naeem has an informative advisory piece for single Muslim men on successfully finding a wife, and eating your wedding cake too. His personal marriage experience is clearly translated into his 'internet or intersex?' chapter. He says,

"How you find a wife is just as important and where you find her. Brothers, we have to make sure we are approaching potential woman with as much respect for them as we would have for ourselves".

I hear myself chiming, ame(e)n. Halim Naeem is engaging, he's being 'real' when analysing the process behind online matrimonial sites and he seems to know what he's talking about.

A surprisingly good read is an article on sickle cell disease around the world and its implications for a marriage. More on love, marriage fashion and wedding traditions can be found in MQ, which I suspect will be a focal point for all future publications, for who doesn't love a good dig at the Muslim marriage scene?

In light of current magazines for Muslim audiences, Muslim Quarterly is heavily reliant on Quranic verses and traditions narrated from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. With the technological driven lifestyles of American Muslims, and indeed Muslims from around the world, MQ shares a concern to bring Muslims back to the roots of understanding faith, mental health and who they are - not who they're supposed to be.

Subscribe to {Muslim Quarterly}.

Living the Quran
Al Muminun, The Believers (Qur'an, 23:99-100)

"When death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord! Let me return, let me return to life, so that I may act righteously in whatever I have left behind.' No, it is but a meaningless word he utters; for behind them now is the barrier of death until the Day they shall be raised up." (Qur'an, 23:99-100)

Allah has created everything with a fixed life span. Indeed there is no certainty of life except death. Not only is death itself inescapable, but the place and the very day and hour of death have been forever fixed.

In death we are compelled to return to God. In life, however, we can choose to draw closer to God voluntarily by living our lives according to His will. In this way, we have the opportunity to meet Allah and gain His pleasure even before we leave this world.

Those who fail to use the bounties of Allah to earn His pleasure during this life will forever regret their mistakes, for the cessation of life brings the cessation of opportunities for redemption and salvation.

Compiled From:
"In the Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, pp. 136, 137



Remembrance has greater merit than supplication. This is because remembrance is adulation of God Almighty by the beauty of His attributes, His gifts and His names; while supplication consists in the servant asking God for something he needs. And what is this compared to that? Thus, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) stated: 'To someone too busy with My remembrance to supplicate Me, I give what is more excellent than what I give to those who ask.' (Muslim)

This is also why the preferred form of supplication begins with praise and adulation for God, then gives blessings upon His Prophet (peace be upon him) and, finally, asks for what one needs. This follows a hadith from Fudala Ibn Ubayd. When the Messenger of God heard a man in worship supplicating God without praising Him and without invoking blessings upon His Prophet, he remarked, 'This one has rushed things.' Then he called the man over and said to him or someone else [who was with them],

'When one of you offers the prayer, let him begin with adulation for his Lord Almighty, then let him ask for blessings upon the Prophet. After that, let him ask for what he wants.' [Ahmad, Tirmidhi]

Compiled From:
"The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, p. 120

1. Know the law. All kinds of narcotic drugs and alcohol are forbidden by Islam. They are also illegal in most part of the world. Apart from the fact that you are accountable to Allah for what you do and could very well be punished in this life and the next for using drugs and alcohol, you could also face legal penalties according to the law: depending on where you are caught, you could face high fines and jail time.
2. Be aware of the risks. Drinking or using drugs increases the risk of injury. Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and suicide are all linked to drug use.
3. Keep your edge. Drug use can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.
4. Play it safe. One incident of drug use could make you do something that you will regret for a lifetime.
5. Do the smart thing. Using drugs puts your health, education, family ties, and social life at risk.
6. Get with the program. Doing drugs isn't "in".
7. Think twice about what you're advertising when you buy and wear T-shirts, hats, pins, or jewellery with a pot leaf, joint, blunt, beer can, or other drug paraphernalia on them. Do you want to promote something that can cause cancer? make you forget things? or make it difficult to drive a car?
8. Face your problems. Using drugs won't help you escape your problems, it will only create more.
9. Be a real friend. If you know someone with a drug problem, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get help.
10. Remember, you DON'T NEED drugs or alcohol. If you think "everybody's doing it," you're wrong! Over 86% of 12-17 year-olds have never tried marijuana; over 98% have never used cocaine; only about half a percent of them have ever used crack. Doing drugs won't make you happy or popular or help you to learn the skills you need as you grow up. In fact, doing drugs can cause you to fail at all of these things.

Compiled From:
"Tips for Teens on Drugs, alcohol, and your friends" - SoundVision.com


More Friday Nasiha:
Why Do We Need Anger?
5 Deeds To Heaven
Qur'an Tools Of Hope
Bond Of Love And Sadness

So here’s an interesting fact about the brain: During a period of fasting, a hormone is released that upsets how your body changes food into energy. When that happens, it increases the number of mitochondria in neurons that tell you when you’re hungry.

Neurobiologists at Yale University School of Medicine found that this caused mice to overeat. The study suggests there’s a connection between “breaking fast” and eating more that you need to replenish yourself.

“Typically we have noticed a trend in increased obesity and many incidence of diabetes during the Holy month because of irregular and inappropriate eating after breaking the fast,” said Dr. Wedad Al Maidor, family physician, and member of the Dubai Ministry of Health.

(From WAM’s article ‘Ahlan Ramadan’ encourages Healthy Ramadan.)

An article published by the American Diabetes Association doctors recommend distributing calories over 2-3 smaller meals during non-fasting hours help prevent type 2 diabetes.

So be careful not to binge during this month of Ramadan!

Why Are Dates So Common During Ramadan?

Your brain is like a spoiled little princess; she always wants the crème de la crème.

Borrowing a metaphor from a Medical News Today article, the body gets energy in two ways: high-octane glucose (sugar) or cheap, low-octane fat. Most of our body can take energy from either glucose or fat, but the brain is pickier – it’s glucose or nothing.

So when there is no glucose to be burned, the liver takes protein from the muscles, where it is transformed into glucose then shot up to the brain.

Just one date has about 15g of sugar – that’s a lot. So it makes sense that this would be a traditional way to break one’s fast before Iftar (the evening meal). What better way to raise everyone’s spirits than a small, quick shot of glucose to the brain?

But you only need a handful of dates. Don’t forget about those greedy little mice!

Fasting And Alzheimer’s

There seem to be some mysterious benefits for the brain in Ramadan-style fasting. A study conducted at the National Institute on Aging showed that intermittent deprivation of food can protect the brain from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

[Mark] Mattson and his colleagues also shared data from research on humans, which shows that populations with higher caloric intakes—such as the United States and Europe—have a greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s than do populations that eat less—such as China and Japan. (From Andrea Useen’s article Why Religious Fasting Could Be Good for Your Brain.)

So how can it stave off degenerative brain diseases? Mattson claims fasting can actually creative new neurons. From his article published by the National Institutes of Health, it reads:

"[Dietary restriction] can stimulate the production of new neurons from stem cells (neurogenesis) and can enhance synaptic plasticity, which may increase the ability of the brain to resist aging and restore function following injury."

Now there was one part that seemed to conflict with what doctors recommend to prevent obesity and diabetes. Mattson suggest that we eat more in one sitting.

"…increasing the time interval between meals is beneficial, even when the size of the meals are increased to a level that results in no overall decrease in caloric intake."

Perhaps both the neuroscientists and diabetes specialists would be content if we slowly graze from sunset to bedtime.

Fasting May Even Affect Sleep

According to Dr. Ebrahim Kazim, a low blood-sugar level can lock the brain into stages of deep sleep. He writes:

"Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a matter of particular importance to the aged who have much less stage three and four sleep (deep sleep). The processes of repair of the body and of the brain take place during sleep. Two hours of sleep during the month of Ramadan are more satisfying and refreshing than more hours of sleep otherwise!"

While this may be true if one goes to sleep before eating, we must wonder if this particular phenomenon belongs to Ramadan fasting. Breaking fast at sundown would increase the blood-sugar level. The question is if the evening meal would raise the blood-sugar level enough to improve the depth of sleep.

Ramadan Kareem!

Image:: flickr
Source {Muslim Voices} | Megan Meyer

Attempting to eat better, feel healthy and exercise during Ramadan sounds like a monstrous feat. So ask yourself, do I want to stay fit enough to Fast, Pray, Work, and Study whilst fasting?

Gaining the blessings of Allah through Qur'an is step one to a healthy mind. The second step is maintaining a healthy body.

What is Fit4Ramadan?
Fit4Ramadan is the first web program launched to give Muslims a head-start to healthier fasting.

The training program was created from over 8 years of research in the health and fitness industry by personal trainer Imran Ilahi, a London based Muslim.

"I have developed a revolutionary new Fit4Ramadan Program, which is designed specifically to help busy Muslim men and women, students, business owners, and parents with young children, get the most effective results in the least amount of time in Ramadan." - Imran Ilahi

In defiance of "fad diets" and dubious advice, Imran Ilahi's program is scientifically proven and tested with inspiring results. The training begins by following a simple workout schedule before suhoor - the morning meal before each fast, and another workout after iftar, the second meal for opening the fast.

The Fit4Ramadan program boasts a host of additional benefits, including:

1. Improved energy to perform Tarawih prayer
2. Strengthening of muscles used for prayer
3. Controlling weight gain
4. Improving mind and body health
5. Reduced stress
6. Planning to help you live a healthier Ramadan
7. More personal productivity during Ramadan

Imran's personal mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of Muslims in Ramadan by teaching them the correct way to integrate manageable fitness methods into their Ramadan plan and daily lives. "My goal is to help 1 million Muslims around the world to get into the best shape of their lives", said Imran.

The success of Fit4Ramadan in the past, from television appearances to published articles, has boosted Imran Illahi's reputation as one of the UK’s most respected trainers.


Members who register for the program will also receive personalised advice. The free e-book available after registration is an information-packed 30 day fitness guide providing detailed guidance on meal planning, checking your nutritional intake, battling bad habits and strategic rewards - well, you have to reward yourself on `Eid don't you!

And the part MUSLIMNESS respects the most: 10% of the proceeds will go to charity. Masha'Allah, whatever Allah wishes.

"Achieve your goals. Get Fit4Ramadan. All you need to do is take action."


Register now to receive the awesome free Ramadan ebook:

Does it sometimes feel like you are constantly racing, while life passes by in a blur? There are natural ways to avoid this stress.

Rising blood pressure, muscular tension, fraying nerves, trouble sleeping and killer migraines, does this sound like your life? Well, stress is a killer and in today’s modern age we seem to be willing to accept it as a normal part of our lives, especially here in the Middle East where life wouldn’t be complete without it.

It doesn’t have to be part of your daily existence though; there is a natural way of getting rid of stress so you can avoid all the side effects that go with it. Just as much as you can get rid of migraines naturally, there are some simple keys to avoiding stress. Read on for our tips.

1. Cut down on the coffee – So that cup of coffee in the morning is the only thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, still it should not take the place of any of the major food groups. Caffeine and sugar bring about the release of stress hormones and pump up adrenaline to keep you on your toes, but too much can cause damage. Logically speaking, if you are constantly jazzed by coffee, your body does not have the time to unwind, and you may find yourself anxious and depressed.

2. Exercise – This is the next step and before you try thinking about where you can fit it into your busy schedule, just remember, even a 5-minute walk is beneficial. Doing some form of exercise or sport loosens muscles and releases endorphins which promote a relaxed feeling. If this isn’t enough, it also improves blood circulation which increases brain activity.


3. Stretch and sing – If you insist that exercise doesn’t fit into your daily routine, the very least you can do for your muscles is stretch. Stretching releases cramped muscles and allows your body to relax for those few moments.

Strange as it may seem, singing gives you a larger intake of oxygen which your body needs to help you relax. Stress usually makes people breathe shallow breaths so singing encourages breathing deeply which allows you to calm down.

Just relax – It is as simple as that. Take relaxation off your list of things-to-do-that-I-don’t-have-time-for, and put it in your life. Actually schedule 15 minutes a day for yourself to relax. Whether it means taking a walk, listening to music, painting or gardening, escaping for a few minutes is beneficial. It gives you a chance to focus on something else, giving your mind a break from your stress-related issues.

5. Soothing oils – At the end of the day give yourself the luxury of a bath or a hot shower and instead of rushing through like you are racing, take your time and let the heat ease the tension in your muscles.

Then try adding lavender or lemon balm oils. These oils are used in aromatherapy for good reason, they impact nervous tension. Try adding it to your bath water, or rubbing some on your skin after your shower.

6. Cup of tea – If oils aren’t really your cup of tea, you might try drinking herbs, an actual cup of tea. Instead of having another cup of coffee, get yourself a cup of herbal tea (also great during pregnancy), which doesn’t have any of the caffeine which keeps your body so wired. The simple act of taking a minute away from your desk, gives you a chance to concentrate on something else, which is in itself a relief.

It is a new lesson for us to learn in this life with a crazy pace. We need to learn how to switch off and relax. This doesn’t mean pretending to read while your mind is really going over your list of things to do tomorrow, it means actually relaxing. It might seem like a small, step to take, but the impacts of a stress-low life are far reaching, so it is worth while trying to incorporate some of these easy steps into your daily life.

Image: flickr

From Green Prophet | Naomi Ben-David

The 12-Step program was created by two alcoholics looking to recover from their addictions in a wholesome way by first admitting: powerlessness. As a Muslim when you submit to God you show that you cannot survive without Him, you depend on Him to help you to recover from whatever addiction is eating at you. Whether it be smoking, pornography, crime, theft or the internet, taking two minutes to read the following may just be the first step to quitting. For real.

Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

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1. Increase dhikr (remembrance of Allah): "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction" (Qur'an, 13:28).

2. Increase prayers: "O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely, Allah is with the patient" (Qur'an, 2:153). Regardless of the type of meditation, recent studies have verified the physiological effects of meditation. Most of those mediations consist in focusing on something, repeating some words and breathing (Greenberg, p.142, 143).

3. Perform wudhu (ablution): The most important component of relaxation is what Hans Loehr calls "the rituals of success." These rituals may be as simple as making ablution; yet, they must be performed properly for it is not enough to pass water on the body parts - those parts must be massed.

4. Ask for forgiveness: Even if a person has not done anything wrong, he must insure the forgiveness of Allah. "Then I said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord; surely, He is the most Forgiving'" (Qur'an, 71:10).

5. Recite the Qur'an: The Prophet ﷺ said, "... Qur'an is a remedy for illnesses of the mind" (Bukhari). "The echo of sound has a medical effect and is now widely utilized," says Dr. Greenberg. "The recitation of or listening to the Qur'an has an effect on the body, the heart and the mind! It is said that the letter Alif echoes to the heart and the letter Ya' to the pineal gland in the brain." Dr Ahmed El Kadi of Akber Clinic (Panama City, FL) conducted and published the effects of listening to Qur'anic recitation on physiological parameters (i.e., the heart, blood pressure, and muscle tension), and reported improvement in all factors, irrespective of whether the listener was a Muslim or a non-Muslim, Arab or non-Arab. Obviously, it can be postulated that those who understand and enjoy the recitation with a belief in it will get maximum benefits," writes Dr Athar.

6. Make the hereafter your main concern: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever has the hereafter as his main concern, Allah will fill his heart with a feeling of richness and independence; he will be focused and feel content, and this world will come to him in spite of it. Whoever has this world as his main concern, Allah will cause him to feel constant fear of poverty; he will be distracted and unfocused, and he will have nothing of this world except what was already predestined for him". One of the greatest causes of stress is money - how to pay the loans, whether one's job will be lost, what will happen to the family if the father dies, etc.

7. Think positively: Muslims should forget about the bad things of the past and think of good things, always having hope that he can be better. Trying to change the past is a foolish and crazy waste of time, "for saying 'if only...'opens the way to Shaytan". The Prophet ﷺ also said, "Know that victory (achievement) comes through patience, and that ease comes through hardship." Muslims understand that there's no reason for panic in the case of crisis - no reason to be distressed or worried for we know that after hardship come ease!

8. Do not waste time on thoughts of fear or stress: "The search of time is one of the most frequent causes of stress" (Seyle, p.102). Laziness is the mother of all evils, and the Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge in Allah from it. Understanding that this life is short and time precious, Muslims should try to work hard and pursue worthy knowledge (Munajjid).


References
1.Athar, Shahid, MD. "Modern Stress and Its Cure From Qur'an." www.islam-usa.com.
2.Greenberg, Jerrold S. CSM = Comprehensive Stress Management. WCB: McGraw-Hill. 1999.
3.Munajjid, Sheik Muhammad. Book of Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid: Dealing with Stress and Worries.
4.Sahih Bukhari.
5.Seyle, Hans. The Stress Without Distress. N.Y.: Lippincott. 1974.
6.Shakir Translation. Holy Qur'an
Source: Islamonline.net

I heard you were feeling down?

Was salam 'alaikum wa rahmatullah
-Navaid Aziz




Brought to you by: My Spiritual Fix

★ www.Muslimness.com | Share & Subscribe to the Kingdom of Muslim Blogs

In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ Peace be with you السلام عليكم

I'm living proof of what it's like to be a quitter. To let my emotions get in the way, and lose things that were important to me.

I left many things that I desired and once had a passion for, or an obligation. Studying, exams, friends and even music.

For the first time in my life, I was seriously working and doing my best at what I needed to do, four months ago. I was working on what I had a passion for, Hijab Styling on Youtube, a few months before that as well.

But I awoke from those dreams too soon.

I think Chief Editor of Muslimness, viewers/readers and friends deserve an explanation for my inability to commit.

I was diagnosed with Dysthymic Disorder. It's basically a mild form of Chronic Depression, which can mimic an anxiety disorder (of course, accompanying depression). Although it's labeled as "mild", depressive episodes can be very, very draining and - well, basically you just want to sleep 20 hours a day.

I've been on medication for the past 4 months now. Prozac, Stablon, Buspar and Inderal. All of them just simply make me unable to cry to sleep, or have those nasty anxiety symptoms and attacks (racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, outburst of uncontrollable crying and screaming, shaking). But I can still feel...and when I do; it's all bottled up inside and I can't let it out. That's exactly how it feels.

So I sleep....and I sleep. And I push things aside, and try to worry about them another day. Just so I don't have to feel so torn up inside, all the while it gets worse and worse.

I've lost care and interest. Simply, in most things I used to love. On top of that, I hate myself for it. Which doesn't make things any better.

If someone out there reading this, suffers from chronic depression, or anxiety, know that I am 100% with you. I know how it feels.

I know what it's like to sleep with a headache and stuffy nose. I know what it's like to scream/cry my head off in pillows so no one hears. I know what it's like to feel something terribly wrong, but not have the faintest clue as to what.
I know what it's like to have the URGE to just slice my veins open, in hopes that I could drain all this negativity that just hangs on my heart and won't let go.

Don't wait years like I have, and still am. I don't care how old you are. If you're 12 and don't want to tell your parents you want therapy, get an aunt or uncle to help you. Anything!

And I wouldn't rely on medication if I were you. I can't wait to resort to a more natural lifestyle to get rid of it, instead of using meds that have even hundreds of side effects (true, Prozac has that many).

(Sorry if this sounded melodramatic, but I thought it was time to let it out in the open, and hopefully, let go sometime soon.)


I guess this is goodbye.

Salam Aleykom :). I pray you have all the love in the world and peace :).

“Aaahh ahhh ahhhhCHOOOOO!“

In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم