Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I struggle with overthinking, worry, and anxiety, especially about helping my mom and during interviews. I also find it hard to grasp concepts when reading. Can you advise on managing these issues?

Answer

Thank you for your question. These things can be overcome. It’s just a matter of keeping your nose to the ground and trusting in Allah (Most High).

Worry and Grief

Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Never is a servant struck by worry or grief but let him say, ‘O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your decision over me has passed, and Your decree upon me is in justice. I ask You by every name with which You have named Yourself or revealed in Your Book, or taught to one of Your creatures, or kept hidden in the Unseen with You that You make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my insight, the banisher of my depression, and the expeller of my anxiety,’ then Allah will expel his worry and replace his grief with joy.” They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we study these words?’ The Prophet said, ‘Of course, whoever hears them should study them.’” [Ibn Hibban, Graded as Sahih, Arna‘ut]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ بَصَرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

Calm

The most comprehensive advice I can give you about worry and anxiety is here:

• How Do I Calm My Worries?
• How Do I Deal With Anxiety When It Causes Me To Make Bad Decisions?
• I Suffer Under Severe Anxiety. What Can I Do to Stay Mentally Well?
• Amazing Supplications When Faced With Stress and Anxiety – Habib Kadhim

Please read them carefully and learn the supplications within.

Reading Comprehension

Here are some ideas I encountered online

1. Improve your vocabulary (use flashcards, dictionaries, and read more)

2. Come up with questions about the text you are reading

3. Use context clues (focus on the key phrases or ideas in a sentence and deduce the main idea of a sentence or paragraph

4. Look for the main idea (When reading, pause every few paragraphs and see if you can decipher the main idea)

5. Write a summary of what you read

6. Break up the reading into smaller sections (For example, you could read two paragraphs at a time and then pause to quickly summarize what you just read in your mind)

7. Pace yourself (set realistic goals for your reading practice and habits)

Interviews

I haven’t had many interviews myself, so I gathered some resources online for you:

• How to Relax Before a Job Interview
• How To Conquer Interview Anxiety (Plus 12 Techniques)
• 35 Tips for Overcoming Interview Anxiety

Success

Please remember that all success is from Allah and remember this important hadith in which you can find solace:

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “And know that whatever befalls you was not going to miss you and whatever comes to you was never going to miss you.” [Ibn Hibban, Graded as Sahih, Arna‘ut]

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.