What Can I Do I Suffer From Anxiety and Depression, and I am Not Able to Pray?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

For over one year after the accident, I have been suffering from anxiety and depression. I used to pray, but then I stopped after that. I also feel very alone and sad because I don’t have any friends. All my contacts are just my family. I am worried about dying in that state. Will Allah punish me for not praying? I want to pray, but living with depression and anxiety is hard. Even simple things got extremely hard for me. Can this kind of disease come from Allah to clean my sins? Thank you for your help!

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question and for seeking help for your condition.

First and foremost, you have to understand you are in good hands with having faith (iman). All types of anxiety lead us and redirect to Allah Most High. Look at the positives in your life. The most important thing after faith is having family members around you. So start with them and get support from them. Start your prayers and worship gradually with them.

Trials and Tribulations

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” [Bukhari]

Start with one prayer and gradually build. Have a tasbih in your hand, start with any type of remembrance, simple salawat, and also the same time, listen to various lectures, podcasts, and online lessons, like from SeekersGuidance. You can just sit and listen passively; once you seem active, take the gradual steps of doing more.

Be Ever Hopeful

I ask you to be hopeful, never give up, and just take things one day at a time.

Keep your hopes up and know that Allah’s promise is true in the Quran and make du`a daily: “And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide for him from sources he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.”

[Quran, 65:2-3]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.

Related Answers

• Concepts of Health and Disease within an Islamic Framework, by Shaykh Jamir Meah
• The Importance of Holistic Healing for Believers, by Shaykh Jamir Meah
• Having Hope – Is Sickness a Sign of Allah’s Mercy or Allah’s Anger?
• Are There Any Supplications for My Health Issues?
• Am I to Blame for My Chronic Illness?
• A Reader on Patience and Reliance on Allah
• Concepts of Health and Disease within an Islamic Framework (seekersguidance.org)
• Being Balanced – Emotional and Mental Health – Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat (seekersguidance.org)
• Istikhara, The Prayer of Seeking Guidance: The Ultimate Guide – A Reader – SeekersGuidance
• How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (salat al-haja)? – SeekersGuidance

Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.