Dealing With Stress

Bismillah

We can't avoid stress...but we can learn to deal with stress before it controls our lives. While therapy and medications are very helpful in a lot of cases, it’s not the only solution – you can start working towards more natural and spiritual ways.

First, we must fill our hearts with a good opinion of Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, “I am of the opinion that my servant has of me.” (Sahih Bukhari). If you draw near to him by a hand span, He will come to you by an arm’s length. So how can you have a bad opinion of your Rabb, the loving and caring God? Having this perspective can greatly reduce anxiety over something which hasn’t yet happened.

Keep reminding yourself that your Rabb has given you the greatest thing, which is Islam and made you the ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He is not going to do something bad to you. 

Put full reliance on Him, and He will give you everything you desire. 

Always be grateful to Allah. Always say Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks be to Allah). Always look to the future with confidence in the fact that whatever He gives, is going to be good for you in this world and more importantly, in the akhirah (afterlife).

After having done all these,  say:

حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Hasbunallah Wa Ni ‘mal Wakeel

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.(Quran, AleImran 3:173)

Perform some good deeds, so that you’ll feel stable before the feeling happens.

If anything does occur, then say to yourself, “I have a 100 ways to overcome this, I have the adhkaar (the remembrance of God) and the salawaat (Blessings on the Prophet).” These are all tried and tested, and if a person says these with sincerity, Allah will remove all these difficulties from him. 

The best dhikr is the Quran. Have a routine of reading it everyday first thing in the morning and before going to bed at night. Work up towards reading a juz (20 pages) a day and complete reading the entire Quran once a month.

Other mighty prayers include:

لاحول ولاقوة الا بالله

La ḥawla wa la quwwata illa billah

There is no might or power except with Allah.

 رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي

Rabbi-‘shrah li sadri wa yassirli amri

My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] And make easy my task. (Quran, Ta-Ha 20:25-26)

This prayer has a great reward. It is a noble verse of the Qur’an, and beneath it are seas of knowledge. It will expand your chest and bring joy to you. 

May Allah grant you tawfiq. May Allah expand our chest and fill our hearts with His remembrance. Aameen.