Sir,
Assalamualaikum
“A Holistic Approach to Mental Illnesses”, an article by Syed Tahsin Ahmed in the Islamic Voice, September 2023 is a thought-provoking article highlighting psychiatric diseases prevailing in society as chronic conditions. Muslims now resort to darghas to cure the disease instead of reciting Al-Quran and to avail the medical services of psychiatric doctors. This disease is due to the imbalance of brain chemicals. Soboth counseling and psychiatric medicines play an important role in warding off the diseases.
A. Kaja Nazimudeen,
Tirunelveli district. .
Sir,
September issue of IV carries an article by Tahsin Ahmed, titled “A Holistic Approach to Mental Illness”. It is a need-of-the-hour topic that has to be brought out and discussed in public with an intention of educating common people about mental illnesses and Tahsin Ahmed has done it very well.
It is taboo in Indian Society, regardless of religion, to associate any person with psychological or psychiatric issues. Not to get that stigma attached to the family, people associate that mental illness or erratic behaviour of individuals with unseen and so-called evil spirits. People believe in these evil supernatural powers and believe that they can bring any human being under their spell or influence. Any individual inflicted by such mental issues usually getslabeled as Deewana, Pagal, or as being taken over by Shaitan, Jin or Chudail. Unfortunately, this label stays attached for generations to come.
As the writer has clearly pointed out different abnormal behaviours of individuals have been recognized and named under modern and advanced medical sciences. Specialized doctors called psychiatrists can treat these patients both by medicines and counseling.
The writer has rightly pointed out that the cases of mental disturbances and disorders have grown many folds throughout the world after the COVID-19 pandemic. During these times, the social fabric was totally tattered. Many had lost their stable income through jobs and businesses. Scores of deaths had set waves of depression in many families. Many of these mental issues are related to high stress, tension and anxiety and some could be genetic.
The treatment to such mental illnesses has to be two-pronged, both by scientific as well as spiritual approach. In other words, Dua and Dawa simultaneously.
The subject of mental illnesses is nothing new but centuries old as the author suggested. There are many facets of mental illnesses and these are being studied and researched by doctors, experts, and scientists. Studies and research work by none other than a few Muslim researchers in the past is creditable.
Towards the end, the author mentions six steps (please refer to the article), put together by Ulema and medical scholars, to be practiced for proper treatment. It is an absolute need of today that Muslims open their eyes to the silent sufferings of the mental illnesses afflicted people. It should be kept in mind that many mental illnesses lead to suicidal attempts.
It is a well-researched and well-written article for the people to understand and seek medical help at the first sign of mental illness followed by the treatment and seekingShifa in the treatment from Allah (SWT).
Qazi Minhaj Azher,
USA. .
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