Aslam

Praise be to Allah.Allaah

has given man in this world that which will help him to worship and

obey Him as He has commanded. He has given him strength in himself and

has created him in the best mould (cf. al-Teen 95:4). Then He sent His

Messengers to mankind to tell them the way to worship and obey Him,

and He sent down His Books to mankind, and gave the ability to understand

and learn.

The slave

has to seek the means which will help him to follow the path of obedience

and faith. These include:

1 – Striving

to perform the obligatory duties as prescribed in sharee’ah, and doing

so regularly.

2 – Striving

to keep away from haraam things and sin, because that has a great effect

on man’s heart.

3 – Taking

time to read Qur’aan. What we should note here is that the kind of reading

Qur’aan which has a beneficial effect on the one who reads it is that

which is accompanied by thinking and pondering the meanings of the verses

of the Qur’aan. Allaah has told us of the effect of the Qur’aan on His

believing slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and

when His Verses (this Qur’aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the

Verses) increase their Faith”[al-Anfaal 8:2]

“Allaah

has sent down the Best Statement, a Book (this Qur’aan), its parts resembling

each other (in goodness and truth) (and) oft‑repeated. The skins

of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or

hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance

of Allaah”[al-Zumar 32:23]

4 – Remembering Allaah

(dhikr) and persisting in doing so. Beneficial dhikr is that which is

done in the heart and on the lips. Allaah says (interpretation of the

meaning):

“verily, in the

remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”[al-Ra’d 13:28]

5 – Calling upon Allaah

(du’aa’) and turning to Him. Among the du’aa’s concerning this is that

which is described in the hadeeth of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“There

is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma

inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya

hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta

bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika

aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’

qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah,

I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock

is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree

over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You

have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to

any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the

Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and

the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release

for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and grief,

and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, should

we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn

it.”

6 – Striving to reduce

your attachment to this world and developing an attachment to the Hereafter,

for being preoccupied with the worries of this world makes a person

more worried and anxious, and makes the problems that he is going through

occupy all his thoughts and give him sleepless nights.

7 – Doing

things to help one relax and dispel worry, such as keeping company with

righteous people, relaxing in permissible ways and giving oneself variety

to avoid a boring routine.

If you

feel the need to visit a psychologist and consult him, there is nothing

wrong with that, so long as you beware of the deviant principles of

some doctors.