One of my clinical specialties is anxiety, but that wasn’t an entirely deliberate choice.
You see, before going through my own therapy and training in Islamic psychology, I spent decades struggling with anxiety.
Anxiety is driven by inaccurate thoughts rather than real danger. One of the most common thinking patterns in anxiety is called “fortune-telling”: believing that something bad will definitely happen in the future or that it is highly likely to happen. These thoughts can feel incredibly convincing and often lead us to avoid situations, seek constant reassurance, or ruminate endlessly in an attempt to gain certainty. Yet instead of solving the problem, these behaviours usually perpetuate anxious feelings.
As Muslimahs, we know that only Allah ﷻ knows the future. No matter how convincing anxious thoughts feel, they are still only thoughts, not facts. Sometimes they are especially difficult to challenge because they are rooted in past painful experiences. Even then, we do not know what Allah ﷻ has decreed for our future, and there are no limits to His mercy or His power.
One way we can respond to anxiety is by challenging these “fortune-telling” thoughts and replacing them with more realistic thoughts rooted in tawakkul and trust in Allah ﷻ.
Sometimes, however, changing our thoughts requires another step first; a lot of us may believe that because of our past sins, our future must be bleak, that Allah ﷻ is displeased with us and will not help us. In these moments, sincere tawbah can transform the way we think.
Allah ﷻ says:
“Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ ‘O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'”
(Qur’an 39:53)
The Prophet ﷺ also regularly sought Allah’s forgiveness, despite having his past and future sins forgiven:
“In one sitting, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say one hundred times before getting up: ‘My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning, the Most Forgiving.'”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3434 – Sahih)
Allah ﷻ even says:
“As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Qur’an 25:70)
If what I have said is correct, it is from Allah ﷻ; and if it is wrong, then it is from myself and Shayṭān.
Assalaam Aleykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatouh.