Yaman Omran 9-29-17

The Reality of Human Anxiety

That verily, the human being was created in a state of severe anxiety. If a little bit of harm touches him, just grazes him, he loses all hope and panics. And if a little bit of good comes to him, he wants to hoard it all, he wants more.

Allah tells us this reality of the human being. And this is best demonstrated by the physical birth of the human being. The state of the severe anxiety and panic that is inside the human being is best described by the process of the birth of the human being.

If we reflect for a moment on a child who is still in the womb of his or her mother, the child, you see, is in a state of security and comfort. It doesn't have to worry about anything. It's completely oblivious to its surroundings.

And it effortlessly, without any effort from its own, receives nutrition and oxygen from the mother through the umbilical cord. And then suddenly, this child has to come out. And the way that the child is expelled from the womb of the mother is a very stressful process for both the child and the mother.

And suddenly, the child finds itself, instead of being in this zone of comfort and coziness and freedom from worry, it finds itself in another world where it's gasping for air. Where suddenly, people are manipulating it and poking it and doing all things to it, and it cries out in a state of panic. Similarly, the human being is like this, the adult human being.

We think that when we grow out of this phase, that panic goes away. It simply takes another form. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes us privy to that.

Society's Approach to Anxiety

Allah tells us the reality of anxiety and the crippling anxiety that many of us feel in our day-to-day life. And unfortunately, society paints this concept of anxiety or any sort of anxiety anybody feels any sort of worry or fear. Society tells us this is pathologic, that all anxiety is pathologic, all anxiety is to be quelled and to be treated in a certain way.

And it is true, according to the most recent statistics, that anxiety disorder, when anxiety becomes so severe that it becomes debilitating, that a person cannot function from day-to-day, they say that this is the most common mental illness in the world. And it afflicts at least 40 million people in the United States alone. Even children, one in eight children, are diagnosed with this severe anxiety.

And the most concurrent mental illness with anxiety is depression, and up to 70% of suicide attempts are done by people who have an underlying anxiety disorder. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us this is actually a part of us. He put this inside of us.

And the question we have to ask ourselves is why would Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala seemingly, from our perception, from our limited perception, seemingly put something inside the human being that just torments the human being, that just tortures the human being? To an extent that society tells the individual, do whatever you can to quell this anxiety. Get addicted to whatever you can. People will seek out all kinds of ways to quell this anxiety.

They'll get addicted to alcohol. They'll seek out haram, toxic relationships. They'll get addicted to all forms of entertainment, in any way to quell that anxiety.

But the truth is, if we tell people simply, don't be anxious, don't have this anxiety, quell this anxiety, we're essentially telling them, don't be human. Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala told us إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا. This is the state we were created in.

The Day of Resurrection and Divine Purpose

And if we reflect on the beginning of surah al-Ma'arij, we see how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala drives this point home. He paints a very anxiety-inducing scenario. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about the day of resurrection.

And how when we're resurrected in the next life, there are many people who will be waiting for up to 50,000 years. Something we can't even fathom. And we can't imagine standing, awaiting our judgment in such a state of anxiety for 50,000 years.

That alone elicits a sense of anxiety. But Allah goes on and He says, يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ، وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ، وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا. That on this day, the earth will be ablaze in such that the skies will look like molten oil.

And the mountains will be torn apart as if they're flimsy wool. And people who are close to each other in this world, who consider themselves very close to each other, will be fleeing from each other. And the criminals will be brought forth.

And they will be standing in front of the fire. And they will try to run away from the fire. And the fire will call them out by name and reach out to them and grab them and tears their skin from their limbs.

This is kind of the graphic detail that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala goes into. Whenever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala goes into this kind of detail, we have to ask, what does Allah want us to benefit from this? Not simply that we only talk about the punishment of Allah. We should be balanced in our approach.

But there's a reason why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about both His mercy and punishment. It's for our benefit. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala engages you and I on an emotional level, makes us feel this anxiety.

If we wanted any proof that this anxiety is in every human being, if you were to read this surah and understand it, and if we have anything beating inside of ourselves, anything alive beating inside of ourselves, we'd feel this anxiety. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala engages us on this emotional level like He does throughout the Qur'an. And this is why the Qur'an is not simply ink on paper.

It's not simply a historical document. It's a living, breathing thing that we interact with, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala engages us with on a deep level. So Allah allows us to feel the emotion of anxiety and then drives a point home and says, you were created in this state.

SubhanAllah. You were created in the state of anxiety. What you're feeling right now, as you reflect on this, this anxiety that's coming up, don't quell it.

Don't seek to just extinguish it. Feel it. Accept it.

Embrace it. Because this is what I created you with, as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us. So my brothers and sisters, we should all reflect on what we individually, or as an ummah, what we're anxious about.

What consumes us? What consumes our minds in constant worry? The scholars, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless them all, they tell us that worrying about disease and worrying about hardship is a disease in and of itself. That if a person does not channel the anxiety that one feels, if a person does not use this anxiety for what it was originally intended for, for what the creator intended for this anxiety to do, then eventually this will consume a person. And this will lead to many societal problems as we see today.

And inshallah, we'll reflect in the second khutbah about the remedies that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us to first redirect this anxiety, this internal alarm system that blares inside the human being, that it's for a specific purpose, and how to avoid becoming consumed by it. I say this, and I ask Allah to forgive me and you, so forgive him. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

The Divine Remedies for Anxiety

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in Surah Al-Ma'arij tells us the reality of the human being that we were created in the state of severe anxiety and how that anxiety can consume us. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala goes on to tell us what to do about this. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala first describes, that this anxiety that's within the human being, it can only be channeled by الْمُصَلِّينَ, those who are consistent and serious about their salah.

The Connection Through Prayer

This is what it always comes down to, our prayer, our connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if we reflect briefly on the meaning of as-salah, on the root as-silah, the connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, we can't help but think of the example again of the newborn child. When the child comes into this world in the state of panic, when does it finally find peace and solace? Only when it's in the arms of the tender mother.

When it's finally in the arms of the mother, when it's finally connected to the mother, that's when the baby finds peace. And similarly, this is our relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that if individuals, if we as individuals or if society chooses to sever that connection, we sever that spiritual oxygen between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that will instantly, like the child, feel in a state of panic, constantly. No matter what, we could be living in ultimate luxury and health, but we'll always be in a state of anxiety.

So restoring this connection, first and foremost, through the as-salah, is the only way to avoid becoming consumed by this divinely put anxiety that's inside of us. So we have to ask ourselves, what is the quality of our as-salah? Are we convinced that as-salah has this place in our lives? That it's the ultimate connection to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and it's the only means we can properly channel the anxiety that we feel every day, and use it to its ultimate purpose. As if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling us, the first thing, if you want to be anxious about something, the first thing you should be anxious about, the first thing you should direct this anxiety towards, is as-salah.

The timing of the as-salah. Do you and I understand how to pray properly? What are the pillars of the as-salah? Before that, the pillars of wudu, do we know how to do wudu correctly? Are we doing it with intention and purpose? Are we doing it properly? Or is it being done, is the wudu being done mindlessly? Because this is something that the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and our righteous predecessors, they understood. When it comes to the as-salah, it starts before the as-salah.

If the wudu is done in a proper manner, with concentration, with the right intention, and if it's not done wastefully, where we're doing it mindlessly and we're wasting all this water doing wudu, if we're like that, if we're mindless in our wudu, we will be mindless in our as-salah. If we're wasteful in our wudu, we will be wasteful in our as-salah. It will just be an exercise that we do and get nothing from it.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala goes on. We first spoke about those who are consistent in their as-salah and they're consistently worrying about their as-salah. They plan their lives, they plan their days around the as-salah.

Serving Others Through Wealth

And those who are blessed with wealth, and they recognize that in their wealth is a right that the needy and those who are deprived in this world have. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in Surah Al-Baqarah, وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that piety, one of the pillars of piety is understanding that what Allah gives us, there is a right inside of what He gives us. There is a recognized right for the needy and the poor.

And subhanAllah, this comes immediately after as-salah. And we see this rampant in first world countries, and countries that are overall wealthy, societies that are overall wealthy. We see that no matter how much wealth someone can have, or that someone is blessed with, that they'll always be in a state of anxiety.

We see that no matter how wealthy a society becomes, that depression and suicide will still become rampant. Actually, they say that suicide is a luxury or a plague of the elite. This is something that plagues the wealthy, the severe depression and anxiety.

And no matter what, we see celebrities and billionaires who have everything in this world, but still they have to give something back. They never feel right until they give something back. And this is the reality of the human being again.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that no matter how much you have, no matter how much I give you, you will always be riddled with anxiety if you don't relieve the financial anxiety of those who are lower on the socio-economic ladder. If we just want to live our comfortable lives in the suburbs of Houston, and not care at all about those who are struggling, those in the third ward, fifth ward, anywhere else, no matter what, no matter what, we will always be riddled with anxiety, no matter how comfortable we think our lives are.

The Connection Between Prayer and Service

One of our teachers, hafidhahumullah, made this connection between Surah Al-Kawthar and this concept.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, After the son of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, the leaders of Quraish were so happy because they thought that the lineage of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was cut off and that they somehow won. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala consoles the Prophet and says, Verily, we gave you Al-Kawthar, and Al-Kawthar has many meanings. Of it is the sweet river that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will be gifted on the Day of Judgment, and we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us from those who drink from his blessed hands and enter into Jannat bidun hisab, without any accounting, bidni ta'ala.

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives him this incredible reward. So what's the most that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam can do in response, as gratitude? فَصَلِّ. Pray.

فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ. وَانْحَرْ is the sacrificing of the camel. In essence, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is saying, the best you can do is to connect with me in the best possible way, through salah, and to connect with the creation and serve the creation.

This is the summation of our religion. Connecting with our creator, and serving his creation. And this is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also shows us in Surah Al-Ma'arij.

That first and foremost, this anxiety that's innate to the human being, if you want to address it and channel it properly, fix your salah. And number two, serve the creation. Any wealth that you have, there is a recognized right for others, in the zakah particularly.

That's our obligation, to make sure that everyone else is taken care of to the best of our abilities.

Fear of the Hereafter

And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala goes on, and unfortunately we won't be able to cover all the remedies, but lastly from what we can cover today, that those, also those, Allah is still describing these people, who will be saved from the crippling anxiety, and whose anxiety will actually lead them to do something good. That these people, they believe in the day, in يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala uses الدِّينِ, indicating that this is the day where debts will be paid. And if we've ever received a call from a debt collector, we know that there's a sense of nervousness and anxiety that afflicts us. Similarly, that's how we should think about the day of judgment.

The day when debts will be paid. Every single one of us is in debt to Allah, and those debts will be settled, and we will only be saved through the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And those from the punishment of Allah, they are scared.

They are genuinely terrified. And here we see the true purpose of anxiety. It's not just to torment us in this world.

It's not to make us go all out, and try to quell that anxiety, and justify inappropriate behavior. It's to focus this anxiety on the hereafter. In essence, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling us, I put this inside of you, O human being, O mankind, as an internal alarm system, to let you know that this world is temporary.

And that we should not sacrifice a few seconds of this world for the eternity of the hereafter. It's to keep us constantly oriented. It's to keep us constantly focused.

And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, finally he tells us, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will not allow two types of fears, and two types of feelings of security to coexist in the same heart. And this is why being afraid of Allah's punishment in this world is beneficial for us. Because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam tells us, that the one who fears Allah's punishment in this world will be saved from that fear in the hereafter.

But the one who feels comfortable, who feels like they're good, they're saved, they have nothing to worry about, that sense of security, if they feel that about Allah's punishment in this world, they will feel the fear of Allah's punishment in the next world. So this is the balance between the love of Allah and the fear of Allah that we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us understand and implement in our daily lives.

We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to relieve us from our anxieties in this world. May He make us from those who are consistent in their salah, in its fulfillment, in its perfection. May He make us from those who give generously and fulfill our obligations to the needy for His sake. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from those who fear Him, and who fear only Him in this world in order to achieve the ultimate peace and security in the next world.