Blaming low iman for depression and anxiety

Full Question

I have come across many, friends, family, colleagues who believe low Iman is to blame for depression and anxiety. I would be interested to hear your thoughts. Personally, this view is very upsetting. I suffered depression with my last 2 pregnancies and it was a hard time for me. Many struggle lifelong with this and I know some who struggle yet never miss a Salah and always try to recite.

Answer

It’s a cruel and ignorant thing to say. To use suffering as an excuse to attack someone’s faith is something the Prophet’s enemies used to do.

Any illness can also be a sign that Allah loves a person and wants to guarantee their salvation. There is a clear authentic hadith to this effect, ‘whoever Allah wants good for, He puts him in difficulty.’

Iman and spirituality can be helpful in coping with any form of suffering, but they are not a guaranteed protection against them. People are ignorant of this and shoot their mouths off with cruel comments.