In the two previous parts of the solutions to depression, we introduced some of the recommendations on how to avoid anxiety and stress in Islam. Those examples included both spiritual and material advice. And they show that Islam considers the existence of human beings as a whole. That is why Islam has forbidden the unlawful (Haram) “temporary solutions” of relieving stress and emotions (like starting a dangerous relationship or spending the time in bars, etc.). Since in those cases, one usually gets nothing for what he\she spends.

Avoid Whatever Damages the Mind and Soul

Many people try to keep up with the newest standards of body hygiene to prevent various diseases. The same should be done for the mental hygiene. Much effort is needed to have a healthy soul and prevent disorders like depression, anxiety, stress in Islam, etc.

Some approaches to reduce depression act like an immediate treatment. The problem with those solutions is that they give a good feeling at the beginning. It normally does not last long and later on results in adverse effects. So, one should avoid whatever undermines the consciousness or causes deeper depression. These are:

All the Intoxicant:

Whatever destroys one’s mind and deprives him of the ability to thinking and reason is a sort of intoxicant, then, must be abandoned [1];

Drinking Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol is harmful and adversely affects the mind and the body. Imam Reza (AS) said that God has prohibited drinking alcoholic beverages since they contaminate the mind [2];

An Ignorant Companion

 Spending a lot of time with such a person will destroy the wisdom [3] and misleads whoever he/she interacts with;

Overeating

Eating too much will degenerate one’s mind and weaken the thinking power [4,5]. According to Islamic teachings, overeating turns one to a weak-willed, sleepy, stupid person [6];

Idleness and Inaction

 Wasting time and doing nothing in life corrupt the mind [7];

Joking and Laughing Excessively

Making jokes and laughing too much causes one to seem stupid [7].

Moreover, anything that causes one to forget God and weakens one’s faith acts like a poison that darkens one’s soul:

Assuming to Have a Long Life

The one who thinks that will live a long life and forget about his/her death insists on his/her mistakes and cannot catch up. Since he/she supposes that there are still many chances to compensate. This clouds his/her heart and soul [8];

Useless Conversations

Vain conversations and hostility with others will weaken the soul [9];

Owning vast fortune such that the owner becomes too busy with them and forgets about God and his\her religious duties

Having such great wealth can harden the heart [10];

Keep on Doing Sins

Whoever does a sin several times and repents each time but does not stop committing that sin, is known to mock God [11]. It is also said that repeated sins seal and kill the heart [12];

Associating with Those Who Have Gone Astray

To spend time with those who are lost in their lives and oppose the divine guidelines, will mislead one to the wrong path [9]. 

Not Keeping the Gaze Down

Looking freely at any scene and anybody, especially non-Mahrams, causes anxiety and inquietude. Looking at a beautiful flower, for example, might take only some seconds but its smell and beauty stays in our mind longer. The same thing happens when looking at another person; especially due to the emotional impacts that men and women have on each other.

Staring at a non-Mahram will busy one’s mind with different thoughts for some time. It might also stimulate his/her feelings. Repeating these looks will cause one to get distracted and lose control in his/her mind. Also, it disturbs his/her inner peace and causes mental problems [13]. That is why Imam Ali (AS) said: “Whoever keeps the gaze down, relieves” [14].

References:

1. M. al-Kulaynī, “Al-Kafi”, vol. 6, p. 412.
2. S. H. al-Amili, “Wasail al-Shia”, vol. 25, p. 329.
3. Karajaki, “Kanzul Fawaid”, vol. 1, p. 199.
4. H. T. Nuri Ṭabarsi, “Mustadrak al-Wasail”, vol. 16, p. 458.
5. M. B. Majlesi, “Bihar al-Anwar”, vol. 63, p. 72.
6. N. Makarem Shirazi, “Tafsir Nemooneh”, vol. 6, p. 153.
7. “Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim”, p. 222.
8. Ibn Babawayh, “Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih”, vol.4, p. 366.
9. Ibn Babawayh, “Al-Khisal”, p. 228.
10. M. al-Kulaynī, “Al-Kafi”, vol. 2, p. 300.
11. M. al-Kulaynī, “Al-Kafi”, vol. 4, p. 168.
12. Sheikh al-Mufid, “Al-Amali”, p. 83.
13. stress in islam
14. M. Reyshahri, "Mizan al-Hikma," T. 6141".

There is no doubt among us that after our dear Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP), our twelve imams (AS) are the most important figures of our religion. Therefore, today we wish to learn more about Imam Ali (AS) , the first male convert of the religion, his birth, and conditions surrounding it.

The faithless say, ‘You have not been sent [by Allah].’ Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and He who possesses the knowledge of the Book.’ The Holy Quran 13:43

And among the people is he who sells his soul, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is most kind to [His] servants. The Holy Quran 2:207

If the two of you repent to Allah... for your hearts have certainly swerved, and if you back each other against him, then [know that] Allah is indeed his guardian, and his supporters are Gabriel, the righteous among the faithful, and thereafter the angels... The Holy Quran 66:4

If we seek the true meaning of these three verses from our holy book, they all point towards Ali (AS) as their primary focus, guiding us to some aspects of his life. Our dear Imam has been implicitly described by The Quran multiple times, highlighting his great importance in our religion.  

No one can fully describe the contributions of Imam Ali (AS) to his religion and the people. If anyone dares to do so, they can only convey a fraction of his significance - like a drop in the sea. With that said, we are about to discuss the first question that may come to our mind: how was our first Imam born?

Birth of the son of Kaaba,Imam Ali b. Abi Talib

Thirty years after the “year of the elephant” (*) occurrence, specifically on the 13th of Rajab (March 8th), Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP) was 30 years old. This was a decade before our dear The Prophet (PBUH&HP) received the initial revelation from the angel Gabriel and 23 years prior to the great migration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina.

At this juncture, our dear Imam's pregnant mother, Fatima Daughter of Asad, was praying at Kaaba. She experienced intense labor pains, leading her to seek refuge at the Kaaba from the pain.

Remarkably, the wall of Kaaba moved apart, providing shelter for her three whole days. After these days, she came out of Kaaba with her precious son, our first Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib (AS). Imam’s birth was an exceptional honor bestowed upon Islamic nation, and the extraordinary events –  the walls moving, his mother’s presence in the holy site of Islam, and his unique birth in the Kaaba - all signified the greatness of the son of the Kaaba.

Fatima Daughter of Asad was the second woman to convert to Islam (after Prophet’s wife, Khadija (SA)). She had the privilege of taking care of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) from the age of eight until his youth in the house of Abu-Talib. Their relationship was so close that Prophet (PBUH&HP) referred to her as “mother,” establishing the early bond that linked the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and Imam Ali (AS) as brothers.

Shia point of view regarding the Imam Ali’s birth

1. Sheikh Mofid (died in 413th AH): our first Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib (AS), was born on Friday the 13th of Rajab, thirty years after the Year of the Elephant in Mecca. No one ever had been born in the Kaaba before or after him. His birth was the great honor, showcasing his distinction over other men of his age.

2. Allamah Al-Hilli (died in 726th AH): Imam Ali (PBUH) was born on Friday the 13th of Rajab and thirty years after the Year of the Elephant. No one before or after him was born in the Kaaba during that time. The Prophet (PBUH&HP) was thirty years old back then.

Sunni point of view regarding the Imam’s birth

Many Sunni scholars believe that the Imam’s birth took place in the Kaaba. Some even hold the view that occurrence was exclusively for the Imam. A few of the scholars’ perspectives are as follows:

1. Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (died in 658th lunar year): Numerous consecutive narrations indicate that Fatima bt. Asad gave birth to Ali b. Abi Talib in the Kaaba.

2. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi Hanafi (died in 654th lunar year): It has been narrated that when Fatima bt. Asad was pregnant and performing Tawaf around the Kaaba, she experienced intense labor pain. She sought refuge in the Kaaba, and suddenly, the Kaaba’s door opened for her, so she entered and gave birth to her child.

Poetry about the Imam’s birth

Syed Ismail Himayari (died in 173rd AH) was one of the greatest poets of Arabic literature. He composed a poem about this unique birth:

His mother bore him in the God’s safe site; God’s house and masque was his birth place
He was pure and noble; his mother, his child, and his birthplace too

On one of the darkest nights, he appeared with celestial purity

No child, except for Amine’s child, is honored like him.

References:

1.  Kitab al-Kafi (first Volume – page 452)
2. Kitab al-Irshad (first Volume – page 5)
3.  I'lam al-Wara bi A'lam al-Huda (first Volume – page 306)
4.  Bihar al-Anwar (35th Volume – page 182)
5.  Description of Nahj al-Balagha (first Volume – page 6)
6.  Manaqib Ale Abi Talib (third Volume – page 307)
7. Rawżat al-Vaeezin (page 81)

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* In that year, Kaaba invaded by faithless king Abraha and his great elephant army and ironically saved by Allah himself with an army of birds carrying small stones by their pecks that penetrate the elephants body and skull and all of them got killed and Kaaba was saved.