Anti-Overthinking Drugs in the style of Kitab Al-Hikam

 

Anti-Overthinking Drugs in the style of Kitab Al-Hikam

Maybe some or maybe more of us, the 21st Century overthinking generation are experiencing mumet , anxiety, stress, and even depression in life. Some of it may be caused by problems with indecisiveness about yourself, relationships that don't stay connected, career stalls, to family problems for example, and a myriad of other problems that happen or accidentally stop by. These problems seemed to have no end, they never found where the end point was. Quoting from Iventure-Alvara , dataindonesia.id said that the stress level of the Millennial generation and Gen Z in January 2022 was at 54%.

As a result of overthinking and struggling with problems in our lives, we may feel hopeless with the situation, choose to avoid and choose to run from the divine line. No matter how far we run from the problem, the problem will still follow. Like a shadow, wherever we run, he is always behind us. Because behind our shadows, there must be light, even if it's a bit dim. It also applies to the problems that surround our lives, behind it all there must be a light that is ready to shine on us.

Now, speaking of despair, definitively, Fakhruddin HS in the Encyclopedia of the Al-Quran (1992) writes that despair implies the loss of hope. This is because a person's energy, hopes, and abilities become weak, and there is no longer a will to do the work he is doing.

Usually, despair is caused by failure many times. He then blames himself, circumstances, or the environment around him. However, the actual cause of despair is not due to external factors (failure), but how an individual responds to the failure he experiences, as stated by Anthony Robbins in Awaken The Giant Within (2017).

As an image , we may fail to get into the university we want, fail to get accepted into the company we really want, or fail to propose to our idol, because he prefers his past. As a result, in the face of this problem we just give up, and prefer to turn away. We no longer fight for failures that have knocked down our expectations. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, people learn from their past, learn and improve themselves for the failures they have gone through.

Desperation will only harm yourself. Too much time, energy, and emotion are drained, and will slowly dull our potential. Likewise, despair will be difficult to make progress, because they do not dare to try again and are afraid of experiencing a failure. Prolonged despair accompanied by stress and depression, even becomes one of the factors to end life. Terrible isn't it?

Furthermore, speaking of desperation, Islam has urged a Muslim to avoid it, because this trait is one of the despicable traits. A desperate Muslim is someone who has lost hope from Allah's grace, which at the same time shows his weak faith and the fragile foundation of Islam. Islam legitimizes it in the Qur'an Surah Yusuf verse 87 which, perhaps the textual meaning is as follows:

"….And do not despair of God's mercy. Indeed, those who despair of God's mercy are only the disbelievers."

So, how to deal with it?

Well, to face this feeling of despair, I quoted Gus Baha's saying in his Diniyah Council when discussing the book Al-Hikam by Ibnu Athaillah al-Sakandari, a student of Abu Hasan al-Syadzili (Founder of Thariqah Syadziliyah ). Ibn Athaillah in Kitab al-Hikam says this:

الاهي , كلّما أخرسني لؤمي أنطقني كرمك

“My Lord, if I remember my sins, I don't think I deserve to go to heaven. But if you see Your generosity, it's worth it."

Furthermore, he added the following sentence:

وكلّما أيستني أوصافي أطمعتني منّتك

"When I despair of my bad qualities, then I am moved again by hope, because God's grace is so abundant."

The quote above implies that when we commit too many sins and mistakes in the past, it is as if we do not deserve to feel pleasure in the future. But when we remember about the nature of God's mercy, anyone deserves it.

Likewise, for example, if we are in difficult times, feel overthinking, stuffy, anxious, stressed, even depressed to the point of despair, we need to remember that God's gifts that have been revealed to us are more incalculable than the problems that come our way. in our life. Especially with our hopes in the future, if we are willing to pursue it and remain determined to strive, I think God will open a way. Understanding everything from the positive side will surely calm us down.

So, for all of us in the 21st century generation, especially for the Muslim group, when we are overthinking we are in a complicated situation, it is better for us to rest first. Occasionally , while having coffee and sitting on the terrace of the house while also contemplating the gifts of Allah SWT that have been given to us. Moreover, we are blessed with the gift of common sense, a sane brain, and free will. Is it time to give up just like that with the situation?