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Hello all, I am a female going to Karbala and Najaf for the first time from the USA. I was wondering if someone would be able to answer some of my questions. It will greatly be appreciated. Thanks: 1) I know that makeup is not allowed. But what about eyelash extensions? These are fake individual lashes that are placed on your real lashes. They look natural. I just don't want anyone giving me a hard time for having them. 2) I am going to be on my menstrual cycle. Is there any advice regarding this? 3) Any other advice will greatly be appreciated. Thank-you.

Salam alayikum! Whenever I pray it feels hard to breathe and I feel this huge pain in my heart. Even when its cold I feel warm, sometimes I even start to sweat. Can you give me an answer why? I would really appreciate an answer.

Employee who took sick days for mental health gets unexpected response from CEO Published July 11, 2017 A CEO's reply to an employee's mental health email went viral. (BrianAJackson) A Michigan CEO’s reply to his employee’s sick day email has gone viral. Madalyn Parker, a web developer at Olark Live Chat, emailed her colleagues at the end of June to let them know she’d be taking two days off to focus on her mental health. “Hopefully I’ll be back next week refreshed and back to 100%” Parker wrote in the email. In an unexpected turn of events, CEO Ben Congleton replied directly to Parker, thanking her for shining a light on mental health. “I use (your email) as a reminder of the importance of using sick days for mental health – I can’t believe this is not standard practice at all organizations,” Congleton wrote. “You are an example to us all, and help cut through the stigma so we can all bring our whole selves to work.” Parker went on to share screengrabs of the email exchange on Twitter. The tweet, posted on June 30, has since been retweeted more than 11,000 times as of Tuesday. Congleton was praised by some Twitter users for the refreshing response. “Great to see such understanding from executive management,” one Twitter user wrote. The CEO took the email exchange a step further, writing about mental health in the workplace on Medium. He urged other company leaders to “empower and motivate” their teams by “expressing gratitude” to their employees and reflecting on their business values. One in five adults in the United States experiences mental illness every year, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/07/11/employee-who-took-sick-days-for-mental-health-gets-unexpected-response-from-ceo.html

السلام عليكم I am someone who has been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder due to serotonin deficiency. I have seen that antidepressants (SSRIs) work for me but when I take them I feel like I'm a different person. I also feel less inhibited and may even consider Islamic things less important. I notice that when I am depressed I spend more time in prayer and studying Islam because in a depressed state I am more introspective and conscious of my role as a mortal creation and of the despair that is inherent in a life without Allah from whom all Hope is derived. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm in a state of constant suffering and though Allah provides me just enough strength to overcome it so that I don't fall to utter perdition in terms of suicide or complete social withdrawal (though I contemplate it at times, especially the latter), this medication can boost me up in an easier way. The struggle, the burden is lifted without any effort, but in the process I lose "me" and I feel alienated from my "soul" and its realization of the rights Allah has upon it. I apologize if I can't articulate myself properly. I just don't know whether I should be "me" and face this struggle or take a medication to assuage all my discomforts in one fell swoop. If you have any advice or know of any ahadith the Aimmah عليهم السلام said about the constant struggle of depression or any struggle that seems futile from a worldly perspective, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you في امان الله

How do you guys cope with stress?

salam alaikum everyone .. iam new here i use to have anxiety and depression . been going through some rough patches ,. use to do some anti depressants for a month or so now i got this intrusive memory . its a happy one but its stuck in my head . i was wondering is there any dua or tips for anxiety or stuff like this that i can read ? thank you any positive replies will be appreciated

I struggle with : being patient, thinking positively, praying, accepting my existence, forgetting my past, and lots more.... BUT im still living

Salam guys !!! I hope you all are fine and enjoying your life very well. Thanks to Allah almighty who gave me a very healthy life but I can't enjoy my life like you guys. I am 17 years old and the previous years of my life were passed very well but now 4 months ago I didn't even enjoyed a single moment of my life and the reason is Fear which has become very strong and making my life like hell and I have the fear of getting diseases, injuries and brain damage or similar to these things. I don't scared of death but I fear slowly or painful death which caused by diseases. I hope you guys will understand me. This causes anxiety which makes my day hell I don't know what I do ??? My father is searching for a phsycotherapist but I don't think he will help me because I am loosing my hope even I don't enjoy my favourite things I am loosing my dreams even it doesn't even let me study my exams are ahead I don't know for how long I have to live like this or I don't know will I ever be free from this or not ? I am not getting answers of my prayers by Allah and I am not feeling satisfied even I regularly offer prayers and I am feeling like a misguided one because I am loosing my trust on Allah which I don't want my parents are also worried because I m the only child even I also give the sake of ahlulbayt a.s at the end of my prayer and recite durood but nothing is working my mom is saying me that I should visit roza-e-Imam Hussain a.s and you will be fine completely ? This is an only hope for me but still there is a fear my fear was started when I got a hit on the back of my head and there was no blood came out and people say that it's not good if blood doesn't comes out it makes me fear that It will kill me or there is something happened in my head or brain thank god I didn't faced any bad thing but lower eyesight and constant worries and Its look like that this fear will never go away even it's getting stronger and somedays I don't even sleep properly. Whenever I listen something about brain my fear get triggered and makes me panic I can't see my future I have lot of goals but...... I don't wana loose my hope and trust on Allah and ahlulbayt but I am not getting any answer or relief help me guys ?? ( ignore grammar mistakes)

AS I have told you all before, I have panic disorder and autism....my psychologist suggested something called a paleo diet, where I stop eating grains, dairy, and vegetables that were not around at the time of cavemen or other early humans.........i have heard about grain free diets before, and my special ed teacher of the past and my psychologist have said that research shows that dairy causes autism....is there any proof to back this up? i need help right away, as i had a panic attack at school on wednesday, the last day of school for that week, (no school for thursday or friday) and i lost many points on my points sheet (i go to alternative school) because i tried listening to ruqyah for social anxiety, and when my parapro told me to turn it down, i got into an argument and when he said it was bothering others i told him they could go to hell.....also, i kept asking to leave class and call my mother, and lost more points......i have already dropped from level 4 to level 3, and i am borderline dropping from level 3 to level 2, as i can earn a possible 108 points in 3 days, and already lost 14, and need 85 percent to stay on level 3....i need to stay on level 4 and have 5 or less incidents in my target behaviors in the last 6 weeks to leave alternative school, and my dad says i can't go to turkey to visit relatives until i've been out of alternative school for a whole year......im in 11th grade now..but anyway, does this diet help, and how do i control my behaviors?

Hi, as you guys know the exam's are up and I have my math's exam soon. I don't know what to do since I'm really bad. And I am not exactly acing all the other subjects at school either. I almost failed on my favorite subject and because of that I am so depressed and anxious. So if you guys kn ow any dua's please reply this. Thank you so much in advance.

Salam, I'm a bit of a mess. I started wearing the hijab 5 years ago. It was natural for me to do it. I just did it because I felt it was the right thing to do. A year later, a started suffering from bad anxiety and panic attacks... even leaving my house would be a problem. I skipped a lot of classes and wouldn't go out with friends. I became more shy and quiet. I lost myself. I lost my bubbly personality. I always have my family and friends driving me everywhere because i get horrible anxiety when I take the bus/subway. Anyway, so last year I met this guy. He wanted to get to know me (the halal why) he met why family and all that. We had a great relationship. He actually helped me without knowing it, he would make my anxiety disapear. We would go out to places and I wouln't have panic attacks at all. He didn't even know I had anxiety issues. And as the date of the khotbe approched... he called me and said it was over... It was the biggest slap... we never fought, never had problems, everything was going fine. Now that he left I feel like I have to reconstruct myself and get better but the hijab has been an obstacle in many ways. I can't find a job and I just don't feel like myself anymore. I feel like I need to find myself. What should I do? Thank you

Dealing with Anxiety: Imam Jafar as Sadiq (a) has said in Lantern of the Path/Misbah ash Shariah "Affliction is an adornment for the believer and a mark of honour for the man of intellect, because facing it directly needs steadfastness and firm-footedness, both of which confirm belief. The Holy Prophet said, 'We, the company of the prophets, are the people who have the hardest trials, then after us come the believers, then the others like them.' Whoever tastes the food of affliction while under Allah's protection enjoys it more than he enjoys Allah's blessing. He yearns for it when it is not there, because the lights of blessing lie under the balance of affliction and trial, and the balance of affliction and trial lies under the lights of blessing. Many are delivered from affliction and then destroyed in blessing. Allah praised none of His bondsmen, from Adam up to Muhammad, until He had tested him and seen how he fulfilled the duty of worship while in affliction. Allah's marks of honour come, in fact, at the last stage, but the afflictions themselves come in the beginning." He (a) has also said: "Patience reveals whatever light and purity there is in the innermost being of Allah's servants, while anxiety shows up the darkness and bereftness inside them. Everyone claims to be patient, but only the humble are firm in it. Everyone denies his anxiety, although it is quite obvious in a hypocrite because the onset of trials and afflictions tells you who is truthful and who is a liar. Patience is a sensation that continuously prevails in one's consciousness, but what occurs upon a sudden upset cannot be called patience. Anxiety is what disturbs the heart and brings the person sorrow, changing his complexion and his state. Every event whose beginnings are without humility, repentance, and humble supplication to Allah comes from someone who is anxious, not someone who is patient. The beginning of patience is bitter, but its end is sweet for some people; but for others both its beginning and end are bitter. Whoever enters it at its end has entered it. Whoever enters it from its beginning has left it. A person who knows the value of patience cannot bear to be without it." and lastly: "Sorrow is one of the marks of the gnostics, through the magnitude of what comes to them of the Unseen when they are in seclusion, and the intensity of their glorification of Allah. The outer being of the sorrowful is contraction and his inner being is expansion." Here is a short dua from Imam Taqi Al Jawad (a) on Anxiety, from As-Saheefatul Jawaadiyyah: "aa man yakfee min kulli shay' Walaa yakfee munhu shay' Ikfinee maa ahammanee mimaa anaa feeh." O He who is sufficent from all things But nothing is sufficient from Him. Be sufficient for me in what worries me in the state I am. Related from Imam Jafar Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã, some short dua's from the Quran: ”Wa Ufawwizu Amree ilallaah inallaaha baseerun bil ibad” (40:44) So you shall remember what I say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah, Surely Allah sees the servants. ”Mashaallahu laa Quwwata illa billah" (18:39) And wherefore did you not say when you entered your garden: It is as Allah has pleased, there is no power save in Allah? If you consider me to be inferior to you in wealth and children "La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzalimeen" (21;87) And Yunus, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I am of those who make themselves to suffer loss. "Hasbunallah wa ni'mal wakeel" (3:173) Those to whom the people said: Surely men have gathered against you, therefore fear them, but this increased their faith, and they said: Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent is the Protector. Also remember: "ala bithikriAllahi tatma-innu alquloob" (13:28) Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest "Allahu la ilaha illahuwa lahu al-asmao alhusna" (20:8) Allah! there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names. Names of Allah: Al-Waahid (The Unique) One who recites this name alone and in a quiet place will be free from fear and delusion. Al-Quddus (The Holy) One who recites 100 times every day will be free from anxiety. Al-Badi (The Incomparable) One who recites this name 70 times will be free from all troubles. Ar-Rasheed (The Guide to the Right Path) One who recites this name 1000 times between Maghrib and Isha Namaz will be safe from troubles. "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (Qur'an 3:173-174) "And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (5:23) "O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (2:153) "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the owner of Great Bounty." (3:173-174) "And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed..." (5:23) "O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer..." (2:153) Imam Ali (a) said: Worthy men are reserved for times of adversity. Ghurar al hikam, p. 581 Also refer to these links http://www.al-islam.org/ethics/6.htm#n26 http://www.al-islam.org/ethics/15.htm#n15

If yes, is this kind of perfectionism good or bad?