The Use of Quran and Hadith

All of the interviewees invoked verses of the Quran and/or hadith at some point during the interview. The uses of the religious citations varied, but the Quran and hadith were often used to demonstrate a framework supported by Islamic thought that is useful to the leaders when they are assisting individuals in need.

You know the Prophet Muhammed (asws) said, the believer is a mirror to the believer. And people want to see that you, they want to see it in your face, that you feel, that you really understand how they feel. (participant 7)

In this case, the prophetic statement is used to explain how an individual seeking help should be approached, i.e., with empathy and understanding. This approach was noted as necessary if the religious leader is to be useful in times of crisis. Rather than merely regurgitating religious maxims, the leaders explained that individuals seeking help need to feel as though they are understood. Another interviewee explained the role of religion in relation to mental and emotional stability by providing a prophetic analogy.

The prophet pbuh said example of a Muslim is like a palm tree. Palm tree when a storm comes, it might little bit go right or goes left, but it will stay rooted down and it will be solid in front of the storm. Because there is a preparation for, God created it with this and the example of the believer is or should be like a palm tree. He would face all difficulties and all problems to get out of the storm, of the wind inshallah (God willing). (participant 1)

The example of the palm tree is used to set the Islamic framework of how a Muslim adherent maintains balance. By using faith as a source of strength, an individual will be able to weather the storm, like a palm tree that bends and does not break. Without the presence of a strengthening religion, an individual may be more prone to breaking, but the reason for the storm to begin with is not seen as a weakness in faith or a punishment. Everyone is described as potentially passing through difficult times, but faith can help in maintaining stability during those difficulties.

You know your destiny, you know that you’ll be passing through difficulties, that this winds or the storm will pass through you, it will, you might bend a little bit as the palm tree. (participant 1)

A few of the interviewees mentioned the prophetic advice of seeking the proper treatment. In this case, religion was used for the sake of encouraging the biomedical understanding of illness, including mental illnesses in this perspective. This saying is often used to indicate that praying for relief from an illness is insufficient in and of itself but requires treatment from the necessary experts.

So, and we have a clear advice from the Prophet (asws) that if you have an illness then you seek a medication. (participant 6)

This understanding includes mental illness, framed as being similar to, or even part of, physical illness. One interviewee broke down illness as physical or spiritual, grouping both body and mind together, separating them from the spiritual aspect. In this

construction, illnesses of the body and mind require help from a medical professional whereas illnesses of the soul require religious guidance.!

3.2.7

Dominant Discursive Constructions

The interviewees presented a narrative that differs in many respects from that found in the pamphlets. Although elements of the dominant biomedical discourse, as exemplified in the analysis of the pamphlets above, were taken up within the construction of mental illness and depression conveyed by the religious leaders, the leaders’ understandings included more explicit attention to environmental factors that can create overwhelming burdens which may result in a person becoming off-balanced and lead to depression. All of the interviewees agreed that the use of pharmaceuticals and counselling is an

appropriate method of treating depression, however many added the qualifier that these methods were insufficient. Given the discursive expansion of causative factors to include environmental stressors, solutions offered by the religious leaders extended beyond medical treatment to address social issues.

Many interviewees noted isolation as potentially having a great effect on mental wellbeing, particularly for new immigrants who are not familiar with their physical or social surroundings. The religious leaders commented on their ability to assist with no

more than the spiritual and social aspects of congregants’ mental problems, recognizing that they are not trained as counsellors, hence the need for external assistance. Most interestingly, one interviewee stated that the responsibility to assist those afflicted with mental illness is an Islamic duty of anyone who is healthy in the rest of the Muslim community. The discourses presented by the interviewees who discussed collective responsibility differed from the individualized focus that was evident in the pamphlets. Instead of emphasizing the individual’s role in seeking help, the religious leaders point out that it is the healthy members of the community who must take action to ensure the wellbeing of the ill. The interviewees also discussed religiosity in the context of providing spiritual support for individuals who are experiencing difficulties, however, they did not attribute mental illness to individuals’ lack of religious practice.

Chapter 4