Mental Health and Faith are not exclusive...
Mental health is a sticky subject in most ethnic and islamic communities. That comes from years of perpetuated stigma surrounding the very idea of dealing with mental health challenges, and a false connection between a challenge and weak faith.
Not every mental health issue can be fixed by praying more. Islam can definitely be used as a tool to improve mental health, but we often go about it in the wrong way. Understanding what Islam truly says about mental health and psychological disorders can help us craft a better connection to our deen and better relationship with ourselves.
The Matters of the Mind and Heart aims to educate Muslim youth communities about what mental health challenges truly are and offer different resources to improve mental wellbeing through psychology and spirituality.
Events Include:
Discussions about Mental Health
Presentations will go over mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction/abuse, ADHD, autism, etc)
Sharing Islamic Knowledge
Connections between mental health and Islam will be explored through stories from the Prophet's life, hadiths, Quran and lectures.
Community-Building
This initiative is meant to bring together Muslim and Non-Muslim youth of various age groups and encourage them to form long-lasting connections.
Snacks and Games
No event is complete without food—all events will have halal smores and snacks, as well as team building games and souvenirs.
Meet Nuha...
Nuha is an ambassador Girl Scout and incoming college freshman. As a future physician, the connection between Islam and medicine fascinates her deeply, and she found her Gold Award to be the perfect opportunity to not only explore the crossroads of science and faith, but address an issue she found to be deep-rooted within her community. She hopes Matters of the Mind and Heart can make a difference in the way Muslim youth approach challenges throughout their lives and encourage them to be outspoken leaders within their communities.
— Nuha S
Mental Health Advocacy in the Future
While I am hosting events in Southern California before beginning college, I want the impact from this project to last beyond this summer. The Matters of the Mind and Heart will live on through youth groups and Islamic Schools that take the initiative to host their own events and presentations using the materials living on this website.
Presentations and Teaching Guides
All the presentations used in these events will be linked here along with teaching guides explaining the games and demonstrations, granting you the ability to host your own Matters of the Mind and Heart event with accuracy.
Surveys & Pamphlets
Before and after surveys can be used to measure the impact of the events. Pamphlets also serve as a great reference tool for mental health support.
Instagram Page
An Instagram page dedicated to the Matters of the Mind and Heart will be going up soon!