A heartfelt plea for dua in a time of deep hardship
Salam everyone. I really need your support right now. I'm a Muslimah in my 20s, living in the West. I was studying to become a teacher, but about two years ago, due to severe depression, my family strongly advised me to stop my studies. They promised to help me find work and get support for my mental health, but sadly, that help never came. Things have gotten so much worse since then. I feel like I've lost everything – my motivation, my confidence, and it’s been a struggle to maintain my prayers. I try my best to take care of the home, but I'm constantly reminded that I don't have a job, even though no one is helping me find one. I've lost touch with friends, and I feel completely isolated and unloved by my own family, except for my father who tries, in his own way, to remind me to have tawakkul in Allah. This Ramadan, I attended Tarawih every night, making earnest dua for any relief, for any change. But I feel stuck in this painful loop. I look at others my age getting married, building careers, and living fulfilled lives while practicing their deen, and it deepens my feeling of being left behind and abandoned. The only thread holding me is my fear of Allah and the hope that He has not given up on me, even when I feel He might be displeased. The judgment from some community members at the masjid, based on rumors, makes it even harder to reach out. Please, my brothers and sisters, make sincere dua for me. Dua for ease, for a way out of this darkness, for strength to hold onto my faith, and for Allah to open a door for me. I am fighting this battle alone and I am so, so tired. Jazakum Allahu khayran for reading this and for any prayer you can send my way.