& answers
I’m struggling
What if I feel completely overwhelmed?
Remember that you don’t need to carry everything at once, even though it might seem like there is no choice.
When life becomes overwhelming, the mind often convinces us that we must solve every problem immediately. The job situation. The marriage. The finances. The family pressures. The guilt. The future.
But right now, your only responsibility is to get through the next hour safely. Not the next year or even the rest of your life, just the next hour.
If things feel unbearable, focus on one small step. Try one of these if you feel up to it: make a cup of tea. Leave the room you are in. Call someone. Go for a short walk. Pray. Sit with someone.
Small steps matter more than they feel like they do.
Remember that you don’t need to carry everything at once, even though it might seem like there is no choice.
When life becomes overwhelming, the mind often convinces us that we must solve every problem immediately. The job situation. The marriage. The finances. The family pressures. The guilt. The future.
But right now, your only responsibility is to get through the next hour safely. Not the next year or even the rest of your life, just the next hour.
If things feel unbearable, focus on one small step. Try one of these if you feel up to it: make a cup of tea. Leave the room you are in. Call someone. Go for a short walk. Pray. Sit with someone.
Small steps matter more than they feel like they do.
What if I feel like a failure?
Many people who struggle with suicidal thoughts are not weak people.
Often, they are people who have carried responsibility for years. People who have spent their lives looking after others. People who have become exhausted.
Losing work, feeling like a burden, experiencing financial hardship, relationship difficulties, loneliness, grief, illness, or repeated setbacks can slowly erode how a person sees themselves.
You may have started to believe that your circumstances define your worth. They do not. Your value does not disappear because your situation has become difficult.
You are more than your employment status. More than your income. More than your mistakes. More than your lowest moment.
Many people who struggle with suicidal thoughts are not weak people.
Often, they are people who have carried responsibility for years. People who have spent their lives looking after others. People who have become exhausted.
Losing work, feeling like a burden, experiencing financial hardship, relationship difficulties, loneliness, grief, illness, or repeated setbacks can slowly erode how a person sees themselves.
You may have started to believe that your circumstances define your worth. They do not. Your value does not disappear because your situation has become difficult.
You are more than your employment status. More than your income. More than your mistakes. More than your lowest moment.
What if I think my family would be better off without me?
Many people who experience suicidal thoughts start believing they are a burden. This is a common thought during periods of severe depression and hopelessness, but thoughts are not facts.
Depression often distorts reality. It tells people they are unwanted, unloved, or beyond help when none of those things are true.
The people who care about you may not fully understand your pain, but your absence would create a wound that cannot be measured.
Before believing what hopelessness is telling you, please speak to somebody trustworthy and allow another person to help carry what you have been carrying alone.
Many people who experience suicidal thoughts start believing they are a burden. This is a common thought during periods of severe depression and hopelessness, but thoughts are not facts.
Depression often distorts reality. It tells people they are unwanted, unloved, or beyond help when none of those things are true.
The people who care about you may not fully understand your pain, but your absence would create a wound that cannot be measured.
Before believing what hopelessness is telling you, please speak to somebody trustworthy and allow another person to help carry what you have been carrying alone.
What if I cannot feel Allah's mercy anymore?
Many people experience periods where they feel spiritually numb.
- Some feel disconnected from duʿā.
- Some feel guilty.
- Some feel abandoned.
- Some wonder whether Allah is angry with them.
Feelings are real, but they are not always reliable indicators of reality. Allah’s mercy does not disappear because your emotions have become clouded.
- You do not have to feel strong to turn back to Allah.
- You do not have to feel worthy before making duʿā.
- You do not have to have “perfect” faith before asking for help.
Turn to Allah as you are.
What if I have thought about ending my life?
If you are having thoughts of ending your life, please do not keep those thoughts entirely to yourself
Tell someone:
- A trusted family member
- A close friend
- An Imam
- A counsellor
- A doctor
- A helpline
Anybody safe who can help you carry this burden.
You do not need to have the perfect words. If you find it hard to express yourself, you can say:
“I am struggling.”
“I am not coping.”
“I need help.”
Those few words can be the beginning of things changing.
What if I feel ashamed for needing help?
Needing help is part of being human.
Every person reaches moments in life where they cannot carry everything alone. Seeking support does not make you weak. It does not make you a bad Muslim. It does not make you a failure.
It means you are recognising that the burden has become too heavy to carry by yourself. And that recognition is often the first step towards healing.
Needing help is part of being human.
Every person reaches moments in life where they cannot carry everything alone. Seeking support does not make you weak. It does not make you a bad Muslim. It does not make you a failure.
It means you are recognising that the burden has become too heavy to carry by yourself. And that recognition is often the first step towards healing.
What should I do right now?
- Tell at least one person how you are feeling.
- Save a crisis number on your phone.
- Make an appointment with your GP or a mental health professional.
- Avoid isolating yourself completely.
- Focus on getting through today rather than solving everything at once.
- Keep holding on.
You do not need to see the entire path ahead. You only need enough light for the next step.
And there is still a next step.
Someone I know is struggling
What is Hold On?
Hold On is Islam21c’s suicide prevention and mental wellbeing campaign, created to help Muslims facing despair, loneliness, depression, trauma, or suicidal thoughts. We’re aiming to bring hope back into conversations that many communities have avoided for far too long.
Your life matters, your pain matters, and there is still a path forward even when everything feels dark.
The campaign is about fusing Islamic guidance, community awareness, support, practical signposting, and (if needed) professional help. It also encourages families, mosques, schools, and community leaders to respond to mental suffering with compassion rather than silence or stigma.
Why is a Muslim suicide prevention campaign needed?
Because many people are suffering quietly.
Within some Muslim communities, conversations around depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, addiction, or severe anxiety are still treated as taboo. People often fear being labelled weak, sinful, unstable, or lacking īmān if they speak honestly about what they are going through. That silence can become dangerous.
Many people who struggle do not need lectures first. Instead, they need understanding, safety, and hope. The campaign also recognises that Muslim communities face particular pressures today, especially among young people.
Identity struggles, social media pressures, isolation, racism, family breakdown, financial hardship, pornography addiction, online harms, academic stress, and exposure to global suffering can all weigh heavily on a person’s mental wellbeing.
Ignoring those realities does not protect people. Addressing them responsibly does.
Does Islam take mental health seriously?
Yes.
Islam does not deny emotional suffering or expect people to behave as though hardship never affects them. The Qur’ān openly speaks about grief, fear, sadness, loneliness, anxiety, loss, and human weakness. The lives of the Prophets show repeated examples of immense mental strain, heartbreak, rejection, and difficulty.
A believer may be sincere in worship and still struggle mentally. Some Muslims wrongly assume that depression or suicidal thinking must mean a person’s faith is weak. In reality, emotional suffering can affect anybody.
Islam encourages mercy, care, patience, and protecting human life. Seeking support during hardship is not something shameful. It is often necessary.
What does Islam say about suicide?
Islam teaches that life is sacred and that intentionally taking one’s own life is prohibited.
At the same time, Islam also teaches compassion towards people who are suffering. Someone experiencing suicidal thoughts is not helped by humiliation, public condemnation, or harsh religious language. In moments of overwhelming emotional pain, people often need calm support and reassurance before anything else.
Many people experiencing suicidal thoughts are not truly seeking death itself. They are trying to escape overwhelming pain, hopelessness, trauma, shame, exhaustion, or despair.
Is having suicidal thoughts a sin?
Experiencing distressing thoughts does not automatically make somebody sinful.
People may experience suicidal thoughts during periods of severe depression, trauma, anxiety, grief, exhaustion, abuse, or intense hopelessness. Thoughts themselves can arise involuntarily.
A person struggling in this way needs support and professional help, not judgement.
Many Muslims who experience suicidal thoughts already carry enormous guilt and fear. Responding harshly can deepen that despair. Islam teaches believers to help one another through hardship, not to drive suffering people further into isolation.
Can Muslims seek therapy, counselling, or psychiatric help?
Yes.
Seeking treatment for psychological suffering is no different in principle from seeking treatment for physical illness. Islam encourages people to seek remedies and take practical means alongside placing their trust in Allah.
Support may include:
- Counselling
- Talking therapies
- Trauma support
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Medical assessment
- Support groups
- Psychiatric care
- Medication where appropriate
Different people need different forms of support. For some, faith-based support may help significantly. Others may require structured clinical intervention alongside spiritual support.
The important thing is that people do not suffer alone while believing help is somehow religiously forbidden.
Does taking antidepressants mean somebody lacks trust in Allah?
No.
Medication can be an important part of treatment for some individuals. Depression and other mental health conditions can involve biological, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual factors all at once.
There should be no shame in responsibly using medication prescribed by qualified professionals.
Muslims routinely seek medical treatment for physical conditions. Mental health should not be treated differently simply because the illness cannot always be seen outwardly.
Can somebody have strong īmān and still struggle mentally?
Yes, and this is something communities need to understand more deeply.
A person can pray regularly, read Qur’ān, attend the masjid, and still experience depression, panic attacks, trauma symptoms, or mental collapse. Hardship does not only affect those who are distant from Allah.
The Prophets themselves endured severe trials. The Prophet Yaʿqūb (ʿalayhi al-Salām) wept intensely from grief over losing Yūsuf (ʿalayhi al-Salām). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ experienced bereavement, persecution, isolation, rejection, and sorrow throughout his life.
The idea that “real believers do not struggle emotionally” is neither realistic nor Islamic.
Why do many Muslims avoid speaking about these issues?
Often because of fear. Some fear being judged by family or community members. Others fear being labelled unstable, sinful, dramatic, or spiritually weak. In certain cultures, emotional suffering is dismissed entirely or treated as something to hide from others.
This can leave people feeling trapped between their pain and their fear of speaking honestly about it. And we want to change that culture by encouraging healthier conversations.
Does talking about suicide make somebody more likely to act on it?
No. Responsible and sensitive conversations about suicide do not “plant” suicidal thoughts into people’s minds.
In many cases, silence increases danger. A person who feels unable to speak honestly may become more isolated and hopeless over time.
Open conversations can help people feel less alone before things reach crisis point.
That said, discussions about suicide should always avoid sensationalism, graphic details, mockery, or irresponsible social media behaviour. The aim should always be support, prevention, and preserving life.
What role should mosques and Imams play?
Mosques should be places of mercy, guidance, and support.
Imams are often among the first people approached during periods of crisis. While they are not expected to replace trained mental health professionals, they can still play a hugely important role by:
- Challenging stigma
- Encouraging people to seek help
- Speaking tactfully about mental health
- Creating safer community conversations
- Supporting affected families
- Working responsibly alongside professionals and services
Why are young Muslims particularly vulnerable today?
Young Muslims are growing up in an environment that can feel overwhelming.
Many face pressures linked to identity, belonging, social media comparison, online addiction, bullying, family expectations, racism, loneliness, and uncertainty about the future. Some also struggle with fractured family relationships or exposure to harmful content online from an early age.
At the same time, many young people feel they have nobody they can speak to honestly without fear of anger, dismissal, or misunderstanding. But we need to respond better when people are struggling.
Is the campaign only for people in crisis?
No.
The campaign is also for:
- Parents
- Teachers
- Imams
- Youth workers
- Friends
- Families
- Students
- Community leaders
Suicide prevention is not only about responding during emergencies. It is also about building communities where people feel valued, connected, and supported long before they reach breaking point.
What does the campaign mean by “Hold On”?
It’s about holding on through both emotional and spiritual hardship.
A person experiencing despair often feels as though there is no future left, no escape from pain, and no reason to continue. People can lose sight of hope without hope actually being gone.
In Islam, believers are repeatedly encouraged not to despair of Allah’s mercy. Life can change unexpectedly. Pain can ease. Situations can improve. Support can arrive. Healing can begin gradually, even after very dark periods.
What if somebody feels distant from Allah?
Periods of spiritual distance can happen during emotional hardship.
Some people feel numb during depression. Others feel guilty, ashamed, or spiritually disconnected because of what they are going through. Some begin questioning themselves deeply during suffering.
This does not place somebody beyond Allah’s mercy.
Often, people in pain need gentle encouragement rather than pressure. Faith should become a source of hope and reconnection, not something used to intensify shame.
What if somebody appears outwardly fine?
This is one of the reasons suffering can go unnoticed.
A person may still work, study, socialise, joke, attend gatherings, or appear successful while struggling heavily in private. Not everybody who is suffering will visibly “look depressed”.
Sometimes the people most in need of support are the ones who have become very skilled at hiding their pain.
What support exists in the UK?
For those in the UK, support is available through both emergency and non-emergency services.
If somebody is in immediate danger or at risk of harming themselves, call 999 or attend A&E immediately.
Other support routes include:
- Samaritans — call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day
- NHS mental health services
- Shout — text SHOUT to 85258
- Local GP services
- Community mental health teams
- Qualified Muslim counsellors and therapists
Those outside the UK should seek equivalent local emergency and mental health services within their own country.
What is the wider aim of the Hold On campaign?
If we can save even one life, that would be a success. We need to strengthen our communities and change unhealthy attitudes surrounding mental health within Muslim spaces.
We also want to remind others that:
- emotional suffering should not be hidden in silence,
- seeking help is not weakness,
- communities should respond with mercy,
- and no person should feel abandoned during their darkest moments.
Hopefully, more Muslims will feel able to support one another before things reach crisis point.
A final reminder
If you are struggling right now, please do not isolate yourself.
- Speak to somebody trustworthy.
- Reach out to a professional.
- Call a helpline.
- Contact your GP.
- Tell somebody you are not coping.
Even when pain feels permanent, situations can change in ways we cannot currently imagine.
Your life has value. Your existence matters. And there are people who want to help you through this.
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