How To Deal With Overthinking in Islam

Overthinking in Islam

Overthinking is a mental habit where you think about something constantly. If you get used to this bad habit, you’ll second-guess everything you do.

You may begin to develop anxiety and stress because you think everything you do is wrong, or it might offend someone, or it might not be the right thing to do.

But what you need to remember is that the habit of overthinking can be stopped. No matter how much you think the habit has taken over your life.

Remember, YOU create the habit. The habit doesn’t control you.

In the following points, you’ll find out what overthinking in Islam is, actual steps you can take to overcome overthinking, and useful Islamic terms that will guide you in your journey for removing or lessening the burden of this mental habit.

Comparing yourself to others is another negative mental habit that needs to be broken – find out how here.

1. Understand your actions in the past, present and future

The past and future are things out of your control. The present is in your control.

However, the present also affects what could possibly happen in your future too.

So, move on from the past and focus on your present and future. Make decisions now that will positively affect your current life as well as your future.

What is in your future is way more important – I’m not talking about worldly life but, the Hereafter where you will stand before Allah and be questioned about all of your actions in the dunya.

The past is done now, there’s nothing you can do about it. The best thing to do is to learn from past situations, seek forgiveness from Allah, seek forgiveness from people you have wronged and move on.

If you’re overthinking about hurting someone’s feelings accidentally, just speak to them. Swallow your pride and apologize. Have a conversation so you can move on with life.

Focus on bettering yourself now so you have a better future in your worldly life, but more importantly, in your afterlife.

2. Be grateful for what you have

Muhammad SAW said that if a person wakes up healthy, is safe and has his daily food, it is as if they have all of the blessings of the Dunya gathered for them. (1)

There are ups and downs in life. In everyone’s lives.

Even someone who you think has it all – houses, money, cars, family, friends – will have problems too.

The conditions in Palestine are dire, and are just getting worse and worse. Yet, they have put their entire trust in Allah. If you have seen any videos of Palestinians in Gaza, you will hear that they repeat ‘Alhamdulillah’ (All Praise is Due to Allah).

On the other hand, you see celebrities who seem like they have everything getting checked into rehab or having outbursts in public.

And in a less extreme situation, you may even know someone who has many physical assets but is struggling with mental health issues, family problems etc.

We are all afflicted with tests in the dunya whether we are rich or poor, higher class or lower class, Black or White.

Allah doesn’t test us because He wants to punish us. It is because He wants to push us to do better, to earn more good deeds so we can get closer to attaining Jannah and reaching a high rank in Jannah.

Be grateful for what you have and have had. Don’t diminish what problem you’re overthinking about and get frustrated that you are overthinking about something when others have much worse problems to deal with.

We all cope and manage in different ways. Thinking about what we are grateful for is a great way to focus on the positives and make the problem you’re overthinking about less stressful and more manageable.

3. Trust Allah completely

Do your best to alleviate the problem you’re dealing with. If after that, you’re still not finding a way and still overthinking about it, trust and leave everything with Allah. To be honest, you should be trusting Allah from the beginning before you’ve even tried anything.

When the problem occurs and when you’re dealing with it, Allah is always there watching over you.

From the very beginning, trust Allah with all your affairs and rely on Him. Believe that no matter the outcome, He will do the best for you because He wants the best for you.

Have no expectations of what the outcome should be. Accept Allah’s decree whatever it ends up being.

Prophet Muhammad SAW said that if a person wakes up in the night and his greatest concern is to do with the dunya, Allah will place poverty between his eyes. (2)

Allah won’t give us tests in this life if we aren’t able to pass them.

Remember ‘Allahu Akbar’ – that Allah is greater than any and everything.

Think about that as you try to overcome this issue you’re dealing with. Remember Allah whenever you’re dealing with this problem, and minimize your fear of it by remembering His Greatness.

The trials of this worlds are small compared to what awaits later. So be strong, remember Allah, don’t overthink about it and deal with it head on!

Related:

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How To Repent Our Sins (Including a Step-by-Step Guide)

How To Build A Connection With Allah SWT

How To Learn The 99 Names Of Allah

How to Balance Deen and Dunya

4. Tawakkul & Divine Decree (Overthinking in Islam)

Tawakkul

Tawakkul means having trust in Allah and relying on him for all of your affairs. It is the belief that He will do the best for you and is watching over you at ALL times.

One way I think about overthinking in Islam is to think of your life as a book. In a story, the main character needs to learn a few lessons before they reach their final goal in the end. They don’t know how they will reach that goal but they try their best. But, ultimately what happens is out of their control.

This is how life is as well. Except our Creator wants the best possible outcome for us and will give us trials and tests to become a better person.

The point is to follow Allah’s plan and to understand that what happens is meant to happen and is in accordance with His plan – better than your plan, better than your Mum’s plan. It is the best plan of all.

Having Tawakkul will bring you peace and tranquillity as you rely upon Allah to sort things out for you, and Allah loves the people who trust Him.

Divine Decree

To believe in Al Qadr (The Divine Decree) is to understand that the thing that didn’t happen was not meant for you, and that what is meant for you will absolutely happen. (1)

For example, you may have not been able to pass your driving test and it’s been like the seventh time. It’s really frustrating and you’re spending a lot of money re-booking and re-booking.

Or, overspending has left you with hardly any savings, and you really need that money now. You don’t know who to turn to or what to do – how do you create money out of thin air??

Believing in the Divine Decree will help you to stop overthinking as you realise that whatever happens in your life is MEANT to happen.

These trials are part of your ‘character-building.’ It is hard in the moment but years later you will look back and see all the lessons from it, and how you grew from the situation.

5. Overthinking builds scenarios in your head that weren’t meant for you/ may not be true

Overthinking in Islam is discouraged as it causes you to question your decisions, and even worse, the decisions of Allah SWT.

Muhammad SAW said that repeating the word ‘if’ (لو) constantly and overthinking and over analysing situations over and over opens up the doors of Shaitaan. (1)

So, do not overthink on scenarios with the words ‘if only,’ This only leads to more and more ‘ifs’ until you’re drowning in these scenarios that were never meant for you and losing your Iman in the process.

And remember, you are only imagining these scenarios. If you’re overthinking about someone else’s intentions, how can you know that your thoughts are true? You’re not in their head, you don’t know how they really think. Just like they don’t know how you think.

Even if you could go back and change things, what’s to say you’ll get the exact outcome you wanted? And even if that outcome happened, what if it’s actually bad for you in the future?

You don’t know the answers to all these questions, but Allah, اَلْعَلِيْمُ (Al-‘Aleem), The All-Knowing, does know.

Allah knows best, so trust Him.

What happened was supposed to happen.

Repeat that with me.

What happened was supposed to happen. What didn’t happen was not for me.

The best thing to do is to have complete reliance upon Allah SWT. He is the most important and most powerful therapist in your life. Raise your hands, make Dua and talk to Him rather than overthinking about things that weren’t meant for you in the first place.

6. Distract yourself

If you don’t know how to deal with the problem you’re overthinking about, have tried dealing with it, can’t find a solution and have left it with Allah but you’re still overthinking about it, distract yourself.

See your family and friends, and work on hobbies that stop you from fixating on this problem.

This isn’t about avoiding the issue but making productive use of your time when that issue is starting to consume your life.

Remember, eventually this time will pass and it will not matter anymore. It will just be a lesson that you’re grateful happened later on.

So, rather than looking back and thinking ‘wow, I really wasted all this time moping around about an issue that doesn’t mean anything to me anymore, or actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought,’ get up and use your time well!

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7. Speak to someone who can be objective about it

Another great way to avoid overthinking is to speak to someone you trust who can give an objective opinion.

Sometimes, what you’re overthinking about isn’t actually that big or bad, and getting advice from someone who has no connection to it can help you re-assess and re-evaluate.

8. Turn to Islam (Overthinking in Islam)

If you’re not consistent with your prayers or don’t make Dua to Allah SWT very often, begin!

Work on your prayers, read the Qu’ran, pray Tahajjud, pray Istikharah etc.

I guarantee you that by turning back to your Deen, working on it and asking Allah for help, Allah SWT, الْهَادِي (Al-Haadi), The Guide, will guide you and help you with the thing you are overthinking about.

KEY POINTS – Overthinking in Islam:

Overthinking is a mental habit where you think about a specific thing over and over again.
The past and future are things out of your control. The present is in your control.
What is in your future is way more important – I’m not talking about worldly life but, the Hereafter where you will stand before Allah and be questioned about all of your actions in the Dunya.
Thinking about what we are grateful for is a great way to focus on the positives and make the problem you’re overthinking about less stressful and more manageable.
From the very beginning, trust Allah with all your affairs and rely on Him. Believe that no matter the outcome, He will do the best for you because He wants the best for you.
Having Tawakkul will bring you peace and tranquility as you rely upon Allah to sort things out for you, and Allah loves the people who trust Him.
To believe in Al Qadr (The Divine Decree) is to understand that the thing that didn’t happen was not meant for you, and that what is meant for you will absolutely happen.
Muhammad SAW said that repeating the word ‘if’ (لو) constantly and over analysing situations over and over opens up the doors of Shaitaan.
If you don’t know how to deal with the problem you’re overthinking about, have tried dealing with it, can’t find a solution and have left it with Allah but you’re still overthinking about it, distract yourself.
Sometimes, what you’re overthinking about isn’t actually that big or bad, and getting advice from someone who has no connection to it can help you re-assess and re-evaluate.
I guarantee you that by turning back to your Deen, working on it and asking Allah for help, Allah SWT, الْهَادِي (Al-Haadi), The Guide, will guide you and help you with the thing you are overthinking about.