Community Forum

God removed him from his kingdom to live with the animals for seven years, after which the merciful God restored his senses and he praised the Most High - Daniel 4:34: "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High..."

As soon as he acknowledged the Most High, the glory of his kingdom was restored (Daniel 4:36). Romans 1:28 says because some chose not to retain God in their knowledge, He gave them over to a reprobate mind; when people refuse to acknowledge God's authority they act like animals or worse.

"Beloved, acknowledge God in all your ways and shun pride." Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The man who came out with the cutlass looked at me briefly, before behaving as if he had come out to do something else nearby with the cutlass.

I stayed for a little while before heading elsewhere as usual, while the man was still somewhere close by. I don't know what the exact intention of the man was, but even if it was intended to scare me and make me run, it didn't work, because I wasn't moved and continued preaching until I left.

God bless. (In follow-up posts the OP recalls a similar incident from about 25 years earlier - people he supposed were Fulani/Hausa Muslims throwing stones at him from inside a compound while he preached by the gate; and an encounter with an occultist at a bus park who trembled when the OP made a harmless gesture towards his New Testament Bible - and reflects that this is the kind of boldness the Holy Spirit gives, the same boldness that made the disciples who once denied Jesus and fled preach the Gospel boldly even in the face of death.)

Trying to claim these things can never happen to Christians only makes it harder to win outsiders over; truth does not need embellishment. The rain that beats against the house of the righteous also beats against the house of the evil one, but the righteous survive to tell the story; if the person dies, God knows why - it is not everything He reveals, so we must submit to Him always, like Abraham who did not understand why God demanded the death of the son He had given him.

Good people in the Bible suffered evil too - supremely Jesus (Hebrews 4:15; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:58), who was born in a manger and had no house while doing good. His death on the cross was to bring us back to God - not to save us from the evil, pain and suffering introduced when Adam sinned.

His disciples and apostles suffered and mostly died at the hands of evil men. The wind that rose against the ship did not care that the Lord was in it (Mark 4:38-39), yet the righteous will survive and tell the story. [Essay continues in the thread.]

Amen." If you said the prayer above, attend a good church, read your bible everyday and pray everyday. (OP follow-up: It is better to repent when you have the chance.)

"What the LORD Almighty has spoken will not return to HIM void."

She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves." - Genesis 3:6-7

(2) Seeking help from native doctors, marabouts or traditional healers: Islam encourages lawful means of healing, but seeking help from sources involving shirk, magic or superstition is strictly prohibited; the Prophet said, "Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights" (Sahih Muslim).

(3) Balancing family and social relations: Muslims should respect people of other faiths and maintain good relations, but this does not extend to participating in their rituals; "Whoever harms a dhimmi...

I am his opponent on the Day of Judgment" (Abu Dawood). (4) Practical advice: seek treatment from qualified professionals, rely on du'a and ruqyah, avoid magic and superstition, educate family gently.

(5) Being just toward non-Muslim family members: "Allah does not forbid you from being righteous and just toward those who have not fought you because of religion..." (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8). Islam calls for clear boundaries in worship and reliance on Allah alone.

Mental health, socioeconomic conditions, cultural traditions, societal norms, religious beliefs and individual experiences all influence how people understand psychological distress.

Mental health challenges are not foreign to African or Muslim societies - depression, anxiety, psychosis and trauma exist - alongside phenomena such as jinn and sihr; the important distinction is between the existence of experiences and the interpretation given to them.

Socioeconomically, when someone struggles to afford food, rent or school fees, professional psychological help seems a luxury, and the only identified problem becomes lack of money.

Culturally, we talk: seeking guidance from elders, religious leaders, close friends is already tradition; a person may not say "I am experiencing depression" but "my mind is always troubled" - absence of clinical terminology is not absence of awareness or help-seeking.

Social structures also cushion isolation: married women discuss distress with peers and elders, and almost every man belongs to peer groups where personal difficulties are aired - not formal therapy, but real support.

On Islam: belief in Allah and Qadr (divine decree) can be misconceived to mean there is no need to act, but that is not the Islamic understanding of taking means.

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Seek that which benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not give up" (Sahih Muslim 2664). There is no contradiction between making du'a and seeing a psychologist; a Muslim can believe Allah is the ultimate source of healing while professional help is one of the means through which healing occurs.

a quranic revelation approved it; (2) after praying toward Jerusalem failed to win over the Jews, Muhammad wished to turn toward the Kaaba and Allah obliged - hence Mecca to this day; (3) Muslims were capped at four wives but Muhammad got a wildcard for 11, plus sexual slavery approved;

(4) he was given the go-ahead to attack caravans, which the OP calls a root of banditry and terrorism; (5) the daily prayers were reduced from 50 to 5 because Muhammad was uncomfortable; (6) when commanded to read he said he could not, and Allah left him alone.

The OP adds that the shahada requires accepting Muhammad as messenger alongside Allah, conflicting with the claim that Islam had other prophets before him, and concludes: if you submit to Allah you invariably submit to Muhammad - so in Islam, who do Muslims submit to between Muhammad and Allah?