Last month, Dr. Anara Naeem, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Makunudhoo constituency representing Adhaalath Party, published a book titled "Fikuruboduvumaai Ekamuge Hahlu" (loosely translated as "Worrying and its Solution"), taking readers on a journey of how to easily, calmly, and peacefully achieve psychological well-being through the application of principles of the Islamic faith.
The 72-page book, written in Maldivian native language, Dhivehi, is sold for MVR 150, and is rated 15+ (for children above 15 years of age) by the National Bureau of Classification, and was inspired as an answer to addressing the various mental challenges faced by Maldivians during the pandemic lockdown, according to Anara, who has a PhD from the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM), alongside a Masters degree from Maldives National University (MNU), and a First Degree from Qatar University.
Hailing from Kelaa island in Haa Alif atoll, since 2007, Anara has been involved in providing Islamic counseling, giving sermons, disseminating Islamic information through radio, television and social media, in addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, and authoring books on various topics.
In a summary in the book, Anara writes that she started work on the book on 19 September 2020, 6 months after Covid-19 broke out in Maldives, upon getting feedback that made her realize the various family issues and psychological problems that erupted with the lockdown.
She writes that while "overthinking" was the main issue facing people during the pandemic, she also wanted to address the problem of "worrying" - through the application of psychological wellness via Islamic principles.
She cites various verses from Islam's holy scripture, the Quran, and Hadith, the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) that provide encouragement to the Muslim faithful to design their lives in a manner that accommodates patience in trying times and promotes gratitude for Allah's various provisions ("Rizq").
Thus, this book is definitely a must-read for Maldivians who suffer from overthinking and worrying, who would prefer to understand and heal their mental condition through the help, instruction and advice available for Maldivians through the education and enlightenment of themselves in journeying towards psychological peace through the implementation of Islamic principles in their lives.
I get slightly nauseated at the thought of reading books written by authors with honorific titles like Dr, Al Ustaz etc.
ReplyDeleteSome books I have from authors like Noam Chomsky, Danny Kahneman, Richard Dawkins etc just mention their names on the cover of their books. No honorifics.
Another book ‘A Brief History of Time’ has been there on the shelf next to my bed for years. The author’s name is mentioned as Stephen Hawking. 😊
What! Not 'Professor' Stephen Hawking? What would the world come to if we Maldivians didn't have our own 'Professor' Hassan Ugail and the like!
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