Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 in the UK, scheduled from 12 to 18 May, centres on the theme of “Community.” This focus underscores the essential role of social connections in fostering mental well-being. Organised by the Mental Health Foundation, the week aims to highlight how supportive communities can alleviate stress, reduce isolation, and enhance resilience, especially amid challenges like the cost-of-living crisis and rising mental health concerns among young people . Various organisations, including Mental Health UK and Rethink Mental Illness, are promoting initiatives such as storytelling, fundraising, and workplace engagement to encourage collective action and reduce stigma.
In the Islamic tradition, mental health is deeply connected to spiritual, emotional, and social well-being. Islam encourages balance (wasatiyyah) in all aspects of life and promotes practices such as prayer (salah), reflection (tafakkur), and remembrance of God (dhikr) as ways to maintain inner peace and emotional resilience. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) demonstrated compassion and understanding toward those experiencing distress, emphasising the importance of empathy and support within the community. Classical Islamic scholars also wrote about psychological well-being, recognising the interdependence of the mind, body, and soul. Today, many Muslim mental health professionals integrate both faith-based practices and modern therapeutic approaches to address the unique needs of Muslim individuals.
Scroll down for our latest news and current books available at IHRC Bookshop.
Storyreading & Arts for Lebanon: I’m A Cedar Tree with Myriam Francois
Celebrate the strength and heritage of Lebanon with an afternoon filled with art, creativity, and inspiring storyreading with acclaimed broadcaster and journalist, Myriam Francois. Myriam will be reading I’m A Cedar Tree by Fatema Zahra, a captivating journey through time, tracing the story of the majestic Cedrus libani of Lebanon. All profits from the sale of this event will go to IHRC Trust’s Lebanon Appeal.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – price includes a copy of I’m A Cedar Tree
WHEN: Friday, 30 May 2025
TIME: 4pm – 5.30pm BST
WHERE: IHRC Bookshop (202 Preston Road, Wembley, HA9 8PA)
WHO’S INVITED: Kids aged 4-9 (and their grown-ups!)
TICKETS: BOOK HERE
PRICE LIST (each admission includes one copy of I’m a Cedar Tree):
- Single Child Admission: £10
- 2x Children Admission: £15
- 3x Children Admission: £20
- 4+ Children Admission: £25
- Parent/guardian Admission: FREE (parents/guardians must book a ticket to help us manage venue capacity on the day. Children cannot be left unattended.)
Refreshments provided.
Prayer and wudu facilities available.
Email events@ihrc.org for any queries.
Support Muslim PrisonersMuslim prisoners face unique challenges, including maintaining their faith and staying connected to their communities and families during incarceration. The importance of supporting individuals in need, including prisoners, is emphasised in Islamic teachings, encouraging us to show generosity, understanding, and care.
This project focuses on supporting Muslim prisoners by helping them deepen their connection to their faith and community. Through the provision of educational materials and items that facilitate the practice of Islam, we aim to empower individuals to strengthen their spiritual lives even while incarcerated.
It is essential to provide resources and support to Muslim prisoners so they can continue practising their faith and feel connected to the wider community. Offering educational books and materials for religious observance can make a significant difference in their lives.
The packs include items such as prayer mats, hijabs, prayer caps, sweets, perfumes, and other essentials that encourage a sense of identity and connection. Educational materials, including Islamic books and resources, allow prisoners to learn more about their faith, reflect on its teachings, and find inspiration during challenging times. Click below to donate prison packs.
THROWBACK: Author Evening with Andrew Booso: The Book of Wisdoms
2 years ago, we hosted an author evening with Andrew Booso who discussed the English translation of Ibn Ata’illah’s The Book of Wisdoms. This book is a collection of Sufi Aphorisms with a commentary by Shaykh Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari & Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi (translation of the Hikam by Victor Danner, commentary edited by Andrew Booso and Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf). To view the event, click below.
Andrew Booso graduated in Law from the London School of Economics. He is on the Advisory Board of the Al-Salam Institute (Oxford and London, England), and coordinator for academic seminars at Islamic Courses, London. He has edited a number of translated texts associated with the Deoband movement by Ashraf Ali Thanawi, Husain Ahmad Madani, Abdullah Gangohi, Taqi Usmani, Salman Mansurpuri and the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
Below are recommended books that are available at IHRC Bookshop:
The Ascendant Qur’an: An Advanced English Translation of the Meanings of the Qur’an – Muhammad H. al-AsiThe Qur’an is viewed as a form of healing because it provides spiritual comfort, guidance, and reassurance to those facing emotional or mental distress. It is also believed to have physical healing qualities, as its verses are sometimes recited for protection and recovery from illness. A new transliteration of the Holy Qur’an by scholar and Imam, Muhammad al-Asi. Author of the remarkable multi-volume Tafsir series ‘The Ascendant Qur’an’.
This new translation serves as a great companion piece to that work, as well as an informative and lively translation suitable for first time or familiar readers.
Also available in paperback.
The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma – Bessel Van Der Kolk
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk explores how trauma reshapes both the body and brain, affecting memory, emotions, and physical health. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and research, van der Kolk explains how trauma is stored in the body and how traditional talk therapy alone may not be enough for healing. He highlights the importance of body-based therapies—like yoga, EMDR, and neurofeedback—in helping trauma survivors regain control and reconnect with themselves. The book offers both scientific insight and compassionate approaches to understanding and treating trauma.
Mad World: The Politics of Mental Health – Micha Frazer-Carroll
Mental health is a political issue, but we often discuss it as a personal one. How is the current mental health crisis connected to capitalism, racism and other social issues? In a different world, how might we transform the ways that we think about mental health, diagnosis and treatment? These are some of the big questions Micha Frazer-Carroll asks as she reveals mental health to be an urgent political concern that needs deeper understanding beyond today’s ‘awareness-raising’ campaigns.
Exploring the history of asylums and psychiatry; the relationship between disability justice, queer liberation and mental health; art and creativity; prisons and abolition; and alternative models of care; Mad World is a radical and hopeful antidote to pathologisation, gatekeeping and the policing of imagination.
Micha Frazer-Carroll is a columnist at the Independent. Micha has written for Vogue, HuffPost, Huck, gal-dem and Dazed. She was nominated for the Comment Awards’ Fresh New Voice of the Year Award, and the Observer/Anthony Burgess Award for Arts Criticism.
Prophetic Healing: How to Achieve Vibrant, Holistic Health Using the Best of Prophet Muhammad’s Guidance and Modern Science – Saiyad Salahuddin AhmadWhile modern medicine has made tremendous advances, it has over relied on drugs and symptom management without sufficiently addressing the root causes of chronic illness. These causes include dietary, mental, social, lifestyle, environmental and spiritual factors. This book offers a practical and engaging resource to improve
holistic health using the best of Prophet Muhammad’s guidance and modern medicine. Prophet Muhammad’s guidance on healing was unique because it conferred spiritual, mental and physical benefits.
The author beautifully advocates the necessity of implementing this legacy by practicing “integrative healing” to achieve the best of both the modern and the traditional.
Healing With The Medicine Of The Prophet – Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jauziyah
Healing with the medicine of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is the panacea for those in search of good health. It is a magnificient work that is a treasure for every Muslim household. Altough it was written by the author, Ibn Al-Qayyim, over six hundered and fifty year ago, it is an extremely timely work for our generation in which health and natural health care products have become an important aspect of the lives of so many.
The author presents the guidance of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in dealing with variety of health issues, including treatment of the Qur’an and Sunnah are the main sources of Islamic lifestyle, it only stands to reason that they should likewise be referred to in the matters of health as he presents verses of the Qur’an, and statements of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as his main reference in these issues of health and medicines.
The final chapters of this work include an extremely beneficial glossary of remedies, herbs, foods and other natural substances that aid in the journey towards better health. Healing with the medicine of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is an invaluable reference guide for the Muslims of every land and every generation. May Allah bestow His mercy and blessing upon the author, Ibn Al-Qayyim, for surely his work will be cherished throughout time.
Blackout! – Sumayyah Hussein (Author), Majd Massijeh (Illustrator)
Yusuf’s cousin Ahmed is a Syrian refugee. After the death of Ahmed’s father, Yusuf’s parents work hard to bring Ahmed and his mom to Canada. When the paperwork finally goes through and they’re on their way to Toronto, Yusuf is excited! He spends hours making sure everything is perfect for Ahmed’s arrival and plans to teach him all about life in Canada.
But when an ice storm hits during Ahmed’s first night and cuts off power for three whole days, Yusuf realizes that he’s the one with so much to learn. 100% of profits from this book will be going to the Syrian Canadian Foundation‘s mental health and wellness initiative for Syrian newcomers.
A Place of Refuge – Asmaa Hussein
In a series of powerful and thought-provoking essays, Asmaa Hussein draws on her experience maintaining resilience and strength in the face of overwhelming personal hardships.
With moving pieces that address the realities of single parenthood, the challenges of maintaining a healthy private life while living in the public eye, and the effects of old traumas, Hussein makes insightful spiritual connections between her lived experiences and stories from the Quran and sunnah.
Black Skin, White Masks – Frantz Fanon
Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon is a powerful analysis of the psychological effects of colonialism and racism on Black individuals. Writing from his experience as a Black psychiatrist from Martinique, Fanon explores how colonialism imposes a sense of inferiority on colonised people. He examines how Black individuals often internalise racist attitudes and attempt to adopt the language, culture, and values of white colonisers in order to gain acceptance—what he calls “wearing a white mask.” This results in a fractured identity, where self-worth is measured through the lens of a dominant, white culture.
In the book, Fanon combines psychoanalysis, philosophy, and social theory to argue that racism is not just external oppression but deeply affects the psyche of both the oppressed and the oppressor. He critiques how colonial societies structure power through language, education, and culture, perpetuating Black alienation. Ultimately, Fanon calls for a new humanism that transcends race and colonial legacies—a radical transformation that allows for authentic identity and equality. His work remains a foundational text in postcolonial studies, critical race theory, and psychology.
