Omar Suleiman - Consuming Too Much Bad News and the Danger of Despair

Omar SuleimanApril 1, 20200 comments

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Mental Health Fitna Media Social Media Despair

About this lecture

In this Friday message, Sheikh Omar Suleiman reflects on the spiritual and psychological dangers of overconsumption of bad news, drawing on Quranic wisdom, hadith, and the example of the Prophet ﷺ to show how Allah Himself has protected us from an overload of distressing information. He explores the essential Islamic balance between hope and fear, using the story of the Prophet ﷺ being told by Allah not to cause His servants to despair, and applies these lessons to how believers should remain engaged, compassionate, and active in the face of overwhelming world events. The lecture offers a timely reminder that awareness without despair — and action without delusion — is the prophetic way forward.

Dr. Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University. Born in New Orleans to Palestinian parents, he began traditional Islamic study in 2000, spending years learning in the UAE, Jordan, and Malaysia, and completed a PhD in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia. He served as Imam of the Jefferson Muslim Association in New Orleans, where he led interfaith rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina, and is now resident scholar of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, Texas, and Co-Chair Emeritus of Faith Forward Dallas. One of the most influential Muslim figures in America, he is known for his Ramadan series, civil rights activism, and prolific scholarship bridging tradition and contemporary life.

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