Will the Person Who is Suffering from Depression be Held Accountable for What He Says?
Question

                If a person has depression and psychological problems as a result of the pressures of life, will he be held accountable for what he says to himself, not out loud in front of people; rather he talks to himself under his breath and that may include – Allah forbid – reviling the divine decree and saying bad things about the Most Merciful, even if he regrets what he said later on but he cannot cope with the pressure?
Praise be to Allah.
	By the mercy of Allah, may He be 
	exalted, he does not bring a person to account for whispers in the heart (waswas) 
	and passing thoughts, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
	him) said: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will forgive my ummah 
	(followers) for whatever crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon 
	it or speak of it.”
	Narrated by al-Bukhari (5269) 
	and Muslim (127). 

	If the one who is suffering from 
	depression and the like thinks to himself of kufr (disbelief) or sin, he 
	will not be brought to account for that on condition that he does not utter 
	it or act upon it. 

	If we assume that this sick 
	person uttered what was on his mind under the pressure of his illness or of 
	the whispers in his heart in the sense that he was overcome and could not 
	help it, and these words came out of him without him intending that, then he 
	will not be brought to account for that, because he did not intend to say it 
	out loud. 

	Al-Bukhari wrote a chapter in 
	his Saheeh entitled: Divorce given in a state of anger, under 
	compulsion or under the effect of intoxicants or insanity; the verdict about 
	them; mistakes and forgetfulness in issuing a divorce or (uttering the words 
	of) shirk (disbelief) and so on, because of the words of the Prophet 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Actions are but by intentions, 
	and each man will have but that which he intended”; Ash-Sha‘bi recited (the 
	verse meaning) Punish us not if we forget or fall into error [al-Baqarah 
	2:286]; what is not valid of the confession of one who is affected by 
	whispers in his heart; the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
	him) said to the one who confessed against himself, “Are you insane?”; 
	‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir said: The divorce of one who is affected by whispers in the 
	heart is not valid. End quote. 

	Al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may 
	Allah have mercy on him) said: If one who is affected by whispers in the 
	heart utters the word of divorce, it is not valid if he did not intend to do 
	that, because these words may be uttered by one who is affected by whispers 
	in the heart without him intending to do that or wanting to do it; rather he 
	is compelled to do that and cannot help it because of the strength of the 
	force and the weakness of his resistance. The Prophet (blessings and peace 
	of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no divorce in the case of compulsion.” 
	So the divorce does not count as such if he did not really have the 
	intention to do that with peace of mind concerning it. This is something 
	that he may be compelled to do without intending it or choosing to do it, so 
	it does not count as a divorce. End quote from Fatawa Islamiyyah, 
	3/277 

	This explanation given by the 
	Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) is also applicable in the case of one 
	who is suffering from depression. If he says something when he is compelled, 
	without intending or wanting to, then he will not be brought to account for 
	it. 

	But the one who is affected in 
	that way should try to treat the problem and rid himself of distress and 
	anxiety; he should think about the blessings that Allah, may He be exalted, 
	has bestowed upon him so that gratitude will take hold in his heart and 
	cause him to be steadfastly content with what Allah decrees; this will save 
	him from being angry with his Lord for there is no slave but Allah has 
	granted him innumerable blessings with regard to his spiritual and physical 
	health, his family and other matters. 

	But if he did know what he was 
	saying and intended it, but he thought that that would bring him relief, or 
	he was heedless in some of what he said, (then the matter is different) just 
	as there are texts that speak of a stern warning concerning women who wail 
	(in mourning), even though that is something that usually happens at times 
	of extreme grief. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) 
	warned against uttering words that incur the wrath of Allah at times of 
	calamity. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when his son 
	Ibraheem died: “The eyes weep and the heart grieves, but we do not say 
	anything but that which pleases our Lord.”Narrated by al-Bukhari 
	(1303) and Muslim (2315). 

	According to a report narrated 
	by Ibn Majah (1589), he said: “…but we do not say anything that angers the 
	Lord.” 

	It should be noted that getting 
	angry will not benefit him or remove his distress; rather what will benefit 
	him is patience and seeking reward with Allah, as the Prophet (blessings and 
	peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The greatest reward comes with the 
	greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts 
	that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.”

	Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2396) 
	and Ibn Majah (4031). Classed as saheeh (authentic) by al-Albani in 
	Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.  

	See also the answer to question 
	no. 
	
	118325

	And Allah knows best.