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In East Africa, there lived a man struggling with depression.

It had been a year and a half of relentless despair.

Every day was harder than the last. Getting out of bed was a challenge; even showering and putting on an outfit seemed to drain all his energy. Leaving the house felt impossible.

Nonetheless, life's challenges continued and grew, leaving him in a situation he felt he had no escape.

In an attempt to find comfort and perhaps offer some to others, he created a WhatsApp group.

Its purpose was simple: to encourage people to share and send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

For a while, this initiative brought him some peace.

But his hardships grew.

His financial struggles intensified to the point where he could no longer afford internet access.

The connection was cut, and with it went his link to the group that was his support system.

On Friday, having hit rock bottom, he made a resolute decision.

Before doing anything drastic, he would give himself over entirely to Allah.

Yearning for relief, he vowed to dedicate the entire day to sending Salawat—blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ.

Locking himself away from the world, he planned only to step out for the Jumu'ah prayer.

He began after Fajr, the pre-dawn prayer.

His heart was tired yet determined, and he immersed himself in remembrance.

After a brief rest, he awoke, ate a small amount, and continued.

By the time he attended Jumu'ah, he had recited Salawat 5,000 times.

He pressed on.

By Asr, his count reached 10,000.

Exhaustion crept in, and he allowed himself a short sleep.

His wife entered the room to bring him some food.

She asked him, a bit irritated, when he had bought this beautiful perfume and how he could even afford it.

He looked at her, surprised. "I haven't bought anything; I haven't even left the room since Jumu'ah."

A beautiful scent of musk and oud filled the air, rich and strong.

The man was confounded but inspired, sensing that this fragrance was not ordinary.

By the time Isha came around, he had reached 15,000 recitations.

The following day, he awoke transformed.

Externally, nothing had changed—his problems hadn't vanished—but internally, he felt revitalized.

Despair was replaced with hope, and clarity sharpened his thoughts.

He found the strength to begin addressing his challenges one by one.

Feeling grateful and uplifted, he committed to continuing this practice.

He didn't pick any specific Salawat he recited; any blessing upon the Prophet ﷺ sufficed.

Before the next Friday arrived, he had reached a staggering total of 100,000.

That week marked a complete transformation of his life.

Opportunities began to surface, and his external circumstances slowly improved.

However, the most important change was internal.

During a nap after Asr on that Friday, he dreamt of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ stood before him, gesturing reassuringly. "Rejoice," he said. "Everything will be fine."

The dream filled him with an enduring peace.

From then on, his heart yearned for these blessed encounters, so he kept up his practice, never decreasing even when his days grew busier.

The visions came intermittently—sometimes every few days, at other times weeks apart—but never more than two weeks passed without one.

Each encounter left him more inspired than before. He started adjusting his entire life because of the love that grew in him and his eagerness to align his life with that of the Noble Prophet ﷺ.

Eventually, his circumstances improved so much that he could perform 'Umrah.

While in the sacred area of the Rawdah in the Prophet's Mosque, he once again fell into a gentle sleep.

In this holy place, he saw the Prophet ﷺ approaching him, adorned in pure white garments, his face radiant with happiness.

Smiling warmly, the Prophet ﷺ conveyed to him the glad tidings that Allah had forgiven all his sins.

At that moment, all the despair and pain he had endured seemed to vanish from his memory, and it felt as though he had stepped into a new life.

Sincere devotion can change our entire lives.

The simple yet powerful act of sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ transformed his despair into hope, his confusion into clarity, and his hardship into ease.

It's a reminder that when we turn towards Allah with complete surrender and trust, doors open in ways we could never imagine.

While this story highlights the transformative impact that sincere devotion had on one individual, we acknowledge that depression is a complex and severe condition affecting people in different ways. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it's also essential to reach out to mental health professionals or trusted individuals for support.

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