This finding has been eye-opening for Muslims across the world and has motivated many Muslim leaders and institutions to address the topic of suicide in Muslim communities.
The Suicide Response Training increases the capacity of religious and community leaders to address suicide within our communities. This training is a unique learning opportunity for Muslim Religious and Community Leaders to learn about suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
Dr. Rania Awaad M.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab, Associate Chief of the Division of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences, and Co-Chief of the Diversity and Cultural Mental Health Section. She is also the Co-Founder and President of Maristan, a non-profit organization dedicated to reviving the Islamic heritage of holistic wellbeing. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Yaqeen Institute and ISPU. In addition, she serves as the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. She has previously served as the founding Clinical Director of the Khalil Center-San Francisco as well as a Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law and other branches of the Islamic Sciences.
Dr. Sadiya Dhanani is a Resident Physician in Stanford’s Psychiatry Residency Program. She is currently in her last year of training as an Adult Psychiatrist and will be doing a two-year fellowship at Stanford in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry beginning in July 2023. She has particular interests in Muslim mental health and Islamic psychology, psychotherapy, cultural psychiatry, anxiety disorders, and identity-based trauma in the Muslim community and first- and second-generation immigrants. She serves as a Psychiatric Consultant for Stanford’s Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab and has worked on a number of publications, trainings, and projects alongside Dr. Rania Awaad.
Dr. Dhanani has additionally completed a one-year intensive Quranic Arabic program and has spent time studying the Islamic sciences. She intends to continue her Quranic and Islamic Studies education in the future alongside her medical career.
If you’re interested in bringing Maristan’s Suicide Response Training to your community, please fill out this short intake form and our team will follow up with you. Need more info? Email education@maristan.org.
By submitting this form, you agree to receive the full Suicide Prevention Khutbah and occasional email updates from Maristan.
This khutbah was written by Sheikh Hosam Helal in partnership with Maristan and the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. It provides guidance for imams and khateebs on addressing suicide with compassion, dignity, and faith.
Please note: This khutbah is intended as a resource and is not a replacement for professional mental health counseling.
