3. Social factors

It helps to have someone close to you, whom you trust and to whom you feel free to talk about your problems and share your feelings. Being surrounded by a happy, loving and caring environment, whether at home, in the neighbourhood or at work, increases the ability to cope with stress. Prophet Muhammad (~) said: «The believers are to each other like a solid building, they strengthen each other.» 7 Conversely, living in a hostile environment, feeling out of place, rejected or lonely increases stress. Another important source of tension, for individuals as well as the family and the whole society, is poverty. 8 Long-term exposure to difficult circumstances like a stressful social situation, insecure working conditions, inadequate shelter, and financial worries compound otherwise ordinary problems. 9 Furthermore, studies indicate a strong relationship between low socioeconomic status and poor health conditions, family disunity and unhappiness. Knowing this, we can understand the wisdom behind this supplication taught to us by the Prophet (~), to be repeated three times every morning and evening: «0 Allah! I seek refuge with You from the trials of poverty (Allahumma a' oodhu bika min fitnat ilqabr).» 10 Sometimes, poverty causes such stress that it may lead to disbelief in Allah's Mercy and Justice if not dealt with properly emotionally and psychologically as well as on the social level. Are we dealing properly with our stress? C);'t(en you are subjected to stress, there are two types of responses occurring inside your body: involuntary cellular and hormonal reactions (physiological response) and your conscious reaction to the stressful experience, which is manifested in your 7 Muslim. 8 Landrine & Klonoff, 200 l. 9 Alder, 2001. 10 Al-Bukhari. mental or emotional state and your coping attitude (cognitive response) 11 .