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Dear noble scholar,

We value your knowledge in the sacred sciences and we defer to your wisdom in matters of religion.

But just as you ask us not to stray into your field and speak without knowledge, can we likewise ask you to stop straying into fields you plainly know nothing about.

Dear noble scholar, depression does not mean feeling sad or down. It is a mental health disorder, that often defies the logic of our simplistic faith-based prescriptions.

Many Muslims suffer from depression, but it is not because their faith is lacking or deficient. You would not speak about a physical illness in this way; indeed I suspect you would think better than to comment at all, referring the patient to a qualified medical professional instead.

Isn’t it rather ironic that our common argument in favour of following scholars is the analogy of going to a doctor to diagnose our symptoms, when here we are ignoring medical expertise to dispense healthcare advice directly in a wholly unqualified manner?

You are a wise and learned sage. We respect you immensely. We value your learning. But these continual forays into areas outside your field demean you. There is no harm in saying, “I defer to the experts in this field.”

But Allah knows best.

Yours etc etc