When the 'Lion' Nests in Your Head: Reading Modern Stress Through the Lens of Islamic Economics

In his book ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’, Robert Sapolsky begins his discussion with a very simple illustration. A zebra that manages to escape the chase of a lion will return to grazing moments later as if nothing had happened, even though it was just in a life-or-death struggle. Its body indeed experienced a very high level of stress, but only for as long as the threat was present. Once the danger passed, its system returned to normal and it continued its activity of eating the available grass.

Humans, however, often do the opposite. Threats that have actually passed, or have not even occurred yet, are kept in the mind. Worries about work, instalments, investments, the future of one’s children, or the judgement of others are replayed over and over. As a result, the body continues to produce stress hormones as if the lion is still in pursuit.

This phenomenon is particularly interesting when examined through the perspective of Islamic economics. Modern economics often places humans as the central controller of all outcomes. The greater the uncertainty, the stronger the urge to control everything. Ironically, the desire to control things beyond human capacity becomes a never-ending source of anxiety.

In contrast, Islamic economics is built on a very fundamental principle: effort (ikhtiar) and reliance on God (tawakal). Ikhtiar is the human obligation to work, plan, manage risk, save, invest in a halal manner, and fulfil trusts. However, after all of this has been done optimally, the final outcome is surrendered to Allah SWT.

This is where the fundamental difference lies. Tawakal is not a passive attitude that rejects planning, but rather a spiritual mechanism that stops anxiety when the limits of human effort have been reached. The Qur’an reminds us: ‘And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him.’ (QS. At-Talaq: 3). This verse is not a guarantee that every desire will be fulfilled exactly as hoped. What is promised is ‘kifayah’ (sufficiency), a state where Allah provides what a servant truly needs, even if the form is not the same as what was desired.

In daily economic practice, many financial decisions are born from ‘imaginary lions’. There are those who continue to hoard wealth out of fear of poverty, even though their living needs have been met. There are those who take on consumer debt to maintain social prestige. There are also those tempted by high-risk investments because of the fear of missing out.

From the perspective of Islamic economics, such behaviour is not merely a financial issue, but a matter of how one views sustenance (rezeki). Sustenance is perceived as something that must be fully secured by human effort alone, rather than as a blessing from God obtained through halal and trustworthy endeavour.

Sapolsky tried to explain that chronic stress erodes physical and mental health. Islam goes a step further by offering a spiritual foundation so that stress does not become a lifestyle. The Prophet Muhammad SAW taught a prayer seeking protection from ‘al-hamm’ (anxiety about the future), ‘al-hazan’ (sadness over the past), the burden of debt, and the oppression of others. This demonstrates that Islam acknowledges anxiety as a human reality, but does not allow it to dominate one’s life.