Modern science confirms that gardening and green spaces are powerful tools for improving mental health. Activities like gardening reduce stress, alleviate depression, and enhance psychological well-being. Horticultural therapy is now widely used as a treatment for mental health conditions.
Scientific FindingsA 2016 meta-analysis showed that exposure to gardens increases life satisfaction, reduces fatigue, and helps manage symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Quranic InsightOver 1400 years ago, the Quran linked gardens to joy:
Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down rain for you from the sky, by which We cause delightful gardens to grow? You could never cause their trees to grow. Was it another god besides Allah?” Absolutely not! But they are a people who set up equals ˹to Allah˺!27:60
The word "bahjat" (بَهْجَةٍ) translates to joy, emphasizing the uplifting effects of gardens—an understanding only recently echoed by science.
