The purpose of the blog is to clearly explain the intersecting concepts of Islam and Psychology. And also how Islam and Psychology differ from each other.
What is the last word of Quran? The Quran start from the name of Allah “Bismillah” but it ends with? Who is the message to, it does not say Muslim, it does not say Mohmin then what does it say? It say “For the Jin and Human Being”. That message in there exposes the real truth of what Islam is supposed to be. The problem is not the message, it those who have been let behind to convey that message, us.
Early Contribution of Muslims in Psychology:
Many muslim scientists like Al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Al-Farabi play an important role in the development of psychology.
- Al-Ghazali is the first cause of setting of hospitals and clinic to research and healing.
- Ibn Sina (Avicenna) provided descriptions and treatments for such conditions as insomnia, mania, vertigo, paralysis, stroke, epilepsy, depression, and sexual dysfunction.
- Al-Farabi was the first to disquisition on social psychology.
Islam is Backward?
On the phone you see the vast majority of Muslims today, or such a huge number of Muslims today that are educated. Maybe they’re educated with a bachelor’s, master’s, maybe they’re physicians, but they’re middle class or upper middle class or upper class. You know what the assumption is in so many Muslim minds about Islam and Psychology? That Islam is backwards. And it’s not just Islam. They think religion itself is backwards. We’re living in the modern time, in modern times and as a result of modernity we have to keep up with the times. And Islam is one of those things that is holding us back. Islam is not dealing with things that are happening right now.
Power of Practical Islamic Education
When we create practical Islamic (Islam and Psychology) education that deals with realities of our time, then we are able to display in the most intellectual fashion that Islam in fact doesn’t just deal with the situations of our time, the needs of our time, the criteria, you know, the areas of inquiry of our time, but actually has solutions in these areas that haven’t yet even been discovered. It has things to offer the world of psychology that the world of psychology has never known. They have never known. Islamic psychology can revolutionize how psychology is studied. It can completely revolutionize it.
Human beings are flawed
Modern psychology studies begins with the assumption that human beings are flawed, that they have to be fixed, they’re just flawed. And from Freud onwards, we’re messed up and we have to get un messed up. So whether it’s by means of pills or therapy, whether it’s cognitive or medical, clinical psych, you have to undo the mess that you are.
You’re flawless (Fitra)
Islam begins with the premise that you are flawless. You start with Fitra and then there were corruptions that came in. You have to, if you can undo the corruptions, there’s something good at the bottom, there’s something pure, there’s something great at the essence of the human being. Is our approach going to be completely different as Muslim psychologists? Yeah, it’s going to be totally different.
The nature of Allah upon which he has set people
Al-Quran (30:30)
No child is born but that he is upon natural instinct. His parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or Magian. As an animal delivers a child with limbs intact, do you detect any flaws?
Hadith
Desire, Control, Happiness
Islamic psychology says your whims, your desires, what you wish for, what you want, Allah put that in you, but you have to control it in order to achieve happiness. If you let your desires control you, you will be miserable. In this world and in the Hereafter,
And among the people there is he who sells himself for the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is kind to His worshippers.
Al-Quran 2:207
Do what you feel good
Modern psychology says, do what feels good, do what feels good. That’s what they’ll tell you, what makes you feel comfortable. That must be the judge of what is right for you. Because what is right for you is not what’s right for me. Everybody has their own what’s right for you. Based on what? Your whim, your personal desire? Does Islam have something else to offer, even on the psychological side? Absolutely. We have a completely different worldview to offer and it can really help people. This religion came to help humanity, right? So we are going to be able to give the highest levels of education in Islam if we address the foundations. This is the few things that I wanted to share with you about the renaissance in Islam.
Comments on Islam and Psychology
- I’m a Muslim and a neuropsychologist myself. And I just want to say thank you’ we really need people like you explaining this important topics. Because we have Muslims who refuse to get psychology therapy when they need because they think it’s haram, and you have the total opposite ones who use random videos found on the net to explain their feelings instead of getting therapy and returning To God. Baraka Allahu Fik!
- Thank you for explaining this topic. I’m a Psychologist. I agree with you about “we should put allah on everything”. I think as Muslims we are in the high time to create a new therapy based on Islamic perspectives.
Conclusion
Hope the purpose of blog about the discussion of Islam and Psychology is well described. Islam starts from the name of Allah and ends with the discussion of Human and Jin development. Most of the concept of Islam and Psychology are intersecting with each other but there is a myth that the society has develop itself that Islam is backward. Islam and Psychology are not different things. Instead there a lot of things that psychology has not introduced but the are present by Islam in Quran. Please describe your thoughts in comments section about Islam and Psychology.