A Critical Analysis of Selected Literature on Islamic Psychology: The Qur’anic Understanding of Human Nature and Its Relevance to Contemporary Psychology

Abstract

Psychology as we know it today is a recent discipline, but the Quran provides answers to several basic questions about man’s essence, morality, his internal struggles, self-reflection, hope and his well-being from a complete religious perspective. Therefore these subjects provide an important base to examine the relation between the Islamic intellectual tradition and contemporary psychological inquiry. This paper will be a critical examination of some selected classical and contemporary writings on Islam and psychology. The focus of this paper will be on four Quranic terms that have been interpreted as being related to psychology: Nafs (Self), Qalb (Heart), Ruh (Spirit) and Aql (Intellect/Reason). This paper will argue that the Quran’s view of man goes beyond a description of his behavior or mental process and deals with what makes up the spirit of man, how he is responsible morally, and the purpose of man’s existence. The paper will explore potential relationships between Quranic teachings and current psychological theories of self-control, emotional control, reflection, hope, and individual agency. Finally, the paper will discuss how classical Islamic scholars and contemporary authors have contributed to the developing field of Islamic Psychology. Through the above discussion, the paper has identified a continued need for clear definition when comparing Quranic expressions with modern psychological terminology. To address this need, the paper will present a Qur’anic-Psychological Analytical Framework to assist researchers in transitioning from textual interpretations to the formation of researchable psychological questions. The framework will distinguish the meaning of Quranic expressions from possible psychological interpretations and identify empirical data that would be needed to test those psychological interpretations. Finally, the paper will conclude that Islamic Psychology could contribute significantly academically through utilizing its own intellectual bases while providing a critical engagement with contemporary research rather than viewing the Quranic anthropological constructs from a modern psychological perspective.