Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy, Psychiatry

[Abu Hamza Deccani]

Here's something from Harun Yahya's site...

Psychology: The Collapse of Freudianism and
the Acceptance of Faith

The representative of nineteenth-century atheism in psychology was the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). He proposed a psychological theory that rejected the soul's existence and tried to explain humanity's whole spiritual world in terms of sexual and similar hedonistic motivations. But Freud's greatest assault was against religion. In his The Future of an Illusion, originally published in 1927, Freud proposed that religious faith was a kind of mental illness (neurosis) that would disappear completely as humanity progressed. Due to the primitive scientific conditions of the time, his theory was proposed without either the requisite research and investigation or any scholarly literature or possibility of comparison. Therefore, its claims were extremely deficient.


Sigmund Freud, an avowed atheist, regarded religious faith as a kind of mental illness. This unscientific claim was disproved by the developing science of psychology itself.
After Freud, psychology developed on an atheist foundation. Moreover, the founders of other schools of psychology were passionate atheists. Two of these were B. F. Skinner (1904-90), founder of the behaviorist school, and Albert Ellis (1913- ), founder of rational-emotive therapy. The world of psychology gradually became the forum for atheism. A 1972 poll among the members of the American Psychological Association revealed that only 1.1 percent of psychologists in the country had any religious beliefs.25

But most psychologists who fell into this great deception were undone by their own psychological investigations. The basic suppositions of Freudianism were shown to have almost no scientific support. Moreover, religion was shown not to be a mental illness, as Freud and some other psychological theorists declared, but rather a basic element of mental health. Patrick Glynn summarizes these important developments:

Yet the last quarter of the twentieth century has not been kind to the psychoanalytic vision. Most significant has been the exposure of Freud's views of religion as entirely fallacious. Ironically enough, scientific research in psychology over the past twenty-five years has demonstrated that, far from being a neurosis or source of neuroses as Freud and his disciples claimed, religious belief is one of the most consistent correlates of overall mental health and happiness. Study after study has shown a powerful relationship between religious belief and practice, on the one hand, and healthy behaviors with regard to such problems as suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, depression, even, perhaps surprisingly, levels of sexual satisfaction in marriage, on the other. In short, the empirical data run exactly contrary to the supposedly "scientific" consensus of the psychotherapeutic profession.26

Finally, as Glynn says, "modern psychology at the close of the twentieth century seems to be reacquainting itself with religion,"27 and "a purely secular view of human mental life has been shown to fail not just at the theoretical, but also at the practical, level."28

In other words, psychology also has routed atheism.


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25. Edwin R. Wallace IV, "Psychiatry and Religion: A Dialogue," in Psychoanalysis and Religion, eds. Joseph H. Smith and Susan A. Handelman (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1990), 1005.
26. Glynn, God: The Evidence, 60-61.
27. Ibid., 69.
28. Ibid., 78.

[amr123]

I think the science of Tazkiyya(purification of the heart) is the best source of human psychology. I have heard a few parts of the explanation of Sidi Ahmed Zarrooq's book on tazkiyya, it hits the nail right on spot when it comes to the how the human heart('mind' for westerners) works. The diseases of the heart and its prescriptions are described in great detail. I don't think one will get such info from modern psychology.

[Abdul1234]

this book is a comparing and contrasting exploration - between Islamic psychology and western psychology. It is quite interesting but is written by a woman psychologist who follows a Shiah Sheikh so you have to keep your critical faculties switched on when reading it. http://books.google.co.uk/books/abou...AJ&redir_esc=y

[Abdul1234]

I think the science of Tazkiyya(purification of the heart) is the best source of human psychology. I have heard a few parts of the explanation of Sidi Ahmed Zarrooq's book on tazkiyya, it hits the nail right on spot when it comes to the how the human heart('mind' for westerners) works. The diseases of the heart and its prescriptions are described in great detail. I don't think one will get such info from modern psychology.

Imam Al-Ghazali's (ra) Ihya Uloom Udeen is also a nice source of info on Islamic psychology if you wade through the other things. http://www.maktabah.org/sufism/class...m-ghazali.html

[nike89x]

Bismihee Ta'aala

Asalamualaikum


Alhumdulillah I work with a muslim psychologist. He has his masters in clinical psychology and insha Allah will be getting his doctorates soon. He went to an APA accredited school, which is the golden standard for clinical psychology Alhumudlillah.

As a psychologist, all of his patients are 100% muslim. Even though he has learned all of the theories taught in school, he uses his own ways to treat people. He integrates Islam with some practices. This is how I believe that pyschology should be done. This psychologist, depending on where the people are at, will slowly integrate Islam into their lives.

My point is that just because you learn all these theories in school, doesn't mean you need to apply them. He runs his own clinic Alhumdulillah and has done many unconventional ways of trying to help other muslims. He also has written many research papers on Islam and Psychology Alhumdulillah. He is even presenting a paper to Yale University soon insha Allah.


The other thing I want to point out is that the ulema here respect him and majority of his patients come through the referral of the ulema. The thing is that Ulema are not trained in these matters, and therefore a lot of them are starting to leave counseling. Instead they are referring patients to people like him, whom they they trust.


We need more Muslim psychologists. Just because of you learn all these theories in school, it doesn't mean you have to practice them. Take what is good from and leave the rest. Then use Islam to get people back on the right path. You will be surprised how many actually like this way.

You might say, well what do the patients think? Like I said majority of his referrals come from ulema, so the people know before hand how he deals with patients.

[Abdul1234]

Assalamu alaykum,

It's also interesting to note that the muslims calling for the islamisation of science are usually not scientists, or don't seem to understand the metaphysical postulates behind modern science. You can't have modern science without these, and these postulates are completely antithetical to islam. (As a side note, People don't seem to realise that the reason christianity has basically failed in the west is because of modernism.)

The main goal of the natural sciences is the manipulation of nature, so they only care about theories that will enable a greater ability to manipulate nature. Truth isn't really under consideration, in fact many don't even believe truths exist. This mentality isn't compatible with our religion.

Think about it this way, a muslim scientist works in a tradition of KUFR, a system founded upon batil and falsehood, lets say this straightly. The system was built upon principles that are contra to islam, and he must accept these in order to work in that field. So he must either compartmentalise his belief, (or be ignorant of it anyway) or not be a scientist.

This is a serious problem. People don't realise that accepting a lot of premises that sciences are based on are outright kufr. The solution is not to continue working in these fields of kufr, but to create or return to our own traditional forms, and use them to confront modern ones, in the same way asharis confronted greek philosophy and asharism itself became a synthesis of greek ideas, purified of kufr, and pure islam.

But certainly you can't keep working in a field of western science, working with their false principles and expect it to become 'islamic', because that isn't possible since the science itself requires the principles that we cannot accept. What I mean is, we need to create our own forms, not adopt and modify the forms of the kuffar.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

Brother I can see what you are saying and agree with it in many ways but on the issue of the necessity for the Islamicization of
'modern' science I think you may be a little over pessimistic.

In one thing you are talking about I think you are mixing two things here - these are empirical science and the philosophies that influence how we interpret it

empirical science is just a value neutral system of systematic observation allied to mathematical analysis. it has no essential underlying theories other than the belief that the world can be understood more accurately through scientific observation and measurement.

The fact that many scientists in the last three centuries have been used by the misguided materialist philosophies of the kafiroon to try an imply that they are scientifically justified is nothing to do with science - only with the utilization of science and its misinterpretation.

The foundations of empirical science are very much foundations in the Islamic civilization with dozens of figures such as Al-Biruni, Al-Kindi, Jabbir Ibn Hayyam and Ibn Haitham laying the essential foundations of scientific observation, empiricism and mathematics that would much later reach Europe and take off like a rocket after the so-called European Enlightenment.

At the end of the day it is the case that philosophy is required to interpret the informational produce scientific research - the kuffar will inevitably interpret scientific findings in accordance with their misguided beliefs - rightly guided Muslims will interpret it in accordance with their correct beliefs and their Divinely enlightened philosophy.

brother you may find this article changes your views a little on this issue in some ways http://www.bediuzzamansaidnursi.org/...slim-countries its a bit long but is well worth the read

[Abdul1234]

Bismihee Ta'aala

Asalamualaikum


Alhumdulillah I work with a muslim psychologist. He has his masters in clinical psychology and insha Allah will be getting his doctorates soon. He went to an APA accredited school, which is the golden standard for clinical psychology Alhumudlillah.

As a psychologist, all of his patients are 100% muslim. Even though he has learned all of the theories taught in school, he uses his own ways to treat people. He integrates Islam with some practices. This is how I believe that pyschology should be done. This psychologist, depending on where the people are at, will slowly integrate Islam into their lives.

My point is that just because you learn all these theories in school, doesn't mean you need to apply them. He runs his own clinic Alhumdulillah and has done many unconventional ways of trying to help other muslims. He also has written many research papers on Islam and Psychology Alhumdulillah. He is even presenting a paper to Yale University soon insha Allah.


The other thing I want to point out is that the ulema here respect him and majority of his patients come through the referral of the ulema. The thing is that Ulema are not trained in these matters, and therefore a lot of them are starting to leave counseling. Instead they are referring patients to people like him, whom they they trust.


We need more Muslim psychologists. Just because of you learn all these theories in school, it doesn't mean you have to practice them. Take what is good from and leave the rest. Then use Islam to get people back on the right path. You will be surprised how many actually like this way.

You might say, well what do the patients think? Like I said majority of his referrals come from ulema, so the people know before hand how he deals with patients.

MashaAllah that is a nice story, I pray that Allah makes it possible for many others to follow his path.

[Abdul1234]

The psychology or even parapsychology of Islam starts with a Hadeeth "Innamal aamalo binniyaat"
This obviously directs us to the power of thinking rightly.Once this is achieved,actingly rightly comes automatically.I request brothers to try and elaborate further on this point,to start with.jaakAllah

I remember reading a saying of Imam al Ghazali (ra) that one thing he had learned was that if people do not occupy themselves with good deeds satan will try and occupy them with mischief.

There is a saying 'rubbish in rubbish out' -

applied to humans it basically means that we should feed our minds with good company, Islamic books and media, the talks of Sheikhs etc and then it will come out in our behaviour.

on the other hand if we feed our minds with bad company, watch awful made up stories of sinful people on TV, listen to popular music and read magazines and newspapers written by misguided people then we can expect the effects of this too to come out in terms of our behaviour.

[Maripat]

Assalamu alaykum,
Personally I think that since most western sciences are based on false principles, it will be difficult to 'islamise' them.

You do have a point here akhi.
But we have to face up with the reality also.
Because of our lack of scientific, technological, media, business and economic weakness we as a civilization have been cornered. Our social, cultural and economic as well as political space has been extremely constrained. Our values are mocked and our respectable figures are reduced to sorry figures. Character of Islam is assertive, it is clear from history, but as a contingency some reactive defensive measures too are needed. Indeed we should present Islam as a solution to modern malaise originating in materialistic out look but if Islamic substitute is available for some modern disciplines then I suppose there is no harm in presenting that to the people. Here is my miserable attempt at one related issue.

[Maripat]

you may find this book by Ragip Frager relevant http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_...frager&f=false

Here is the Amazon of the book.

Here are the three user reviews.

One

One of The Best Explanations of Sufism Given In The West, August 28, 2000
By
"j.michael@disinfo.net"

This review is from: Heart, Self, and Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance, and Harmony (Paperback)

When one thinks of Sufism in the West, most often it is related to Rumi, or it is a very general apprehension of Sufism in a starkness that fails to convey it's heart and reality. This book is, as of yet still not very well known, but it will soon be very well known- because Robert Frager exposits the teaching, and psychology of Sufism in the most complete manner that has ever been done in the West. He is a scholar, but he is also a Sufi Shaykh, in the lineage al-Jerrahi al-Halveti. Shaykh Frager has had incredible, and powerful teachers in Shaykh Muzafer Ozak, and Shaykh Tosun Bayrak. This book contains the essence of what Shaykh Frager has benn teaching over the years. It is all here, finally put down in book, and is fantastic. The language of the book is intuitive, clear, and precise. It draws one to examine the one's self. The teachings on the nafs and the lower self are very serious and important. This is a path of Love in action. It teaches of the Eye of the Heart, or Intellect of the Heart as the reigning wisdom that subdues all ignorance, and obscuration of being-It shows you how. The spirit of true prayer is also conveyed by this book. It is a rich treasure that once ingested will remain in the soul for the rest of one's life. This book will prove to be vey hard to improve on. All praise to Allah!

Two

Sufism from the psychological perspective, November 11, 2002
By
Hasanah Che Ismail (Kubang Kerian, Kelantan Malaysia)


This review is from: Heart, Self, and Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance, and Harmony (Paperback)

Sheikh Muzaffer must have been a good Guru for initiating this author into sufism. Dr. Frager's understanding and contribution to sufism is valuable. His writing is easy to understand and practice [though page 173-174 is acceptable for those who are not yet Muslim; Muslim should refer to more valid intruction and guide].

What he shared at times touches my heart. Sufism/tasawwuf, or the spiritual component of Islam is the beautiful aspect of Islam; the right path to God as long as practiced according or within the syariah, the physical component.

Dr. Frager, being a clinical psychologist was able to show how sufism could be incoporated into healing. This aspect of healing should be within the capacity of all muslim doctors.

This book is suitable for lay person as well as specialist in medical or psychological field. It should be a must for psychiatrists in training, who probably have been exposed only to Fruedian or neofreudian thinking.

Three

Connection between psychology and spirituality, February 25, 2009
By
Uzma Sharaf "Bookheaven" (PA)

This review is from: Heart, Self, and Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance, and Harmony (Paperback)

I love reading this book and recommended to group studies as well .It is easy to understand and full of short sufi tales. This book describes essence of islam which revolve around betterment of self ,purification and progression of soul.Islam inspire evolution of soul.This path of evolution is called sufism in modern term. Wonderful book for those who are intereted in spiritual quest. Exploring connection between spiritualty and psychology.
It is also a good book for comparitive study between western and eastern psychology. Stories of sufis convey deep understanding of islamic views as well. One can learn a lot through this kind of exploration about ego. Postive and negative effect of ego on our soul.Application of concepts help one progress towards spiritual growth and purification.Help one understand human nature ,own self ,soul and distinguish between healthy qualities and egoistic distructive qualites hidden in every human being. How we should over come these negative tendencies hidden in us. First step is recognition of negativity with in us through meditation.Second step is Transformation of negative, distructive self thus cultivating positive qualties that leads to evolution of one self.