An Introduction to

Islamic Psychology

By

ZULKIFLI KHAIR

The image of Muslim’s psych

The most suspicious man who killed Benazir Buttho is al-Qaeda.

9/11, Bali Bomb, Kashmir etc. and the image of Islamic Terrorist & Militant.

Samuel P. Huntington and The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of the New World Order:– Islam – intolerance.– West – arrogance.

Islam as the misunderstood religion

Terrorism as a way of life. (Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq1c3uOrsLc)

Worshiping to the black stone. (Muslims are worshipping God, directed to the ‘black stone’ of Kaabah – symbol of the unity of Muslim community around the planet)

So many haram in Islam. Converting to Islam = masuk Melayu.

Islamic concept of religion

The religion as well as the holy book comes from God for the right guidance of man of all times, all places, and all races.

Not only about soul and spirituality but dealing with every aspect of life (politics, economy, social etc.) or man need religion to be guided in his entire life (shari’ah or Islamic law).

Provides man with peace and security and makes his life meaningful.

“Verily the religion with God is Islam…” (Qur’an, 3:19).

Read http://www.islamanswering.com/subpage.php?s=article&aid=1400

Pillars of Islam

Tauhid as if the soul of Islam

Tauhid = Unification. Tauhid is expressing the 1st pillar of

Islam. The three categories of Tauhid:

– Tauhid ar-Rububiyah (Maintaining the Unity of Lordship).

– Tauhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (Maintaining the Unity of Allah's Names and Attributes).

– Tauhid al-Uluhiyah (Maintaining the Unity of Allah's Worship).

Tauhid of Rububiyyah

Rububiyyah is derived from the root ‘Rabb’ that means the lord, creator, designer, sustainer, governor of the universe

The God creates all things; the sky, earth, human etc. as well as sustains and maintains the creation without any need from it or for it.

The God is the only real power in existence (the oneness of God), it is He who gave all things the power to move and to change.

"Allah created all things and He Is the agent on which all things depend.” (Az-Zumar, 39:62)

The beauty names of God

Al-asma wa as-sifat = the names and the attributes. Tauhid al-asma wa as-sifat = declaring God one in His names and attributes.

The names and attributes of God are the famous 99 names such as The Alive (al-Hayy), The Powerful (al-Qawiyy), The Good (al-Barr), The Most Gentle (ar-Rahman), The Mighty (al-Aziz), and many others.

He is Absolute Reality, Absolute Life, Absolute Power, Absolute Good, and so on.

He is the only being who possesses these or any other qualities in and of Himself.

Any reality, life, power, goodness, or other qualities that we have are completely contingent on Him. He gave them to us, and if He willed, He could take them away.

Tauhid of Uluhiyyah

Uluhiyyah is derived from the root “ilah” that means one who is worshipped – the God to be worshipped, to be bowed to in humility and submission.

The concept ilah also includes the possession of infinite powers and conveys the sense that others are dependent on ilah and that he is not dependent on anyone else

The word ilah carries, too, a sense of concealment and mystery (the word Khuda in Persian, Deva in Hindi and God in English have similar connotations).

"You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help". (Al-Fatihah, 1: 4)

Islamic concept of worship (ibadah) Read Al-Maududi (Towards Understanding of

Islam) at http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1158658488332&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout.

Ibadah = Total submission and obedience to God. Two kinds of ibadah: Specific and General ibadah. The purpose of life. Man as:

– The best creation.– Fitrah.– ‘Abid, the worshipper.– Khalifah, the ambassador and leader.

Psychology of religion

“The scientific study and of the manifestation of the souls in the form of behaviours and mental processes and its application in religious setting.” (Hill, 2001)

“The study of religious behaviour, thought and feeling.” (Loewenthal, 2000)

Psychology of Islam is more than that because Islam is a way of life.

According to Islam (Islamic concept of worship), every Muslim should has a ‘religious’ behaviour, thought and feeling.

Analyze the religious behaviour of Pharaoh, Qaran (Qarun), Haman, the Queen of Pharaoh, the magicians, and al-Samiri according to the story of Moses (Musa). Read ‘Musa – the Muslim view of Moses’ at http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/musa_print.html

Islamic religion psychology

Base on your understanding of Islamic religion and psychology, please give a comment on ‘critiques on Skinner‘s psychology theory’ by Malik Badri (1979, p. 7-14)

S-R Psychology

Psychology in Islam

Its aims are determined by shari’ah. Should not contradict with Islamic law. Should lead more knowledge about God. Should lead to fulfill the purpose life of man

and the responsibility of man (as ‘abid and khalifah)

Should lead the clarity of the Islamic message to be spread all over the world (through education, da’wah and jihad).

Give comments on sexual desire and Freud’s theory of psychology (Read Malik Badri, 1979, p. 53-71).