ABSTRACT
In the prophetic period (610–632), when the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad first introduced many of the basic concepts and practices to Muslims, every Muslim considered it a duty to provide supportive counselling to other Muslims, although spiritual guidance remained the special responsibility of religious leaders such as imams and Sufi masters. In sum, although the theological/religious/spiritual foundations of the discipline are rooted in the Islamic tradition, it also incorporates various theories from the social sciences. This chapter presents diversity of interpretations of the Islamic tradition that inform Islamic psychotherapy.
