ABSTRACT
By presenting the case of a Muslim woman who relates domestic violence to divine suffering, this section discusses how the major theological schools of Islam – the Mu ‘tazilite, the Ash ‘arite, the Maturudite, and the Hanbalite (also known as the “Traditionalists” because they are known as the strict traditionalist school of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam) – might clarify the question of suffering in Islamic psychotherapy. In this respect, this chapter first introduces the Mu ‘tazilite approach to suffering, then outline the Ash ‘arite, Maturudite, and Hanbalite responses in dialogue with each other.
