ABSTRACT

Muslim scholars from Islam’s rich intellectual history wrote about therapeutic rapport, psychiatric aftercare, and cognitive strategies for the treatment of depression centuries before their European counterparts. Many of these scholars drew inspiration and motivation for their contributions to psychology from Islamic sources in addition to empirical and rational sources. After providing a working definition of Islamic psychology, this chapter explores its historical and methodological origins, suggesting that its early success was due to Islamic scriptural motivation and inspiration, as well as to some intertwining socio-political factors. The legacies of ten Muslim scholars from 622 to 1492 CE (a time period in Islamic history when there was great emphasis on scientific production) are described, with particular attention paid to their impressive scholarly contributions to psychology and to their methodological foundations. The chapter concludes by discussing the current state of and future directions for the modern field of Islamic psychology, delving into the perhaps exclusive foundations of mainstream psychology as a distinct, academic discipline and the ensuing efforts for the revival of Islamic psychology. Understanding the origins and historical contributions of the study of Islamic psychology can serve as a first step towards providing holistic, spiritually integrated care to the oft-marginalized Muslim community and towards facilitating the revival of Islamic psychology as a holistic, spiritually integrated discipline of practice and research.