Islamic Psychotherapy

Islamic psychotherapy is a new branch that incorporates Islam teachings and approaches with the methodological approaches of the advanced world. It had emerged and established itself as an academic specialization, although its relations to other academic fields of Islamic study, including psychology, education, and ethical studies are preserved. It is often a combination of Western counseling theories greatly influenced by the Islamic reference from a religious point of view. Adherents of the use of non-Islamic approaches have proposed the use of Western modes of treatment such as CBT, family therapy and Solution Focus Approach in combination with traditional Islamic styles of treatment (Awaad & Ali, 2015; Isgandarova & O’Connor, 2012). Such integrative approaches are formulated to accommodate the Islamic perception of the world while satisfying the psychological requirements.

Muraqaba in principle is a vital component of Islamic psychotherapy and is predominantly a kind of meditation originating from Sufism. Muraqaba: This word has actually been derived from the Arabic language in which the word merely translates into something like, “watch over” or “take care of,” Muraqaba as a practice thus just means awareness or contemplation of one’s soul in its relation with its Creator. In this practice one practices the facility of salik and becomes aware of personal state of affairs known as batin, the outer appearances known as zahir and those aspects of reality which are concealed and hidden from normal perception ghayb. The aim is to develop awareness and non-judgmental attitude towards oneself, and the environment in general . Like most Sufi paths, muraqaba is performed progressively and involves advancing stages of consciousness for the salik along with self-effacing thinking about life, death, and the entire cosmos.

It is recommended that muraqaba be made a part of clinical practicing models such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This type of mindfulness strengthens character positivity, increases self-awareness with people’s spirituality and mental health improving, thus meeting therapy aims of customers regarding remedying stress, strengthening mental health, and facilitating spirituality and self-discovery.