- This article examines the tendency of many Muslim therapists to rely predominantly on Western frameworks.
- By doing so, the spiritual and heart-centered guidance Islam offers becomes neglected.
There’s something I can’t quite square in my mind, and it’s this: why is it that Muslim counsellors and therapists rarely offer Muslim counselling at all? Instead, they rely almost exclusively on the frameworks of Western psychology, dispensing advice to Muslims without any serious implementation of the Islamic worldview. And yet no one seems intent on challenging this.
There are established businesses today who market themselves as Islamic/Muslim counselling services, drawing in clients who part with their hard-earned cash. The money, however, seems of scant importance, given the amount of Muslims with bruised and battered hearts being run ragged in circles by such services. And it isn’t merely confined to the therapy room either. Online, the space is crowded with psychotherapists and “high-value relationship coaches,” often with Muslim names, building platforms and followings as thought leaders. Names are probably springing to your mind as I speak. There are of course exceptions but the majority seem to be allowing our ummah to further sleepwalk into a nightmare.
I’m not suggesting for a second that therapy for Muslims can’t and shouldn’t encompass western psychology but when this blurs the Islamic lens with which Muslims use to view the world, themselves, one another, and ultimately their creator — Houston we have a problem.
Moreover, when therapy directs you towards the worship of the self as opposed to Allah: this is when things become problematic.
For, “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace,” (Qur’an 13: 28).
Mental health issues have soared in the west, leaving young people particularly vulnerable. Muslims, too, have been impacted. Individualism is one of the holy cows of modernity and as Lily Thompson once said, “The problem with the rat race is if you win, you’re still a rat.” The question, then, is not whether Muslims should seek therapy, but whether the therapy they receive leads them deeper into the restless pursuit of the self. For instance, erasing accountability for their own actions, not being reminded of the mercy of Allah or entirely blaming their present failures and outcome on their parents, their upbringing and past traumas.
Once upon a time, I turned to Lighthouse Mentoring for help. It was one interaction but a powerful one nonetheless. I felt utterly lost about my intentions in the dawah. The brother on the phone broke down the spiritual diseases of the heart and explained how to counter them. This was not a new a topic for me, as I had studied it previously. What I needed, however, was practical advice on how to implement this into my life, within my specific circumstances.
I cried and cried some more. Our brother listened patiently, without judgement, and directed me towards Allah (Allah reward him). Our intentions of course, are not something we settle once and for all. They require constant care as our hearts waver. And so, I, as a Muslimah, remain a work in progress.
I’ve not sought counselling elsewhere or for anything else. This isn’t to suggest that seeking counselling ought to be a taboo. The thing is, this life will always throw tests our way.
“Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tested?” (Qur’an 29:2).
Even so, I believe I am qualified to speak on this particular matter, where the antithesis is occurring and is widespread. Evident in what I see online and confirmed by the painful stories of my sisters around me.
One of my friends had the following to say about a very-well known “Islamic counselling service” she turned to for help during her time of need (she had switched therapists within the same service multiple times) only to receive the same treatment.
“Therapists are trained to leave room for emotions and not give advice but to provide tools to people so that they can navigate their own problems, I get it, I get it. But the thing is, not one person I spoke to talked to me about Allah. This would only happen if I spoke about Allah myself. And when I did, it was merely a superficial response to what I was saying. After I was given a diagnosis of my issues, what was said to me was never a hopeful message that reminded me of the love and mercy of Allah.
“I once told my therapist, I think I’m a bad person. “You’re not bad, why would you be bad, no one is bad” was the only response I got from her. But there was no accountability or mention of the fact that this life isn’t about being good or bad but about striving for goodness, and if we do, we all have a chance to go to Jannah. Naturally it becomes less about responsibility and choice but more emphasis is given to the pain and validating that. At the time, I was vulnerable and broken but I needed the Haq — someone to remind me that we are all sinners but Allah loves those who repent. And how we shouldn’t think so low of ourselves because that in reality, is related to our perception of Allah and thinking that he is not the most forgiving and the most loving.”
There is something to be said about the way issues are diagnosed in people today. Western psychology loves its labels: “paternal abandonment issues,” “trauma bond,” “attachment issues” or “addictive personality.” Islam, however, doesn’t place labels on people and there is hikma behind that. Using labels at first, as a tool to understand what has gone wrong — fine, fine, fine. But so often, online psychologists treat these labels as if they define a person infinitely, ignoring the traits of Allah and that He is in control of everything and can permit change whenever He wills if we turn to him and put in the work. Moreover, they do not provide any real solutions. There is so much emphasis on what’s “broken,” (more on that later). But as Muslims, our optimism is limitless and rooted in how we perceive Allah; this is what defines a truly spiritual person. Labels, therefore, should never become chains that bind us.
Many moons ago, another friend of mine, who is very dear to me, migrated to Australia. For much of her life she was the life and soul of the party — the fun girl — who could make the entire room roar with laughter. But privately, it was a very different matter: she was battling the darkest of issues.
When I went to see her off at the airport, she hugged me tightly and said, “I’ve received so much therapy over the years that only you know about, so much of it never really helped me but when we used to chat, it was the stories from the Qur’an you used to tell me about that really helped me. You knew exactly what to say to me when I needed it.”
Allah used me as a facilitator to help our sister. Today, I am reminded that guidance from someone you are very close to and care for deeply, hits in a way nothing else can. The person knows exactly what your heart needs.
Today, I also marvel at the Qur’an’s unparalleled healing power, the miraculous nature of it. And how its stories are arranged to wrap us in the purest love — divine love — and provide the most powerful guidance from our Creator, the Most Wise. Sadly, “Islamic counselling” today rarely allows a person to explore such depths of the soul. Muslim therapists are not trained to guide you on a spiritual journey toward what the soul truly needs. This is devastating, since working on your own soul with correct guidance is being gutted like a chicken. Metaphorically of course. We therefore need the most effective tools and support to navigate it.
And here’s the sucker punch: I don’t mean this to be as rude and as unkind as it may sound, but most Muslim therapists I have encountered socially are themselves pretty troubled, yet continue to pontificate. I am supremely unsurprised by this. They put people into a sticky wicket without receiving training that could profoundly benefit our ummah.
I once met a Muslim therapist at a charity event. Dressed in Islamic garb, Liberalism and Feminism poured from her mouth. She sounded like a self-help book on a Waterstones shelf, and claimed that marriages were failing and Muslim women were suffering because they were not assertive enough in the family home. Her comment was followed by silence. I allowed the silence to linger. I’m not quite sure why, perhaps I needed a moment to recover from how stunned I was by her words.
Furthermore, in a person’s darkest hour, we have the opportunity to guide them closer to Allah, help transform their life forever and potentially be rewarded for this.
Let’s also talk about how the majority of Psychology as an academic discipline, is based on a liberal paradigm. It gives names to modern day struggles that many are facing: anxiety, depression, attention dysregulation. The Qur’an refers to such terms more accurately: ghaflah — heedlessness, a soul disconnected from its Source. The soul is therefore not broken; it is out of alignment. That misalignment shows up as fear, restlessness, and despair. And, long before modern science, the Qur’an had already diagnosed this human condition that is sadly prevalent among many today.
The Qur’an on the other hand, distinguishes this condition from a soul that is ridden with sadness and pain, yet still flourishes with hope and reward from his/her creator. Much like that Palestinian orphan we see on our screen, with eyes like storm clouds, heavy with suffering but somehow surviving a genocide.
Western Psychology vs Islamic Psychology and the pandemic of Depression and Anxiety
The fundamental distinction between Islamic psychology and Western psychology lies in their focus. Western approaches emphasise the mind: Islamic psychology, by contrast, prioritises the heart. Every interaction of the senses leaves an imprint upon it.
Consider the gaze. Are we persistently observing members of the opposite gender, or consuming indecent imagery? Consider the tongue. Are we engaging in backbiting, deception, or slander? Consider sustenance. Are we nourishing ourselves with wholesome, tayyabb foods, or ingesting that which corrodes the heart? Consider the ears. Are we absorbing music with immoral lyrics, gossip, or profanity? Consider touch. Are we engaging in impermissible contact with the opposite gender or worse, committing zina? Allah additionally loves the strong believer.
Each of these actions exerts a profound influence on the heart. And the state of the heart, in turn, governs our mental and emotional equilibrium. This explains the pervasive rise of depression and anxiety. Attempts to treat these conditions solely at the cognitive level are inherently limited. Addressing the mind alone cannot yield enduring relief; without attending to the heart, despair persists.
Islamic psychology offers a path to genuine healing, as it includes a realignment of the heart and restores balance to the soul and mind alike. But many resist this approach. True and lasting remedy requires profound change. In today’s era, depression and anxiety have become normalised, and sadly, many choose to linger in their suffering rather than confront the heart, even though it is the only avenue to authentic and enduring recovery.
The heart requires a regime of beautification. This can be achieved through dikr, dua, adhkar, gratitude, meetings with Allah during salah and the recitation of Allah’s words.
May Allah protect all of our hearts…Ameen
