Understanding Neurotic Disorders form an Islamic Perspectives: Causes, Impact & Healing Approaches

Abstract

This study explores the Islamic perspective on neurotic disorders, specifically anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and somatoform disorders. These disorders, as they are known in Western psychiatry, are interpreted from a unique perspective in Islamic belief, one that encompasses spiritual and psychological aspects. From the Islamic perspective, neurotic disorders are not just issues of mental health but indicators of spiritual disequilibrium. Based on Quranic passages, Hadiths, and classical Islamic teachings, the paper discusses the etiology and causality of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, and the interrelatedness of the soul (nafs), mind (aql), heart (qalb), and spirit (ruh). It emphasizes the role of faith, self-knowledge, and spiritual practices in reducing the suffering that associating these conditions. This paper discusses Islamic therapies like Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), taking refuge in Allah, supplication (Duaa), and Ruqya (spiritual healing) as effective treatments for controlling neurotic disorders. The article also discusses how Islamic philosophy and psychology, as represented by early scholars like Al-Ghazali and Ibn al-Qayyim, have been offering a holistic approach to mental well-being for centuries, dealing with physical as well as spiritual aspects. Finally, the paper provides a solid grasp of how Islamic principles can be translated into current mental health care, providing hands-on understandings into coping with anxiety and other neurotic disorders in a spiritual and psychological context.