Based on research by Professor Dr. G. Hussein Rassool

In the global landscape of psychological science, a growing number of educators, clinicians, and scholars are asking: whose knowledge counts? And whose worldview shapes our understanding of the mind and soul? For Muslim societies, these questions are more than academic. They go to the heart of how we educate, heal, and define human flourishing.

Contemporary psychology, as it stands, has been shaped largely by Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. While it has brought valuable insights into human behaviour and cognition, it also carries limitations—namely, a disregard for spiritual dimensions, a lack of moral absolutes, and a tendency toward individualism. For Muslims, this often means seeking psychological care that does not fully reflect their faith, values, or spiritual needs.

In response to these gaps, a fresh paradigm is emerging, one that integrates Islāmic knowledge with psychological science. Drawing from the work of Professor Dr. G. Hussein Rassool, a renowned figure in Islāmic Psychology, this article presents a six-stage model to guide the integration process. His framework offers a roadmap to decolonise psychology and ground it in Islāmic epistemology. This model is not a rejection of Western psychology, but a recalibration. It seeks to harmonise empirical knowledge with divine revelation, reason, and tradition.

The call to decolonise psychology is both urgent and overdue. Much of what is taught in psychological curricula around the world is rooted in Eurocentric theories that reflect a secular, post-Enlightenment worldview. These theories often reduce human beings to biological or cognitive mechanisms and sideline the spiritual self. Even well-intentioned frameworks lack universality, they do not reflect the lived realities of diverse cultures, particularly Muslim communities whose moral and metaphysical frameworks are anchored in the Qur’ān and Sunnah.

Moreover, mainstream psychology is often morally relativistic, measuring well-being against shifting social norms rather than stable ethical principles. In contrast, Islāmic psychology places ethics and spiritual purpose at its centre, drawing on the concept of Tawḥīd (the Oneness of God) to unify the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of life.

Islāmic psychology is not a new field. It builds on centuries of scholarship from thinkers such as al-Ghazālī, al-Balkhī, and more recently, researchers such as Utz and Rassool. At its core, it studies the human soul (nafs), encompassing emotional, behavioural, and spiritual dimensions.

This tradition acknowledges both revealed knowledge (naqli) and rational knowledge (ʿaqli), seeing no contradiction between the two. Acts such as prayer (ṣalāh), remembrance (dhikr), and supplication (duʿāʼ) are not only spiritual practices, they are also therapeutic tools essential for mental health. The Islāmic model of the self includes concepts such as the nafs al-ammārah (commanding self), nafs al-lawwāmah (self-reproaching self), and nafs al-muṭmaʼinnah (peaceful self), all of which reflect a dynamic internal struggle and journey towards self-purification.

To transform the field of psychology meaningfully, it is not enough to add Islāmic content to existing curricula. What is needed is structural reform—a roadmap. Drawing on Professor Rassool’s research, a six-stage model outlines a step-by-step framework for embedding Islāmic epistemology into psychological education and practice. This model promotes both methodological rigour and spiritual authenticity.

Each stage includes a core activity:

1. Planning – Formation of interdisciplinary teams and vision-setting;

2. Mastering – Ensuring educators are proficient in both psychology and Islāmic scholarship;

3. Deconstructing – Critiquing Western curricula for cultural and epistemological biases;

4. Curriculum Mapping – Aligning outcomes with Islāmic ethics and psychology;

5. Embedding – Infusing modules with Islāmic case studies, narratives, and practices;

6. Reviewing and Evolving – Ongoing revision informed by empirical findings and community feedback.

Transforming psychological education is not without its obstacles. Among them are institutional inertia, lack of trained faculty, and prevailing assumptions that only Western frameworks are scientifically valid. However, these challenges can be overcome through interdisciplinary collaboration, institutional support, and a commitment to epistemic justice.

Integration does not mean abandoning scientific methodology. Rather, it enriches it by including voices, values, and worldviews that have long been marginalised. It recognises that mental health is not merely a clinical issue but also a spiritual, communal, and moral concern.

Academic institutions—especially in Muslim-majority contexts—have a critical role to play. They must legitimise the role of Islāmic psychology within their frameworks, support faculty development, and promote dialogue between Islāmic scholars and psychologists.

The movement toward Islāmic psychology is gaining momentum across the world. Empirical studies from countries such as Malaysia, Türkiye, and Indonesia support faith-integrated therapies in treating conditions like anxiety and PTSD. Initiatives such as Islāmic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT) and Islāmic Narrative Therapy (I-NT) are blending traditional psychology with Qur’ānic principles like tawakkul (trust in God) and ṣabr (patience). In Western contexts, Muslim chaplaincy roles are bridging theology and psychotherapy, while neuroscientific studies are beginning to explore the effects of remembrance of Allāh and prayer on the brain.

These developments reaffirm a simple yet profound truth: healing the human psyche requires more than data and diagnosis. It demands moral clarity, spiritual insight, and cultural resonance.

Decolonising psychology through an Islāmic lens is not only a scholarly exercise. It is a moral imperative. It offers a pathway to reclaim intellectual agency, heal fragmented identities, and provide psychological care that honours the sacred dimensions of human life.

We are all well-positioned to contribute to this transformative journey. By embedding Islāmic perspectives into psychological science, we restore not only balance to our curricula but also meaning to our work, reframing the human being not as a machine or a bundle of behaviours, but as a spiritual, moral, and purposeful creation of Allāh.