In this essay, I will differentiate between Islamic Psychology and Muslims
Psychology. To do so, I will utilize common examples and argument in support of
my stance regarding afore mentioned statement.
Psychology is ,” the scientific study of the mind and behavior. It is a multifaceted
discipline and includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human
development, sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes”.
Muslims are people who have professed belief in Islam. As believers, they worship
the One God and revere Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as the last messenger of
God. Since the revelation to Mohammed (PBUH) , the Muslims have passed
through many stages and varied circumstances. Some Muslim individuals
confined their practice to the uttering of the affirmation of faith. Others
elaborated the basis of religion by drawing upon the traditions of the prophet, his
companions, and their followers. But the original idea of unity in Islam , which
includes surrender to God and worshiping Him ,is dominant among the majority
of Muslims, and is still the most important characteristic of Islam.
In this process of expansion, Islam interacted with foreign religions and cultures,
influencing and being influenced.Traditional Islam was a complete "way of life" in
which social conventions and religious beliefs were closely integrated. Today
Islam is moving toward a position more like that of Western religion, with
separation of church and state. This is reflected in education. There is no school in
Muslim countries in which religious studies do not exist. But the teacher of
religion is usually not also a teacher of the secular studies. The two fields are
becoming entirely independent of each other.
The central problem facing all Muslims, today is how to find a new way of life—
Islamic in character—which will be halfway between the East and the West and
which will provide the internal stability necessary to enable Muslims to face their
problems independently. One need only observe book-buying habits to see the
strong interest in Islam still alive today. This shows that people are not drifting
away from religion. It is a fact also that the world struggle between democracy
and communism has led Muslims to make a fresh evaluation of their religion to
see where it stands in relation to these two conflicting movements.
How far does Islam really penetrate into the hearts of Muslims today? What
tangible effects does it have in their lives? There is no simple answer and much
depends on exactly what is meant by Muslims. Those who have a good
understanding of Islam—unfortunately, the minority—are inspired by their
religion with pride and self-respect, and a desire for freedom. The Muslim
Brotherhood is the extreme expression of this side of Islam.
In recent times there have been two parties amongst the Muslims: one
maintaining that religion should be sacrificed for the sake of modernization, and
the other that modernization should be sacrificed for the sake of religion.
Between these two groups there is now a third, whose number is increasing,
which sees a possibility for reconciliation between modern life and the old
religion. The modern Muslim thinkers find in the principles of Islam a flexibility
which allows them to explain and interpret with the greatest freedom while still
keeping the faith intact. For example,
