Islam as therapy

ABSTRACT

In the wake of decolonisation across the Islamic world in the 20th century, Muslim intellectuals experimented with various theories and approaches of psychology to arrive at a better understanding of and treatment for an array of psychoses and neuroses that affected their societies. This article explores the ideas of a prolific Indonesian psychologist and public intellectual, Zakiah Daradjat (1929–2013), and her endeavour at introducing what was termed as ilmu jiwa agama (religious-oriented psychology). I argue that religious-oriented psychology was an innovative field that called for the integration of the sacred sources of Islam, Muslim psycho-spiritual tradition as well as insights derived from European psychology. Although constrained by the policies of an authoritarian regime and her religious outlook, Zakiah Daradjat hoped that this new body of knowledge would guide 20th-century Muslims to delve deeply into the teachings of Islam as a therapy for their psycho-moral challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• Islam
• Malay world
• modernity
• psychology
• therapy

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Prof. Singgih Tri Sulistiyono, Prof. Yety Rochwulaningsih, Noor Naelil Masruroh, Rabith Jihan Amaruli, Fanada Sholihah, and Rafngi Mufidah for their assistance in the collection of resources for this research, and the opportunity to present some of my ideas during seminars with staff and students at Universiti Diponegoro in May 2019.

Note on contributor

Khairudin Aljunied is Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, and Senior Fellow at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, USA. His publications include Islam in Malaysia: an entwined history (Oxford University Press, 2019), Hamka and Islam: cosmopolitan reform in the Malay world (Cornell University Press, 2018), Muslim cosmopolitanism: Southeast Asian Islam in comparative perspective (Edinburgh University Press, 2017), Radicals: resistance and protest in colonial Malaya (Northern Illinois University Press, 2016), and Colonialism, violence and Muslims in Southeast Asia: the Maria Hertogh controversy and its aftermath (Routledge, 2009). He is currently writing a book on ‘Shapers of Islam in Southeast Asia’ to be published by Oxford University Press (New York). Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Notes

1 One of his popular books was Pengantar umum psikologi (Sarwono 1976).

2 See for example: Keputusan Menteri Agama republic Indonesia Nomor 495 Tahun 1995, <https://peraturan.bkpm.go.id/jdih/userfiles/batang/Kepmenag_495_1995.pdf>

3 Ruhama Islamic Education Foundation <https://cintaruhama.wixsite.com/cintaruhama>

4 See Zakiah Daradjat’s translations of works by Attia Mahmoud Hana (1978) and Mustafa Fahmi (1978).

5 The argument for Islamic exceptionalism has been made beyond the field of psychology. It is a notion that is seen as important in analysing Muslim societies globally to understand their unique subjectivities and distinct ways in resolving problems (see Hamid 2016).

6 See Rahnema (1994).

7 See also the influential book on the same issue by Kenneth Pargament (1997).

8 Among scholars that developed Zakiah Daradjat’s ideas and whose texts are also used in university courses are Kartini Kartono and Jenny Andari (1989) and Hassan Langgulung (1983).