Contribution of Early Muslim Scholars
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Introduction
If Muslim psychologist patiently read the early Muslim physicians and philosophical psychologist Ibn Sina, AlBalkhi & AlGhazali Formulated their theories & practices The pioneer of most modern therapy – took > 70 years to develop.
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8/10/2008
Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
Ibn Sina – If animals & humans experience – pleasurable / painful & associated with another thing which doesn’t have property & both thing are kept in memory, if someone sees or imagines that, he also get feeling pleasure or pain that originally caused by the original thing. Eg. Dogs are terrified from seeing people with walking stick The principle of the Classical Conditioning
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
AlGhazali (adopted Ibn Sina’s idea) He observed that a person who has been bitten by a snake – momentarily terrified by a colorful rope Similar to Pavlovian – Stimulus generalization
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
Al Ghazali said that ethical and emotional habits can be acquired and changed by learning & training Hunting dogs & falcon – Arab bedouins Skinnerian “instrumental condition”
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
AlGhazali “behavioral therapeutic” means of bringing a balance to disordered emotions and instinct of the soul. Based on AlBalkhi: talked about balance btwn the mind & body. Balance – health Imbalance - sickness
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8/10/2008
Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
AlGhazali & AlBalkhi introduced “al-’ilaj bi al-did” – the treatment of the body follows an opposite reciprocal approach with respect to the imbalance. Same as “reciprocal inhibition” – by Wolpe Eg: Reducing food for obese greedy, spending money training for stinginess, humility for arrogance
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
AlGhazali proposed gradual approach in treatment – just like “systematic desensitization” Eg: a person complained about his explosive of anger and hot temper. He hired somebody and paid him to curse him in front of other people, repeated it and gradually became so patient and cool.
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8/10/2008
Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
Miskawayh – self reinforcement A Muslim who feels guilty about doing sthg pleasurable to his nafs al-ammarah should learn how to punish himself by psychological, physical or spiritual ways Eg:paying money to the poor, fasting
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
Symptomatic Treatment of psychological disorder combined with a gradual approach – the major pillars of behavior therapy – becomes tradition for Muslim healers in Islamic countries. Eg: 17th century – Farah Wad Taktuk – healed a female patient who was able to open her legs apart only to a very small extent.
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
After examining the patient, he told her parent to bring her back after a month. During that, he starved one of his donkeys until skin over bones On the appointment day, the donkey was also deprived of water and she was put over the donkey’s back and her legs were now tightly pressed against its starved stomach
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Associative Learning & Behavior Therapist
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Taktuk first gave the thirsty donkey a little water + some salt to increase animal’s thirst. Later, he gave much fresh water and as it drank heartily, its belly extended, the patient’s legs gradually and painlessly went apart. The process was repeated everyday while the poor donkey was allowed to eat a lot of food. As it gradually regained its health, the legs gradually went apart, so that, in a few weeks, both donkey and patient were normal again!
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Cognitive Psychologist & Therapist
Ibn Al-Qayyim – his famous “Al-Fawaid”. Anything a person does first start as inner thought or concealed speech or internal dialogue for which he used the Arabic word “khawatir” Beck – “automatic thought” – rationalemotive therapy(RET) Exact process, fleeting thoughts especially the - ones develop into human actions & observable behavior
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Cognitive Psychologist & Therapist
Harmful khatirah (if accepted & not checked) – strong emotion (shahwah) – drive/impulse for action – external behavior – habit) Khawatir/wasawis – conscious thinking – stored in memory – volition/motive – real life action – strong habit (attitude) Advised Muslim to fight the negative khawatir/wasawis before observable behavior or worse habit A wise person – have strong iman can accept the good khawatir and avoid the bad and potentially harm.
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Cognitive Psychologist & Therapist
Abu Zaid – a genius whose contributes need more than ten centuries to be appreciated
Probably the first cognitive and medical psychologist who was able to clearly differentiate between neuroses and psychoses – to classify neurotic disorders & to show in detail how rational and spiritual cognitive therapy can be used to treat each one of his classified disorder
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Cognitive Psychologist & Therapist
AlBalkhi - divided neuroses into four emotional disorders:
fear and anxiety anger and aggression sadness and depression obsessions
1. 2. 3. 4.
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Cognitive Psychologist & Therapist
he compares physical with psychological disorders and showed their interaction in causing psychosomatic disorders. He suggested that just a healthy person keeps some drugs or first aid medicines nearby for unexpected physical emergencies He should also keep healthy thoughts and feelings in his mind for unexpected emotional outbursts
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