Reading the therapeutic contract in the Quran

Day # 23

On negation, the structural model and the five pillars of Islam

Taking into account the themes of yesterday’s reflection, we may say that overstimulation is the Emmy of thought in the same way excessive positivity is the enemy of psychic health.

This excess may be thought of as a manic defence to cover up existentiel anxieties and depressive states. We note how the verses constantly call us back to a relational world governed by rules and negations.

We can think of these commands and limitations as ways to transcend this self-deception and belief in one’s omnipotence.

In this sense, we can find a relational connection between the structural model of ID, ego, superego, ego ideal and conscience (see day # 13) and the five pillars of Islam which act to nurture and govern these structures.

Shahadah, bearing witness that there is no God but God and that Muhammad is his prophet is a statement of submission, faith and repentance that talks to superego pressures.

Prayers: a constant reminder of the nature of our bond with God, helps the ego manage internal and external pressures and anxieties

Zakah: a prescribed amount due to the poor from the riches of the wealthy, establishes a relational bond of care towards society.

Fasting: abstaining from permissible acts (in addition to what is normally prohibited) for a period of a month acts to tame ID impulses

Pilgrimage: a turning towards God, puts into perspective ego ideal ambitions and redirects them into the right channels.

In more general terms, these five pillars are the protective force which keeps us connected to the unconscious dimension of the divine in order to render it conscious in our hearts and minds.

2:187  You [believers] are permitted to lie with your wives during the night of the fast: they are [close] as garments to you, as you are to them. God was aware that you were betraying yourselves, so He turned to you in mercy and pardoned you: now you can lie with them- seek what God has ordained for you- eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then fast until nightfall. Do not lie with them during the nights of your devotional retreat in the mosques: these are the bounds set by God, so do not go near them. In this way God makes His messages clear to people, that they may guard themselves against doing wrong

2:188  Do not consume your property wrongfully, nor use it to bribe judges, intending sinfully and knowingly to consume parts of other people’s property

2:189  They ask you [Prophet] about crescent moons. Say, ‘They show the times appointed for people, and for the pilgrimage.’ Goodness does not consist of entering houses by the back [door]; the truly good person is the one who is mindful of God. So enter your houses by their [main] doors and be mindful of God so that you may prosper

2:190  Fight in God’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits: God does not love those who overstep the limits

2:191  Kill them wherever you encounter them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, for persecution is more serious than killing. Do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they fight you there. If they do fight you, kill them- this is what such disbelievers deserve

2:192  but if they stop, then God is most forgiving and merciful

2:193  Fight them until there is no more persecution, and worship is devoted to God. If they cease hostilities, there can be no [further] hostility, except towards aggressors

2:194  A sacred month for a sacred month: violation of sanctity [calls for] fair retribution. So if anyone commits aggression against you, attack him as he attacked you, but be mindful of God, and know that He is with those who are mindful of Him

2:195  Spend in God’s cause: do not contribute to your destruction with your own hands, but do good, for God loves those who do good

2:196  Complete the pilgrimages, major and minor, for the sake of God. If you are prevented [from doing so], then [send] whatever offering for sacrifice you can afford, and do not shave your headsuntil the offering has reached the place of sacrifice. If any of you is ill, or has an ailment of the scalp, he should compensate by fasting, or feeding the poor, or offering sacrifice. When you are in safety, anyone wishing to take a break between the minor pilgrimage and the major one must make whatever offering he can afford. If he lacks the means, he should fast for three days during the pilgrimage, and seven days on his return, making ten days in all. This applies to those whose household is not near the Sacred Mosque. Always be mindful of God, and be aware that He is stern in His retribution

2:197  The pilgrimage takes place during the prescribed months. There should be no indecent speech, misbehaviour, or quarrelling for anyone undertaking the pilgrimage- whatever good you do, God is well aware of it. Provide well for yourselves: the best provision is to be mindful of God- always be mindful of Me, you who have understanding

2:198  but it is no offence to seek some bounty from your Lord. When you surge down from Arafat remember God at the sacred place. Remember Him: He has guided you. Before that you were astray

2:199  Surge down where the rest of the people do, and ask forgiveness of God: He is most forgiving and merciful

2:200  When you have completed your rites, remember God as much as you remember your own fathers, or even more. There are some who pray, ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world,’ and they will have no share in the Hereafter

2:201  others pray, ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’

2:202 They will have the share they have worked for: God is swift in reckoning

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Ramadan reflections, psychoanalytic perspectives