This project started 3 years ago. As a special interest reading group, we meet once a month, read a section of the Qur’an and a psychoanalytic paper, and discuss ideas that emerge from the readings

The reading:

Surat al Ma’idah verses 41 to 50

Papers: A theory of thinking, Bion

The curiosity drive, Applications, organisational, Philip Stokoe

Surat al Ma’idah, verses 41 to 50

41.O Messenger! Do not grieve for those who race to disbelieve—those who say, “We believe” with their tongues, but their hearts are in disbelief. Nor those among the Jews who eagerly listen to lies, attentive to those who are too arrogant to come to you. They distort the Scripture, taking rulings out of context, then say, “If this is the ruling you get ˹from Muḥammad˺, accept it. If not, beware!” Whoever Allah allows to be deluded, you can never be of any help to them against Allah. It is not Allah’s Will to purify their hearts. For them is disgrace in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter. 

42.They eagerly listen to falsehood and consume forbidden gain.1 So if they come to you ˹O Prophet˺, either judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they cannot harm you whatsoever. But if you judge between them, then do so with justice. Surely Allah loves those who are just. 

43.But why do they come to you for judgment when they ˹already˺ have the Torah containing Allah’s judgment, then they turn away after all? They are not ˹true˺ believers. 

44.Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to Allah’s Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers. So do not fear the people; fear Me! Nor trade my revelations for a fleeting gain. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the disbelievers. 

45.We ordained for them in the Torah, “A life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth—and for wounds equal retaliation.” But whoever waives it charitably, it will be atonement for them. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the wrongdoers.

46.Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing.

47.So let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the rebellious. 

48.We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ this Book with the truth, as a confirmation of previous Scriptures and a supreme authority on them. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a code of law and a way of life. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one community, but His Will is to test you with what He has given ˹each of˺ you. So compete with one another in doing good. To Allah you will all return, then He will inform you ˹of the truth˺ regarding your differences. 

49.And judge between them ˹O Prophet˺ by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. And beware, so they do not lure you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you. If they turn away ˹from Allah’s judgment˺, then know that it is Allah’s Will to repay them for some of their sins, and that many people are indeed rebellious.

50.Is it the judgment of ˹pre-Islamic˺ ignorance they seek? Who could be a better judge than Allah for people of sure faith?

The discussion

Bion’s paper, a Theory of Thinking suggests that thinking is a developmental apparatus designed to bridge the gap between biological sensory experience and psychological meaning. He argues that thoughts exist before the capacity for thinking, therefore the mind must develop a container for these thoughts.

He talks about the alpha function where beta elements (overwhelming painful emotions) are transformed into alpha elements (symbolic mental content) that can be used for dreaming, memory and logic. If an individual or a group lack this capacity because of a failure in maternal containment or an intolerance of frustration, they engage in attacks on linking where they actively destroy the connection between ideas to avoid the pain of reality. Thus, thinking according to Bion is a survival mechanism for processing emotional truth rather than an intellectual exercise.

Philip Stokoe, in his book The Curiosity Drive expands on Bion’s theories by applying them to the messy reality of organisational life. He notes that for a change to occur a leader or consultant must operate from an authorized authority (position that is authorised by a contract), in order to confront someone with the truth. Stokoe interprets dysfunctional behaviours as coded projective identification where individuals project their internal chaos onto others in order not to face their own unbearable realities. Ultimately, according to Stokoe, the finite game leads to loving enquiry, a combination of love (L) and knowledge (K). He emphasises that organisational health requires an infinite game where the aim is human value and continual enquiry into itself. It is an ongoing process of growth (infinite game) rather than a one-time win over the enemy (finite game)

Reading this section of surat al Ma’idah with both these papers in mind, I thought of two axis to the unfolding conversation. One axis is the containment of the Prophet’s anxiety, the other is the addressing the chaotic behaviour of the community the prophet is dealing with, in order for him to be able to offer them containment.

The first thing God does is to reminds the prophet of his organizational role as a messenger which is in Stokoe’s words, reminding him of his authorised authority and that God is by his side. 

God then exposes the attacks on linking made by the group (in changing the words revaled to them) and falling into basic assumption modes. (basic assumption, fight-flight, hasten into disbelief) and basic assumption dependency (people who listen to another people who have not come to you- the conditional leader if you are given this take it but if you are not then beware)

Verses 42 and 43 serve as an example of that, because the verses relate to a case of adultery where  a Jewish man committed adultery but the Jews did not like their own verdict and wanted to see if the prophet would give them a different outcome. They did not want to accept their own truth and went to the prophet with conditional acceptance. His verdict had to meet their inclination or whim.

These acts of avoidance of truth lead to fitnah (delusion) which is an invitation by those who do not believe to enter into a psychic retreat by ignoring some of what God reveals while following other parts. God offers a supervisory function to the prophet pointing out the subtle ways the community is trying to undermine his integrity. This insight is the containment that allows the prophet to see the manoeuvre so that he is no longer controlled by it. 

Another verse that stood out for me is verse 48, 

and we have revealed to you the book in truth, confirming that which preceded if of the scripture and as a criterion over it. 

The Arabic work for book as criterion is Muhaymin. This word is also one of the beautiful names of Allah which in it contains three functions: to watch over, to be in control over, and to be a guardian. It encompasses the function of loving care necessary for containment. The Qur’an here has a super alpha function because it functions as a final processing unit. It takes the scriptures that preceded it, which could be considered as earlier attempts at containment, but which were attacked and distorted by humans (-K, the active stripping of meaning) and reorganises them into a stable truthful structure.

Al Muhaymin is the strong container that is robust enough to hold the contained truth and stand the test of time and projections. The word hawa or inclination represents the beta elements or fragmented impulsive desires that want to break the K-link to satisfy the ego. The Qur’an acts as a psychological anchor that prevents the meaning of justice from being diluted by the fluctuations of human emotions.

I would like to come back here to the notion of moral ascendency mentioned by Bion versus faith. The distortion of God’s message, does not just lead to psychic retreats, it also leads to a form of psychotic belief. Bion was not opposed to religion or social morality, he was warning against a specific type of morality that serves as a substitute to thinking. 

Many religious practices are designed to help a person tolerate the unknowable or life’s anxieties. If religion helps a person face the truth of their limitations, it functions as a healthy container and supports the alpha function. On the other hand, if a person uses religious dogma as a dictatorial affirmation to avoid ever having to learn from experience, then they are using it psychotically. If “God’s will” is used as a shortcut to avoid thinking, discriminating, or acknowledging painful facts, it becomes the coverup for the psychic fault. A person can be deeply religious and highly non-psychotic if they use their faith to engage more deeply with the truth of reality.

Conversely, an atheist can be psychotic in Bion’s sense if they use scientific or logical superiority as a dictatorial shield to avoid the frustration of not knowing. The fault is not the content of the belief but the refusal to learn from experience.

In conclusion, the dynamics of human resistance to truth addressed in the verses above find profound resonance with the theoretical work of Bion and organizational theory proposed by Stokoe. 

References

Bion, W. R. (1962). Learning from experience. Heinemann. (Reprinted by Karnac Books, 1984).

Note: This volume contains the foundational paper “A Theory of Thinking.”

Bion, W. R. (1967). Second thoughts: Selected papers on psycho-analysis. Heinemann Medical Books.

Note: Contains the seminal paper “Attacks on Linking.”

The Qur’an. (1997). (Saheeh International, Trans.). Abul-Qasim Publishing House.

Note: For the specific verses cited (Surat al-Ma’idah 5:41–50).

Stokoe, P. (2021). The Curiosity Drive: Our Need for Inquisitive Thinking. Phoenix Publishing House.

Note: Specifically chapter 7 on “Applications: Organisational.”