I have explored in these reflections some aspects of the therapeutic depth of Surat Al Fatiha and Surat Al Baqara. By therapeutic depth I mean the establishing of a therapeutic relationship between God and his subjects to attend to the troubles of the heart or psyche.
While Surat Al Fatiha represents a declaration of subjectivity and a demand for guidance. God responds in Surat Al-baqara by offering a methodology of guidance and a psychology of subjectivity.
He talks us through the challenges of subjectivity, the psychic processes that stand in the way of faith and relating to God. The consequences of such defences internally and externally. He teaches us how to reinforces our psychic immune system or our mental health with the five pillars of Islam and that the truth of our internal beliefs and psychic structures are reflected in our way of being in the world, in all aspects of life, marriage, treatment of others, war, commerce etc.
In every stage or every theme addressed in the surah, subjectivity to God is emphasised as the remedy and the path to a healthy heart or psychic state of mind.
But since we are in the blessed month of Ramadan, it is worth thinking about the relevance of Quran and its relation to fasting
In terms of our psyche and our hearts, especially when we think of Surat Al-Qadr, which refers to the night the Quran was revealed:
97:2 What will explain to you what that Night of Glory is
97:3 The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months
97:4 on that night the angels and the Spirit descend again and again with their Lord’s permission on every task
97:5 [there is] peace that night until the break of dawn
And link this surah to the verses of fasting in Surat Al-Baqara:
2:183 You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God
2:184 Fast for a specific number of days, but if one of you is ill, or on a journey, on other days later. For those who can fast only with extreme difficulty, there is a way to compensate- feed a needy person. But if anyone does good of his own accord, it is better for him, and fasting is better for you, if only you knew
2:185 It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful
2:186 [Prophet], if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to those who call Me, so let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided
There are in the object relations templates many ways to relate to God. Fakhry Davids summarises the challenges of this relationship in his paper, “Render onto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
He explains how often we drag God in horizontal dynamics that pertain to interpersonal relationships between humans. These projections reflect omnipotent childish dynamics, a wish of merger with the object or a phantasy that we can control the object.
He explains, “God is seen as a separate being with whom merger is not the aim. Since God is self sufficient the need to be in a relationship with him is not mutual but located firmly in the subject”
It is when we lose sight of this premise that we project unto God what is Caesar’s. God may then become a persecutory figure or critical object. Religion then becomes a defence against persecutory anxieties. One’s rigidity is also reflected in one’s belief in a cruel god. We create a god at the image of our internal world. Again the pillars of Islam play and important role in creating a three dimensional relationship rather than a collapsed dyadic form of relating.
The perversions in belief are exposed during difficulties. God tells the believers
2:214 Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near
The hearts are purified when the defects in belief are exposed in order to be rectified.
We see that the verses that reflect on faith and soundness of belief are followed by a series of verses that start with “they ask you” and are then followed by an explanation of rules that govern social interactions and personal life. This suggests that the purification of the heart does not occur by just reflecting but primarily by backing the belief with action.
2:203 Remember God on the appointed days. If anyone is in a hurry to leave after two days, there is no blame on him, nor is there any blame on anyone who stays on, so long as they are mindful of God. Be mindful of God, and remember that you will be gathered to Him
2:204 There is [a kind of] man whose views on the life of this world may please you [Prophet], he even calls on God to witness what is in his heart, yet he is the bitterest of opponents
2:205 When he leaves, he sets out to spread corruption in the land, destroying crops and live-stock- God does not like corruption
2:206 When he is told, ‘Beware of God,’ his arrogance leads him to sin. Hell is enough for him: a dreadful resting place
2:207 But there is also a kind of man who gives his life away to please God, and God is most compassionate to His servants
2:208 You who believe, enter wholeheartedly into submission to God and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy
2:209 If you slip back after clear proof has come to you, then be aware that God is almighty and wise
2:210 Are these people waiting for God to come to them in the shadows of the clouds, together with the angels? But the matter would already have been decided by then: all matters are brought back to God
2:211 [Prophet], ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We brought them. If anyone alters God’s blessings after he has received them, God is stern in punishment
2:212 The life of this world is made to seem glamorous to the disbelievers, and they laugh at those who believe. But those who are mindful of God will be above them on the Day of Resurrection: God provides immeasurably for whoever He pleases
2:213 Mankind was a single community, then God sent prophets to bring good news and warning, and with them He sent the Scripture with the Truth, to judge between people in their disagreements. It was only those to whom it was given who disagreed about it after clear signs had come to them, because of rivalry between them. So by His leave God guided the believers to the truth they had differed about: God guides whoever He will to a straight path
2:214 Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near
2:215 They ask you [Prophet] what they should give. Say, ‘Whatever you give should be for parents, close relatives, orphans, the needy, and travellers. God is well aware of whatever good you do
2:216 Fighting is ordained for you, though you dislike it. You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not.’
2:217 They ask you [Prophet] about fighting in the prohibited month. Say, ‘Fighting in that month is a great offence, but to bar others from God’s path, to disbelieve in Him, prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and expel its people, are still greater offences in God’s eyes: persecution is worse than killing.’ They will not stop fighting you [believers] until they make you revoke your faith, if they can. If any of you revoke your faith and die as disbelievers, your deeds will come to nothing in this world and the Hereafter, and you will be inhabitants of the Fire, there to remain
2:218 But those who have believed, migrated, and striven for God’s cause, it is they who can look forward to God’s mercy: God is most forgiving and merciful
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
On #negativity, #positivity and #psychic #immunological and #neuronal responses
In yesterday’s post I referred to hyper-individualism. What does it mean to care only for oneself and one’s achievements, or to think that one is capable of finding one’s solutions on one’s own without a community, a family or a partner. How did we, as a society, become so?
I found an interesting explanation in the work of philosopher, Byung Shul Han. In his book, the burnout society, he talks about what he calls the age of positivity. He explains that the age of self and other governed by negation, creates an immunological response. We are defined by that which we are not, by opposition to an other. The external danger creates a response in us, he refers to as immunological response. However, in the age of globalisation and sameness, positivity becomes equally dangerous, perhaps even more threatening as it does not trigger an immunological response; there is seemingly nothing to oppose. “The same does not lead to the formation of antibodies”. As such the need for an immunological response decreases .
Han explains the impact of such a system on the psyche as causing neural violence. Excess positivity is seductive and causes burnout and depression, perhaps in medical terms it attacks itself and leads to auto-immune malaise as its formation is not in response to otherness rather to excesses within the self such as overachievement, over-productivity, etc.
Byung-Shul Han writes, “The positivation of the world allows new forms of violence to emerge. They do not stem from the immunologically Other. Rather, they are immanent in the system itself. Because of this immanence, they do not involve immune defense. Neuronal violence leading to psychic infarctions is a terror of immanence. It differs radically from horror that emanates from the foreign in the immunological sense….
…The violence of positivity does not deprive, it saturates; it does not exclude, it exhausts. That is why it proves inaccessible to unmediated perception.
Viral violence cannot account for neuronal illnesses such as depression, ADHD, or burnout syndrome, for it follows the immunological scheme of inside and outside, Own and Other; it presumes the existence of singularity or alterity which is hostile to the system. Neuronal violence does not proceed from system-foreign negativity. Instead, it is systemic—that is, system-immanent—violence. Depression, ADHD, and burnout syndrome point to excess positivity.” (Han, 2015)
The reason for introducing these idea is that the verses that follow contain a series of “prescriptions” as if to point to the fact that what we are being prescribed is a remedy for an illness or a preventative medicine. Every prescribed rule triggers an immunological response in the psyche, calls for thought and consideration, builds one’s character or raises one’s mindfulness of God and of others.
The verses reflect a continuous concern for establishing and safeguarding the healthy organisation within a relation system. The rules set have a higher objective to maintain the wellbeing of the individual and the society. Hyper individuality on the other hand removes the immunological response as we become more self-absorbed and self-consumed.
These theories also drew my attention to the dangers of positivity in belief. To only think of God’s mercy and forgiveness will lead us to excesses and transgression. It puts into perspective the 99 names of God, which are divided into two categories, the names that inspire beauty and those that inspire awe. In their contrasting meanings lies the key to a healthy psychic immune system.
2:177 Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travellers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; those who keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms; who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God
2:178 You who believe, fair retribution is prescribed for you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. But if the culprit is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the culprit shall pay what is due in a good way. This is an alleviation from your Lord and an act of mercy. If anyone then exceeds these limits, grievous suffering awaits him
2:179 Fair retribution saves life for you, people of understanding, so that you may guard yourselves against what is wrong. When death approaches one of you who leaves wealth
2:180 it is prescribed that he should make a proper bequest to parents and close relatives- a duty incumbent on those who are mindful of God
2:181 If anyone alters the bequest after hearing it, the guilt of the alteration will fall on them: God is all hearing and all knowing
2:182 But if anyone knows that the testator has made a mistake, or done wrong, and so puts things right between the parties, he will incur no sin: God is most forgiving and merciful
2:183 You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God
2:184 Fast for a specific number of days, but if one of you is ill, or on a journey, on other days later. For those who can fast only with extreme difficulty, there is a way to compensate- feed a needy person. But if anyone does good of his own accord, it is better for him, and fasting is better for you, if only you knew
2:185 It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful
2:186 [Prophet], if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to those who call Me, so let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided
I reflected in the previous post on one aspect of pilgrimage and the importance of man’s continuous striving and steadfastness.
Those verses are followed by and invitation to think about the various untruths we are confronted with on a societal level, from distortion, misconception, to disavowal and denial. This social contagion reaches a collective state of delusional or psychotic existence the consequences of which are stubborn disbelief and a hellish life. A process that could be referred to as mass psychosis (perhaps in islamic terms jahiliyyah fikriyyah)
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, writes a very thought provoking paper on the phenomenon of mass psychosis and living in a psychotic age. He talks about symptoms of societies gripped by a world of conspiracies and where people are characterised by hyper individualism.
He quotes Gustave le bon saying:
“The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to
their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Whoever can supply them with
illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their
victim. An individual in a crowd is a grain of sand amid other grains of sand, which the
wind stirs up at will.”
The verses I attached below similarly address this mass psychosis, and the doubting of those who attempt to destroy “theses illusions”leading to desbelieving in God on a group level. God indicates a way out of this by using one’s intellect.
God speaks to man’s reason inviting him to ponder His creation. If people read the Quran they would find that it constantly challenges the reader to use their intellect to get to the truth as science is in harmony with faith. In fact, the Quran maintains that the world we grasp with our senses is signposted to guide us to God.
In order to have this insight we need sound discerning hearts. The verses suggest that one’s mind can be one’s greatest enemy or one’s saviour. The mind that succumbs to internal defences without doing the reality check of pondering and reflecting on the signs of God in the universe slips into the luring mass psychosis. Perhaps solitude and retreat are necessary from time to time to exercise this form of reality check.
Thus, every act of separation from the mass to follow the truth revealed by God is an act of pilgrimage towards God. It might be experienced as a lonely or difficult act, but the emphasis remains on linking that action to our mindfulness of God.
So how does hyper-individualism impact the psyche?
Al-Baqara
2:158 Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God, so for those who make major or minor pilgrimage to the House it is no offence to circulate between the two. Anyone who does good of his own accord will be rewarded, for God rewards good deeds, and knows everything
2:159 As for those who hide the proofs and guidance We send down, after We have made them clear to people in the Scripture, God rejects them, and so do others
2:160 unless they repent, make amends, and declare the truth. I will certainly accept their repentance: I am the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful
2:161 As for those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, God rejects them, as do the angels and all people
2:162 They will remain in this state of rejection: their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they be reprieved
2:163 Your God is the one God: there is no god except Him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
2:164 In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds
2:165 Even so, there are some who choose to worship others besides God as rivals to Him, loving them with the love due to God, but the believers have greater love for God. If only the idolaters could see- as they will see when they face the torment- that all power belongs to God, and that God punishes severely
2:166 When those who have been followed disown their followers, when they all see the suffering, when all bonds between them are severed
2:167 the followers will say, ‘If only we had one last chance, we would disown them as they now disown us.’ In this way, God will make them see their deeds as a source of bitter regret: they shall not leave the Fire
2:168 People, eat what is good and lawful from the earth, and do not follow Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy
2:169 He always commands you to do what is evil and indecent, and to say things about God that you do not really know
2:170 But when it is said to them, ‘Follow the message that God has sent down,’ they answer, ‘We follow the ways of our fathers.’ What! Even though their fathers understood nothing and were not guided
2:171 Calling to disbelieversis like a herdsman calling to things that hear nothing but a shout and a cry: they are deaf, dumb, and blind, and they understand nothing
2:172 You who believe, eat the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to God, if it is Him that you worship
2:173 He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, pig’s meat, and animals over which any name other than God’s has been invoked. But if anyone is forced to eat such things by hunger, rather than desire or excess, he commits no sin: God is most merciful and forgiving
2:174 As for those who conceal the Scripture that God sent down and sell it for a small price, they only fill their bellies with Fire. God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them: an agonizing torment awaits them
2:175 These are the ones who exchange guidance for error, and forgiveness for torment. What can make them patient in the face of the Fire
2:176 This is because God has sent the Scripture with the Truth; those who pursue differences in the Scripture are deeply entrenched in opposition
So far this exploration of surat al-baqara has taken us through the journey of the Devine guidance provided for us:
⁃ attributes of those who can be guided
⁃ The defences of those who’s hearts have been corrupted
⁃ The way to remain connected to this task of receiving guidance on a personal and group/organisational level.
In the previous verses, this journey has lead us to the five pillars of Islam as five pillars of a healthy psychic structure or a sound heart.
We have seen that Shahada, the first pillar could be interpreted as a conscious turning towards God, symbolised in turning towards Makkah.
Followed by prayers which are a constant reminder of our contract with God. A constant disruption of daily routines and a constant act of remembrance that alleviates anxiety, if one remained connected to the meanings above.
The verses that follow talk about pilgrimage and start with the rituals performed in the hills of Safa and Marwa. These hills are associated with the story of Hajer, the wife of prophet Ibrahim and her son Ismael. Prophet ibrahim left her and her son in the desert with little provision. It was God’s command and they all submitted to it. When she eventually ran out of provisions, she started pacing from one hill to the other looking for water and praying God for help. Eventually, ZamZam water erupted at her son’s feet.
If we think of this ritual that millions perform during hajj and of its symbolic meaning for the organisation of believers, it helps understand the importance of focusing on the primary task, a state of constant return to God. Nations in modern times, especially muslim communities have been the target of various attacks and endured many diasporas generating an influx of refugees.
Prophet Ibrahim and his family are people who have absolute faith in God, who submit and trust in his judgment, whatever the consequences. They do not sit and lament, “why me, what have I done to deserve this.” They do not see themselves as helpless martyrs. Hajer keeps going back and forth looking for a way out of her dilemma, and keeps praying to God until a change happens. So faith is an act of internal belief backed by positive action.
It made me think of verse 11 in Surat Al-hajj (pilgrimage):
There are also some who serve God with unsteady faith: if something good comes their way, they are satisfied, but if they are tested, they revert to their old ways, losing both this world and the next- that is the clearest loss.
This takes us back to the concept of steadfastness that is crucial in matters of faith.
This act that we as Muslims commemorate during pilgrimage is a way to anchor in our minds and hearts the importance of believing in the unseen, that there are things beyond our grasp, and the importance of relying on God.
But how do these verses relate to the verses that come next and that talk about different aspects of disbelief?
TBC…
2:158 Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God, so for those who make major or minor pilgrimage to the House it is no offence to circulate between the two. Anyone who does good of his own accord will be rewarded, for God rewards good deeds, and knows everything
2:159 As for those who hide the proofs and guidance We send down, after We have made them clear to people in the Scripture, God rejects them, and so do others
2:160 unless they repent, make amends, and declare the truth. I will certainly accept their repentance: I am the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful
2:161 As for those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, God rejects them, as do the angels and all people
2:162 They will remain in this state of rejection: their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they be reprieved
2:163 Your God is the one God: there is no god except Him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
2:164 In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds
2:165 Even so, there are some who choose to worship others besides God as rivals to Him, loving them with the love due to God, but the believers have greater love for God. If only the idolaters could see- as they will see when they face the torment- that all power belongs to God, and that God punishes severely
2:166 When those who have been followed disown their followers, when they all see the suffering, when all bonds between them are severed
2:167 the followers will say, ‘If only we had one last chance, we would disown them as they now disown us.’ In this way, God will make them see their deeds as a source of bitter regret: they shall not leave the Fire
2:168 People, eat what is good and lawful from the earth, and do not follow Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy
2:169 He always commands you to do what is evil and indecent, and to say things about God that you do not really know
2:170 But when it is said to them, ‘Follow the message that God has sent down,’ they answer, ‘We follow the ways of our fathers.’ What! Even though their fathers understood nothing and were not guided
2:171 Calling to disbelieversis like a herdsman calling to things that hear nothing but a shout and a cry: they are deaf, dumb, and blind, and they understand nothing
2:172 You who believe, eat the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to God, if it is Him that you worship
2:173 He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, pig’s meat, and animals over which any name other than God’s has been invoked. But if anyone is forced to eat such things by hunger, rather than desire or excess, he commits no sin: God is most merciful and forgiving
2:174 As for those who conceal the Scripture that God sent down and sell it for a small price, they only fill their bellies with Fire. God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them: an agonizing torment awaits them
2:175 These are the ones who exchange guidance for error, and forgiveness for torment. What can make them patient in the face of the Fire
2:176 This is because God has sent the Scripture with the Truth; those who pursue differences in the Scripture are deeply entrenched in opposition
Mapping the therapeutic contract in the Quran has been the primary task of this project. Thinking of the unfolding verses in Surat Al-Baqara, in terms of a therapeutic contract that lays out the prerequisites of this relationship (see day # 1), then addresses our internal processes in terms of anxieties and psychic defences points to a Lord concerned with the wellbeing of its subjects. This concern is broadened to society and interpersonal relationships in groups.
The verses that follow relate to the functioning of the organisation of the believers. (For organisational theory, see day # 11)
God addresses this community in verse 2:143, describing its role in the broader society, as a just community or a moderating community that is there to bear witness to the truth. Again, this shift into action, is marked by a change and a separation. A change of direction of prayer pointing to the centre of the organisation being in Makkah, and a separation from the Jews and Christian through this change of direction.
It is the first challenge to crowd mentality and what happens in groups. The command to change the direction of prayer is very symbolic of the capacity to go against set group beliefs, especially that Arabs in Makkah,, unlike Jews, had no prophets before Prophet Muhammad. So changing the tradition of the established monotheistic faiths was a big test.
God names the key to what deepens our faith which is steadfastness in the face of tests, trials and tribulations.
These tests can be thought of as awakenings from states of sedation with which the forces of habits lull the mind. This brings to mind verse 24 in Surat Al-Anfal:
“Believers, respond to God and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. Know that God comes between a man and his heart, and that you will be gathered to Him.”
Mark Solms commented on the process in the mind that automatises responses that hold the key to our survival, in order to minimise the response time in the case of danger. He then reflected on how this pauses a perplexing question about the purpose of consciousness as it is not necessary for our survival as a species. (Solms, 2020). We can then understand the verse above from Surat Al-Anfaal, in that when we respond to the call of God and his prophet, we awaken from a life of basic needs to live for a higher purpose, that distinguishes the human race.
In other words, the task of returning to God requires a constant effort of awakening, of consciousness. And we are given practical tasks to do so and to remedy these psychic processes. We are given the five pillars of Islam. This helped me understand why they are called the pillars of faith, because they call us back to consciousness.
Turning our face towards the sacred mosque is a command encompassed in the declaration of faith or shahada, to turn towards God, and is put into practice by physically directing ourselves toward his sanctified house in Makkah. Steadfastness or sabr can then be understood as the manifestation of this trust in God.
Hence, through prayers, we disrupt the lulling effect of daily routines, at least five times a day to remember this task. This suggests that consciousness and remembering does not happen without a state of tension (symbolised by disruption of routine). Tension creates anxiety, anxiety is relieved by reliance on God. The circulatory system (see day # 11) of the healthy functioning of the organisation is set in motion.
So how does this apply to the rest of the pillars of Islam?
TBC…
Surat Al-Abqara
2:142 The foolish people will say, ‘What has turned them away from the prayer direction they used to face?’ Say, ‘East and West belong to God. He guides whoever He will to the right way.’
2:143 We have made you [believers] into a just community, so that you may bear witness [to the truth] before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness [to it] before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face [Prophet] in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels: that test was hard, except for those God has guided. God would never let your faith go to waste [believers], for God is most compassionate and most merciful towards people
2:144 Many a time We have seen you [Prophet] turn your face towards Heaven, so We are turning you towards a prayer direction that pleases you. Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces to it. Those who were given the Scripture know with certainty that this is the Truth from their Lord: God is not unaware of what they do
2:145 Yet even if you brought every proof to those who were given the Scripture, they would not follow your prayer direction, nor will you follow theirs, nor indeed will any of them follow one another’s direction. If you [Prophet] were to follow their desires, after the knowledge brought to you, you would be doing wrong
2:146 Those We gave Scripture know it as well as they know their own sons, but some of them hide the truth that they know
2:147 The truth is from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt
2:148 Each community has its own direction to which it turns: race to do good deeds and wherever you are, God will bring you together. God has power to do everything
2:149 [Prophet], wherever you may have started out, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque- this is the truth from your Lord: He is not unaware of what you do
2:150 wherever you may have started out, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; wherever any of you may be, turn your faces towards it, so that people may have no argument against you- except for the wrongdoers among them: do not fear them; fear Me- and so that I may perfect My favour on you and you may be guided
2:151 just as Wehave sent among you a Messenger of your own to recite Our revelations to you, purify you and teach you the Scripture, wisdom, and [other] things you did not know
2:152 So remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful
2:153 You who believe, seek help through steadfastness and prayer, for God is with the steadfast
2:154 Do not say that those who are killed in God’s cause are dead; they are alive, though you do not realize it
2:155 We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast
2:156 those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’
2:157 These will be given blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided
Melanie Klein explains that in the paranoid schizoid position (a split state of mind where people and facts are viewed in a very black and white lens) we suffer from persecutory anxieties, (a constellation of anxieties and defences that make us feel that our own survival is constantly at stake, everything is a matter of life or death). We do not relate to people as full separate objects but as part objects we envy. Melanie Klein suggests that the way to a healthy form of relating is through gratitude.
It is then remarkable to note how the first chapter in the Quran starts with words of gratitude, “Praise be to God the lord of the worlds. The Lord of mercy, the Giver of mercy.”
In Islam, we have a daily practice called dhikr, or remembrance of God. The secularised version of this may be daily positive affirmation. But while positive affirmations put man at the centre of one’s healing, Islam’s emphasis is on constantly linking the graces we enjoy to the source that bestowed these graces on us. Perhaps in Freudian terms, a constant reminder that the ego is not the master of its own house.
This act of remembrance relieves us from persecutory anxieties as it reminds us that we are not alone, that there is an entity greater than us in control and that everything is in its hands. We can then move to a healthier form of anxiety which Klein calls depressive anxiety which entails concern for the object. God as an entity that has no needs, wants us to confirm our beliefs with action. He links the show of gratitude to two aspects:
1- Remembrance of God: which relieves anxiety so really benefits us.
2- Our worldly behaviour towards others: to express gratitude towards God, we are asked to show this gratitude in our attitude towards our fellow humans, which as explained in a previous post relieves feelings of depression.
He also consolidated our belief through tests (learning from experience) that expose the diseases of our hearts or maladaptive defences of our psyche, and force us to reconsider, remember and change.
In essence, everything prescribed upon us and that the less discerning might perceive as a chore to please God, only benefits us as God has no needs. On the other hand, every need we attribute to God, may be thought of as an act of envy expressing this hatred of separateness and surrender to Him.
We are given, in the following verses, the example of people’s difficulties in surrendering to the will of God when there hearts are full of envy towards “the other” and that these hearts become all alike in their wickedness.
We are also given the example of Prophet Abraham and his son prophet Ismael who surrender their hearts to God and are guided.
They show gratitude and also pray for their offspring to continue to be guided, extending their concern to generations to come. As such, the examples keep contrasting narcissism and neurosis, persecutory anxieties and depressive anxieties.
In other words,worshiping God is our deepest nature and our core psychic immune system.
Surat al-Baqara
2:114 Who could be more wicked than those who prohibit the mention of God’s name in His places of worship and strive to have them deserted? Such people should not enter them without fear: there is disgrace for them in this world and painful punishment in the Hereafter
2:115 The East and the West belong to God: wherever you turn, there is His Face. God is all pervading and all knowing
2:116 They have asserted, ‘God has a child.’ May He be exalted! No! Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him, everything devoutly obeys His will
2:117 He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees something, He says only, ‘Be,’ and it is
2:118 Those who have no knowledge also say, ‘If only God would speak to us!’ or ‘If only a miraculous sign would come to us!’ People before them said the same things: their hearts are all alike. We have made Our signs clear enough to those who have solid faith
2:119 We have sent you [Prophet] with the truth, bearing good news and warning. You will not be responsible for the inhabitants of the Blaze
2:120 The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you unless you follow their ways. Say, ‘God’s guidance is the only true guidance.’ If you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would find no one to protect you from God or help you
2:121 Those to whom We have given the Scripture, who follow it as it deserves, are the ones who truly believe in it. Those who deny its truth will be the losers
2:122 Children of Israel, remember how I blessed you and favoured you over other people
2:123 and beware of a Day when no soul can stand in for another. No compensation will be accepted from it, nor intercession be of use to it, nor will anyone be helped
2:124 When Abraham’s Lord tested him with certain commandments, which he fulfilled, He said, ‘I will make you a leader of people.’ Abraham asked, ‘And will You make leaders from my descendants too?’ God answered, ‘My pledge does not hold for those who do evil.’
2:125 We made the House a resort and a sanctuary for people, saying, ‘Take the spot where Abraham stood as your place of prayer.’ We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: ‘Purify My House for those who walk round it, those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate themselves in worship.’
2:126 Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this land secure and provide with produce those of its people who believe in God and the Last Day.’ God said, ‘As for those who disbelieve, I will grant them enjoyment for a short while and then subject them to the torment of the Fire- an evil destination.’
2:127 As Abraham and Ishmael built up the foundations of the House [they prayed], ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. You are the All Hearing, the All Knowing
2:128 Our Lord, make us devoted to You; make our descendants into a community devoted to You. Show us how to worship and accept our repentance, for You are the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful
2:129 Our Lord, make a messenger of their own rise up from among them, to recite Your revelations to them, teach them the Scripture and wisdom, and purify them: You are the Mighty, the Wise.’
2:130 Who but a fool would forsake the religion of Abraham? We have chosen him in this world and he will rank among the righteous in the Hereafter
2:131 His Lord said to him, ‘Devote yourself to Me.’ Abraham replied, ‘I devote myself to the Lord of the Universe,’
2:132 and commanded his sons to do the same, as did Jacob: ‘My sons, God has chosen [your] religion for you, so make sure you devote yourselves to Him, to your dying moment.’
2:133 Were you [Jews] there to see when death came upon Jacob? When he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after I am gone?’ they replied, ‘We shall worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, one single God: we devote ourselves to Him.’
2:134 That community passed away. What they earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you: you will not be answerable for their deeds
2:135 They say, ‘Become Jews or Christians, and you will be rightly guided.’ Say [Prophet], ‘No, [ours is] the religion of Abraham, the upright, who did not worship any god besides God.’
2:136 So [you believers], say, ‘We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him.’
2:137 So if they believe like you do, they will be rightly guided. But if they turn their backs, then they will be entrenched in opposition. God will protect you from them: He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. And say [believers]
2:138 ‘[Our life] takes its colour from God, and who gives a better colour than God? It is Him we worship.’
2:139 Say [Prophet] [to the Jews and Christians], ‘How can you argue with us about God when He is our Lord and your Lord? Our deeds belong to us, and yours to you. We devote ourselves entirely to Him
2:140 Or are you saying that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians?’ [Prophet], ask them, ‘Who knows better: you or God? Who could be more wicked than those who hide a testimony [they received] from God? God is not unmindful of what you do.’
2:141 That community passed away: what they earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you. You will not be answerable for their deeds
The previous post ended with a question about the nature of ruh or spirit. The answer comes from the Quran, verse 85 of Surat Al-Isra’
[Prophet], they ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge.’
According to islamic tradition, Al-ruh, translated as spirit, belongs to the realm of the unconscious under the command of the Lord. We do not know much about it’s nature but it gives us knowledge and gives rise to personal responsibility (Parker et al, 2019). The spirit, may then be understood as the presence of the third at the centre of the psyche. This third is that which allows us the capacity, unlike other mammals, to step back and examine our own mind. A dimension that prevents our world view from being a collapsed dyadic form of relating, between man and fellow man. This dimension of the divine gives in us rise to conscience, a conscience geared to raise consciousness of God.
Freud in his structural model subsumed conscience under superego function. However, as Donald Carveth explains, the two are very different. According to Carveth, the superego is rooted in hate and narcissism while conscience is rooted in love and capacity for concern. I would also suggest that while the superego is the product of internalised culture and environment, conscience is innate internal awareness of what is right and wrong. Going back to the example of the heart as a reservoir, superego comes from the external streams feeding the heart while conscience comes from the innate source of goodness, of which we have a glimpse through this ruh that filters external input. In other worlds, conscience may be thought of as the psychic representation and manifestation of ruh.
This natural disposition to know right from wrong, referred to in islamic terms as Fitrah is not just limited to worldly life, but actually viscerally linked to our consciousness of God, i.e perhaps the higher objective of conscience and consciousness is to turn our hearts towards God, as verse 30 of Surat Al-Roum suggests:
So [Prophet] as a man of pure faith, stand firm and true in your devotion to the religion. This is the natural disposition God instilled in mankind- there is no altering God’s creation- and this is the right religion, though most people do not realize it.
Thus in Surat Al Baqara, as the examples of resistance to faith continue. This resistance located in the heart can be understood as the external stream of influence clouding our internal stream of consciousness. This split from our consciousness of God leads to a vicious cycle of destructiveness fuelled by envy.
So how do we understand Envy and what is the healthy cycle out of it?
2:88 They say, ‘Our hearts are impenetrably wrapped [against whatever you say],’ but God has rejected them for their disbelief: they have little faith
2:89 When a Scripture came to them from God confirming what they already had, and when they had been praying for victory against the disbelievers, even when there came to them something they knew [to be true], they disbelieved in it: God rejects those who disbelieve
2:90 Low indeed is the price for which they have sold their souls by denying the God-sent truth, out of envy that God should send His bounty to any of His servants He pleases. The disbelievers have ended up with wrath upon wrath, and a humiliating torment awaits them
2:91 When it is said to them, ‘Believe in God’s revelations,’ they reply, ‘We believe in what was revealed to us,’ but they do not believe in what came afterwards, though it is the truth confirming what they already have. Say [Muhammad], ‘Why did you kill God’s prophets in the past if you were true believers
2:92 Moses brought you clear signs, but then, while he was away, you chose to worship the calf- you did wrong.’
2:93 Remember when We took your pledge, making the mountain tower above you, and said, ‘Hold on firmly to what We have given you, and listen to [what We say].’ They said, ‘We hear and we disobey,’ and through their disbelief they were made to drink [the love of] the calf deep into their hearts
2:94 Say, ‘How evil are the things your belief commands you to do, if you really are believers!’ Say, ‘If the last home with God is to be for you alone and no one else, then you should long for death, if your claim is true.’
2:95 But they will never long for death, because of what they have stored up with their own hands: God is fully aware of the evildoers
2:96 [Prophet], you are sure to find them clinging to life more eagerly than any other people, even the polytheists. Any of them would wish to be given a life of a thousand years, though even such a long life would not save them from the torment: God sees everything they do
2:97 Say [Prophet], ‘If anyone is an enemy of Gabriel- who by God’s leave brought down the Quran to your heart confirming previous scriptures as a guide and good news for the faithful
2:98 if anyone is an enemy of God, His angels and His messengers, of Gabriel and Michael, then God is certainly the enemy of such disbelievers.’
2:99 For We have sent down clear messages to you and only those who defy [God] would refuse to believe them
2:100 How is it that whenever they make a covenant or a pledge, some of them throw it away? In fact, most of them do not believe
2:101 When God sent them a messenger confirming the Scriptures they already had, some of those who had received the Scripture before threw the Book of God over their shoulders as if they had no knowledge
2:102 and followed what the evil ones had fabricated about the Kingdom of Solomon instead. Not that Solomon himself was a disbeliever; it was the evil ones who were disbelievers. They taught people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. Yet these two never taught anyone without first warning him, ‘We are sent only to tempt- do not disbelieve.’ From these two, they learned what can cause discord between man and wife, although they harm no one with it except by God’s leave. They learned what harmed them, not what benefited them, knowing full well that whoever gained [this knowledge] would lose any share in the Hereafter. Evil indeed is the [price] for which they sold their souls, if only they knew
2:103 If they had believed and been mindful of God, their reward from Him would have been far better, if only they knew
2:104 Believers, do not say [to the Prophet], ‘Raina,’ but say, ‘Unzurna,’ and listen [to him]: an agonizing torment awaits those who ignore [God’s words]
2:105 Neither those People of the Book who disbelieve nor the idolaters would like anything good to be sent down to you from your Lord, but God chooses for His grace whoever He will: His bounty has no limits
2:106 Any revelation We cause to be superseded or forgotten, We replace with something better or similar. Do you [Prophet] not know that God has power over everything
2:107 Do you not know that control of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him? You [believers] have no protector or helper but God
2:108 Do you wish to demand of your messenger something similar to what was demanded of Moses? Whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has strayed far from the right path
2:109 Even after the truth has become clear to them, many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of their selfish envy. Forgive and forbear until God gives his command: He has power over all things
2:110 Keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms. Whatever good you store up for yourselves, you will find it with God: He sees everything you do
2:111 They also say, ‘No one will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.’ This is their own wishful thinking. [Prophet], say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are telling the truth.’
2:112 In fact, any who direct themselves wholly to God and do good will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve
2:113 The Jews say, ‘The Christians have no ground whatsoever to stand on,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews have no ground whatsoever to stand on,’ though they both read the Scripture, and those who have no knowledge say the same; God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their differences
I made reference in day # 14 to the symbolic function of the heart (to mean the psyche) but perhaps a bit of Arabic etymology is necessary here. The root verb of the word Qalb (heart) means to change or upturn something from its current state.
Thus, the heart that pumps life through our body and allows it to be in a continuous state of “living” has a parallel symbolic function. If the blood that runs in our veins carries the vitamins and minerals of life, our life impulses are also pumped into our soul through our heart.
Perhaps this is where we part from positivist psychoanalytic views as we do not believe that our life impulses are limited to our survival drives that keep the physical body alive and meet biological needs.
According to Mark Solms, drives are experienced in the mind as feelings, and this is the nature of our suffering. We suffer from feelings, whether they are hunger, thirst or sadness, they are all feelings. These feelings exert pressure on the ego to act to meet these needs. Thus the ego is constantly negotiating the tension between the pressures of the ID and the reality of the external world.
The islamic position introduces a third dimension of the ruh (spirit) which also takes agency on the heart and on governing drives and is a main agent and dimension of our life impulses. It allows the heart to be discerning, to recognise truth from falsehood. It allows us to make altruistic discussion that go against the logic of natural selection. It takes me back to the example of the heart as a reservoir mentioned in a previous reflection. It is a container filled by external streams but that has an internal filter to purify what it takes in. This innate capacity of discernement does not rely purely on our intellectual capacity, it also draws from the ruh and the fitrah that are within us.
We see in many verses that talk about transgressions against God, that they are synthesised in the end by a reference to a turbulence that afflicts the heart, like in verse 2:88 below.
So what exactly is the ruh or spirit, and what is Fitrah?
TBC
2:75 So can you [believers] hope that such people will believe you, when some of them used to hear the words of God and then deliberately twist them, even when they understood them
2:76 When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We too believe.’ But when they are alone with each other they say, ‘How could you tell them about God’s revelation [to us]? They will be able to use it to argue against you before your Lord! Have you no sense?’
2:77 Do they not know that God is well aware of what they conceal and what they reveal
2:78 Some of them are uneducated, and know the Scripture only through wish-ful thinking. They rely on guesswork
2:79 So woe to those who write something down with their own hands and then claim, ‘This is from God,’ in order to make some small gain. Woe to them for what their hands have written! Woe to them for all that they have earned
2:80 They say, ‘The Fire will only touch us for a few days.’ Say to them, ‘Have you received a promise from God- for God never breaks His promise- or are you saying things about Him of which you have no real knowledge?’
2:81 Truly those who do evil and are surrounded by their sins will be the inhabitants of the Fire, there to remain
2:82 while those who believe and do good deeds will be the inhabitants of the Garden, there to remain
2:83 Remember when We took a pledge from the Children of Israel: ‘Worship none but God; be good to your parents and kinsfolk, to orphans and the poor; speak good words to all people; keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms.’ Then all but a few of you turned away and paid no heed
2:84 We took a pledge from you, ‘Do not shed one another’s blood or drive one another from your homelands.’ You acknowledged it at the time, and you can testify to this
2:85 Yet here you are, killing one another and driving some of your own people from their homes, helping one another in sin and aggression against them. If they come to you as captives, you still pay to set them free, although you had no right to drive them out. So do you believe in some parts of the Scripture and not in others? The punishment for those of you who do this will be nothing but disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be condemned to the harshest torment: God is not unaware of what you do
2:86 These are the people who buy the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter: their torment will not be lightened, nor will they be helped
2:87 We gave Moses the Scripture and We sent messengers after him in succession. We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. So how is it that, whenever a messenger brings you something you do not like, you become arrogant, calling some impostors and killing others
2:88 They say, ‘Our hearts are impenetrably wrapped [against whatever you say],’ but God has rejected them for their disbelief: they have little faith
Perhaps before I continue and introduce new concepts, it is worth doing a recap on the ideas I put forward in a simplified way. I set out to map the therapeutic contract in the Quran.
It opens up with a demand from the concerned party: mankind to the acknowledged source of all mercy: God.
The demand for guidance is acknowledged and a pledge is granted to mankind to be guided and safeguarded.
The contract between the two parties follows steps acknowledged in psychoanalytic terms as the foundations of a boundaried therapeutic relationship.
Three axis of relating are noted:
A vertical axis: acknowledgment of separateness from and internalising of the source of goodness, God. (The unconscious?)
An internal dimension of the psychic representation of this relationship, nourished with prayers, mindfulness of God and belief in the hereafter. (Internal reality)
A horizontal axis: applying this mindfulness of God externally through relating to other. (External reality)
The acknowledgment of separateness means a recognition of a state of dependence. Separateness while making room for relational experiences also causes anxiety.
Anxiety triggers psychic defences that can lead to detrimental consequences such as Narcissism and omnipotence, or splitting (seeing the world in black and white).
A by product of this is isolation which leads to depression, thus the second axis proposes a way to prevent depression. We see that two fundamental practices or pillars of Islam have a direct connection with the two major complaints in mental health, anxiety (internal reality) and depression (outwardly expression of our internal reality)
The way to the depressive position is through a constant return to God, through mindfulness and repentance.
This brings to mind these verses in Surat Al-Ma’arij.
We see in these verses a direct reference to the antidote to anxiety which is through relatedness to God via prayers and through acts of kindness towards others. While prayers deal with anxiety, acts of kindness towards others fend off depression.
In a sense we all experience the story of creation through our birth experience, where we come into being through separation and go from a state of anxiety and dependence via a process of individuation to reconnect with our creator. The importance of reconnecting with God lies in the nature of imperfection of humans. We may not choose our parents nor our environment and they may cause damage depending on the environment they or broader society provide. As we experience the external world based on our internal realities, this third dimension which is our connection with God, creates a third position, a three dimensional state where we can step back and rethink our choices. It offer a rectifying lens that changes our internal and external realities alike.
Hence reconnecting with The Source purifies one’s heart and allows one to develop a healthy immune psychic system rather than maladaptive psychic defences.
The second point I raised in the previous post related to object constancy. We see in the previous verses and the ones that follow, a series of examples of prophet Moses’ followers asking for proof after proof of God, being granted their requests and still refusing to submit to his will. This incapacity to develop an emotional permanence and a constant mindfulness of God despite receiving concrete proofs reminded me of the concept of Object constancy.
In object relations theory, the ability of an infant to maintain an attachment that is relatively independent of gratification or frustration, based on a cognitive capacity to conceive of a mother who exists when she is out of sight and who has positive attributes when she is unsatisfying. Thus, an infant becomes attached to the mother herself rather than to her tension-reducing ministrations; she comes to exist continuously for the infant and not only during instances of need satisfaction. This investment by an infant in a specific libidinal object indicates that he or she no longer finds people to be interchangeable.
There are many verses in the Qur’an that invite us to remember our relationship and bond with God. This demand to remember always puzzled me. Did we know God before we knew ourselves? But there is something in the story of creation that we relive in the process of gestation, birth, and mothering experience that prepares our mind to understand a deeper need to know the Object to whom we subject ourselves or in the language of Islam the creator to whom we are subjects.
If we replace the word mother in this definition with Lord, and infant with mankind, we can understand the real objective of mindfulness of God and faith, which could be understood as the capacity to worship God because He is worthy of worship, not just for what He bestows on us in terms of graces or how He tests us to bring us back to the right path. That is the worship of free men to their Lord. It is then logical that God can only be invisible in his essence, visible through his signs, for us to ponder and make our way back to him, because if He were visible we would not have the free will to believe. But in understanding that he is there even in absence is the true work of faith, and it is not the work of magical believe but that of a mindful cognitive knowing of the ultimate source of goodness.
It is an emphasis on separateness, and perhaps the many requests for proof are a way to feel in control of the internalised object rather to accept submission.
In Islam this capacity for discernment is attributed to the heart, in a symbolic reference to the psychic organ that pumps blood and keeps the body alive, it also pumps life into our soul through discernment and acquisition of knowledge. Verse 72 of Surat Al-Baqara refers to the problem of disbelieve or transgressions against God as located in the hardened hearts.
So one can think of this symbolic heart as the reference of the psyche-soma. But what do we mean by that?
TBC…
Surat Al-Baqara
2:60 Remember when Moses prayed for water for his people and We said to him, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Twelve springs gushed out, and each group knew its drinking place. ‘Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.’
2:61 Remember when you said, ‘Moses, we cannot bear to eat only one kind of food, so pray to your Lord to bring out for us some of the earth’s produce, its herbs and cucumbers, its garlic, lentils, and onions.’ He said, ‘Would you exchange better for worse? Go to Egypt and there you will find what you have asked for.’ They were struck with humiliation and wretchedness, and they incurred the wrath of God because they persistently rejected His messages and killed prophets contrary to all that is right. All this was because they disobeyed and were lawbreakers
2:62 The [Muslim] believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians- all those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good- will have their rewards with their Lord. No fear for them, nor will they grieve
2:63 Remember when We took your pledge, and made the mountain tower high above you, and said, ‘Hold fast to what We have given you and bear its contents in mind, so that you may be conscious of God.’
2:64 Even after that you turned away. Had it not been for God’s favour and mercy on you, you would certainly have been lost
2:65 You know about those of you who broke the Sabbath, and so We said to them, ‘Be like apes! Be outcasts!’
2:66 We made this an example to those people who were there at the time and to those who came after them, and a lesson to all who are mindful of God
2:67 Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow.’ They said, ‘Are you making fun of us?’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should be so ignorant.’
2:68 They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us what sort of cow it should be.’ He answered, ‘God says it should be neither too old nor too young, but in between, so do as you are commanded.’
2:69 They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us what colour it should be.’ He answered, ‘God says it should be a bright yellow cow, pleasing to the eye.’
2:70 They said, ‘Call on your Lord for us, to show us [exactly] what it is: all cows are more or less alike to us. With God’s will, we shall be guided.’
2:71 He replied, ‘It is a perfect and unblemished cow, not trained to till the earth or water the fields.’ They said, ‘Now you have brought the truth,’ and so they slaughtered it, though they almost failed to do so
2:72 Then, when you [Israelites] killed someone and started to blame one another- although God was to bring what you had concealed to light
2:73 We said, ‘Strike the [body] with a part of [the cow]’: thus God brings the dead to life and shows His signs so that you may understand
2:74 Even after that, your hearts became as hard as rocks, or even harder, for there are rocks from which streams spring out, and some from which water comes when they split open, and others which fall down in awe of God: He is not unaware of what you do
2:75 So can you [believers] hope that such people will believe you, when some of them used to hear the words of God and then deliberately twist them, even when they understood them
The mind as an object, can science be our religion?
The verses below drew my attention to another form of defence which is taking the mind as an object and another phenomenon which developing object constancy.
Today I will focus on the former.
Winnicott says that “in one extreme case an intellectual overgrowth that is successful in accounting for adaptation to need becomes of itself so important in the child’s economy that it (the mind) becomes the nursemaid that acts as mother-substitute and cares for the baby in the child self.” (Winnicott, 1988)
It made me think of the call for science to be our god and the limitations of a descriptive tool to grasp the Devine but also it being a defence against submission to God.
In the example given in the verses we see how despite the concrete examples given, submission to the Truth is met with resistance. It suggests a superego based stance rather than a conscience based stance.
Donald carveth suggested expanding the structural theory of Id, ego and superego to include ego ideal and conscience. And it is this state of conscientious being that is constantly evoked in remaining mindful of God.
This may suggest that a superego driven personality cannot submit to God and is rooted in the narcissistic wound of separation and inability to accept the vertical relationship of creator and subject.
A conscience driven personality is rooted in the return to the source of goodness and love, which engenders the capacity for concern for others. Thus people who develop a conscience are seen as a threat to the unhealthy organisation which cultivates individualistic or narcissistic tendencies.
Interestingly the Quran maintains that those who are most mindful of God are scientists:
Have you [Prophet] not considered how God sends water down from the sky and that We produce with it fruits of varied colours; that there are in the mountains layers of white and red of various hues, and jet black;
Fatir, Ayah 27
that there are various colours among human beings, wild animals, and livestock too? It is those of His servants who have knowledge who stand in true awe of God. God is almighty, most forgiving.
Fatir, Ayah 28
Thus there is a firm belief in the islamic faith that science and the intellect point to God and make faith easy.
Thus I am inclined to think that science is a secular tool. However it does lead those who awaken their hearts to God. Science or knowledge without mindfulness of God, is a narcissistic project because it ignores the link of subjectivity.
2:44 How can you tell people to do what is right and forget to do it yourselves, even though you recite the Scripture? Have you no sense
2:45 Seek help with steadfastness and prayer- though this is hard indeed for anyone but the humble
2:46 who know that they will meet their Lord and that it is to Him they will return
2:47 Children of Israel, remember how I blessed you and favoured you over other people
2:48 Guard yourselves against a Day when no soul will stand in place of another, no intercession will be accepted for it, nor any ransom; nor will they be helped
2:49 Remember when We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to terrible torment, slaughtering your sons and sparing only your women- this was a great trial from your Lord
2:50 and when We parted the sea for you, so saving you and drowning Pharaoh’s people right before your eyes
2:51 We appointed forty nights for Moses [on Mount Sinai] and then, while he was away, you took to worshipping the calf- a terrible wrong
2:52 Even then We forgave you, so that you might be thankful
2:53 Remember when We gave Moses the Scripture, and the means to distinguish [right and wrong], so that you might be guided
2:54 Moses said to his people, ‘My people, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so repent to your Maker and kill [the guilty among] you. That is the best you can do in the eyes of your Maker.’ He accepted your repentance: He is the Ever Relenting and the Most Merciful
2:55 Remember when you said, ‘Moses, we will not believe you until we see God face to face.’ At that, thunderbolts struck you as you looked on
2:56 Then We revived you after your death, so that you might be thankful
2:57 We made the clouds cover you with shade, and sent manna and quails down to you, saying, ‘Eat the good things We have provided for you.’ It was not Us they wronged; they wronged themselves
2:58 Remember when We said, ‘Enter this town and eat freely there as you will, but enter its gate humbly and say, “Relieve us!” Then We shall forgive you your sins and increase the rewards of those who do good.’
2:59 But the wrongdoers substituted a different word from the one they had been given. So, because they persistently disobeyed, We sent a plague down from the heavens upon the wrongdoers
#organizational theory and the example of the people of Israel
In the previous post I started talking about the organisational perspective in the verses we read, and reflected on the circulatory system necessary for an organisation to function in a healthy way. As the task is handed down, anxiety has to be passed up and held for individuals to carry on with their tasks.
In the following verses the circulatory system is explained through the example of the people of Israel. The verses list psychic defences against being in touch with the truth, like denial, disavowal, misconception, distortion and delusion. But more importantly, they name the internal accountability system that will help deal with the anxiety of the task: being mindful of God and keeping the prayers.
2:38 We said, ‘Get out, all of you! But when guidance comes from Me, as it certainly will, there will be no fear for those who follow My guidance nor will they grieve
2:39 those who disbelieve and deny Our messages shall be the inhabitants of the Fire, and there they will remain.’
2:40 Children of Israel, remember how I blessed you. Honour your pledge to Me and I will honour My pledge to you: I am the One you should fear
2:41 Believe in the message I have sent down confirming what you already possess. Do not be the first to disbelieve in it, and do not sell My messages for a small price: I am the One of whom you should be mindful
2:42 Do not mix truth with falsehood, or hide the truth when you know it
2:43 Keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and bow your heads [in worship] with those who bow theirs
2:44 How can you tell people to do what is right and forget to do it yourselves, even though you recite the Scripture? Have you no sense
2:45 Seek help with steadfastness and prayer- though this is hard indeed for anyone but the humble
2:46 who know that they will meet their Lord and that it is to Him they will return
2:47 Children of Israel, remember how I blessed you and favoured you over other people
2:48 Guard yourselves against a Day when no soul will stand in place of another, no intercession will be accepted for it, nor any ransom; nor will they be helped
We have seen in the previous explorations the intrapsychic relations being internalised or perhaps neural pathways that can exist in one’s mind depending on how they choose to make sense of the external world.
Parallel to that is another realm of realities which operates on an interpersonal level. The psychoanalytic study of groups and organisations looks at how individuals function in groups and organisations and how they unconsciously operate to avoid the anxiety emerging from facing the task assigned to them; which is called the primary task.
People organise themselves around beliefs about what is happening to them, these are called basic assumption groups.
If the organisation does not provide ways to deal with this anxiety, it can lead to rigidity, or burnout amongst other things. (Stokoe, 2021)
In the previous verses, God is about to set up an organisation of people who will succeed one another. Their primary task is to form a successful succession that is not, as the angels predicted, based on corruption and bloodshed.
Surat Al-Baqara
2:30 [Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’
Adam and Eve as the first humans face their anxiety for the first time when they are seduced by an enemy and transgress a boundary set by God. They are held to account. According to Stokoe, “It is through the accounting system that the healthy organisation encourages anxiety to be passed up the line.” (Stokoe, 2020, p97)
So the circulatory system, as Stokoe refers to it, is established, a task is handed down and anxiety is passed up the line. The suggestion is that this continuous flow would guarantee the healthy functioning of this new burgeoning society.
So how does this apply to us outside the garden of Eden?
The depressive position is a concept introduced by Melanie Klein to reflect a psychic maturational process that reflects an infant s capacity to integrate its split experience of the primary carer as two separate part-objects: ideal and loved; persecuting and hated into one integrated object. While at the beginning, the main anxiety is narcissistic and concerned with the survival of the self, in the depressive position, anxiety is also felt on behalf of the object and capacity for concern for the other develops causing guilt and leading to reparation.
In the previous post, I reflected on the psychic meaning of Iblees’ position referring to the narcissistic position. This position belongs to the paranoid schizoid position in Kleinian terms, when one is still split about their internal objects.
Unlike Iblees who is not capable of expressing guilt, Adam does. Thus he works towards the depressive position.
2:37 Then Adam received some words from his Lord and He accepted his repentance: He is the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful
In his experience of guilt and repentance, there is an acknowledgment of separateness, submission to God, and return to his mercy.
It is in this very act of separation and recognition that our subjectivity as human beings is born, a subjectivity rooted in the duality of the relationship with God, meaning the impossibility of merger. While Iblees fails to assimilate this reality, Adam does. This understanding leads Adam to become God’s subject, a vertical relation with the Devine is established and is the core of the depressive position from an islamic perspective.
In other words the story of creation is also the story of psychic development which can go either way, we are all prone to narcissistic tendencies as well as neurotic anxieties. The mitigating circumstances depend on our relational capacity to reconnect with the source of Goodness, God.
In the following verses we see the seeking drive mentioned earlier being activated. So far Adam and Eve lived in a sublime state where needs were met without the experience of frustration which engenders thought and learning. Now as God has assigned them with a task on earth, they needed to become embodied, situated creatures.
We are also introduced to an antagonist, iblees. The story becomes three dimensional in that we are introduced to a vertical relationship between God and his creatures and a horizontal one between these creatures and a third position where conflict arises and is resolved, and I will try to explain this as we go along.
Two transferential currents can be identified, a neurotic and a narcissistic one.
Iblees represents destructive narcissism. His envy towards Adam and fear of loss of his position of favourite in the eyes of God and the angels leads him to a destructive act, that of severing ties with the source of goodness, God.
While we read this as a story, it equally describes a state of mind and a psychological process emanating from a narcissistic wound. The psychic defence or disease of the heart is narcissism, its symptoms are arrogance and omnipotence.
Interestingly, the root of the word Iblees in Arabic means the one who despairs from God’s mercy. So it is a name that describes the action that leads to narcissism and omnipotence.
2:34 When We told the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ they all bowed. But not Iblis, who refused and was arrogant: he was one of the disobedient
2:35 We said, ‘Adam, live with your wife in this garden. Both of you eat freely there as you will, but do not go near this tree, or you will both become wrongdoers.’
2:36 But Satan made them slip, and removed them from the state they were in. We said, ‘Get out, all of you! You are each other’s enemy. On earth you will have a place to stay and livelihood for a time.’
2:37 Then Adam received some words from his Lord and He accepted his repentance: He is the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful
2:38 We said, ‘Get out, all of you! But when guidance comes from Me, as it certainly will, there will be no fear for those who follow My guidance nor will they grieve
I mentioned in the previous post (day # 7) that the life drive seems to go hand in hand with responsibility “I am putting a successor on earth”, relatedness to God “He taught Adam” and knowledge “He taught Adam all the names of things”.
The process of teaching and learning is worth reflecting on at this stage in terms of our own experience as human beings. How does this story relates to us and if God had taught Adam how is that knowledge transmitted to us?
Surat Al-Baqara
2:30 [Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’
2:31 He taught Adam all the names [of things], then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you truly [think you can].&rsquo
2:32 They said, ‘May You be glorified! We have knowledge only of what You have taught us. You are the All Knowing and All Wise.’
2:33 Then He said, ‘Adam, tell them the names of these.’ When he told them their names, God said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and that I know what you reveal and what you conceal?’
Jaak Panksepp is a neuroscientist and psycho biologist who coined the term “affective neuroscience“, the name for the field that studies the neural mechanisms of emotion. He identified the seeking system which motivates animals and mammals to engage with the external world. Perhaps in psychoanalytic terms this would correspond to the curiosity drive. Our need to engage with the external world to survive produces a by product which is learning (Solms, 2023).
However Islam takes a different view, our need to survive is only to be able to seek and find God. The process of learning is not a by product of the encounter between instinct and environment but an intelligent design that is specific to the human race, endowed with free will; it is the end goal and essence of our human existence. In fact, psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist, Mark Solms in his book, The Hidden Spring, explains that consciousness is a very baffling phenomenon because it is not necessary for our survival which reinforces the idea of a higher objective for our existence.
Hence the capacity to learn which I think these verses refer, is our capacity to understand our environment and decipher its divine laws, something written in our epigenetics
The story of creation symbolises a pivotal point in man’s psychic development.
It has so many layers and encompasses many psychoanalytic theories that I hope to be able to break down and lay out in an understandable way.
2:30 [Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’
2:31 He taught Adam all the names [of things], then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you truly [think you can].
2:32 They said, ‘May You be glorified! We have knowledge only of what You have taught us. You are the All Knowing and All Wise.’
2:33 Then He said, ‘Adam, tell them the names of these.’ When he told them their names, God said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and that I know what you reveal and what you conceal?’
First God tells the angels He is putting successors on earth. They contest and point to man’s destructive propensities. But God says that He knows what they do not know and teaches Adam the names of all things.
There are two perspectives being developed in these verses. One on an individual level and the other on an organisational level.
On an individual level the angels point out the death drive while God reassures them knowing the overriding capacity of the life drive.
Freud suggested in his theory of mind that we are governed by drives that create a sense of need in us. This needs pressures the ego into action to reduce this pressure and meet the need, like eating to reduce the sensation of hunger. He suggested that the life drive is opposed to the self-destructive death instincts or death drives.
In the verses above, both drives are acknowledged. Man’s capacity for love and hate. But the verses also shows a reassurance, that God knows which side will prevail and why.
It also indicates that the life drive goes hand in hand with responsibility, relatedness to God “He taught Adam” and knowledge “He taught Adam all the names of things”
“The term ‘internal object’ means a mental and emotional image of an external object that has been taken inside the self. The character of the internal object is coloured by aspects of the self that have been projected into it. A complex interaction continues throughout life between the world of internalised figures and objects and in the real world (which are obviously also in the mind) via repeated cycles of projection and introjection.”
This definition, from the Melanie Klein trust, is important at this point to understand the psychic process that is being described and developed through the verses we have read and that serve as a preamble to verses 30 to 39.
In Surat Al Fatiha, man identifies and introjects a complete whole Object he can relate to, rely on and submit to. Unlike human internal objects, it is an object that one comes to experience with one’s heart and is guided to with one’s mind.
I wonder if this is a point of divergence between European and Islamic views of the psyche; Islam proposes a heart psyche, while western propensity leans towards a mind psyche. But perhaps this idea will become clearer as we go along.
Internalising God as a complete whole object, that is completely separate from being human, that has no needs, no beginning no end and escapes our human imagination seems to be the task at hand.
The importance of understanding this concept helps then unpick all the projections we as humans direct towards God when we refuse to enter in his peace. Verses 25 to 29 can be viewed as an introduction to this important psychic process that will be symbolised in the story of creation. It reminds us of the separateness and absolute omnipotence of this Object.
:25 [Prophet], give those who believe and do good the news that they will have Gardens graced with flowing streams. Whenever they are given sustenance from the fruits of these Gardens, they will say, ‘We have been given this before,’ because they were provided with something like it. They will have pure spouses and there they will stay
2:26 God does not shy from drawing comparisons even with something as small as a gnat, or larger: the believers know it is the truth from their Lord, but the disbelievers say, ‘What does God mean by such a comparison?’ Through it He makes many go astray and leads many to the right path. But it is only the rebels He makes go astray
2:27 those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers
2:28 How can you ignore God when you were lifeless and He gave you life, when He will cause you to die, then resurrect you to be returned to Him
2:29 It was He who created all that is on the earth for you, then turned to the sky and made the seven heavens; it is He who has knowledge of all things
In psychoanalysis we talk about psychic defences while the Qur’an talks of diseased hearts. So are they the same phenomenon under different labels?
At first I thought they may refer to the same thing. However, in Islam, the foundation of a healthy heart is its connection to God and this is probably where the two concepts part ways.
As mentioned in the previous post, the heart is fed by a stream of external information that comes from its environment. Without the capacity to connect with the purifying source this external flood can sweep us away.
Thus we are introduced to another disease which is arrogance. Equality of men in the eyes of God does not sit well with people who think that they are special. This arrogance corrupts the heart and leads to an interesting phenomenon of turning a blind eye to the truth as reflected in verses 8 to 16.
Verses 17 to 28 of Surat Al Baqara reflect on the impact of the psychological phenomenon of turning a blind eye. Knowing something deep down but deciding against the truth and how misleading this is. Again the antidote to this disease is mindfulness of God and pondering his signs that are all around us.
God in addressing our demand for guidance is listing for us all the diseases our hearts can face and how to cure them.
Surat Al-Abqara
2:8 Some people say, ‘We believe in God and the Last Day,’ when really they do not believe
2:9 They seek to deceive God and the believers but they only deceive themselves, though they do not realize it
2:10 There is a disease in their hearts, to which God has added more: agonizing torment awaits them for their persistent lying
2:11 When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’
2:12 but really they are causing corruption, though they do not realize it
2:13 When it is said to them, ‘Believe, as the others believe,’ they say, ‘Should we believe as the fools do?’ but they are the fools, though they do not know it
2:14 When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, ‘We’re really with you; we were only mocking.’
2:15 God is mocking them, and allowing them more slack to wander blindly in their insolence
2:16 They have bought error in exchange for guidance, so their trade reaps no profit, and they are not rightly guided
2:17 They are like people who [labour to] kindle a fire: when it lights up everything around them, God takes away all their light, leaving them in utter darkness, unable to see
2:18 deaf, dumb, and blind: they will never return
2:19 Or [like people who, under] a cloudburst from the sky, with its darkness, thunder, and lightning, put their fingers into their ears to keep out the thunderclaps for fear of death- God surrounds the disbelievers
2:20 The lightning almost snatches away their sight: whenever it crashes o
2:21 People, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, so that you may be mindful [of Him]
2:22 who spread out the earth for you and built the sky; who sent water down from it and with that water produced things for your sustenance. Do not, knowing this, set up rivals to God
2:23 If you have doubts about the revelation We have sent down to Our servant, then produce a single sura like it- enlist whatever supporters you have other than God- if you truly [think you can]
2:24 If you cannot do this- and you never will- then beware of the Fire prepared for the disbelievers, whose fuel is men and stones
The first five verses detailed the characteristics of those who are mindful of God and who are the guided ones. These characteristics are harnessed and reinforced by the five pillars of Islam which act like a psychological immune booster.
It is then only logical for the verses that follow to address what causes deficiencies and diseases in this immune system. But more importantly what psychic structure is concerned with these efforts.
In verses 6 to 16 we are introduced to the impact of not keeping that relational bond with God on the heart. God speaks of two types of people; those with sealed hearts and those with diseased hearts. Two problems are identified along with two psychic defences: omnipotence and denial.
Al Ghazali, in the Marvels of the Heart, gives a great example of what happens in the heart. He says that if we thought of the heart as a reservoir, it could either be filled by streams pouring into it, or if we dig deep we get to the pure source that feeds it from within.
One may think of disbelief or kufr, as an intent to cover this pure source and not connect with it. Hence the heart becomes sealed to the truth and to the capacity for insight as mentioned in verses 6 and 7.
TBC…
Al Baqara 2:6-16
2:6 As for those who disbelieve, it makes no difference whether you warn them or not: they will not believe
2:7 God has sealed their hearts and their ears, and their eyes are covered. They will have great torment
2:8 Some people say, ‘We believe in God and the Last Day,’ when really they do not believe
2:9 They seek to deceive God and the believers but they only deceive themselves, though they do not realize it
2:10 There is a disease in their hearts, to which God has added more: agonizing torment awaits them for their persistent lying
2:11 When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’
2:12 but really they are causing corruption, though they do not realize it
2:13 When it is said to them, ‘Believe, as the others believe,’ they say, ‘Should we believe as the fools do?’ but they are the fools, though they do not know it
2:14 When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, ‘We’re really with you; we were only mocking.’
2:15 God is mocking them, and allowing them more slack to wander blindly in their insolence
2:16 They have bought error in exchange for guidance, so their trade reaps no profit, and they are not rightly guided
We are not really left hanging… God tells us immediately who are those who are mindful of God
2:3 (those)who believe in the unseen, keep up the prayer, and give out of what We have provided for them
2:4 those who believe in the revelation sent down to you [Muhammad], and in what was sent before you, those who have firm faith in the Hereafter
2:5 Such people are following their Lord’s guidance and it is they who will prosper
We are immediately given the first challenge, we have to believe in the unseen. In the word Ghaib, we also find the meaning of that which is not acquired by the five senses. A challenge to go beyond the mind’s eye. Mindfulness of God requires digging deep but also operates on three relational axis:
⁃ A humbling act of submission to Allah by believing in what He tells us about what is beyond our grasp (an antidote to narcissism)
⁃ A vertical relationship with our lord through prayer that reminds us of the bond with Allah and what each party has contracted for (an antidote to omnipotence)
⁃ A horizontal relationship with others through an act of care: giving out of what they have been given (an antidote to isolation and estrangement)
So the opening guidance works on providing the seeker with an immunological response to internal structures that can lead to deviation from the righteous path.
Hence, the five pillars of Islam, shahadah, zakah, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage, which incorporate this belief in the unseen, work as the foundations and boosters of our psychological immune system and are first and foremost beneficial to us.
So what is this immunological response going to strengthen?
Thinking of the Fatiha as the opening of a request and a contracting with God, exalted is He, we can then move to the next chapter Surat Al-Baqara in which there is an immediate acknowledgment of this request, we say “guide us to the straight path” and God responds,
2:2 This is the Scripture in which there is no doubt, containing guidance for those who are mindful of God
2:3 who believe in the unseen, keep up the prayer, and give out of what We have provided for them
2:4 those who believe in the revelation sent down to you [Muhammad], and in what was sent before you, those who have firm faith in the Hereafter
2:5 Such people are following their Lord’s guidance and it is they who will prosper
In this response we are immediately introduced to the first hurdle that may prevent from receiving this guidance; namely narcissism and its remedy, mindfulness of God.
I was thinking here about the concept of mindfulness of God as opposed to mindfulness practices today and all the positive psychology that puts man at the centre of the universe.
A mindfulness practice where we put ourself at the centre is a narcissistic practice that boosts one’s ego ideal and makes a person believe that they hold their own answers within and do not need an other.
Ramadan is the month of Quran and I would like to invite you this month while we seek the benefits of these blessed days and nights to read the therapeutic contract within the verses of the suras that promise us healing, peace of heart and peace of mind. When we engage with therapy, (and to Allah belongs the utmost example of perfection), we go to our therapist with a demand or a problem. We go to someone we know has credentials and expertise to be able to understand our predicaments and help us understand something about them. We tell him our presenting issues and begin therapy.
I invite you to begin your reading with that understanding in mind and note the importance of Surat Al Fatiha. It is our contracting with God Exalted is He. We go to him with that demand. It is then understandable why no prayer is valid without al Fatiha, because every prayer is a reminder of this contract we initiated and an act of engagement that reminds us that God is present for us and we should call upon him at least 5 times a day to remind ourselves.
Surat Al-Fatiha
The Opening
1:1 In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Subhanallah, I was reading Surat Al-qasas when I came across this sentence in verse 32 When Allah, exhaled is He, is talking to prophet Moses, peace be upon him and He tells him: .1 And cross your arms tightly to calm your fears.
Watch this video of Peter levine where he explain in minute 2:45 of the video a technique to calm one’s fear in what is considered to be new techniques to work with trauma patients.
It turns out it’s an old technique written hundreds of years ago in the Qur’an 😉
It’s Christmas time and I do enjoy this time of year because, within the darkness of winter and shortness of daylight, we have created a festival of light. However this year my mind drifted towards something else: the question of the relativity of time. It started with the meaning of the celebration, the birthday of Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him. It made me think about the new trends within the Muslim community to try to create a buzz around The Mawlid of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, having an Islamic tree and putting gifts under it, as well as the yearly debate around that time of the year, whether celebrating is a bid’ah that should not be followed or a harmless reminder of the blessed event. The amusing thing is that neither date is really correct. It has long been established that Jesus (PBUH) was not born on the 25th of December. On the other hand, while historians say that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was born on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the fact that we follow the lunar calendar means that each year we celebrate his birthday at a different time.
So what is the purpose of celebrations in Islam? I had to compare this event to other celebrations in Islam, and they are basically two. The first one is after the month of Ramadan, which is the month of fasting. The second is after performing pilgrimage. It then occurred to me that what we celebrate has nothing to do with time itself, time is a tool. What we are celebrating is the performing of an act. One can deduce that a meaningful celebration is one that comes as a result of an exerted effort in the here and now. It is an exercise of mindfulness. Being anchored in time, more specifically in the present and not being anchored by time, celebrating dates that don’t carry a sense of personal development or achievement.
This concept draws one’s attention to the relativity of time. And the question is perhaps, what makes it valuable? The fact that time has transformed from its initial purpose as a tool at our service to a subduing force may hold the answer. We are now in a relentless race with a concept we have created to measure our lives. We want to harness it, travel through it, slow it down. We have made it into a goal. And in the process, we shifted the focus from the essence of life, which is being meaningful in our existence to pursuing an illusion that can only produce more illusions…
An-nafs is a very fascinating concept. It could be translated as the self. But while the etymology of the word self is an emphatic expression of the “I”, the etymology of the word Nafs is the emphatic expression of transcendence. The three Arabic letters forming this word have one original meaning which is an exhaled breath.
It made me reflect on the divine breath that was blown into Mary, and the divine breath that is blown into every baby. The word Nafs that is so representative of our human experience is the fruit of this exhaled divine breath that brings us to life. It simply means just as in the post about Maslow’s pyramid of needs that at the beginning of man’s story is transcendence.
Perhaps the choice of Arabic as a language to convey the message of God is that the implicit and explicit meanings work together to convey this message of love, of unity and duality. It follows that operating from a pure I or ego perspective that does not take into account this dyad is operating from a false self. But perhaps this thought deserves more time for reflection.
While still on the subject of etymology and linguistic precision, I would like to mention another important term. Having read a few papers by Freud this year, I came across another interesting term which is hysteria. This term first used to describe the condition of some women, comes from the Greek word meaning “of the womb” or “suffering of the womb” the womb itself meaning the belly.
If you look at the etymology of the word rahim (the Arabic word for womb) you will find that at the root is the meaning of mercy the quality that goes with the womb and motherhood. When we oppose the two, one ties the word to a place of psychological troubles, the other to a place of mercy.
Perhaps these are signs of profound conceptual differences between the Islamic perspective of the human condition and a non-faith-based perspective.
This post was inspired by a book I read a month ago entitled The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom, by Angeles Arrien.
In one section of the book, she speaks of 5 univeral shapes that appear in all art around the world and which are: the square, the circle, the triangle, the plus sign or equidistant cross and the spiral.
Before I proceed here is a little game we can play: draw these shapes on a piece of paper then number them from 1 to 5 according to preference, 1 being the most favourite, 5 the least favourite, (and don’t give it too much thought).
Now stop reading and do it then come back to the post.
The fascinating thing is the way these preferences are explained. In all the fairytales of the world when there is a riddle to solve, the answer is never the first or the last answer, it is the middle one, so where you really are is your number 3. And here are the symbolic meanings of every shape:
The triangle is the symbol of vision and wisdom
The circle is the symbol of wholness, individuation, coming to one’s essence. It is also the need for space
The square is the symbol of stability, solidity, security
The plus sign is the symbol of coming together, the need for interaction
The spiral is the need for growth, diversity and change.
To find out how these different positions impact on eachother I am inclosing a link that explains everything at the end of the post.
For me when I read this my mind drifted to the Ka’ba, and what its cubic shape symbolises: The square. According to Angeles Arrien, those attracted to the square are ready to build, to implement a plan and to manifest ideas. I thought that the square is then a symbol of practical concrete thinking, of the scientific approach that leads to action. But within the Ka’bah is the black stone, this mysterious entity that we greet and kiss because we were ordered to. I kept wondering what could this image be, and what came to my mind was that it was the essence of faith: that we have to believe in the signs of God, and these signs are concrete, everywhere around us, science leads us to them. However, and it is a big however, science has its limitations, it can only describe what is seen. But the minute we say that this amazing creature must have a creator, we have left the world of science to the realm of the intellect. The black stone is this unseen world, al-Gaib, which a solid base of knowledge can only point to.
The movement we make around the ka’ba combines the circle and the spiral, both our individuation and our growth lie in the mastering of the two concepts the Ka’ba represents, acquiring knowledge while being mindful of God.
I bow to the magnificence of God’s wisdom, that leaves such room for creativity and interpretation.
I also wonder if these five shapes could be married with the five foundations of Islam but the task was a bit too much for my humble knowledge and abilities.
So I leave you with these shapes and thoughts and the link to their interpretations.
In my previous blog post, I mentioned Maslow’s Pyramid of needs and the missing apex that he added a few decades after the first formulation of this pyramid, the last apex being self-transcendence.
And what is meant by self-transcendence after meeting the basic needs is the need to see ourselves as part of the broader universe to develop the common priorities that can allow humankind to survive as a species.” (Nichol Bradford)
Islam takes a reverse position in the sense that its teachings immediately put us in that state of self-transcendence, and tells us that we are connected in a common purpose which is to make it a better existence for everyone. There is a hadith that says that Islam was built on five, and we refer to these as the five pillars of Islam, perhaps a more accurate translation would be the five foundations of Islam. These five foundations are what keeps the inner structure of the Muslim safe and sound because they directly impact our mental health, and they are:
Shahadah, (declaration of faith)
Prayer
Zakah (Prescribed alms)
Fast
Pilgrimage
I would like to think about them now from a relational perspective and how each impacts our psyche.
The first one, shahadah[1], is self-transcendence to connect to the One. As a Muslim I am immediately invited to bare witness that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is his messenger, a statement that immediately empowers me as an individual, in the very fact that it makes me a witness. But as witnesses of His way, we need a strong bond, a strong connection, like in any organizational environment, only we have direct access to Him. How? Through prayer. So why is prayer so important for psychic health?
Lately, the latest craze is practicing meditation, to achieve peace of mind, clarity, equanimity etc. Neuroscience has now provided us with proof of its impact on our health: a boosted immune system, lower blood pressure, and assistance in combating psoriasis as well as other conditions.
The Islamic perspective is not just to be mindful but to be mindful of God. Mindfulness of God or as we call it in Arabic Taqwa Allah, is what elevates us in ranks, what builds our inner strength because we are connected to an inexhaustible source, with His 99 attributes of beauty and might. Knowing that God is present in us, with us, for us, at all times, is the ultimate source of strength and appeasement. Islamic teachings stress the importance of Prayer to the point that if you cannot stand up to do it, you are allowed to perform it sitting down, if you cannot perform it sitting down, then you are allowed to perform it lying down, if you cannot, then you can perform it with mere eye movement, because everyone needs to feel connected to the divine source, to build healthier synapses and stronger connections.
We are also taught to self-transcend in the performance of Zakāh, which is (prescribed) alms[2]
It creates awareness of the need of others and their right over us to provide for them. It gives them the right to a dignified living, taking away the shame of receiving charity by making it a prescribed right while giving us the benefit of giving and gaining the benefit of serving others. Ultimately it creates a caring society.
Even in the teaching of fasting, God says that He alone rewards for it and that it is a way to give thanks to Him. In fact, everything we are encouraged to do to please Him, has a psychological benefit for us. Prayers build resilience and resilience builds ability to overcome trauma. Fasting builds the ability to withstand delayed gratification (there is research in mental health that people who can accept delayed gratification are more successful and resilient in later life because it builds self-discipline) it has health benefits, but ultimately for us it teaches us how to be mindful of God.
And finally pilgrimage which instils the sense of equality and humility is the reality check we need to remind us that we don’t leave this life with much, just a shroud and that what matters is the relationship we built with God and his creatures and not with things.
The biggest mistake we make as Muslims, when we practice these foundations of our faith, is to think that we do them as an obligation to avoid God’s wrath or gain His reward. We forget that nothing we do or don’t do adds or takes away anything from His kingdom. And we do that when we lose insight and mindfulness of the purpose of worship.
The gift God is giving us is really tying our happiness and our sound mental health to the idea that we are giving Him something when in fact we are doing ourselves the service.
Self- transcendence is the essence of the human experience because there is no me without you and there is no man without God.
Finally I would like you to bear in mind that the objective of this article is not to state the benefits of the 5 pillars of Islam because one could probably write books on the subject, but merely to point out that God has put a system that helps build a strong mind and a sound relational system because He made us social beings. I do not mean to say that Muslims are not affected by mental illness because they are, I just wanted to highlight that the 7 processes to effect change stated by the CPCAB are part and parcel of the foundations of our faith, which in itself suggests the healing value of every practice prescribed on us.
Finally, this leaves me with a thought to ponder, what does it mean to have this as the foundation of the pyramid of needs and not as its apex and how does the different position impact a person’s psyche?
Here one interesting link On delayed gratification:
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allāh*, and that Muḥammad is His Messenger.” Allāh is the Arabic name for the One and Only God, the same God shared by all monotheistic faiths (the name Allāh is often used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews). The name Allāh encompasses all the divine names and attributes of the Lord of the worlds, and hence the vast scopes of meaning it has. It is for this reason that Muslims consider it unique. Unlike the word ‘God’, the word ‘Allāh’ in Arabic has no inflections of gender or number.
[2] One of the five pillars of Islām It is a calculated proportion of a Muslim’s wealth that is paid annually for the benefit of the needy. It is due on certain assets, once their value reaches a certain threshold and the calculation varies according to the nature of the asset.
Still on the first point of the seven processes. In thinking about the frame and Shariaa, I could not ignore Abrahm Maslow’s Pyramid of needs.
Founder of the humanistic school, Abraham Maslow was first to take into account the impact of external factors on the person’s psyche, contrary to Freud’s take which focused primarily on the internal world of the individual.
At the base of the pyramid are physiological needs, followed by safety needs then love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and finally at the top self-actualization needs. The image below explains what each level entails.
However, I stumbled upon a very interesting article recently that states that in 1970, Maslow added a final apex after self-actualization which is self-transcendence:
“Having met our basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid, having worked on our emotional needs in its middle and worked at achieving our potential, Maslow felt we needed to transcend thoughts of ourselves as islands. We had to see ourselves as part of the broader universe to develop the common priorities that can allow humankind to survive as a species.” (Nichol Bradford)
This final apex figuring at the top of the pyramid of needs as a final achievement is quiet mind boggling. The suggestion is that only when all the other needs are met can we reach that level. But all my life, Islam has taught me otherwise. In my view, from an Islamic perspective shariaa teaches us that connection, transcendence and thinking about others is at the base of our pyramid of need. That’s why we are provided from the start with a toolkit that guaranties the building of this capacity to transcend our personal needs and build the relationship, which leads me to the next point in the seven processes to effect change, which is building the relationship.
(to be continued :))
Below is the link to the article mentioned in this post.
Are you familiar with sea squirts? Sea squirts are maritime creatures that once they choose where to settle, eat their own brain. I found this fact fascinating. Having a brain is about movement. Movement in human terms is about progressing in life, “if you are not progressing you are regressing”, you are not standing still, because standing still means you are losing acquired knowledge and skills due to lack of practice. Otherwise, we are leading the life of a sea squirt, which I presume is feeding and reproducing.
And when we are at a stand-still, experiencing stuckness, getting depressed about it mental health issue may arise because the sense of purpose carried in our essence of being, in our possession of a thinking mind, is being blocked.
In counselling, the CPCAB model suggests seven helping and counselling processes that support client change to create this necessary movement:
Working ethically and professionally
Working with the relationship
Working with difference and diversity
Working with primary focus on the client
Working with self-awareness
Working with a coherent framework of skills and theory
Working reflectively
As the drawing shows. Every one of these processes enhances a quality in the building of change. The first of which is working according to a professional, ethical framework to generate the feeling of safety. And safety is reinforced by keeping boundaries. And I would like to unpick these seven processes from an Islamic perspective, starting with the meaning of boundaries.
Islam reflects the importance of the frame work, what we call in islam Shariaa and which literally means the way. Shariaa nowadays, is a word that has been used and abused to propagate fear about Islam, when in fact it was introduced to create this very opposite feeling of safety we need to start a fruitful relationship. It is nothing but a tool to guide us to the safe passage through life. To put it in context, the number of verses in the Qur’an is 6236 and the number of verses related to Islamic jurisprudence is 500 verses. So one should not reduce Islam to Shariaa, nor attribute to Shariaa what it is not.
To understand Shariaa people need to understand that its objectives are focused on protecting the Islamic conception of life and death, from which we deduce:
– Promoting and protecting human dignity
– Welfare
– Knowledge
– Creativity
– Autonomy
– Development
– Equality
– Freedom
– Justice
– Fraternity
– Love
– Solidarity
– Diversity
To read more on the subject I would strongly recommend Tariq Ramadan’s book, Radical Reform.
But back to Mental health, as I said previously, when learning about mental health, I came to realize the extent to which Islam is invested in the creation and protection of a sound mind and body, starting with establishing a safe holding environment that allows the individual and society to prosper. And this is the purpose of Shariaa, to create a safe holding environment.
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:30)
We note in the verse above that the angels are wondering why God would chose a successive authority from among a people who cause corruption and bloodshed. Some scholars suggested that this means that the angels had already seen what mankind is capable of. But with Adam begins a new phase and a new experience.
And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:31)
God teaches Adam the names of everything. This faculty of learning, naming and acquiring knowledge is perhaps in neuroscientific terms the activation of the cortex, the birth of consciousness. Man can now talk, communicate, and develop thought. (This process could also be considered from a lacanian perspective as the passage from the symbolic to the semiotic)
Going back to Freud’s topographical model, the conscious/unconscious world. We find that the unconscious is home to all repressed thought, difficult experiences, coping mechanisms, in essence, all the difficult experiences that we need to learn from and that form our defences.
Bringing things to consciousness means accessing this emotional world, making sense of it to control it. In one of his lectures, Bessel van der Kolk says, “there is no mind without mindfulness” because the emotional brain and the rational brain are not directly connected and the only way to access this part of the brain is the mid line structure of the brain which is responsible for self-perception. The Qur’an refers to al- naasiyah, which may be considered as the frontal lobe, again an amazing linguistic indication of the intricacy of expression in the Qur’an and the many layers of meanings hidden in every word.
“There is no capacity to own yourself without mindfulness and without knowing yourself…” Bessel Van der Kolk
“LANGUAGE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY THING, but we don’t often think about it as such. More or less everyone talks, they do it from an early age, in a spontaneous way and it all seems very easy and unremarkable. Yet, it is the single most obvious aspect of human behaviour that shows we are connected. The prime purpose of language is to communicate with others. It allows us to be consciously objective and allows us to express our deepest feelings. It is a mechanism by which we can consciously connect with the inner and also a mechanism by which we can span the distance between ourselves and others – we can project our mind by speaking our mind. “Stephen Pinker (2007b)
So how do Islamic teachings gear us for that capacity for consciousness and connection? (to be continued)
Below are some links that helped me formulate this post:
When Freud the father of psychoanalysis tried to unpick the human psyche he suggested that people are motivated by drives that need to be satisfied. Mainly the death drive (Thanatos) represents all the drives that lead to self-destruction and the survival drive (Eros) is responsible for the life-producing drives. Melanie Klein took the theory further in maintaining that the true motivation is building relationships with others and the primary relationship with mother is the template on which a person’s life is going to be built. If we internalize mother as a good object, then we will always draw from the goodness of this experience in difficult times.
When looking at the story of Adam and Eve from this perspective, we realize that their short experience in heaven was necessary for them to carry the mission that God had entrusted them with.
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:30)
There is a great symbolic meaning to the experience of Adam and Eve, away from the idea of a persecutory original sin that does not exist in the Islamic narrative. It was a necessary experience to internalize God as the good object before facing life on earth. They needed to reach that maturational state and experience the death instinct and conflicting drives to be able to understand love, guilt and reparation. Once the healing dyad is formed a person is ready to face life.
There are great parallels here between this experience and the experience of motherhood and how a mother builds her child’s internal world; it may be why Islam reveres motherhood and parenthood in general and gives it this high position.
Ever since I started studying counselling and psychotherapy, I have been amazed at the care, in Islam, put into building a sound mind and good mental health.
I would like to share with you through the blog, some of the things I came across that triggered these feelings. One of them is this Ayah in Surat al-Baqara regarding charity.
If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah, with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted. (2:271)
Many of us would have read this ayah over and over again, but did you ever wonder why it is good for us to give charity in secret, while giving charity openly is just good?
I found out the reason why or perhaps one of the reasons why from a psychological point of view in a video on ways to overcome depression. And one of the things that people are suffering with depression are advised to do is to do charitable acts, but not just that. What they are specifically asked to do is to do secret acts of kindness. Because secret kindness builds the person’s sense of self esteem, away from people’s judgement and applause, but the video explains it better.
Ever since I started studying counselling and psychotherapy, I have been amazed at the care put into building a sound mind and good mental health. My faith only keeps getting reinforced and I am just in awe of the magnificence of Islam.
I would like to share with you throughout the month, some of the things I came across that triggered these feelings. One of them is this Ayah in Surat al-Baqara regarding charity.
If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah, with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted. (2:271)
Many of us would have read this ayah over and over again, but did you ever wonder why it is good for us to give charity in secret, while giving charity openly is just good?
I found out the reason why or perhaps one of the reasons why from a psychological point of view in a video on ways to overcome depression. And one of the things hat people are suffering with depression are advised to do is to do charitable acts, but not just that. What they are specifically asked to do is to do secret acts of kindness. Because secret kindness builds the person’s sense of self esteem, away from people’s judgement and applause, but the video explains it better.
