al-Muqaddimah/Prelude
The following is based upon Personal-Research: my Role as a Chaplain/Counselor lead me to author this Research, as per my Professional-Expertise via Chaplaincy. I’ve submitted my Research, for review, to the Dept. of Psychiatry, Michigan State University. Michigan State University not only approved my Research, but also invited me to attend the annual Global Muslim Mental Health Conference, hosted by Clare College/Cambridge University, United Kingdom, where I in turn was also invited to orate/defend my Research.
All Knowledge comes from Allah (the Creator/Lord of the Universe)
Disciplines, Sciences, Professions, etc. stem from Knowledge/Expertise, within respective Fields of Study-These various types of Knowledge have been passed-down from Generation2Generation (from what Allah had taught Adam, the Patriarch of Humanity…the 1st-Human, the 1st Human-Muslim [Peace be upon him]) throughout the Annals of Human-History & have evolved just as much as Humans have evolved (I’m not at all referring to Darwinism). I’m exclusively pertaining to the Religio-Spiritual/Psycho-Emotional Evolution of Man. With this being said, just as important as it is to understand the Spiritual-Realm of Human-Existence, it’s just as important to understand the Psycho-Emotional Realm of Human-Existence & how they both are directly connected to one another, as well as how they’re both connected to the Mundane (Primal: Instinctive, Biological/Anatomical, etc.) Realm of Human-Existence.
(Noble-Qur’ān: Chpt.2, V.30; Chpt.96, V.4&5; at-Tabarī; ibn-Kathīr)
This is how they’re connected
al-Islām thus defines the Human-Persona into 3-Dimensions all complementing, defining, affecting/influencing, and even within certain Contexts dominating each other, at various respective Times under various Conditions, which isn’t inherently a Positive vs. Negative, rather simply an “It is what it is” Perspective.
The 3-Dimensions of the Human-Persona
a. an-Nafs-ul-Mutama’innah/the Spiritual-Dimension
(Self-Actualization/Self-Esteem Needs)
b. an-Nafs-ul-Lawwāmah/the Psycho-Emotional Dimension
(Self-Esteem/Belonging-Needs)
c. an-Nafs-ul-Ammārah/the Instinctive/Primal-Dimension
(Safety/Biological-Needs)
(al-Bahr-ur-Rā’iq/The Calm-Ocean, Ahmad Farīd; “Hierarchy Of Needs”, Abraham Maslow)
For the Purposes of this Discussion, we’ll focusing mostly on an-Nafs-al-Lawwāmah:
an-Nafs-ul-Lawwāmah is the Human-Persona most associated with, affected by Mental-Illness. Contrary to Popular-Opinion, amongst Muslims, far too often: Mental-Illness is conceptualized synonymously with at-Tajnīn (Jinn-Influence, Jinn-Possession, etc.).
al-Jinn/Fire-Beings
Islāmic-Sources detail emphatically concerning the Capabilities of the Jinn to invade the Bodies of Humans, to influence/control them. However, whom are the Jinn & how can they possibly influence/control any Human-Being?!!! From the Verb Janna meaning, “To be invisible”, the Jinn are Invisible-Beings, created by Allah via Smokeless-Fire. The Jinn have been given the Allowance by Allah to exist in an Alternate-Universe on Earth along with Humans, and they also have Free-Will, like Humans, as well as the Capability to shapeshift into various Other-Creation (Animals, Humans, etc.), deceive Humanity, etc.
(Noble-Qur’ān: Chpt.7, V.11-22; Chpt.51, V.56; Chpt.55, V.15; at-Tabarī; ibn-Kathīr; ibn-Manzhūr; The Jinn, Mustafā Ashūr)
#FunFact
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) never “attempted” Suicide, upon first receiving at-Tanzīl/Revelation from Allah via Jibrīl/Gabriel (Peace be upon him). However, what’s true/honest is that Muhammad did in fact think/feel that he was a Victim of at-Tajnīn (Jinn-Influence/Possession). And, hence it’s thus reported by `Ā’ishah bint-`Abdillah/Abū-Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) that Muhammad had Suicidal-Thoughts, but as soon as these Suicidal-Thoughts formulated within his Mind/Heart, Jibrīl though came to him & assured him that he wasn’t Majnūn (Jinn-Influenced/Possessed), but rather that he was indeed a Prophetic-Individual.
So, since we’ve defined at-Tajnīn, then what’s Mental-Illness?!!!
#GoodQuestion…#Answer
How many Types of Mental-Illnesses are there?!!!
#GoodQuestion…Answer
But, how can one actually tell the Difference between Jinn-Influence and Mental-Illness?!!!
#GoodQuestion…#Answer
Now, on the Surface, to the Untrained-Eye: it’s actually fairly easy to perceive Mental-Illness & at-Tajnīn as the exact same Thing. The Reason is because how they show-up within the Human-Being is almost identical to one another. Their Characteristics are extremely similar. However, we must know that they’re not at all the same. It’s ideally necessary for Muslims to be educated concerning the Ikhtilāf/Difference between the two. Just like a Person can be misdiagnosed for a variety of Bio-Medical Illnesses, likewise: a Person can be misdiagnosed as being Mentally-Ill, where in fact they may be Majnūn (Jinn-Influenced/Demon-Possessed) and/or a Person can be misdiagnosed as being Majnūn, where in fact they may be Mentally-Ill.
Mental-Illness & at-Tajnīn must, at all Times be addressed as Different-Things, because they’re not one in the same. Now, what is True though is the fact that they both can be the Genesis/Cause of one another. A Person can have Untreated Mental-Illness & it may evolve into at-Tajnīn; likewise, a Person can have Untreated at-Tajnīn & it may evolve into Mental-Illness.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1181833/
For more Info. regarding ar-Ruqyah/Healing:
Gareth Bryant
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