MaristÄns and IslÄmic Psychology

After centuries of obscuration, the priceless treasures of the Islamic civilization are finally being unearthed little by little. The treasure this timely book succeeds to bring to light is the Islamic pattern of holistic health care in general and mental health care in particular, the latter being a first in the history of civilization. Of utmost interest is the ability of medieval physicians to harness every possible resource in their environment, thereby achieving truly remarkable results.

--Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, Consultant Psychiatrist and Author of, among other titles, Man and the Universe and Spiritual Significance in Islamic Architecture.

In the late 1970s, I had a chance encounter with a German engineer. In a remote area where he was building a road in Iran, he had come upon a Medieval mental hospital, still running on its original endowment, that treated mental disorders, not with Western pharmacology, but through architecture!- the colour blue, a ' golden ratio' in proportions, a 'mandala ' courtyard, fountains. The effect, he said, was so tranquilising that he decided to stay and had 'the best night's sleep in my life'.

His account intrigued me. In the 45-odd years since, I was, however, able to discover only a little about early Muslim mental hospitals- until reading Rania Awaad and Merve Nursoy-Demir's grounded-breaking edited book.

This is a 'must read' book for anyone with an interest in Islamic Psychology, but it should appeal to a much wider readership and has the force itself to encourage a paradigm shift in how we in the West view mental illness and its treatment.

--Dr. Rasjid E. Skinner, Clinical Director at Ihsaan Therapeutic Services and Visiting Professor at International Islamic University Islamabad.

A vital contribution to the field of Islamic psychology. Looking to the past to elucidate the profound wisdom and practical methods used by Islamic institutions of holistic, community healthcare, the authors reveal how relevant and needed such practices are today. Despite advancements in modern medicine, there have been major side effects, including the disaggregation of body and soul and disconnection from nature and community. The future of Islamic psychology, and health and wellbeing more broadly, requires efforts to "catch up with the past," reviving traditional healing practices and institutions tailored to modern circumstances. This book is a crucial step towards that future.

--Dr. Abdallah Rothman, Clinical Director of DAR al-Shifaa and Executive Director of the International Association of Islamic Psychology.