Papers by Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Potretonline.com, 2025
Every year, Muslims around the world eagerly await the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. This... more Every year, Muslims around the world eagerly await the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. This anticipation begins two months before the appearance of the crescent moon that marks the start of Ramadan. As a tradition in the Muslim world, devout Muslims begin preparing themselves joyfully when the month of Rajab begins. Following the example of the Holy Prophet (SAW), many Muslims worldwide start to habituate themselves to fasting by observing optional fasts during the months of Rajab and Sha'ban. These few days of fasting, depending on one's capacity and choice, serve as a warm-up for the obligatory fast during Ramadan. While Muslims globally prepare mentally and spiritually for Ramadan, there are always cultural differences in how the fasting month is welcomed. In this article, I would like to share some of the interesting ways Malaysians prepare for and celebrate Ramadan.
IIUM-Today, 2025
On the morning of 22nd February 2025, after returning from my morning prayers and walk, I receive... more On the morning of 22nd February 2025, after returning from my morning prayers and walk, I received the sad news of Dr. Hikmatullah's passing through a message sent by Dr. Abdul Latif, who had once been his Head at the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies (FIDS). The news came as a shock to me, as I had been planning to visit him at the hospital around noon that day. As life and death are preordained by God, I, as a Muslim, must accept the reality that my honourable friend and former colleague has left this earthly life to meet his Creator. Upon hearing the sad news, I forwarded the message to his other close friends, including Dr.
IIUM-Today, 2025
Maghrib prayer, I received a WhatsApp message from my department at the International Islamic Uni... more Maghrib prayer, I received a WhatsApp message from my department at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The message conveyed the sad news of the passing of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zainurin Abdul Rahman. For a moment, I was stunned by the shock of losing such a remarkable individual. As a token of friendship and appreciation, I am compelled to pen down a few thoughts about the deceased. His journey to becoming a successful teacher in academia began with his pursuit of a B.A. in English at Florida State University. He later earned a Master of Education in TESOL from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Finally, he completed his Ph.D. at IIUM. His research interests are broad and include areas such as teaching reading and writing, learning strategies, language anxiety, assessment in education, and teaching methodology. Besides his teaching, he held positions like Head of the
Potret Online (Media Perempuan Aceh), 2025
In our personality development and the way we perceive the world, besides our parents, good teach... more In our personality development and the way we perceive the world, besides our parents, good teachers have a significant impact on us. Throughout childhood, we may have been taught by many teachers and mentors, but only a few leave an indelible impression on our hearts and minds that we carry throughout our lives. Through this brief essay, I would like to share the greatness of a remarkable psychologist who taught and inspired me in many ways. The teacher who inspired me and fostered my love for philosophy and psychology was none other than the late Prof. Dr. Hassan Langgulung.
CENTRIS-E Journal, 2024
This research is both timely and crucial, as the world grapples with a growing mental health cris... more This research is both timely and crucial, as the world grapples with a growing mental health crisis. As society embraces a more modern lifestyle, it also faces an increase in mental health challenges. Despite efforts by various organizations and concerned parties worldwide, a permanent solution remains elusive. This study explores the connection between human nature, mental health, and psychotherapy, comparing Western psychological frameworks with Islamic psychology. Mental health issues often stem from a deeper understanding of human nature, and psychotherapy aims to address these concerns by improving one's relationship with oneself, others, and the environment. In Western thought, mental health and psychotherapy are generally approached in a secular, scientific context, relying on psychological theories such as those of Freud, Jung, and humanistic psychologists. These theories focus on human experience and behaviour, offering therapeutic techniques grounded in empirical evidence, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy. However, Western psychology has limitations, often overlooking cultural, existential, and spiritual factors that may be critical in treating complex mental health conditions. In contrast, Islamic psychology offers a more holistic perspective, integrating physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of human well-being. It draws on Islamic teachings, including the Qur'an, Hadith, and the wisdom of Islamic scholars, providing both preventive and remedial approaches to mental health. Islamic psychology emphasizes practices such as prayer, meditation, gratitude, and social relationships as preventive measures, fostering a sense of hope and purpose that contributes to mental well-being. This research uses a qualitative, contrastive methodology, drawing on textual analysis from books on psychology, Qur'anic teachings, and Hadith/Sunnah to comprehensively compare Western and Islamic approaches to mental health and psychotherapy.
Potret Online, 2025
In a world so torn apart by wars, racism, Islamophobia, prejudice, and all other forms of discrim... more In a world so torn apart by wars, racism, Islamophobia, prejudice, and all other forms of discrimination, we need a broader philosophy that views humanity as a single family. Thank God, as Muslims who follow the footsteps of the Prophet (SAW), we are taught to live in peace and harmony, coexisting with fellow human beings (both Muslims and non-Muslims) and with nature. Islam, as both a religion and a philosophy for life, advocates fairness, justice, equality, and equity. It teaches us to respect one another and avoid confrontation by all means.
Potret Online, 2025
Though many people come and go in our lives, only a few leave a lasting impression on our hearts.... more Though many people come and go in our lives, only a few leave a lasting impression on our hearts. They aren’t remembered for their power, influence, or wealth, but for their genuine nature, warmth, love, and humility. Often, these remarkable individuals are cherished long after they’ve passed.
Upon their departure, they break into countless fragments, like precious gems, and remain in the hearts of those who knew them. The memories of their unique qualities continue to live on, forever etched in the minds of those they touched.
During my time as a foreign student in Banda Aceh (1986-1992), I had the privilege of becoming acquainted with one of the humblest scholars at IAIN Ar-Raniry—( now UIN Ar- Raniry), Dr. Safwan Idris. Throughout my five years as a student in Aceh, I had numerous opportunities to engage with him—attending his Khutbahs(Friday Sermons) and academic presentations. In these interactions, I found him to be a profoundly knowledgeable scholar, with every word he spoke full of wisdom. In terms of character, he was a soft-spoken individual who consistently sh
International journal of Islamic thought, Jun 13, 2019
Though Islam is a religion against compulsion in inviting others into its fold, but it allows to ... more Though Islam is a religion against compulsion in inviting others into its fold, but it allows to a certain degree for Muslim scholars to engage in any form of peaceful, ethical and intellectual debate/discourse with people of other faith. Ever since this message was communicated through the Qur'an, there appeared in the Muslim world many intellectuals who engaged people of other faith in discussing issues related to God and spirituality. While the Muslim world still celebrates the contribution of past renowned Muslim scholars in the area of comparative religion, this small-scale research is designed to investigate the approaches, contributions and controversies that surround Naik who is a contemporary Muslim scholar of comparative religion. Even though many recognize his intellectual competency in discussing other religions, but there are people around the globe who find his public lecture provocative, cynical and disparaging towards other religions. Through this qualitative study the researchers intend to conduct a critical appraisal on Naik's religious propagation. Besides that, the researchers will also analyze some of the criticisms hurled at him. The critical analysis of the research will objectively discuss Naik's method of preaching, personality, style of public lecture, etc. The textual-analysis method will be employed to interpret the pertinent data of this research that come in the form of Naik's public lectures and written documents.
International Journal of Halal Research
Tourism has now become an important source of revenue for many countries in the world. The spillo... more Tourism has now become an important source of revenue for many countries in the world. The spillover from this booming and lucrative industry impacts positively the other sectors of the national economy in those countries. This situation is not only true in the advanced countries of the world, but also in the Muslim world. In this present study on Islamic tourism the researchers intend to investigate the definition, destination, purpose and ethical issues related to Islamic tourism. Very particularly, the study will focus on the situation in three of the Muslim countries situated in the region of Southeast Asia; namely Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Driven by the passion to study on Islamic tourism, the researchers are interested to know the guiding principles set in these countries in contrast to others in the region. Apart from the crux of the investigation, on the peripheral, this study will also look into the topic of tourism from the Islamic ethical dimension, mainly referring...
Dinamika Ilmu, 2021
The world we live today has undergone a dramatic change in values, science and technology. In a w... more The world we live today has undergone a dramatic change in values, science and technology. In a world so divided with contending ideologies and worldviews, humanity as a whole has derailed from its philosophy of co-existence, tolerance and mutual respect for one another’s faith and culture. The war that should have ended with the formation of the United Nations is still raging in many parts of the world. News and business are controlled by some powerful conglomerates. The gap between the haves and have not’s still persists. In the wake of the present global condition, Muslims and their religion are targeted and falsely labeled as a global threat. This apparent situation of the world calls for the new generation of Muslims to think and re-evaluate on how to respond to the challenges and criticisms that come from others. Moreover, they have to carve out new ways to co-exist with others and on how to preserve their religion and cultural heritage of the past. Through this paper, the res...
Prior to the advent of the Prophet of Islam, Arabia was engulfed in the Days of Ignorance (Ayyamu... more Prior to the advent of the Prophet of Islam, Arabia was engulfed in the Days of Ignorance (Ayyamul Jahiliyyah). The degrading lifestyle and barbarism of the Arabs kept the superpowers of that time; Rome and Persia away from ruling Arabia. It was deemed by the superpowers that to rule Arabia would be a total liability on their side. This scenariochanged with the coming of Prophet Muhammad. His prophethood marked the emergence of a new era in the lives of the Arabs. It was a birth from darkness into light. The teachings of the Qur’an and the tradition (Sunnah) of Prophet took the Arabs out from their degrading lifestyle into one which is filled with enlightenment, dynamism and spirituality. Within a short period of time, the Islamic teachings transformed the lifestyle of the Arabs into one which is full of virtue, high moral values, spirituality, etc. From strength to strength the Muslims and their civilization grew and gave rise to the establishment of many empires. At the peak of th...
This paper aims to make a short survey on the discourse of religious pluralism nowadays. The emph... more This paper aims to make a short survey on the discourse of religious pluralism nowadays. The emphasis is made on its inception and development, and the personalities who responsible to disseminate this ideology to the Western and Muslim people all over the world. The research employs the qualitative methodology in which the data collected are analyzed using the textual and content analysis approach. Finding reveals that the liberal among the Muslim scholars embrace the interpretation given by John Hick without complaining, while mainstream scholars oppose to it by saying that the true message of the Qur’an is Tawḥīd (Oneness of God) and religious tolerance.
This research aimed to study the effect of exposure to Multicultural environment of educational i... more This research aimed to study the effect of exposure to Multicultural environment of educational institutions on the acculturation of its students. The study puts forth many types of research that show the positive effects of intergroup contact between groups of diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural heritages in reducing prejudice and negative stereotyping towards the out-group. This study investigated whether or not the Internationalization process of the International Islamic University, Malaysia, with a multicultural environment, helps its students to, accept the differences that other cultures bring, be comfortable with differences and also seek diversity of contact. The study employed Miville-Guzman Universality – Diversity Scale, (M-GUDS-S) to collect data by survey method from 400 IIUM undergraduate students selected using Quota sampling. 200 of them were first-year students and the rest were fourth-year students. The result indicated that the multicultural environment at II...
The topic on man and nature has always been discussed over the centuries and has earned the atten... more The topic on man and nature has always been discussed over the centuries and has earned the attention of many scholars of diverse fields of specializations. As an appreciation to the great contribution of nature to human survival, some have equated it to God. Since the two are synonymous to them, so they worship nature alongside God. Others thought nature to be an obstacle to human life and hence needs to be conquered and prevailed upon. In the light of these two extreme positions, this paper intends to investigate the relationship between man and nature from the Islamic perspective. Apart from that, this paper would like to find out as to why the Muslim community is not paying due attention to conservation and preservation of nature at a time when there is a serious call made by others to stop the ongoing environmental degradation that is happening all over the world. It is hoped that an investigation of this nature would bring to light as to what should be the ideal relationship o...
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 2019
This study looks into Myanmar and Singapore, holding the latter as the role model for the former.... more This study looks into Myanmar and Singapore, holding the latter as the role model for the former. Even though both countries are homelands to minority Muslims, the situation of Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar is not as contented as that of the Muslims in Singapore. Singapore has upheld the religion and Asian values despite her achievements in modern developments. Singapore's steps towards maintaining racial harmony within the minority groups and between government and the minorities can be emulated by Myanmar. Through qualitative analysis of the historical accounts and library materials, the paper unveils that the present plight of the Muslims and the Rohingya like minorities in Myanmar only started with the coming of military junta into power in 1962. Racial and nationalist movements initiated by the military government eradicated the Muslim identity depriving them from the rights of citizenship. The findings also suggest ways on how Muslims in Myanmar can ignite their dying flame of patriotism, learn to re-integrate with others and contribute towards national pride and nation building. Adding onto this analysis, the multi-religious policies of Singapore and its founder Lee Kuan Yew are analyzed from archives and media materials in order to set an example for Myanmar policy makers.
In the field of psychology, the topics on human nature and motivation have been quite extensively... more In the field of psychology, the topics on human nature and motivation have been quite extensively discussed. These two topics are interrelated and inseparable. Any endeavor to understand man and his potentials makes it necessary for one to venture into the study of human nature. Major topics in psychology like motivation, personality, creativity, psychotherapy, mental health, etc. could be well understood with a proper understanding on human nature. In the light of this reality, what makes this research an appealing and interesting one is the fact that the researchers had comparatively analyzed the ideas on human nature and motivation showcased to the world by Western and Islamic psychologies. The fact that there exist a great number of schools of thought in Western psychology, the researchers had narrowed their scope of investigation to three only. As such, they discussed the ideas on human nature and motivation as conceptualized in Psychoanalysis, Radical Behaviorism and Humanistic psychology. Upon analyzing Western theories, the researchers performed a compare and contrast analysis with ideas provided by Islamic psychology on human nature and motivation. This academic exercise was done in the hope of identifying as to whether there exist any similarity and difference between the two psychologies. Since the nature of this study was a qualitative one, the researchers conducted a library research to collect the relevant data. In analyzing the data related to the study, the researchers used the content and textual analysis methods.
IslamiCity, 2024
Human life, evolving from primitive to civilized ways of living, has also seen the emergence of v... more Human life, evolving from primitive to civilized ways of living, has also seen the emergence of various ideas and ideologies. Throughout history, humanity has experimented with diverse political systems of governance.
However, none has succeeded in establishing a truly fair and just system that brings a "heavenly abode on earth" for all. Even the democratic system, which advocates fairness and justice, is not perfect, as it too can be manipulated. Despite its deficiencies, democracy is accepted by most countries around the world.
Potret Online, 2024
Philosophically Speaking, the Whole World Belongs to Me and I Belong to the Whole World.
All Coun... more Philosophically Speaking, the Whole World Belongs to Me and I Belong to the Whole World.
All Countries are My Country.
For This Reason, I Call Myself the Citizen of the World.
If Humanity can be Analogically Described like the Colours of the Rainbow, Then I am just a Colour in the Whole Spectrum. Nothing More and Nothing Less.
I am Just a Drop in the Ocean of People.
All Good Citizens of the World are My Brothers and Sisters.
IslamiCity, 2024
Experts in psychology and creativity agree that creativity can be taught and learned. The outdate... more Experts in psychology and creativity agree that creativity can be taught and learned. The outdated belief that creativity is an inborn talent exclusive to a select few is no longer valid.
Recent research highlights that creativity exists both within individuals and in the environments around them. Taking a middle path, we believe that while creativity is embedded in the human spirit, there are times and situations in a person's external world when the environment inspires him or her to be creative.
There is significant potential for discovering innovative ideas through hands-on experimentation and a trial-and-error approach to learning, enabling individuals to solve various human problems creatively. Creativity is not just an inborn talent; it manifests across various aspects of life.
It can be expressed through culinary skills, architecture, engineering, fine arts, poetry, literature, interior design, floral arrangements, visual art, music, and more. This versatility highlights the broad scope of creativity, showcasing its presence in both everyday activities and specialized fields.
Throughout the history of Islamic education, Muslim scholars and philosophers have supported the importance of creativity in education. Prominent scholars and philosophers like Al-Farabi (872-950), who was nicknamed the 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle; Ibn Sina (980-1037), who was popularly known as a medical doctor, philosopher, and psychologist; Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), a prominent theologian, philosopher, and Sufi master; Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), the historian and philosopher who wrote the 'Muqaddimah' Ibn Rushd (1126-1198), an influential philosopher and commentator on Aristotle; Rumi (1207-1273), the famous mystic-poet of the East and West; and Iqbal (1877-1938), the mystic-philosopher who wrote 'The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam', have all spoken in favour of creativity in Muslim education.
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Papers by Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Upon their departure, they break into countless fragments, like precious gems, and remain in the hearts of those who knew them. The memories of their unique qualities continue to live on, forever etched in the minds of those they touched.
During my time as a foreign student in Banda Aceh (1986-1992), I had the privilege of becoming acquainted with one of the humblest scholars at IAIN Ar-Raniry—( now UIN Ar- Raniry), Dr. Safwan Idris. Throughout my five years as a student in Aceh, I had numerous opportunities to engage with him—attending his Khutbahs(Friday Sermons) and academic presentations. In these interactions, I found him to be a profoundly knowledgeable scholar, with every word he spoke full of wisdom. In terms of character, he was a soft-spoken individual who consistently sh
However, none has succeeded in establishing a truly fair and just system that brings a "heavenly abode on earth" for all. Even the democratic system, which advocates fairness and justice, is not perfect, as it too can be manipulated. Despite its deficiencies, democracy is accepted by most countries around the world.
All Countries are My Country.
For This Reason, I Call Myself the Citizen of the World.
If Humanity can be Analogically Described like the Colours of the Rainbow, Then I am just a Colour in the Whole Spectrum. Nothing More and Nothing Less.
I am Just a Drop in the Ocean of People.
All Good Citizens of the World are My Brothers and Sisters.
Recent research highlights that creativity exists both within individuals and in the environments around them. Taking a middle path, we believe that while creativity is embedded in the human spirit, there are times and situations in a person's external world when the environment inspires him or her to be creative.
There is significant potential for discovering innovative ideas through hands-on experimentation and a trial-and-error approach to learning, enabling individuals to solve various human problems creatively. Creativity is not just an inborn talent; it manifests across various aspects of life.
It can be expressed through culinary skills, architecture, engineering, fine arts, poetry, literature, interior design, floral arrangements, visual art, music, and more. This versatility highlights the broad scope of creativity, showcasing its presence in both everyday activities and specialized fields.
Throughout the history of Islamic education, Muslim scholars and philosophers have supported the importance of creativity in education. Prominent scholars and philosophers like Al-Farabi (872-950), who was nicknamed the 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle; Ibn Sina (980-1037), who was popularly known as a medical doctor, philosopher, and psychologist; Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), a prominent theologian, philosopher, and Sufi master; Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), the historian and philosopher who wrote the 'Muqaddimah' Ibn Rushd (1126-1198), an influential philosopher and commentator on Aristotle; Rumi (1207-1273), the famous mystic-poet of the East and West; and Iqbal (1877-1938), the mystic-philosopher who wrote 'The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam', have all spoken in favour of creativity in Muslim education.
Upon their departure, they break into countless fragments, like precious gems, and remain in the hearts of those who knew them. The memories of their unique qualities continue to live on, forever etched in the minds of those they touched.
During my time as a foreign student in Banda Aceh (1986-1992), I had the privilege of becoming acquainted with one of the humblest scholars at IAIN Ar-Raniry—( now UIN Ar- Raniry), Dr. Safwan Idris. Throughout my five years as a student in Aceh, I had numerous opportunities to engage with him—attending his Khutbahs(Friday Sermons) and academic presentations. In these interactions, I found him to be a profoundly knowledgeable scholar, with every word he spoke full of wisdom. In terms of character, he was a soft-spoken individual who consistently sh
However, none has succeeded in establishing a truly fair and just system that brings a "heavenly abode on earth" for all. Even the democratic system, which advocates fairness and justice, is not perfect, as it too can be manipulated. Despite its deficiencies, democracy is accepted by most countries around the world.
All Countries are My Country.
For This Reason, I Call Myself the Citizen of the World.
If Humanity can be Analogically Described like the Colours of the Rainbow, Then I am just a Colour in the Whole Spectrum. Nothing More and Nothing Less.
I am Just a Drop in the Ocean of People.
All Good Citizens of the World are My Brothers and Sisters.
Recent research highlights that creativity exists both within individuals and in the environments around them. Taking a middle path, we believe that while creativity is embedded in the human spirit, there are times and situations in a person's external world when the environment inspires him or her to be creative.
There is significant potential for discovering innovative ideas through hands-on experimentation and a trial-and-error approach to learning, enabling individuals to solve various human problems creatively. Creativity is not just an inborn talent; it manifests across various aspects of life.
It can be expressed through culinary skills, architecture, engineering, fine arts, poetry, literature, interior design, floral arrangements, visual art, music, and more. This versatility highlights the broad scope of creativity, showcasing its presence in both everyday activities and specialized fields.
Throughout the history of Islamic education, Muslim scholars and philosophers have supported the importance of creativity in education. Prominent scholars and philosophers like Al-Farabi (872-950), who was nicknamed the 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle; Ibn Sina (980-1037), who was popularly known as a medical doctor, philosopher, and psychologist; Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), a prominent theologian, philosopher, and Sufi master; Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), the historian and philosopher who wrote the 'Muqaddimah' Ibn Rushd (1126-1198), an influential philosopher and commentator on Aristotle; Rumi (1207-1273), the famous mystic-poet of the East and West; and Iqbal (1877-1938), the mystic-philosopher who wrote 'The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam', have all spoken in favour of creativity in Muslim education.
Philosophically Speaking, the Whole World Belongs to Me and
I Belong to the Whole World.
All Countries are My Country.
For This Reason, I Call Myself the Citizen of the World.
If Humanity can be Analogically Described like the Colours
of the Rainbow,
Then I am just a Colour in the Whole Spectrum.
Nothing More and Nothing Less.
I am Just a Drop in the Ocean of People.
All Good Citizens of the World are My Brothers.
In My Faith, I am a Muslim.
In My Generosity, I am an Arab.
In My Taste for Food, I am an Indian.
In My Spirit of Togetherness with others, I am a Malaysian.
In My Common Courtesy, I am a Malay.
In My Work Ethics, I am a Japanese.
In My Adoration Towards Nature, I am a European.
All in all, I am a Universal Man.
One Who believes in the Spirit of Loving, Caring and Sharing.
A Man who Stands for World Peace and Aspires to Create a Better World.
Generally, a diasporic nation or community is forced to leave their homeland due to unfavourable or hostile conditions they have to face. Hostility faced by the diasporic community can be due to internal factors like sectarian violence, an oppressive regime, racism, genocide, etc. within their homeland. Sometimes, a diasporic situation is also triggered by external factors like the intrusion of a foreign army, the imminence of war, the annexation of a country by its neighbour, etc. With this chapter of the book, we would like to explore the plight of the diasporic Muslim community in the West. Among others, this chapter will cover subheadings like; what are the conditions that force the Muslims to flee their homeland, what are the problems endured by Muslim refugees in Western countries, what guiding principles should the diasporic Muslim community follow to coexist with others, Ethics that should be observed by Muslim refugees, and finally what the West has to do to avoid the influx of refugees from the Muslim world. As a qualitative research, the researchers will employ textual and contextual analysis methods to analyze the relevant data that will be retrieved from print and internet sources.
in online news portals. In realizing the importance of the message carried in
the articles, as authors, we have decided to publish them in a book format.
The language of this book has been made easy for everyone’s read, especially
students. The topics discussed in this book are mainly on the contemporary
issues of the Muslim World.
As academicians of the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary
Studies at IIUM, we teach subjects related to Islamic Worldview, Islamic
Civilization, Ethics, Creative Thinking and the current state of affairs in the
Muslim World. In many places in the book, you will find mention of the
Golden Age of the Muslims (750-1258) and the reasons behind the fall of the
Islamic Civilization which started with the fall of Baghdad in 1258. From there
on, one after another all Muslim empires fell inviting a host of many other
problems into the Muslim World. After the colonization of the Muslim lands till
today, the Muslim World is lagging behind others in the areas of science,
technology and good governance. In order to fix these pressing issues, the
Muslim World needs less politicking and more thinking.
Besides dwelling on the glorious past of the Muslim Civilization, we have
also discussed contemporary issues like the brain drain phenomenon, matters
of spirituality, human rights violation, co-existence, an idealism for world
peace, the political turmoil in the Middle East that led to the Muslim diasporic
community in the West, etc.
Lastly, the aim of this humble work is not to create a reef between Muslims
and others, but it is a call for coexistence that can create a better world for
humanity where people live abiding by the philosophy of loving, caring and
sharing.
much chaos and confusion in the minds of the masses not only in the West but also to
a certain extent to the people in the East. This situation warrants the introduction of
Islamic psychology, which provides a holistic and all encompassing explanation on
man. The study has indicated that topics on human nature and personality theories are
interrelated and therefore they are inseparable. The researcher has highlighted the fact
that man, being a universe on the micro-level, has been constantly researched upon
from the ancient to the modern times using philosophical as well as scientific
approaches. On the whole, this study in the area of philosophical psychology is a
contrastive analysis on the personality theories that have been showcased to the world
by Freud and Iqbal. In analyzing the data pertinent to the study, the researcher has
used the historical and content analysis methods. As a prelude to this endeavour, the
researcher has explored the historical and philosophical developments that have taken
place in the areas of human nature and personality in the West and the Islamic world.
The researcher believes that the role of Islamic psychology as an ‘arbitrator’ can
harmonize many of the ideas on man found within Western mainstream psychology.
Through the contrastive analysis, it has come to light that Freud and Iqbal had
conceptualized their theories on personality as a response to the demands and
challenges of their time. Besides that, factors like their personality, philosophy
towards life, education and their travels have influenced directly or indirectly their
conceptualization of their theories. The study has indicated that all ideas said by Freud
on human nature and personality are centered around his ideas on the human
sexuality. His concept on human nature is one that is pessimistic and deterministic at
the same time. To him, man is an intellectual beast who is doomed to fail as he is
caught between the warring parties of his psychic components. But Iqbal, who had a
strong Islamic background, promoted many positive ideas on man and on the latent
powers of the human psyche. His theory of personality is not only dynamic in nature
but inspires man to sink into his psyche to bring out all the latent positive aspects.
Iqbal believed that by actualizing the hidden powers within man, he could transform
this world into a better place for the benefit of all humanity. This act, in turn, will
bring one in close contact with God. On the whole, his theory on personality gives
man a dignified position as the vicegerent of God (Khalīfatullāh fī al-Ard) and a hope
for a better world. The findings of the research have highlighted the fact that
regardless of the latest development in the areas of human nature and personality
development, the study on man will be a perennial one. Besides that, the findings
have indicated that the least educationists can expect through the application of
Freud’s ideas on man in the field of education is to civilize the uncivilized part of his
human nature. Conversely, the findings have also indicated that Iqbal’s ideas on
human nature and personality development are very much in line with the spirit of
Islamization of Psychology. Moreover, his ideas on man which are dynamic in nature
can yield positive results when applied in the fields of education, motivation, human
capital development, leadership training, etc.