I was greatly pleased yesterday when I was informed that many Islamic learning institutions (like IOU) now require their students to take a course in Psychology or any related course. To be fair and sincere I have no idea how long this has been on, but I really can’t wait for the incorporation of something similar in our local Islamic circles of learning. In the least, professionals in such fields (Doctors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists etc) should be encouraged to move closer to Islamic learning circles and become students of (Islamic) knowledge. Perhaps our Scholars (those who don’t already have) can have students they can consult on related issues.
It is sad to see how genuine psychological and mental related problems are quickly given spiritual toga and treated as such among religious circles. Every weird behaviors that can not be explained in lay man’s terms are considered Jinn affliction and ruqyah (spiritual exorcism) commenced. Others that need medical interventions such as therapies or even medication are dismissed as spiritual inadequacy and a routine to ‘boost eemān’ is prescribed. This has had deleterious consequences.
Now, we have to strike a balance. Jinns (spirits) are real. Posession is possible, and exorcism (expulsion of jinn from a possesed body) is something we as Muslims believe to be real. To acquire education and turn around to say they don’t exist is just exaggerating one’s limited knowledge. There has always been a spiritual world. Problem starts when people live in perpetual fear of these spiritual entities and begin to give every occurence spiritual interpretation. There is something about our minds we need to know. If you feed it an excess of something, become so paranoid about it, your mind will trick you to see it more often. Do you not see how people who run from pillar to post trying to fortify themselves against spiritual attacks are the first to see witchcraft everywhere? It is the same with our disposition to Jinns. If what fills up your thoughts and discussions is Jinns, every unexplained movement of even the curtains in your house will be tagged Jinn involvement. This is how exaggerations and misdiagnosis happens. Every weird occurence is not Jinn related or an indication of Jinn affliction. Some are just psychological conditions that need professional treatment.
Let me illustrate with personal experience.
The son of someone close to me suddenly developed episodes of seizures (abnormal muscle movements and behaviors), blackouts (temporary loss of consciousness) and other incoherent behaviors. Typical with many locals, it was tagged a Jinn attack and ruqyah was commenced. He regained consciousness and became better. Great! Ruqyah has worked they must have thought! What they didn’t know was that many episodes of seizures will pass even without intervention. The person will regain consciousness or muscular control and continue life from where he/she left it without being able to explain what happened while having the episode. However there will definitely be a reoccurence most times. So, when this Man’s son had another episode, and yet another, they concluded it must be a ‘stubborn jinn’ that required the services of a stronger ‘Raaqi‘ (Exorcist). It was at this point I got into the picture. I had nothing against their spiritual approach since I believe a multipronged approach to treatments where they won’t be antagonistic is welcomed. I mean, it could really be a Jinn affliction, but I favoured that he be taken to see a Neurologist for proper diagnosis and commencement of treatment. Eventually that was done and a series of tests were conducted (including an EEG) and the trigggers identified. He was then placed on a drug (Epilim) and advised to stay away from the teiggers. He hasn’t had any episode that I know of since then (may Allāh grant him full shifaa and continue to protect him and us).
Stop seeing Jinn involvement in every occurence in your life. Some Muslims get so paranoid over Jinns that you almost can no longer distinguish between them and all those believers in charms and native Doctors, as both live in perpetual fear of the unseen. We fear Allāh alone, and take precautions including seeking refuge in His hands against the evil of His creations (men and jinns). We believe in trials and afflictions but we do not live in perpetual fear of them. More importantly, let us at least acknowledge that there exists a medical explanation to many occurences we consider weird and inexplicable, and not allow our ignorance of it, even if we may be scholars in Islamic knowledge, push us to give spiritual interpretations to anything we can not explain.
TO BE CONTINUED……
A. Haroun
