The Implicit Personality Theory of Islam

Summary
Presenting a view of human nature or personality rooted from the Islamic cultural context, or
someone who identifies with the Islamic culture, the theory takes a structure of personality based on the
experiences, family and cultural influences, and religious ideas of an individual as contained in Islamic
texts. Smither and Khorsandi expound on the supposed greatest concern of individuals in
Islam—worshipping God—driven by the need to experience the Oneness of God affecting muslim
behavior. Individuals who fail to live harmoniously with God indicate being psychologically distressed
and effective treatments for these clients require understanding grounded disciplines on their religious
teachings, conscious personal responsibilities, and collectivist culture.

Evaluation
Islamic societies use both concepts of personal and collective self in identifying personality. The
aspects of individual identity described by Muslim scholars relate to the personal self while the
harmonious concept of the individual and the society relate to the collective self. It postulates three innate
major aspects of the Islamic personal self: the spiritual heart (qalb), providing a more profound
understanding of the world in comparison to rational intelligence; the soul or spirit (ruh), referring to the
unique connection of humans with the divine; presented as the breath of God functioning as the linkage
between Him and humans; and the superficial psychological ego (nafs), referring to the ego regulating
behavior that takes three forms. The lowest level, nafs ammarah, is an aspect holding the personal
qualities of individuals, followed by nafs lawwamma; which represents individual conscience likened to
the superego; and finally, the nafs mutma’inna referring to the self in tranquillity.
The “conflict-of-interest” view of the individual and society emphasizing individualism in most
traditional theories contrasts with that of Islamic culture. The relationship between these two components
in Islamic societies are largely harmonious—being a source of social identity and the collective self. In
Islam, both individuals and society strive towards unity with God and peaceful living. Individuals are
responsible for supporting the goals of a society, and in return, the society assists the spiritual and
personal development of individuals. In addition, the foundation of umma (brotherhood) in Muslims is the
family, creating a common identity that sets them apart from others.
Often considered as taking a deterministic perspective in human life, Islam grasps the idea that
individuals are born with predetermined destinies. Nevertheless, individuals have the choice regarding
their actions and are responsible for their decisions. The Qur’an states that the most significant concern of
individuals should be worshipping God; hence, the drive to experience the Oneness of God or tawhid
motivates individual behavior. Herewith, individuals experience two conflicting drives: toward stagnation
and acceptance of life as is, and toward achievement and perfection in relation to the spirit of God.
Although the concept of stages in life is not directly stated in the Qur’an, Muslims recognize
three specific periods in their life; the periods of weakness, strength, and infirmity. From birth until the
age of seven, children go through a period of weakness since they do not have the ability yet to decide or
stand for themselves. Therefore, the parents play a vital role in providing children with the proper care
and guidance on developing morality and moral reasoning. When a child reaches puberty, at about fifteen,
they are expected to become more responsible about how they behave towards other people in society.
Aside from that, it is also authorized in their community to have the capacity to contract marriage. Once
these individuals become middle-aged and are physically and mentally capable, they are then considered
to be at the period of strength. This also means that they have learned how to take good care of
themselves throughout their life and have a sense of morality. Like any other human beings, the time will
come when these individuals will endure weakness due to old age, known as the period of infirmity.
Well-adjusted individuals in the implicit personality theory of Islam are those who experience
tawhid, follow the commands of God, and respond to the concerns of daily life, family, and society whilst
adhering to Islamic requirements. On the contrary, they deem psychologically distressed people as those
who are out of touch with tawhid—individuals deviating from the ways and beliefs of their faith. For
Muslims, psychological issues do not indicate psychological abnormalities but rather signify the failure to
live harmoniously with God’s universality. Thus, they prevent stress, promote psychological growth, and
meditate by studying the Qur’an and performing their prayers. Moreover, as they consider psychological
adjustment problems (excluding more serious disorders) as mostly the outcome of individual behavior
instead of solely interpersonal relations, mental health issues in Islamic societies are generally associated
with a stigma.
Psychotherapy with Muslim clients demand the consideration of personological assumptions
grounded on the Islamic culture to allow for an effective treatment. It is also recognized that they are
likely to attempt resolving issues by themselves prior to approaching a therapist. First, phenomena within
Islamic societies to be considered include stigmas related to therapy. For instance, Muslims may be
inclined to believe that they have a physical rather than a mental health problem and that counsellors will
subvert their religious dispositions; hence, further explanation for the aims of psychotherapy is needed.
Second, self-disclosure is discouraged in Islam, so the therapist must offer practical suggestions and
exhibit cultural sensitivity to unwilling clients. Third, the religiosity of clients should be evaluated for
they may have psychological issues that oppose Islamic teachings (e.g. suicidal ideation); with this, they
may be more open with a non-Muslim therapist. Finally, it is likewise suggested that the degree of
religious conflict between patients and their families must be considered. (e.g. some families hold that
enduring emotional distress enables religious blessings). Furthermore, given their emphasized collectivist
culture, it should be noted that Muslim households deem individual psychological distress as family
problems which are not dealt with external help.
Islamic literature and its commentaries are employed to identify beliefs affecting the Muslim
views of personality. Understanding the implicit theory of personality in Islam provides further
knowledge on potential theoretical models of how religious teachings affect behavior; address broad
psychological topics in a cultural context, and identify aspects in Islamic culture to aid the treatment of
psychological distress in Muslim clients.

Main Reference

Smither, R., & Khorsandi, A. (2009). The Implicit Personality Theory of Islam. Psychology of Religion
and Spirituality, 1(2), 81-96. doi:10.1037/a0015737