Islamic Psychology: Historical Notes from Herbert George Wells (1866–1946)

Abstract

Islamic psychology, the science of the nafs (“self” or “psyche”), is the medical and philosophical study of the psyche from an Islamic perspective and addresses topics in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy of mind, and psychiatry as well as psychosomatic medicine. There are many studies of many early Muslim and non-Muslim scholars on Islamic psychology. In this article, we present Herbert George Wells' (1866–1946) opinions about Islamic psychology to attract attention to the importance of Islamic psychology on human and community health. Wells wrote the following in his books: Islam was full of the spirit of kindliness, generosity, and brotherhood; it was a simple and understandable religion. Islam appeals to no revelation, no authoritative teaching, and no mystery. The statement it makes is, it declares, a mere statement of what we may all perceive and experience. Islam prevailed because it was the best social and political order the times could offer. It was the broadest, freshest, and cleanest political idea that had yet come into actual activity in the world, and it offered better terms than any other to the mass of mankind. Islam swept for a time across the Mediterranean scene, with very considerable reactions upon medieval science and thought. Islam was never saddled with a creed. With the very name “Islam” (submission to Allah), there is no quarrel for those who hold the new faith. Based on the studies of early Eastern and Western scholars, we strongly believe that Islamic psychology should be integrated with modern medical practices. For this purpose, we think that health professionals should be informed on Islamic psychology and it should raise awareness about the importance of Islamic psychology on human and community health.