As a Muslim Psychologist who does Islamic therapy, I use methods from this approach, as well as other techniques, mainly those that are used in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
CBT is the type of therapy that is supported the most (and by far) by studies that measure effectiveness, and is considered the gold standard of therapies by the American Psychological Association. It also offers, in my opinion, the perspective on mental health that is the closest to Islam when compared to other forms of therapy
But what exactly is CBT?
At its core, CBT teaches that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are interconnected and continually influence one another.
An exercise that is inherent to the cognitive behavioural framework is identifying cognitive distortions in our thoughts. Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that can lead us away from a balanced understanding of reality and result in painful emotions.
For instance, “I have been through trauma” is a fact; it reflects reality accurately. “I will never recover from this trauma” is a negative thought that contains cognitive distortions; for instance, it assumes a future that only Allah ﷻ knows, and although having this type of thought is human, if entertained, it is likely to result in feelings of anxiety, discouragement and helplessness.
In a previous blog, I discussed a cognitive distortion known as should statements, which commonly appear in perfectionism and depression. You can read more about them here.
Today, I would like to explore another cognitive distortion that I encounter in my work with Muslim women: thought-action fusion.
Thought-action fusion occurs when we consider that thinking of doing something bad is equivalent to doing something bad, or that merely thinking about a catastrophic event can somehow cause it to happen. The latter definition is contradictory to what Islam teaches, since nothing happens except by the will of Allah ﷻ. And how about the former? Is thinking of sinning the same as actually committing the sin?
‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that Allah, the Glorious, said: “Verily, Allah (SWT) has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down. Then He explained it clearly how (to write): He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed, but if he carries out his intention, then Allah the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more. But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a full good deed, but if he intends it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Subhan’Allah, not only are thoughts and actions clearly considered distinct in Islam, but Allah ﷻ actually rewards us when we happen to think of doing something bad, and do not act upon the thought for His sake. Alhamdulillah.
If what I have said is correct, it is from Allah ﷻ; and if it is wrong, then it is from myself and Shayṭān.
As Salaam Aleykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatouh.