bismihi Ta’ala
assalam o alaikum …
i have been pursuing this title for some time now, and have found it to be quite useful and beneficial
Contemplation: An Islamic Psychospiritual Study by Malik Badri, International Institute of Islamic Thought, US
though, while i have just covered the first chapter, it outlines the differences between the Western and Islamic approach in understanding the nature of what constitutes the essence of ones psychological make up.
while the Western methodology focusses on behavioural aspects, thus reducing the predictability of ones actions based on external stimuli, i.e the environment, the Islamic Concept tends to bring about the realization that environment alone does not and ought not to be the contributing factor in allevating ones sense of awareness.
hence, although there has been a paradigm shift, from the behavioural sciences to a recent cognitive approach, nevertheless, the role of the heart within the Western tradition, the mind and the soul, is explored from the writings of al Ghazali, al Jawziyya. the books main thesis is that the Western approach reduces the predictability of human behaviour on the environment, a conditioned and controlled stimuli that offers an outcome, that is entirely subservient to chemical changes in the brain. hence the application of the physical sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Biology) to the science of Psychology.
regards, abu Kumayl