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It is said that one who knows their self knows their Lord. Self-knowledge is more than a recognition of our external personas and social identities. It involves deeper, often elusive aspects of the self which requires seeking and uncovering the hidden mysteries of the soul. While the academic and scientific field of psychology is where we tend to turn to find answers to these mysteries, popular theories of psychology ironically do not include the soul in their definitions and approach to self-knowledge and instead focus on what can be seen and measured, primarily cognition and behavior.
Islamic Psychology is a holistic approach which includes the seen and unseen dimensions of the self and which deals with the subject matter in a way that is more true to the meaning of the term psychology; as a ‘science of the soul’, or ‘ilm an nafs. The Islamic tradition offers us a vast resource and detailed guidance on how to not only know the self but also how to manage ourselves within this worldly life of ups and downs and trial and tribulation on a path of transformation.