Integrating the Three Qur’anic stages of Nafs into Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (IICBT)

Abstract

This thesis examines the theoretical, empirical, and clinical integration of the Qur’anic concept of Nafs (self or soul) into Islamic Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IICBT) as a holistic therapeutic model for Muslim mental health care. Drawing upon classical Islamic scholarship and contemporary psychological research, the study explores how the three Qur’anic stages of Nafs, Nafs al-Ammārah, Nafs al-Lawwāmah, and Nafs al-Muṭmaʾinnah can be systematically aligned with cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual interventions within IICBT. Using a qualitative-quantitative approach, the research synthesizes classical sources such as Imam al-Ghazali and Abu Zayd al-Balkhi alongside contemporary studies published between 2020 and 2025, including works by Ainina, Zuraida Ahmad Sabki, Kamarul Bahri, Haruna, Rizal, Zulkipli, Faheem Uddin and others. In addition, an original survey was conducted to assess awareness of nafs, attitudes toward faith-based therapy, and acceptance of IICBT among Muslim respondents. Findings indicate strong conceptual compatibility between the stage-based nafs framework and CBT mechanisms such as cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, emotional regulation, and self-monitoring. Empirical data further demonstrate high acceptance of spiritually integrated therapy, recognition of the link between spiritual well-being and mental health, and preference for culturally congruent therapeutic models. The study also identifies that integrating tazkiyat al-nafs within CBT enhances self-awareness, moral accountability, emotional resilience, and long-term psychological stability. The thesis concludes that IICBT provides a viable, ethical, and culturally responsive model of psychotherapy that bridges Islamic spirituality and modern psychological science. By operationalizing the stages of nafs within structured therapeutic practice, this research contributes to the advancement of Islamic psychology and offers practical implications for clinicians, educators, and policymakers in Muslim mental health contexts. This study concludes that integrating Islamic psychology into therapeutic practice bridges the gap between faith and science, by conceptualizing therapeutic change as progression across the Qur’anic stages of the nafs, from al-ammarah to al-mutma’inna.