Content note: This episode touches on suicide at 8th minute and 17 seconds mark. Please listen with care.

Assalamu alaikum and welcome back to While We’re Here! In this episode, we explore the weaknesses of secular psychology and why some scholars are calling for an approach that makes room for faith.

The Ruh Report: We mark World Mental Health Day with a look at Pakistan, where ARY News reports that one in four people experience mental health challenges. Dr. Mahennor Channa of Jinnah Hospital in Karachi urges people to see sadness, anxiety, and emotional distress as human experiences rather than signs of weakness. We also share news of Shaykh Jamaal Zarabozo’s fall quarter Arabic and Islamic sciences classes, starting Saturday, October 17.

What Have We Learned: A quick recap of Utz’s findings. After reviewing 250 theories of secular psychology, none gave a clear picture of human nature, and her theory points to Islam as offering a comprehensive view of what it means to be human. We also revisit her point that human agency lies in the choices presented to us, not in the choice itself.

Today’s Discussion: We draw on psychologists Scott Richards and the late Allen Bergin, whose 1997 book A Spiritual Strategy for Counseling and Psychotherapy argues that spiritual and religious perspectives belong in mainstream mental health care. We also look at philosopher David Ray Griffin’s Religion and Scientific Naturalism, which examines the divide between science and religion. Then we walk through the four weaknesses of secular psychology outlined in Zarabozo’s The Purification of the Soul, and ask what an Islamic approach to psychology could look like.

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Links and Sources

• World Mental Health Day: Experts Urge Pakistanis to Seek Help Without Fear of Stigma (ARY News): https://arynews.tv/world-mental-health-day-experts-urge-pakistanis-to-seek-help-without-fear-of-stigma
• Jamaal Zarabozo (classes and books): https://www.jamaalzarabozo.com/
• The Alienation Between Religion and Psychology (abstract): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-09105-002
• Allen Bergin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Bergin
• Scott Richards: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/p-scott-richards-phd
• Religion and Scientific Naturalism: Overcoming the Conflicts: https://epdf.pub/religion-and-scientific-naturalism-overcoming-the-conflicts.html
• How Patient Suicides Shape the Lives of Psychologists (Psychology Today): https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happybytes/202410/how-patient-suicides-shape-the-lives-of-psychologists
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Host: Robert Andaluz

Episode Summary

In this episode, we continue our study of psychology through an Islamic perspective, drawing from Dr. Aisha Utz's book Psychology: From an Islamic Perspective. This week's discussion centers on the concept of divine agency — how God's control over our own circumstances — relates to our own free will, and how surrendering the illusion of human "power" over our stress can bring peace to the heart.

In This Episode, we get into

• The Ruh Report — a roundup of psychology news from the Muslim world
• What Have We Learned? — a recap of Dr. Utz's critique of secular psychological theory
• Main Discussion — God as the "owner and master" of the universe, the difference between the choices we're given and the choices we make, and how reliance on God (tawakkul) can relieve the stress of loss, rejection, and criticism

The Ruh Report — This Week's News

• Dr. Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre begins a new online cohort exploring Ilm al-Nafs (the Islamic science of the soul) starting Sunday, September 13. More info: bloggingtheologyacademy.com
• Cambridge Muslim College (UK) — Islam & Psychology postgraduate certificate begins Tuesday, September 15. Admissions currently closed; check cambridgemuslimcollege.ac.uk for reopening.

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Utz reviewed 250 secular psychological theories and argues none offer a complete understanding of human nature — she posits that submission to God provides a clearer framework for mental health.
• Human agency lies in choosing among the options presented to us — not in controlling what those options are (p. 33).
• Believing that only God can truly benefit or harm us can strip stressful events (a hurtful comment, financial loss, rejection) of the illusion of ultimate power they seem to hold over us.
• Reflection prompt from the episode: Could the person or thing that hurt you have done so without permission from something greater than themselves?

Quran Citations Referenced

• Surah Al-Kahf (18) — on saying "InshaAllah"
• Surah Az-Zumar (39:38) — on God as creator and sole source of harm or mercy
• Surah Al-Jathiyah (45:23) — on taking one's own desires as one's god

Book Referenced

Psychology: From an Islamic Perspective by Dr. Aisha Utz

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Connect & Follow If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who is seeking clarity, healing, or a deeper understanding of themselves and their Creator.

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YOUTUBE! www.youtube.com/@PsychinIslam

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Episode Summary

In this final episode under the name Psych in Islam, host Robert Andaluz announces an exciting transition — the podcast is being renamed While We're Here, with the same content and mission continuing under its new title. To close out this chapter, Robert shares Part 2 of his conversation with his wife, Aida Maravilla, diving deep into what it means to be a servant of Allah, how remembrance of God shapes daily life, and how faith can be a source of courage in moments of fear.

A Note on the Rebrand

• This is the last episode released under the Psych in Islam name.
• Beginning next episode, the show will continue as While We're Here — same hosts, same mission, same exploration of psychology through an Islamic lens.
• The name change is intended to help the podcast reach a wider audience.

In This Episode

• Reflecting on servanthood: Robert opens up about what it means to serve Allah and how understanding God as "the Most Compassionate" shapes how he tries to live and show compassion himself.
• A moment with Hafsa: Robert shares a touching story about his 10-year-old stepdaughter, who — after admitting she felt scared — reminded herself that she "fears Allah," prompting a reflection on how remembrance of God can be a source of courage in moments of anxiety.
• Ida's story of conversion: Ida recounts the difficult period of becoming Muslim, including being kicked out of her family's home, and how surrendering her trust to Allah carried her through fear and uncertainty.
• Wisdom from an unexpected source: Ida shares how her non-Muslim father has always encouraged her to "surrender to God" — a lesson that shaped how she copes with fear and hardship.
• Remembrance as a way of life: The conversation then turns to how Islam integrates the remembrance of Allah into everyday actions — saying Bismillah before eating, Subhanallah in moments of awe, and the five daily prayers — framing faith as something lived moment to moment, not confined to formal worship.
• Intention behind everyday acts: Last but not least, Aida reflects on how even mundane tasks, like cooking for her family, become acts of worship when done with the right intention ("for Allah's sake").

Closing Reflection

Robert leaves listeners — Muslim and non-Muslim alike — with a question to sit with:

Connect & Follow If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who is seeking clarity, healing, or a deeper understanding of themselves and their Creator.

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Support the show: ko-fi.com/whilewerehere