In Qur’an 2:10, Allah says:
“In their hearts is a sickness (marad), so Allah has increased their sickness; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie.”
A key point in translating this verse correctly is understanding the Arabic word “marad” (مَرَضٌ) in this context and its appropriate English equivalent. In English, the terms sickness, disease, and ailment are sometimes used interchangeably, but they may carry distinct meanings:
– Sickness is a broad term that refers to a state of being unwell. It can describe a subjective feeling of illness, whether physical, mental, or emotional. It is not necessarily a diagnosable medical condition but rather an impairment or weakness affecting overall well-being.
– Disease refers specifically to a bodily or physical illness—something that can be medically identified, diagnosed, and treated.
– Ailment is a general term for any minor or chronic health condition, which can be physical or psychological, but it does not necessarily imply a severe or medically defined disease.
When Allah describes hypocrisy as a “sickness” (marad) of the heart, it does not mean a literal disease or bodily ailment. Rather, it refers to a spiritual and psychological weakness- a corruption in belief, sincerity, and inner perception. The hypocrites suffer from a moral and spiritual affliction that distorts their understanding and prevents them from embracing faith sincerely.
Thus, translating marad here as “sickness” rather than “disease” or “ailment” is more accurate because it conveys the broad, non-medical nature of the condition. Hypocrisy is not a physical disorder but a deep-rooted moral and psychological dysfunction- a sickness of the heart that leads to deception, doubt, and insincerity in one’s relationship with the truth.
In contemporary discourse, mental health is often framed through the lens of the disease cantered model, with psychological struggles labelled as “disorders,” “diseases,” or “conditions.” This medicalised approach oversimplifies incorrectly the profound and multifaceted nature of human suffering. It reduces the complexity of the human psyche to biochemical imbalances, often ignoring the spiritual, emotional, and moral dimensions that have been central to understanding the self for centuries. It is argued that psychological problems should not be conflated with bodily diseases and that separating the psychological from the spiritual is a path to a fragmented, secular understanding of the human being. Instead, we must reclaim a holistic framework, rooted in spiritual traditions like tazkiyat al-nafs (purification of the soul), to address what we might term “spiritual & psychological sicknesses.”
The Qur’an speaks of the heart as the nucleus of the human being, not in a physiological sense, but as the seat of spiritual and moral life. In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:10), Allah describes those who harbour hypocrisy as having a “disease in their hearts.” This disease is not a medical condition but a spiritual ailment- a corruption of the soul that distorts one’s perception, actions, and relationship with the Divine. Hypocrisy, in this context, is not a disorder to be treated with medication but a moral failing that requires spiritual rectification.
This distinction is crucial. While bodily diseases can often be traced to physiological causes and treated through medical intervention, psychological struggles are deeply intertwined with the spiritual and emotional fabric of the human experience. To label them as “illnesses” is to impose a framework that may not only be inadequate but also harmful. It also pathologises normal human experiences- grief, anxiety, existential doubt—and reducing them to problems to be “fixed” froma disease centered model rather than understood and provide holistic well being processes and techniques to function and heal.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged seeking treatment for ailments, as narrated in the hadith where he said, “O servants of Allah, seek treatment. Verily, Allah did not place a disease but that He also placed its treatment or cure, except for one ailment: old age” (Tirmidhi).
The above and similar traditions encourage Muslims to seek knowledge to treat ailments. It may be that a remedy has not been investigated and found. Muslims are not to relegate themselves to inaction and seeking beneficial knowledge. The hadith I have seen is used by some people in the area of ‘mental health, perhaps to encourage people to seek (which is important) help. However, the hadith, in my view, is being incorrectly employed here. Below are some brief points:
In the field of ‘mental health, the unnecessary and nefarious connection with medicine has been discussed by experts for some time now. Society views issues relating to psychological problems from a medical lens which has not been beneficial (in fact very harmful) in the grand scheme of things and is a public disservice. The notion that psychological problems primarily result from biochemical imbalances in the brain is an unsubstantiated view enhanced by pharmaceutical advertising and industry influence to make a profit. The care for the public is not at the centre of investigation but capital.
The disease-centred model is borrowed from general medicine and presents drugs through the prism of the disease, disorder or constellation of symptoms the drugs are thought to treat. This view implies that drugs affect the nervous system and seek to cure an inherent abnormality. According to some, this may be valid for an insignificant number of ailments. However, in the overwhelming majority (and according to many, ALL) of psychological problems, there is no biological or chemical imbalance that need to be treated with drugs.
The over-reliance on the disease cantered model has led to the widespread belief that psychological problems are primarily caused by biochemical imbalances in the brain. This view, heavily influenced by pharmaceutical advertising, has been critiqued by experts who argue that it oversimplifies the causes of psychological distress and prioritises profit over genuine care. While the use of drug intervention may be necessary in some emergency cases, psychological struggles people may suffer from do not stem from inherent biological abnormalities. Instead, they often arise from unresolved emotional wounds, spiritual disconnection, and moral conflicts.
The secularisation of psychology has led to a fragmented understanding of the human being, where the psychological, emotional, and spiritual are treated as separate domains. This compartmentalisation and bifurcation ignore the interconnectedness of these dimensions and fails to address the root causes of suffering. For example, anxiety and depression are often symptoms of deeper spiritual crises- questions of purpose, meaning, and connection to the Divine. To treat these ‘symptoms’ without addressing their spiritual underpinnings is akin to applying a band-aid to a deep wound.
Islamic tradition, on the other hand, offers a holistic framework through the concept of tazkiyat al-nafs. Scholars throughout the centuries have spoken of “spiritual diseases”- such as envy, arrogance, and hypocrisy- as sickness that corrupt the soul and manifest in psychological and emotional distress. The cure for these sicknesses lies not in drug intervention but in spiritual practices: prayer, self-reflection, repentance, and the cultivation of virtues like patience, gratitude, and compassion. This approach recognises the unity of the human being, where the spiritual, psychological, and emotional are inextricably linked.
What we term “Islamic psychology” is not a new field but a revival of an ancient tradition that views the human being as a spiritual entity with a heart at its core. The heart, in this framework, is not merely a physical organ but the locus of faith, intuition, and moral discernment. When the heart is polluted- whether through hypocrisy, doubt, or heedlessness- it affects the entire being, distorting one’s perception of reality and leading to psychological and emotional turmoil.
Islamic psychology, rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah, offers a comprehensive approach to addressing these struggles. It integrates spiritual practices with psychological insights, recognising that true healing requires addressing the soul as well as the mind. This approach does not reject all modern psychological interventions but complements them, ensuring that they are grounded in a sound cosmology and methodology.
The medicalisation of psychological struggles has led to a narrow and often harmful understanding of mental health. By labelling these struggles as “illnesses,” we risk ignoring their spiritual and moral dimensions and reducing them to problems to be medicated away. Instead, we must reclaim a holistic framework that recognises the interconnectedness of the spiritual, psychological, and emotional.
Islamic tradition, with its rich legacy of tazkiyat al-nafs, offers a profound alternative. It reminds us that the heart is the nucleus of the human being and that its sicknesses require spiritual remedies. By integrating this wisdom with modern authentic psychological insights, we can develop a more compassionate and effective approach to mental health- one that honours the complexity of the human experience and seeks to heal the whole person, not just the symptoms. In doing so, we move closer to a vision of mental health that is not merely the absence of ‘illness’ but the presence of spiritual well-being.
