Al-Harith bin Asad Al-Muhasibi, The Founder of the Science of Insinuations and Phantasms “Psychology”

Abstract

When studying the history of the emergence and development of modern psychology, we find that many Western—and even some Arab—sources refer to two major milestones. The first is represented by the works of the Russian neuroscientist Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936) and the German physician Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920). The second is represented by the psychoanalytic school and the works of its founder, Sigmund Freud (1856–1939).

The first milestone removed psychology from the realm of philosophy and placed it within the sphere of experimental science through behavioral biology. The second attempted to interpret human behavior through the unconscious psychological apparatus. This development is often linked to the works of philosophers and scholars of the Greek and Roman civilizations, while overlooking or ignoring the efforts and contributions of many scholars from other Eastern civilizations and cultures. This fragmented historical perspective on the development of psychology has become the dominant narrative across the world, without serious attempts to revise or verify it in light of the historical and cultural contributions of different peoples and nations.

This fragmented perspective has had numerous negative consequences, especially in the cognitive and ethical domains. Ethically, this partial narrative instilled a sense of inferiority among Muslim students of psychological sciences, leading to the widespread assumption that psychological and social sciences are purely Western disciplines, and that Western schools pioneered their foundations and future directions.

On the other hand, from a cognitive standpoint, this fragmented view has made it seem self-evident that the psychological and social sciences lack significant intellectual resources, wisdom, and serious scholarly contributions from researchers of various cultures. Therefore, from this historical, intellectual, and ethical standpoint, it becomes necessary to introduce the contributions of Islamic civilization and its pioneering role in the emergence and development of psychological and social sciences, in order to enrich fields of knowledge and enlighten diverse cultures with these important scientific achievements.

Among the most prominent figures who made significant contributions to the emergence of psychology in Islamic civilization is the jurist, theologian, and scholar of spiritual conduct, al-Harith ibn Asad al-Muhasibi (d. 243 AH / 857 CE). Through this work, we aim to establish foundations and principles supporting the claim that al-Muhasibi was the first founder of a new discipline—psychology—a science that his contemporaries were unable to fully comprehend or appreciate due to the absence of developed scientific methodologies at that time.