Author: Dr. Noor Mohammad Mohibi
The Quran: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (part 99)
The Impact of Human Emotions on the Soul in Light of the Miraculous Nature of the Noble Quran
The Noble Quran is not merely a book of doctrinal and moral guidance; rather, it is also a profoundly insightful work that sheds light on the human psyche and the inner workings of the soul. One of the manifestations of the Quran’s scientific and intellectual miracle lies in its precise, balanced, and wise treatment of human emotions such as joy, sorrow, anger, and tranquility, emotions that play a fundamental role in the psychological and even physical health or illness of the human being.
While contemporary psychology, after centuries of observation and experimentation, has come to recognize the direct impact of psychological states on physical well-being, the Noble Quran articulated this reality more than fourteen centuries ago in a concise, profound, and law-like manner, outlining the path to emotional balance through monotheism (tawhid) and faith.
Joy and Sorrow: Two Fundamental Emotions and the Necessity of Psychological Balance
Among the most important verses that directly address the psychological equilibrium of the human being in the face of life’s events is the divine statement: مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ? لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ [1] Translation: “No calamity befalls upon the earth or within yourselves except that it is inscribed in a Record before We bring it into being, indeed, that is easy for Allah, so that you may not grieve over what has passed you by, nor exult excessively over what He has granted you. And Allah does not love every self-deluded boaster.”
These verses establish a foundational principle in Islamic psychology, a principle that states:
Excess in sorrow is just as dangerous as excess in joy.
The Noble Quran restrains the human being from paralyzing grief and from intoxicating joy alike, for the human heart is not capable of bearing extreme emotional intensities. Excessive sorrow may lead a person into depression, despair, and psychological collapse, while unrestrained joy may result in arrogance, heedlessness, and even psychological shock.
The essential point in these verses is the connection between emotional balance and tawhid. When a person perceives all events as proceeding from a Wise and All-Knowing God, the psychological pressure of calamities is alleviated, and the intensity of joyful emotions is moderated. Such a worldview grants the human being emotional stability and inner composure.
Human history and experience demonstrate that even sudden joy can be fatal. Many individuals have suffered cardiac arrest or nervous breakdowns due to overwhelming happiness, especially upon receiving unexpected wealth or shocking good news. This modern scientific observation is precisely the truth that the Noble Quran conveyed centuries earlier in a brief yet profound statement: وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ [2] Translation: “And do not exult excessively over what He has granted you.”
Remembrance (Dhikr), Supplication, and the Quran: Divine Remedies for Sorrow and Anxiety
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) presented a comprehensive and profound prescription for treating worry and sorrow, one that, from the perspective of Islamic psychology, represents a complete model of monotheistic psychotherapy. In a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Masood (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“No one is afflicted by distress or grief and recites this supplication, except that Allah removes his sorrow and replaces it with joy: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي[3] .» Translation: “O Allah! I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your command over me is ever executed, and Your decree concerning me is perfectly just. I ask You by every Name that belongs to You, by which You have named Yourself, or taught to any of Your creation, or revealed in Your Book, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, that You make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sorrow, and the reliever of my anxiety.”
In this supplication, the human being restores psychological balance through acknowledgment of servitude, submission to divine decree, and seeking refuge in the Noble Quran. This clearly demonstrates that the Quran is not merely a book of guidance, but also a healing for the psyche, as Allah Himself declares: وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ [4] Translation: “And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers.”
The Prophet (PBUH) also said: «مَنْ أَلْبَسَهُ اللَّهُ نِعْمَةً فَلْيُكْثِرْ مِنَ الْحَمْدِ لِلَّهِ، وَمَنْ كَثُرَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ فَلْيَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ، وَمَنْ أَبْطَأَ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُكْثِرْ مِنْ قَوْلِ: لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ [5] » Translation: “Whoever Allah clothes with a blessing should increase in praising Allah; whoever’s sins are many should seek Allah’s forgiveness; and whoever finds his provision delayed should frequently say: There is no power nor might except with Allah.”
These prophetic teachings form the foundation of emotional regulation in Islam.
Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) articulated this reality with precision when he said: «لَيْسَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يَحْزَنُ وَيَفْرَحُ، وَلَكِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يَجْعَلُ مُصِيبَتَهُ صَبْرًا، وَنِعْمَتَهُ شُكْرًا [6] » Translation: “There is no person who does not experience sorrow and joy; however, the believer transforms his calamity into patience and his blessing into gratitude.”
To be continued…
References:
- Al-Hadid: 22–23
- Al-Hadid: 23
- Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Abdullah ibn Masood (RA), hadith no. 3712 (6/246, al-Risalah ed.)
- Al-Isra: 82
- Al-Mu jam al-Saghir by al-Tabarani, hadith no. 965 (vol. 2, p. 165)
- Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, statement of Ibn Abbas (RA), hadith no. 37516 (vol. 19, p. 417, al-Shathri ed.)
