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220206P - PROFESSOR MALIK BADRI AND THE EMOTION OF PROPHETS

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Presented at the 6th International Association of Muslim Psychologists Conference under the theme ‘Continuing the legacy of Prof Malik Badri the founding father of modern Islamic psychology’ on 6th February 2022. by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard).


1.0 INTRODUCTION

  • I thank the IAMP and the organizers of this conference for choosing the legacy of the late Professor Malik Badri as the theme.
  • Prof Malik Badri is truly the father of modern Islamic psychology and he has nurtured the discipline over the past 60 years from infancy to its present state when it has asserted its identity.
  • I will base my remarks on several conversations with the late professor over several years, reading his book, and my own personal reflections
  • الجوانب العاطفية في حياة الأنبياء كشف وتامالات نفسية 

2.0 THE ARABIC WORD FOR EMOTION
  • Several Arabic words can be used to refer to emotions: عاطفة – مشاعر – انفعال – احساس. 
  • We shall focus on عاطفة that was used by Professor Malik Badri although the accepted official translation is انفعال
  • انفعال has undesirable implications of being reactive which conveys only the mechanistic meaning of emotion which is not appropriate for prophets.
  • In the rest of my presentation I will use talk about prophets’ emotional experiences which is a wider term covering even those around them and not the term prophets’ emotional responses

3.0 DEFINITION OF EMOTION
  • Emotion is not easily defined. There is a difference between the mechanistic secular view and the Islamic view that incorporates a spiritual dimension.
  • Secular psychologists define emotions as psychological states due to neurophysiological changes involving thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • There is so far no scientific theory to explain emotions. Some consider cognition as part of emotions whereas even in the popular view emotions are the opposite of cognition.
  • The mechanistic view of emotions has given rise to research on eliciting emotions (chemically or physically) or assessing brain changes during an emotional experience using PET scans and fMRI scans.
  • The higher seat of emotions is within the complex of ruh – nafs – aql -qalb etc which to me are different manifestations of the basic human essence. Stimulation or disease of the hippocampus at the base of the brain affects emotions

4.0 NON-MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF EMOTIONS
  • The challenge for IOK is to search deeper in the Qur’an for a meaning of emotion beyond the neurophysiologic responses.
  • The beginning should be with the mutual love between the human and Allah and the balance between the emotions of hope and fear.
  • The Qur’an described the mutual love between Allah and the humas: Al Umran:31)
  • قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿آل عمران ٣١﴾
  • يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿المائدة ٥٤﴾
  • The balance between hope (رغبة)  and fear (رهبة)  that are two sides of the coin of Allah’s mutual love for his creation..You hope to please the beloved and fear displeasing Him.
  • وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿الاعراف ٥٦﴾
  • فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾

5.0 TYPES OF EMOTIONS IN THE QUR’AN
  • The emotion of kindness (الحلم)
  • إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُنِيبٌ ﴿هود ٧٥﴾
  • The emotion of mercy (رحمة)
  • وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ.. الروم:21
  • The emotions of fear and sorrow (الخوف والحزن)
  • بلى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ» (البقرة: 112)
  • The emotion of anger (غضب)
  • وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ ﴿الشورى ٣٧
  •  Emotion of regret ( (تحسر
  • وَإِنَّهُ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿الحاقة ٥٠
  • According to Prof Malik Badri emotions relate to the 3 fundamentals of the diin: iman (cognition), Islam (behavior) and ihsan (emotion). Ihsan covers both iman and Islam
  • Prof Malik Badri was well placed to understand the cognition-emotion balance from his sufi background that is rich in religious emotion as contrasted to the emotionless religious practice of some schools.

6.0 HUMANITY OF PROPHETS = EMOTIONAL LIFE
  • مَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ الطَّعَامَ ۗ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ ثُمَّ انْظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ..المائدة ٧٥
  •  قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِنْ نَحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَنْ نَأْتِيَكُمْ بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿ابراهيم ١١ا﴾
  •  قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ۗ وَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿فصلت ٦﴾
  •  وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَذُرِّيَّةً ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ ﴿الرعد ٣٨﴾
  •  وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّااِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ ۗ وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِيرًا ﴿٢٠﴾

7.0 REFLECTIONS OF PROF MALIK BADRI
  • The book was written from a personal perspective with the great professor including his own feelings, emotional reflections, and experiences. It is a book of personal reflections of a deep thinker.
  • Prof Malik Badri reached a stature in his scholarship that he had the confidence and courage to incorporate his feelings in his scholarship and to abandon the assumption of absolute objectivity that denies the thinker’s personal feelings.
  • This is similar to the shift in our medical research from the classical that considers only the current facts to the Bayesian that takes into consideration priors (objective and subjective) in reaching a posterior conclusion.

8.0 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF PROF MALIK BADRI
  • In many years of interaction with Prof Malik Badri I have noticed that he gives due respect to his own interior and does not operate in an academic vacuum. His upbringing in Sudan with a sufi background always had its presence in his thoughts.
  • He told me about his experiences with the sufi sheikhs in Sudan for whom he seemed to have a lot of reverence but I did not probe his views about the karaamaat of the Sheikhs.
  • He talked about his personal experiences of what we can call parapsychological phenomena and disagreed with secular psychologists who dismissed them outright.
  • I did not probe his belief in the karamaat of these sheikhs. He also often talked about العين and had his own personal input about it.

9.0 CONTENTS OF THE BOOK
  • Prof Malik Badri started by writing on emotional aspects of the Prophet Muhammad then decided to cover other prophets.
  • The prophet Yusuf has most coverage because a whole surat is devoted to his life from youth to old age and his challenges were with emotions: his and those around or connected to him.
  • I arranged a lecture for Prof Malik to talk about the emotional life of Prophets (translated into Russian) to an online audience in the Ukraine, Russia, and Central Asia. It was exclusively on the Prophet Yusuf.
  • Prophet Musa also had a fair amount of coverage from his birth until he led Bani Israil in the Sunai desert
  • A person who expects to open Prof Malik Badri’s book and immediately see a list of prophets’ emotional experiences will be disappointed. It is a book about Islamic psychology and the prophets’ emotional experiences are used to develop precepts of Islamic psychology.
  • It is only in the second half of the book that that he talks about prophets but not a detailed description of their emotional responses but a detailed discussion of how nurture and nature prepared them for their mission and how they handled emotional challenges in their prophetic missions.

10.0 CRITIQUE OF MODERN SECULAR PSYCHOLOGY - 1
  • Prof Malik Badri started by asserting that modern secular psychology is not suitable for studying Prophets’ emotional experiences because it is based on materialism but mixed with personal and cultural assumptions clothed as science (pseudo knowledge – according to Sigmund Koch)-page 24.
  • From the IOK vantage point we have to accept that secularism is a ‘religion’ and not absence of religion but it hides under the cloak of science, empiricism, and objectivity.
  • Prof Badri destroyed one by one of the major psychological schools starting with Freudian psycho-analysis based on sexual impulses.
  • Prof Badri then demolished the behaviorists who explained human behavior as reactions to the environment.
  • Prof Malik then demolished psycho-biology which equates humans to animals based on similar biology, equates the mind (العقل) with the brain (الدماغ) and ignores the role of the soul (الروح)
  • وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿الاسراء ٨٥﴾

11.0 CRITIQUE OF MODERN SECULAR PSYCHOLOGY - 2
  • Prof Malik Badri critiqued materialist and mechanistic Secular theories about emotions and advanced Islamic alternatives.
  • Prof Malik Badri disagreed with Secular psychology’s alleged moral neutrality asserting that there is good (خير) and evil (شر)
  • Prof Malik acknowledged the gradual acceptance of some secular psychologists of non-material phenomena like parapsychology, telepathy, clairvoyance, meditation, dream interpretation, psychokinesis,  and the foreign language syndrome.
  • Muslim writers about Prophetic emotional experiences
  • الانفعالات النفسية عند الأنبياء للدكتور إبراهيم عبد الرحيم مصطفي لنيل الدكتورة من حامعة النجاة اخذ من القرآن الخوف والحزن والندم والياس والتبسم والعبوس ولم يذكر كل الانفعالات المجودة في القرآن.
  • سيد قطب في ظلال القرآن للجوانب النفسية والعاطفية في القرآن وذكر نماذج من الأنبياء مثل إبراهيم و موسي ويوسف

12.0 FOUR TYPES EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF PROPHETS AS HUMANS AND AS PROTECTED PROPHETS: Immediate reflex responses
  • First type: Immediate reflex responses like all humans
  • The fear of Musa AS when his stick suddenly turned into a snake
  • وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَى ۝ قَالَ هِيَ عَصَايَ أَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِي وَلِيَ فِيهَا مَآرِبُ أُخْرَى ۝ قَالَ أَلْقِهَا يَا مُوسَى۝ فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَسْعَى ۝ قَالَ خُذْهَا وَلَا تَخَفْ سَنُعِيدُهَا سِيرَتَهَا الْأُولَى سورة طه:17-21] 
  • The immediate response of the Prophet Muhammad SAW at the defeat in Hunain that reversed the defeat
  • لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَواطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْضُ بِما رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ (25) ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلى رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنْزَلَ جُنُودًا لَمْ تَرَوْها وَعَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَذلِكَ جَزاءُ الْكافِرِينَ (26) ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذلِكَ عَلى مَنْ يَشاءُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (التوبة ٢٥-٢٧)

13.0 FOUR TYPES EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF PROPHETS AS HUMANS AND AS PROTECTED PROPHETS: voluntary response after reflection
  • Second type: response after reflection
  • The response of Hud AS to those who threatened to kill him..Surat Hud 56
  • إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم ۚ مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (هود ٥٦)
  • The response of the Prophet Muhammad and Abubakar when threatened in the cave
  • إِلَّا تَنْصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ (التوبة ٤٠)

14.0 FOUR TYPES EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF PROPHETS AS HUMANS AND AS PROTECTED PROPHETS: negative responses from which prophets are protected
  • Third type: Negative response from which prophets are protected and if it happens there is immediate correction by Allah.
  • Prophet had only good companions to help him and did not evil
  • روي الامام مسلم عن ابن مسعود ان رسول الله قال ما منكم من احد الا وقد وكل به قرينة من الجن قالوا واياك قال واياي الا ان الله اعانني عليه فاسلم فلا يامرني الا بخير.  مسلم ٢٨١٤
  • Frowning of the Prophet at the blind man who could not see the frown
  • عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى (1) أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَى (2) وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى (3) أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى (4) (5) أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى (6) وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّى (7) وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى (8) وَهُوَ يَخْشَى (9) فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى (10) كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ (11) فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ (12) فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ (13) مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ (14) بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ (15) كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ(عبس ١-١٤)

15.0 FOUR TYPES EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF PROPHETS AS HUMANS AND AS PROTECTED PROPHETS: Positive responses reflecting the underlying good nature
  • Fourth type: Positive responses elicited by the positive human nature created by Allah
  • Description of the Prophet Muhammad SAW character by his wife Khadijah at the time of the first revelation 
  • أَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي الثَّالِثَةَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ ‏{‏اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ * اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ‏}‏ ‏"‏‏.‏ َع بِهَا فرجع بها رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَرْجُفُ فُؤَادُهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى خَدِيجَةَ بِنْتِ خُوَيْلِدٍ رضى الله عنها فَقَالَ ‏"‏ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي ‏"‏‏.‏ فَزَمَّلُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الرَّوْعُ، فَقَالَ لِخَدِيجَةَ وَأَخْبَرَهَا الْخَبَرَ ‏"‏ لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ مَا يُخْزِيكَ اللَّهُ أَبَدًا، إِنَّكَ لَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ‏.‏ البخاري ٣
  • Sayyidah Aisha responded to companions who asked about the character of the prophet to read Surat al Almu’uminuun
  • قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۝ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ۝ وَالَّذِينَ هُم ْعَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ۝ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ۝ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُروجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ۝ إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ۝ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاء ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُون َ۝ وَالَّذِينَ همْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ۝ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ۝ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ ۝ الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالدُونَ. المؤمنون ١-١١ 

16.0 THE INTERACTION OF NATURE (HEREDITY) AND NURTURE (ENVIRONMENT IN DEFINING EMOTIONAL RESPONSES) - 1
  • Prof Malik used the background of Prophets’ emotional responses to discuss the dual influence of heredity and environment on emotions
  • A human is born in the pure virtue of fitra..Bukhari 1385
  • كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ علَى الفِطْرَةِ، فأبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ، أوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ، أوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَثَلِ البَهِيمَةِ تُنْتَجُ البَهِيمَةَ هلْ تَرَى فِيهَا جَدْعَاءَ. البخاري ١٣٨٥
  •  وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا (7) فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا (8) قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا (9) وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا. سورة الشمس ٧-١٠
  • حديث رواه الإمام أحمد (17545) عن وابصة بن معبد رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال له : (جِئْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ الْبِرِّ وَالْإِثْمِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَجَمَعَ أَنَامِلَهُ فَجَعَلَ يَنْكُتُ بِهِنَّ فِي صَدْرِي وَيَقُولُ يَا وَابِصَةُ اسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ وَاسْتَفْتِ نَفْسَكَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ النَّاسُ وَأَفْتَوْكَ.
  • Iblis took leave from Allah to confuse humans from their true emotional nature so the Prophet was always praying for protection
  •  قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنْظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ۝ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ ۝ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ ۝ قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ۝ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ. الحجر ٣٦-٤٠

17.0 THE INTERACTION OF NATURE (HEREDITY) AND NURTURE (ENVIRONMENT IN DEFINING EMOTIONAL RESPONSES) - 2
  • Dua of the prophet about the commonest causes of negative emotional response
  • اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الهمِّ والحزن، والعجز والكسل، والجبن والبخل، وضلع الدَّين، وغلبة الرِّجال. البخاري ٢٦٧٩
  • Each prophet was selected for the appropriate nature and nurture. There is a mixture and balance between heredity and environment in shaping personality as can be found from twin studies of identical and fraternal with different social environments.
  • Special ‘hereditary genes in Prophets’: inherit vs learn
  • إِنَّ الله اصْطَفى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْراهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرانَ عَلَى الْعالَمِينَ (33) ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُها مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَالله سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (34.(

18.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MUSA AS: Youth
  • Allah brought up Musa in the palace of Firaun to have the confidence to confront which he could not have got is he grew up as one of the enslaved banu Israil. But he was not separated from his mother and he had the wife of Firaun as a loving foster mother.  He was angry and hit the Egyptian. He fled to Madyan out of fear for his life. He was kind to the girls and later married.
  • قالَ قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يا مُوسى (36) وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَيْكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرى (37) إِذْ أَوْحَيْنا إِلى أُمِّكَ ما يُوحى (38) أَنِ اقْذِفِيهِ فِي التَّابُوتِ فَاقْذِفِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ الْيَمُّ بِالسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّ لِي وَعَدُوٌّ لَهُ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلى عَيْنِي (39) إِذْ تَمْشِي أُخْتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلى مَنْ يَكْفُلُهُ فَرَجَعْناكَ إِلى أُمِّكَ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُها وَلا تَحْزَنَ وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا فَنَجَّيْناكَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّاكَ فُتُونًا فَلَبِثْتَ سِنِينَ فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئْتَ عَلى قَدَرٍ يا مُوسى (طه ٣٦-٤٠)
  • Allah loved Musa and cared for his development Taha: 29
  • وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِّنِّى وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيْنِي(39) سورة طه ٣٩.
  • Musa grew into a wise and knowledgeable youth.. Qisas 14
  • ولَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَىٰ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿القصص ١٤﴾

19.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MUSA AS: leader of the children of Israil
  • Musa was aware of his short-comings in speech and relied on emotional support from his brother Harun
  • واجعل لِّي وَزِيراً مِّنْ أَهْلِي هَارُونَ أَخِي اشدد بِهِ أَزْرِي وَأَشْرِكْهُ في أَمْرِي طه ٢٩
  • وَيَضِيقُ صَدْرِى وَلَا يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِى فَأَرْسِلْ إِلَىٰ هَٰرُونَ.. الشعراء ١٣ 
  • Musa’s anger at his brother Harun but he cooled down and apologized
  • قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُمْ مَوْعِدِي"(طه 86)
  • يَا هَارُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا (92) أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِي
  • قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلَا بِرَأْسِي إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِي" (طه94)،
  • قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ"(الأعراف 151

20.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF MUSA AS: Challenging Firaun
  • Musa was worried about facing Furaun but Allah helped him and he talked to Firaun without fear
  • اذْهَبَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى * فَقُولا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى * قَالا رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا نَخَافُ أَنْ يَفْرُطَ عَلَيْنَا أَوْ أَنْ يَطْغَى * قَالَ لا تَخَافَا إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى * فَأْتِيَاهُ فَقُولا إِنَّا رَسُولا رَبِّكَ. طه ٤٣
  • Musa responded to Firaun’s provocation with courage and admission of his fault
  • قَالَ أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا وَلَبِثْتَ فِينَا مِنْ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ ﴿١٨﴾ وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ ٱلَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ ٱلْكَافِرِينَ ﴿١٩﴾ قَالَ فَعَلْتُهَآ إِذًا وَأَنَاْ مِنَ ٱلضَّالِّينَ ﴿الشعراء ١٨-٢٠﴾
  • Musa then retorted with an attack on Firaun’s oppression that led to the killing
  • فَفَرَرْتُ مِنْكُمْ لَمَّا خِفْتُكُمْ فَوَهَبَ لِي رَبِّي حُكْمًا وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (21) وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّها عَلَيَّ أَنْ عَبَّدْتَ بَنِي إِسْرائِيلَ (الشعراء ٢١-٢٢.(

21.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YUSUF AS: Youth - 1
  • Prof Malik considers the whole surat as spiritual psychology. The emotional experiences of Prophet Yusuf were all told in one compact surat. These experiences included dream interpretation, failed temptations that ended with revenge, and forgiveness.
  • Yusuf as a young boy saw dreams that later turned out to be true and his father advised him not to tell his brothers for fear of envy. He was given the ability to interpret dreams.
  • إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ (4) قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَى إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ (5) وَكَذَلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَى أَبَوَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ.. يوسف ٤-٦

22.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YUSUF AS: Youth - 2
  • Yusuf’s brothers out of envy because of the father’s love for him threw him in a well to die
  • *لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ (7) إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ (8) اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ (9) قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ 10
  • Yusuf grew up in an aristocratic home in Egypt where he was loved although a slave
  • وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَنْ يَنْفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ.

23.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YUSUF AS: Temptations and trials - 1
  • Yusuf’s temptation and attempted rape how Allah protected him
  •  وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ (22) وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَغَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ (23) وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَا أَنْ رَأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ
  • Yusuf a temptation for women in the city
  •  فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ 
  • Yusuf preferred prison to sinning

24.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YUSUF AS: Temptations and trials - 2
  • قَالَتْ فَذَلِكُنَّ الَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدْتُهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ وَلَئِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ (32) قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ (33) فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
  • Yusuf interpreted dreams of prisoners
  •  يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّا أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِي رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ الَّذِي فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ
  • Yusuf interpreted the King’s dream
  •  قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا فَمَا حَصَدْتُمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِي سُنْبُلِهِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ (47) ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ (48) ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ عَامٌ فِيهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيهِ يَعْصِرُونَ 
  • Yusuf insisted on his exoneration before leaving prison
  • وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ قَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَاسْأَلْهُ مَا بَالُ النِّسْوَةِ اللَّاتِي قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ إِنَّ رَبِّي بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ 

25.0 EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YUSUF AS: Reunion with his family
  • Yusuf forgave his brothers
  • قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ 
  • Grand finale: interpretation of Yusuf’s childhood dream
  • فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوا مِصْرَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ (99) وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْبَدْوِ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ نَزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
  • Yusuf’s ability to interpret dreams must have sustained him in the various trials: inside the well, the temptations of the women, the prison, and the power and authority
  • Dreams are of 3 kinds (رحمانية-منامية-شيطانية)
  • Only Prophets get true dreams. Other dreams may be correct, but we cannot be sure until the event occurs.

26.0 CONCLUSIONS
  • Prophets are human beings, and they experience the emotions that human experience but with major differences.
  • Prophets have special divine preparation to be able to carry the message.
  • Prophets are protected (معصوم)  from major errors and when minor errors occur, they are corrected immediately. The definition of a minor error is according to the highest criteria of prophethood otherwise they are not errors if committed by ordinary humans.
  • Dreams are a rich form of emotional expression with distortion of reality, but they have not been studies sufficiently.