Inshirah/Emotional Relief in Dealing with Anxiety: A Proposal for A Theoretical Model

Abstract

In this study, an answer to the following question is sought: “Can a local model based on the Quranic concept of inshirah (emotional relief) be proposed for humans who -having experienced difficult events- dealing with anxiety?”. The purpose of the study is to propose a theoretical model -based on Surah Al-Inshirah: 1: “Have We not uplifted your heart for you?”- which demonstrates the functional value of perceptional and emotional relief in the face of psychological problems, blends the universal and local in a scientific perspective and combines the Eastern wisdom with the Western scientific approach. The data has been collected based on a literature review and examined with the descriptive analysis technique. According to the sources on the issue, the Prophet experienced some troublesome days in a period where revelations were interrupted as his level of anxiety rose considerably due to some internal and external factors. He, however, was able to move past these feelings and thoughts (the situation of anxiety) with the revelation of Surah Ad-Duhaa. The Surah Al-Inshirah contains pshychological explanations as to why and how the Prophet had overcome these troubles. The following observations can be made when we analyze what the two aforementioned surahs emphasize and reformulate these in today’s concepts: A model, which can be considered within the framework of partially phenomenological and partially existentialist counseling theories, can be inferred from the reason for revelations of both surahs, their meaning and the messages they convey. It must be emphasized, however, this authenticity results from the Islamic understanding of knowledge and the modality of human, and not from an eclectic presentation of Western approaches. In the “Inshirah” model, the human is not subject to the consciousness-body, form-essence, material-meaning, physical-metaphysical distinction inspired from the Cartesian philosophy. Therefore, the word “partially” has been used intentionally with reference to the aforementioned modern psychological counseling theories. This is because in the Inshirah model, it is important not only to overcome the wrong or illogical thoughts but also to expand one’s heart (or let one’s hart expand). In this context, the explanations and examples about the situation of inshirah or emotional relief are based on the Quran and the Islamic culture. Nevertheless, the proposed model -despite being local- not entirely adverse to the Western theories