Ghazalian Framework: Islamic Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Al-Ghazali has researched all heart diseases and found a pattern in those diseases. The pattern or framework is also used to do an intervention or change toward the good characters that are: knowledge (‘ilm), the heart’s state (hal), and behaviour (‘amal). For example, the love of the worldly life is the condition of a sick heart (hal). It occurs due to his knowledge (‘ilm) that this world brings joy, pleasure, stature, nobility, or honour, and thinks that this bliss will be everlasting. Then, from this knowledge (‘ilm) comes behavior (‘amal), such as greed, piling wealth, corruption, mad of occupations, hedonis, and others.

So, the first intervention is to the aspect of knowledge (‘ilm), by knowing the reality of the world and its bliss that this world is temporal and its bliss is little in comparison with the hereafter. The bliss in this world will be finished after death. This knowledge (‘ilm) will bring the heart’s state (hal) which is called zuhud which triggers behaviour (‘amal) in choosing something nobler and leave something lower.

And the doors of true faith are also ordered through these three patterns. In the aspect of knowledge (‘ilm), firstly it is inculcated tawhid which means to believe truly that there is no God besides Allah the One, and there are no associates with Him. Second, it inculcated the true faith that Allah Ta’ala is Most Powerful, and third, it is inculcated truly that Allah Ta’ala is the Creator. This knowledge (‘ilm) or insight bring the state of the heart (hal) which is called consciousness of God (taqwa), which bring behaviour (‘amal) to follow Allah’s command and avoid His prohibition.

In a simple manner, knowledge (‘ilm) is the root and branch, the heart’s state (hal) is the twig, and behaviour (‘amal) is the fruit. So, the framework of the behaviour was started from a person’s knowledge (‘ilm), then it will bring the heart’s state (hal), and the heart’s state (hal) will also bring knowledge (‘ilm). Then, behaviour (amal) will occur as the result of the heart’s state (hal). ‘ilm-hal-‘amal in the current psychological concept is known as cognitive-affective-behaviour.

So, according to al-Ghazali the target of the transformation is changing the heart’s state (qalb) by giving new meaning to knowledge and modification of the behaviour through goodness. To obtain the maximum result in this change, then knowledge and behaviour should be performed together. This approach is currently known as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

Salam.
Ricky Firmansyah
Founder of Ghazalian Psychology.