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Sufi Psychology

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Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion
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Sufism is considered the inner dimension of Islam and is based on the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and the holy Qur’an. Sufi psychology is the application of Sufism. Expressions of the basic concepts vary, sometimes radically, between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims and between the various Sufi orders (See Fadiman and Frager 1997; Geoffroy 2010; Grisell 1983; Lings 1993).

The goal of Sufism and Sufi psychology is unified oneness, in which every aspect of one’s being is unified in harmony. It is based on the concept La ilaha illa Allah, which means there is only one God. The Prophet taught through his actions that whatever exists in one individual has to come to one point and present itself. When this occurs, the absolute knowledge of oneness with Existence is attained. Called Irfan, derived from the word ma’rifa meaning cognition (Angha 2002b), Sufism is considered the science of the soul.

Amir al Mo’menin Ali (2000), the cousin, son-in-law, and successor of the Prophet Mohammad...

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Correspondence to Lynn E. Wilcox .

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Wilcox, L.E. (2020). Sufi Psychology. In: Leeming, D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24348-7_9101

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