A Qur’anic Epistemology of Anxiety: Reconstructing Islamic Psychology Through Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya’s Exegetical Framework

Abstract

This article reconstructs Islamic psychology through Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah's interpretive framework to understand anxiety from a Qur'anic epistemological perspective. Employing a hermeneutical methodology that integrates classical tafsir with contemporary psychological discourse, this study examines how Qur'anic knowledge systems conceptualize anxiety (al-qalaq, al-khawf, ḍīq al-ṣadr) as both a natural human condition and a spiritual-psychological phenomenon requiring holistic intervention. Through systematic analysis of Ibn Qayyim's exegetical works, particularly Madārij al-Sālikīn and al-Ṭibb al-Nabawī, this research demonstrates that Qur'anic epistemology offers a distinctive framework for understanding anxiety that transcends dualistic mind-body paradigms. The findings reveal that Ibn Qayyim's interpretive approach integrates theological, psychological, and therapeutic dimensions, positioning dhikr, tawakkul, and ṣabr as epistemologically grounded interventions. This reconstruction contributes to the development of an authentic Islamic psychology that maintains fidelity to revealed knowledge while engaging contemporary mental health challenges. The article argues for a paradigm shift from mere adaptation of Western psychological models to the construction of indigenous Islamic psychological frameworks rooted in Qur'anic epistemology.