Relevance of Abu Zayd Al Balkhi’s Work on Cognitive Psychology

 Islamic psychology is very broad and wide field, Islamic psychology or the science of the nafs (" ilm al-nafs"), is the medical and philosophical study of the psyche from an Islamic perspective and addresses topics in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy of mind, and psychiatry as well as psychosomatic medicine. The definition of the psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior.The study of internal mental processes is part of cognitive psychology, which covers everything that goes on inside your brain, such as perception, thinking, memory, attention, language, problem solving, learning and teaching. Ulric (Dick) Neisser was the “father of cognitive psychology” and an advocate for ecological approaches to cognitive research. However, the teachings and principles of Islamic psychology are derived from the Holy Quran and Sunnah, The scholars of the Muslim faith have undoubtedly made a great contribution to human psychology. Cognitive psychology is one of the areas in which Muslim scholars have contributed a great deal. A number of Muslim scholars have talked about the human mind and intellect in great detail.Some of the prominent ones among them are Abu zayd Al-Balkhi (850 AD-934 AD), Al-Mawardi (363 – 450 AH), Ibn Sina (432 A.H), Ibn al-Jawzi ( 510-5798A.H. ), Al-Ghazzali (450 – 505 AH), Ibn al-Qayyim  (631-676A.H), Ibn-Khaldun (1332 – 1406 A.D) etc.

 Abu Zayd Ahmad Ibn Sahl Al-Balkhi (236–322/850–934), also known as Al-Balkhi was a brilliant physician who lived in the ninth century. He shared medical and psychotherapeutic information that was way ahead of his time in a famous work called The Sustenance of the Soul. Indeed, after his death it took eleven hundred years for other people to find and build on the same ideas. Al-Balkhi was one of the first physicians to clearly distinguish between mental and psychological disorders. What makes Al-BalkhÏ's work even more impressive is that he talked about how we can use rational and spiritual cognitive therapy to treat these different types of disorders. The author described in detail the interaction of our thoughts and beliefs, their effects on emotions and behaviour, as well as its potential for individuals to benefit from this knowledge when dealing with challenges. Albalkh's contributions to the field of cognitive and behavioural therapy, as well as psychiatric medicine which examines how mental and body connections are connected, have been regarded as timeless. Even though he's been dead for many years, his ideas are relevant and can be valued in today's world.

 The Ayasofya Library is a historic library in Istanbul, Turkey, which houses an ancient manuscript written by a famous Turkish scholar, Althbal. In this 9th century document, "Sustenance for bodies and souls," there are two distinct sections: one devoted to physical well being; the other was dedicated to soul care. The main focus of this section is on maintaining and enhancing physical health, which includes important topics such as nutrition balance, exercise or hygiene. In order to live a good life, the author stresses the importance of such things. Second part looks at the soul and inner self The manuscript stresses, among other things, practices of prayer, meditation or acts of kindness toward others. The author claims that it is equally important to nurture our souls as much as we care for our physical bodies. The manuscript, which dates back to the ninth century, has a strong significance in its early exploration of psychological therapy. During this period, awareness is raised of the connection between human and spiritual well being.Sustenance for Bodies and Souls" offers a comprehensive view of human health, underscoring the crucial need to attend to both the body and the soul.

 Balkhi, more than 11 centuries ago, has insighted to the modern cognitive psychology he states in his work: “These two (internal and external) methods may also be used to preserve the wellbeing of the soul. External defenses are designed to protect the soul from external factors, such as what they hear or see, which can affect or upset them, and which can cause negative emotions such as rage, terror, grief, or fear, among others. The claim is consistent with a number of psychological theories and methods. Some relevant concepts and frameworks that support these principles are "Cognitive Behavioral TherapyCBT", "Psychological Well BeingCBT", "Emotional RegulationCBT", and "Stress ManagementCBT". addition, he distinguished between three different forms of depression: endogenous depression, which comes from inside the body, and reactive clinical depression, which comes from the outside. He said a healthy person should always keep positive thoughts and feelings in his head in the event of an unexpected emotional outburst, just as medicine and first aid supplies are kept on hand for unforeseen medical situations. He said that disease could be caused by an imbalance between the mind and the body, and that this imbalance is necessary for optimal health. Relatively a thousand years later, in 1969, Joseph Wolpe reintroduced the idea of reciprocal inhibition (al-ilaj bi al-did), which was previously established by Al-Balkh.