Dr. Rania Awad, clinical associate professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab, reveals an incredible discovery that mainstream psychology refuses to acknowledge: Muslim civilizations created the first hospitals in human history to include psychiatric wards, centuries before the Western world even recognized mental health as a medical concern. Modern psychology, as Dr. Awad notes, has “lost its soul” — and Islam has the framework to restore it.
Muslims Created the First Psychiatric Hospitals
While other civilizations had healthcare systems of various kinds, none included psychiatric or mental health treatment until Muslim hospitals pioneered this approach. This is not a minor footnote in history — it represents a fundamental understanding within Islamic civilization that the human being is body, mind, and soul, and that all three require care. The ignorant question “what have Muslims ever contributed to humanity?” is answered decisively by this single fact alone, to say nothing of the contributions to mathematics, astronomy, optics, and medicine that built the foundation for modern science.
Modern psychology today has quote “lost its soul.” Muslim civilizations created the first hospitals in human history to have psychiatric sections — a truly amazing contribution that most people don’t know about.
Jinn, Witchcraft, and the Limits of Secular Psychology
- Islam acknowledges the reality of jinn, spiritual affliction, and the unseen world — areas that secular psychology dismisses entirely
- Patients and families often come knowing something spiritual is at play, but modern psychiatry has no framework to address it
- Music, desensitization to witchcraft, and occult practices in daily life create spiritual vulnerabilities that secular treatment cannot heal
- The hadith teaches that if you take one step toward Allah, He takes several toward you — this applies to seeking both spiritual and psychological healing
Never Let Go of Prayer
Dr. Awad’s final advice is both clinical and spiritual: never let go of prayer. Your connection with your Creator is an absolute must, not optional. If Allah sends you difficulty, He also sends help and assistance — with difficulty comes ease. Islamic psychology integrates what secular psychology separates: the treatment of the body, mind, and soul as one interconnected system. For anyone struggling with mental health, the first step is turning to the One who created you and asking for help.
If Allah sent you difficulty, He’s also going to send you help and assistance. With difficulty comes ease. Never let go of prayer — your connection with your Creator is an absolute must.
