Glossary & references

Short definitions of the concepts that keep recurring, and a collection of published articles, books and research with links to their sources.

DepressionالاكتئابSample
A mood disorder lasting two weeks or more, affecting sleep, energy and interest. It differs from sadness in its duration and its effect on daily functioning.
MujahadahالمجاهدةSample
Exerting effort against what the self urges — whether abandoning what benefits or doing what harms.
Obsessive-compulsive disorderالوسواس القهريSample
A disorder in which intrusive thoughts recur and are followed by behaviour meant to secure reassurance, which feeds the cycle rather than ending it.
Ruqyahالرقية الشرعيةSample
Reciting what is transmitted in the texts as a means of seeking healing. Taken alongside medical means, not in place of them.
SabrالصبرSample
Holding the self back from despair while continuing to act usefully. Approached here as a skill with steps, not a trait one has or lacks.
SakinahالسكينةSample
A steadiness that settles on the heart under strain, reducing agitation. The texts mention it in places of fear rather than places of safety.
TazkiyahالتزكيةSample
Purification and growth of the self: continuous work on motive, intention and conduct — not a passing state of ease.
The reproaching selfالنفس اللوّامةSample
A state of the self in which it calls itself to account after acting. The tradition treats it as a sign of alertness, not of disorder.