Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Sayed Mahmoud Tabatabaei ¹
• Maryam saderi ²
• Ali reza Heydarzadegan ³
• Mohammad Javad Enayati Rad ¹
• Mohammad Javad Asghari Ebrahim Abad ⁴

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

² Ph.D. Student of Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Zahedan, Iran

⁴ Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad Iran

Abstract

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Narcissism in the Quran is a moral vice that is subject to condemnation and punishment, but in psychology, it is a type of personality disorder. Initial question: What is the difference between narcissism in the Quran and psychology? The challenge between describing narcissism as a personality disorder with unconscious and involuntary aspects in psychology and as a moral vice in the Quran (which has a definite obligation with will and consciousness) reveals the importance and necessity of this research because God, the Wise, intends to educate and guide, so He does not subject a person with an involuntary disorder to blame and punishment. The present research, using a descriptive-analytical method and a library approach, has compared the commonalities and differences of narcissism in these two areas. The findings indicated unity in concept and symptoms and differences in cause and origin. Inferred from the context of the relevant verses, the cause of narcissism is the weakness of monotheistic knowledge, which, based on the rational context of revelation, can be considered a conscious and voluntary act and therefore subject to condemnation and punishment; however, in psychology, the individual does not play a role in creating a personality disorder, but since these generally do not disrupt the basic psychological functions of these individuals and, consequently, their willpower and discrimination, according to psychology, a narcissistic individual is responsible for his actions, and having a narcissistic disorder does not absolve anyone of responsibility.

Introduction:

This article, which is an extract from a doctoral dissertation, is about an important challenge, namely the conflict between religious concepts and scientific research, or the confrontation between science and religion, from a general perspective. In this article, some moral vices in the Quran have been examined, which although on the surface are a kind of happiness and joy, after examining the relevant verses, it was found that the reason for the condemnation and condemnation of such joys is because such states are called narcissism and arrogance and are part of moral vices. Therefore, such rejoicing has been condemned and punished in the Quran. In the next stage, it was found that this moral vice has signs and symptoms that correspond to some mental disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder in psychology. As a result of this question or doubt, it was raised whether God, who is wise and aware of the conditions of His servants, condemns and punishes people with mental disorders, because the condition for guidance and education is having will and choice for the educated. Therefore, using an analytical and comparative method and a library approach, while examining personality disorders in the Quran and psychology, the degree of convergence and divergence of psychological findings with Quranic teachings was examined and applied, and it was found that although the symptoms of narcissism in the Quran and psychology are almost the same and they mostly indicate self-suppression and egotism, the narcissist in the Quran has authority and awareness, and the cause of its occurrence is also himself. Although the narcissist in psychology is not the cause, as long as he does not deviate from the conventional norms of society, he is not deprived of responsibility, so just because he has a narcissistic disorder, no one is exempted from responsibility.
Therefore, since faith in God is the center and criterion of the Quran, and the balanced self-esteem of the Quran is also characterized by its attribution to faith, therefore, God in the Quran condemns or warns of punishment for people who distance themselves from Him in various ways and who have fallen into polytheism, disbelief, and hypocrisy, and the verses that condemn narcissism or state the punishment of narcissistic people like Pharaoh and Qarun are expressed in a context that includes non-believers such as infidels, polytheists, and hypocrites. Therefore, narcissism expressed in the text of the Quran is one of the moral vices that, based on the context of the verses and the rational context of the Quran, arises from a person with understanding, will, and freedom. Although it has a kind of conceptual unity, it also has a basis for differences in terms of its origin.

Literature Review

Regarding the background of this research, we can refer to the article by Faghihi et al. (2016), in which, by examining the Quranic and narrative teachings on narcissistic personality disorder, they extracted and examined twenty-three main personality characteristics of narcissists, including: fantasy, self-aggrandizement, self-praise, self-deception, and aggression.
Zahra Faghihi. Mohammad Reza Haji Esmaili. Hamid Taher Neshat Doost. Mehdi Moti. (2016). Narcissistic Personality Disorder from the Perspective of the Quran and Hadith. Journal of Religious Research. Volume 16. Issue 33
 Also, the article by Raisi (2010) entitled “Comparative Conceptualization of Narcissism from the Perspective of Islamic Sources and Psychology” explained the common aspects of narcissism in the two fields. His findings indicate the consistency of the concepts in religious teachings with scientific findings.
Zohreh Raisi, Asghar Sepahvand. Afsaneh Badrizadeh. Maryam Tat. (2019). Comparative conceptualization of narcissism from the perspective of Islamic sources (Quran and Nahjul-Balagha). Third National Conference on Innovation and Research in Ethics and Education, Relations of Religion and Psychology. Although there are other similar works, no research has been conducted on the comparative study of the commonalities and differences of narcissism in the Quran and psychology.

Methodology

The present study intends to use an analytical and comparative method and a library approach, while examining personality disorders in the Quran and psychology, and to estimate the degree of convergence and divergence of psychological findings with Quranic teachings.

Conclusion

Narcissism has two aspects, balanced and unbalanced. The balanced aspect in the Quran and psychology is self-esteem, which in the Quran originates from faith in God and in psychology from a healthy mind. However, the unbalanced aspect in the Quran is a moral vice that prevents growth and perfection, and in psychology, it is a kind of disorder. However, its prominent characteristic in the Quran and psychology is false self-aggrandizement, and in some symptoms, such as fantasy, a sense of entitlement, superiority, and a sense of exceptionality, they also overlap.
Their distinguishing features are one in cause and origin. In the Quran, the main source of human narcissism is his egoism, which stems from the weakness of his monotheistic knowledge, which sees himself as independent and in need of God. According to the context of the verses, the individual plays a role in its creation, and the Quranic solutions for treating narcissism are also to pay attention to the existential origin of the individual, that is, God, and to reflect on His power. However, in psychology, biological factors (genetic and hereditary) or environmental factors (family and educators) have been considered effective in its creation, in which the individual often has no role.
According to the context of the verses related to narcissism, the rational context of the Quran, and also the result of the impact of the Quranic verses on the changing conditions of people in the pre-Islamic era, the narcissistic audience in the Quran has the power of reason, understanding, choice, and discernment. In psychology, personality disorders also include a wide range of mild, moderate, and severe mental illnesses, which are discussed in four areas: cognition, emotional state, interpersonal functioning, and impulse management. Therefore, it is necessary to note that a person is placed within the criteria for a personality disorder if this disorder is observed in him in many conditions and situations and leads to significant distress or serious damage to his social or occupational functioning. Therefore, although the internal conflicts of people with personality disorders make it easier for them to commit crimes, these conflicts (at least in narcissists) are not to the extent that the person cuts off contact with the outside world and becomes devoid of willpower and discernment. Therefore, the narcissist in the Quran has choice and awareness, and the cause of its occurrence is also himself. In psychology, even though a narcissist is not the cause, he is not exempt from responsibility as long as he does not deviate from the conventional norms of society. Therefore, simply having a narcissistic disorder does not absolve anyone of responsibility.
Since faith in God is the center and criterion of the Quran, and the balanced self-esteem of the Quran is also characterized by its attribute to faith, therefore, God in the Quran condemns or warns of punishment for people who distance themselves from Him in various ways and who have fallen into polytheism, disbelief, and hypocrisy, and the verses that condemn narcissism or state the punishment of narcissistic individuals such as Pharaoh and Qarun are expressed in a context that includes non-believers such as infidels, polytheists, and hypocrites. Therefore, narcissism expressed in the text of the Quran is one of the moral vices that, based on the context of the verses and the rational context of the Quran, arises from a person with understanding, will, and freedom. Although it has a kind of conceptual unity, it also has a basis for differences in terms of its origin.

Keywords

• Skepticism
• the Conflict between Science and Religion
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• Moral Responsibility
• Will
• Power of Discrimination

Main Subjects

• قرآن پژوهی