Elucidation of Step-by-Step Methods for Discovering Psychological Verses of the Holy Qur’an

Given the unprecedented reception of Islamic psychology in the global academic community, the necessity of methodological studies has become increasingly significant. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of examining and elucidating the methods for discovering psychological verses of the Holy Qur’an and outlining the stages of their application, which constitute a necessary prelude to the psychological understanding or interpretation of the Qur’an. The research method was descriptive–analytical, whereby the existing methods in exegetical sources and Islamic psychology were collected, analyzed, and their functions in understanding the psychological dimensions of the verses, along with relevant examples from psychological discussions, were presented. The findings indicate that through four stages, suitable psychological verses can be extracted from the Qur’an and ultimately organized into appropriate categories. The first stage is the selection of a psychological topic or problem, which is carried out through targeted study of psychological sources and breaking down the subject into smaller components. The second stage is the selection of suitable vocabulary
for searching the Qur’an, which corresponds to choosing appropriate keywords in psychological research. The third stage is the search for psychological verses in the Qur’an, conducted through the use of keywords, lexicons, related books and articles, as well as thematic relevance. The fourth stage is the coding of verses, which is performed using open, selective, and axial codes. Upon completion of these stages, the verses directly related to the selected topic are provided to the researcher along with an appropriate classification, after which the application of psychological interpretive methods follows. Effective use of these methods requires proceeding through the stages in sequence and paying close attention to the details of their application. A major drawback observed in existing Islamic psychology research is the lack of methodological rigor in deriving psychological interpretations from Qur’anic verses, which has at times led to tafsīr be ra’y (interpretation based on personal opinion) or superficial approaches to psychological concepts. Consequently, although the step-by-step method presented in this study serves
as a preliminary requirement before engaging in the main methods of psychological interpretation, its application at the outset of research can guide the researcher toward more relevant data and render the research process easier and more precise.