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Abstract
According to Smith and Segal (2011) being mentally and emotionally healthy does not preclude the experiences of life which cannot be controlled. The dwelling of man into the sojourn of this world poses different challenges ranging from physical, mental, emotional, socio-cultural and spiritual. Hence, to be emotionally and mentally healthy amidst these challenges, individuals must possess appropriate tools that will help them remain focused, flexible and creative in both bad and good times. Therefore, psychologists are often more interested in preventing mental disorders and improving mental health through different strategies including traditional spiritual approach. In Islam, There is a tremendous connection between the soul and what the body suffers due to physical diseases. Evil forces take control of the body when it experiences such diseases and ailments, unless the person repels it with an even stronger power, such as remembering Allah, supplicating to Him, invoking and pleading to Him, giving in charity (Sadaqah) and reciting the Quran. In this case, angels will descend and will defeat and neutralize the evil effects of the devilish souls (evil forces). Consequently, this paper wishes to critically examine the process of healing in Islam, its influence on individual's psychological well-being, its challenges and prospects in psychology and relevant recommendations were made towards restoration of individual's mental health
KEY WORDS: Health, Healing, Medicine, Prophetic Medicine, Islamic healing approach
INTRODUCTION
Encyclopaedia Britannica (1975) define healing (shifa) as the diagnosis of the cause of evil and mental and physical sickness, and the development of techniques for its cure. Healing is the process of the restoration of health to an unbalanced, diseased or damaged organism. The dwelling of man into the sojourn of this world poses different challenges ranging from physical, mental, emotional, socio-cultural and spiritual. People constantly feel regret for what has happened in the past, anxious about what may happen in the future and are worried about what is going on in the present. The resultant effect is emotional ill health, which also impact on physical and mental health. Evidence from the World Health Organization suggests that nearly half the world's population is affected by mental illness with an impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in eveiyday life (Storrie, Ahem, & Tuckett, 2010). Therefore, psychotherapists have...