ISLAM DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN MENTAL DISORDERS AND DEMONIC POSSESSEION

Assalam oalaikum,

“Allah (swt) says in the Holy Quran:
Those who eat Riba (usury) wil not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like standing of a person beaten by Satan, leading him to madness”. (TMQ-2:275)

The above mentioned Quranic verse mentions about those people whose minds and body are totally controlled by Satan, i.e. who are the demonically possessed ones. By controlling their minds totally Satan can drive them to madness.
This type of Satan induced insanity is a paranormal occurrence. As I have discussed in my previous post, this problem needs to be tackled at a spiritual level by an exorcist.
As opposed to this type of insanity there exist some mental problems which are associated with environmental tensions, social deprivation or biological susceptibility. Such problems have got nothing to do with evil influences and therefore need a psychiatric treatment.
When a demonically possessed person seeks the help of a spiritual healer, the latter easily distinguishes between a demonic possession case and a medical one. The cases of demonic possession exhibit a dual personality always. However, this should not be confused with cases of multiple personality disorders (MPD) or the Dissociative identity disorder which we know of. The MPD is a genuine psychiatric disorder and it has nothing to do with evil influences.
When a spiritual healer begins to recite the Quranic verses while treating a demonically possessed case, the person exhibits unnecessary movements. This is because the evil spirit which has attached itself to the person’s body becomes restless on hearing the Quranic verses.
This happens to be a sure shot way of identifying a demonically possessed person. Those people who may be suffering from some psychiatric illness will not try to resist a spiritual healing session in which they have to listen to Quranic recitation.

Narrated Ata bin Abi Rabah:
Ibn Abbas said to me, ‘Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise? I said, ‘Yes’. He said, ‘This black lady came to Allah’s Apostle and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me’. The Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish I shall invoke Allah to cure you’. She said, ‘I shall remain patience and added, ‘but I become uncovered so please invoke Allah for me so that I may not become uncovered’. So he invoked Allah for her’.
(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 70, Number 555)

This hadith shows that Islam differentiates between mental illnesses and supernatural ones.  Every mental disorder case should not be cured only by a spiritual healer.
A good Muslim exorcist can distinguish between these two types of cases and if the case is not of demonic possession then they should refer the case to a psychiatrist.
Unfortunately this does not happen always. Some quacks try to make money by indulging in fraudulent practices in almost every field. This also happens in the field of spiritual healing. The best way out of this problem is to consult a spiritual healer who is mystically endowed with healing powers as well as genuine.


Keep Me In Your Prayers,
Amel Soname
Amel_soname@yahoo.com