Rethinking the Sacred–Profane Dichotomy: An Islamic Metaphysical Model Integrating Sufi Psychology and Contemporary Psychotherapy

Abstract

The sacred–profane dichotomy has largely been shaped by Western phenomenology of religion and materialist frameworks that reduce sacredness to a socio-cultural construct detached from metaphysical reality. This study addresses this limitation by rethinking the dichotomy through Islamic metaphysics, integrating insights from Sufi psychology and contemporary psychotherapy. It aims to develop a theoretical model that redefines the sacred and the profane based on the operational role of rūḥ in human existence and examines its implications for holistic psychological healing. Methodologically, the study employs qualitative analysis of classical Islamic texts, linguistic examination of key metaphysical concepts, and theoretical synthesis with modern psychotherapeutic literature. The findings demonstrate that Islam does not conceive the sacred–profane distinction as a rigid ontological dualism, but as a continuum determined by degrees of spiritual integration. The sacred reflects the full functioning of the spirit, while the profane emerges from spiritual obstruction or disintegration, offering an Islamic–Sufi therapeutic perspective.