Dr. Abdallah Rothman is a leader in the field of Islamic psychology and has authored numerous books and academic papers on the subject. He is co-founder, along with the late Professor Malik Badri, of the International Association of Islamic Psychology. He’s currently Head of Islamic Psychology at Cambridge Muslim College and the Founder and Clinical Director of Dar al-Shifaa. Dr. Rothman holds an MA and a PhD in psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist.

We talk to him about integrating spirituality with psychology, the nature of the soul, raising children with resilience, the value of discomfort and exploration, and how remembering is a key part of spiritual growth.

Show Notes:

• The late Professor Malik Badri helped to reinvigorate a Muslim approach to mental health. Badri is the author of Contemplation: An Islamic Psychospiritual Study (pdf) and Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s Sustenance of the Soul: The Cognitive Behavior Therapy of a Ninth-Century Physician (pdf). 
• During the episode, Rothman speaks often of “heartfulness,” a kind of parallel to mindfulness. His YouTube series, Midnight Moments, helps to clarify heartfulness in theory and in practice. 
• Understandably, we were very interested in Rothman’s take on parenting in the secular world. His recent lecture, “God-Conscious Parenting,” elaborates many of the themes we discussed.
• You can find more of his content on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. 

This episode is sponsored by Queen City Diwan, a new kind of travel company, which leads historical tours, immersive experiences, leadership retreats and religious pilgrimages. While this September’s Uzbekistan trip is booked, we’re excited to offer an ‘umrah (Oct 11 - 19), a remarkable tour of Morocco, Spain and Portugal (Nov 21 - 29)—and early next year, a trip to Andalusia just for college students (Jan 3 - 9). Learn more on our website! 

Avenue M is produced by Bespoken Live with music by Zach Swelber, who plays in Circle It and Mosant.