AN ANALYSIS OF BIBLIOTHERAPEUTIC SCIENCE IN THE LENSES OF THE QUR'AN

Abstract

Bibliotherapy is the professional juxtaposition for practicing school counsellors and library practitioners. It is a common ground where the two professionals combine their professional expertise to address concerns that have to do with psychological and/or emotional difficulties. The interplay between librarianship and counselling practices has long historical origin. Reading has been used throughout the ages to pursue valued goals. The concept of reading as a way to help facilitate the healing process and meet therapeutic goals is a common strategy in many treatment approaches (Lindberg, 2021). Reading books is recognized as a means to help individuals deal with deep concerns and can offer strategies specific to developmental issues. This process of using book for therapeutic goals is what is referred to Bibliotherapy. It was religious texts that came to be the most used literature for early bibliotherapy until the mid-nineteenth century (Tews, 1969). The use of books for treatment purposes received special and widespread attention following World Wars I and II. With many soldiers returning from battle with posttraumatic stress disorders. Bibliotherapy was considered a cost-effective treatment. Since then, the use of bibliotherapy has expanded and is currently being employed in nearly every helping profession, with every age group, and with multiple populations. Therefore, this paper presupposes that bibliotherapeutic science can be viewed from the lenses of the Qur’an. When, for example, dealing with psychosocial conditions such as anxiety and depression, it can be a worthwhile idea to make sense of what is happening in your mind and body by making reference to Qur’an. Bibliotherapy is a way to help bridge this gap. To achieved this the paper discusses issues such as understanding bibliotherapy, historical origins of bibliotherapy, the interplay between librarianship and helping practices, the relationship between behavioural science and Islamic beliefs, employment of bibliotherapy in Islamic context and knowledge gaps and future research directions of Islamic bibliotherapy.