Narrative Review of Depressive Fatalism from an Islamic Psychology Perspective
Abstract
Depressive fatalism among Muslim adolescents refers to a pattern of thinking in which feelings of hopelessness and low mood become intertwined with misinterpretations of religious concepts particularly qadr (divine decree). However, depressive fatalism among Muslim adolescents remains an underexplored phenomenon, particularly in how beliefs about qadr (divine decree) shape their sense of agency and coping responses. Belief in qadr can lead to two distinct forms of fatalism: passive fatalism, which involves surrendering to circumstances without effort, and active fatalism, which entails trusting in divine decree while continuing to strive for solutions. This study aims to review depressive fatalism from an Islamic Psychology perspective. This study is a narrative literature review, designed to synthesize and analyze existing research on depressive fatalism from an Islamic psychology perspective. The review revealed severals aspects of depressive fatalism from Islamic psychology perspective namely: (a) positive religious coping (e.g., tawakkul, sabr, dhikr) correlates with lower depressive fatalism; (b) Islamic-based psychotherapy/intervention can reduce depressive and fatalistic symptoms; (c) religious coping styles vary by personality, influencing susceptibility to negative religious struggle (fatalism); (d) high religiosity combined with social/religious community support buffers against hopelessness and depressive feelings; and (e) in contexts of stress (e.g., pandemic), Islamic-informed coping and resilience frameworks help moderate distress, suggesting potential for fatalism mitigation. In conclusion, this review establishes that depressive fatalism among Muslim populations is a psychologically detrimental phenomenon rooted in theological misinterpretations of concepts like qadr, which can be effectively countered by an integrative Islamic psychology framework.
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