Indigenizing an Islamic Psychology

Islamic psychology is making its mark, but whose voices are being heard? And how are the data being interpreted? Growing Islamophobia has created both a need to be heard and a desire to have some control and ownership of the narrative that is disseminated. Using a multilevel interdisciplinary paradigm (MIP) allows for the marriage of numbers and words to address the challenges of research methodology when applied to the psychology of religion. However, it does not take into account Islamic ways of knowing, nor does it necessarily address the issues of power within the traditional institution of research, particularly as it applies to researcher and participant relationships. As such, a multilevel interdisciplinary paradigm may be enhanced through the Islamization of knowledge along with participatory research methods to develop an indigenous Islamic psychology that is reflective of the social and political realities of contemporary Muslim communities.