Can We Take Courses That Claim to Tell Us about Our True Nature?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
I recently came across ‘Human Design.’ It is a means to discover your authentic self and live according to your true nature. It resonated with me, but I wanted to know its permissibility in Islam before I delve deeper. It does require your birth date and time to calculate your chart, but it doesn’t predict your future in any way at all.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
Ruling on Self-Discovery And Development
Any program or test that tells you more about yourself is permissible as long as it does not introduce beliefs or practices contrary to Islam. For example, learning about your Myers-Briggs personality type, your Love Languages, your temperament according to Greek Medicine, etc., is permissible.
These are just instruments that can show a person how they tick and, in some ways, can help them be better people and more effective in their lives. This is permissible.
Anything that contradicts the teachings is Islam or puts one at risk of adopting a practice or mindset contrary to what Allah taught us would be impermissible. This is just like the ruling of a Muslim man marrying a Jewish or Christian lady: the original ruling was permissibility, but the many observed detriments to people’s families and religious practice made the matter impermissible. [Ibn Humam, Fath al-Qadir]
Incorrect Perspectives and Practices
Some of these methods, such as the one you referred to, teach practices that are based on erroneous beliefs. An example is the practice of ‘Manifestation’, where they teach a particular attitude and set of methods that can bring things and opportunities into your life. As Muslims, we know that Allah decrees all matters. If he does not want a thing to happen, willing something does not bring it about.
Besides, we have been taught to supplicate and ask Allah directly. This is a tried and tested method of getting things into your life. Tried and tested by billions of people throughout history. It works. It’s better to direct yourself to Allah than to focus on whether some particular energy in you is optimally flowing to bring what you want.
It’s best to learn about yourself to use that knowledge to draw closer to Allah through being like the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). For example, learning about Love Languages will teach you how to best express love to others in the easiest way. You’ll learn what makes you feel loved and how to see what behavior affects others positively.
All this will equip you to display kind, loving behavior to those near and dear to you—such actions as beloved to Allah. Promoting and maintaining healthy relationships is highly encouraged in Islam.
May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
