Pioneering Islamic Psychology in Bangladesh

Professor Dr. G. Hussein Rassool is a distinguished scholar and pioneer in the field of Islāmic Psychology and Psychotherapy. With an academic career spanning several decades, he currently serves as Professor of Islāmic Psychology at the Centre for Islāmic Studies & Civilisations, Charles Sturt University, Australia. He is widely regarded as one of the leading academics advancing the integration of Islāmic principles into mental health care, psychotherapy, and counselling.

Before joining the Centre for Islāmic Studies and Civilisation, he served as Professor of Islāmic Psychology, as well as Consultant and Director of the Riphah Institute of Clinical and Professional Psychology (Centre for Islāmic Psychology) at Riphah International University, Pakistan. In addition to his role at Charles Sturt University, Professor Rassool is Director of Studies in the Department of Islāmic Psychology, Psychotherapy & Counselling at Al Balagh Academy and Chair of the Al Balagh Institute of Islāmic Psychology Research.

He also serves as a sessional lecturer in Islāmic psychology and psychotherapy for various universities and academic institutions. He was the founding Head of the Department of Islāmic Psychology at International Open University and later became Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the same institution. In addition, he held the position of Professor of Mental Health and Addiction at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and served as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Addictive Behaviour and Psychological Medicine at St George's, University of London.

He was instrumental in developing the world's first Bachelor of Science degree in Islāmic Psychology. Among his notable contributions is the launch of the first university-accredited Certificate in Islāmic Psychology in Pakistan in 2019, followed by the establishment of the world's first Advanced Diploma in Islāmic Psychology and Psychotherapy in 2022.

His academic and clinical work is underpinned by a holistic understanding of human psychology that integrates psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural dimensions. His research interests include the spiritual and psychosocial dimensions of mental health; indigenous and decolonial approaches to psychology; Islāmic psychotherapy and counselling; Islāmic ethics in psychotherapy; and the development of culturally relevant therapeutic interventions.

He has authored or edited over 34 books and published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and scholarly reviews. His books have been translated into Bahasa Indonesia, Turkish, Arabic, Russian, and Bangla, reflecting the global reach and impact of his scholarship. Despite his extensive academic responsibilities, he remains actively engaged in clinical practice as a part-time Islāmic psychotherapist.

Dr. Md. Shariful Islam is a visionary medical professional who has committed his life's work to the establishment of a Shariah-compliant healthcare system. Driven by a profound sense of purpose, he is on a mission to weave the timeless wisdom of Islamic Medical Jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Tibb) into the fabric of modern clinical practice.

Dr. Islam embodies a unique blend of a compassionate medical doctor and a psychology expert, bridging the often-divided worlds of physical medicine and spiritual well-being. He earned his MBBS from Dhaka National Medical College and a Masters in Hospital Administration from Independent University, Bangladesh. To solidify his expertise in mental health, he also completed a Masters in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Jagannath University.

He currently serves as the Founder and Managing Director of YASHFEEN Hospital and the Clinical Coordinator for YASHFEEN Psychiatry & Psychotherapy. His leadership resonates through his roles as the Chairman of the Bangladesh Islamic Medical Society and the Convener of the Bangladesh Islamic Psychology & Counselling Association (BIPCA). In 2020, he established the Research Academy for Medical Fiqh & Islamic Treatment (RAMFIT), where he continues to serve as the Founding Director.

His specialized expertise is rooted in advanced studies at Al Balagh Academy, London, where he immersed himself in the Fiqh of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Islamic Biomedical Ethics.

Through his unwavering dedication, Dr. Islam is working to build a holistic healthcare system that unites medical excellence, ethical responsibility, and spiritual consciousness within an Islamic worldview. He sees this effort as an amanah entrusted by Allah: to restore dignity, moral clarity, and divine guidance to the practice of medicine.

His mission is not only to reform systems, but to leave behind for our children a world in which healing is rooted in faith, dignity, and divine guidance.