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Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026)
Special Issue: Faith-Informed Mental Wellbeing and Resilience

Special Issue: Faith-Informed Mental Wellbeing and Resilience

From Self to Source: An Exploration of Islamic Compassion Through Qur'anic Semantic Method

https://doi.org/10.55831/ajis.v11i1.1347

Published 01.05.2026

Ferzya Farhan
International Open University (IOU) Gambia

Mega Satria Nurul Falah
Universitas Muhammadiyah Banten

Evi Afifah Hurriyati
Bina Nusantara University

Abstract

Compassion is recognised by the World Health Organization as a key factor in mental wellbeing, yet current conceptualisations are dominated by Buddhist and Western-informed contemporary psychology frameworks. This study addresses the gap in Islamic psychology by inductively exploring Islamic Compassion through Qur’anic semantic analysis of the lexeme rahima (رحم, to have mercy/ compassion), using Toshihiko Izutsu’s methodology. We analysed 16 verses containing fi’il (verb) forms as primary data and 10 verses with ism (noun) forms as supporting data, conducting syntagmatic, paradigmatic, and semantic field analyses. The findings reveal five psychological dimensions of Islamic Compassion that, while terminologically similar to contemporary theories, differ fundamentally in source (Allāh vs. self), trigger (reception vs. suffering), orientation (theocentric vs. anthropocentric), and temporal scope (timeless vs. worldly). Furthermore, Islamic Compassion operates proactively as a fiṭrah (innate disposition) capacity activated through spiritual-social mechanisms rather than responding to suffering. This study contributes a psychological construct that can be operationalised in Islamic psychology, demonstrates Qur’anic semantics as a viable methodology for constructing psychological concepts, and provides foundations for developing Qur’anic worldview-based interventions. This research expands rather than replaces existing perspectives, enriching cross-cultural understanding of compassion.

Keywords

raḥmah, Islamic compassion, Qur’anic semantic, Islamic psychology, Toshihiko Izutsu

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