The Effects of Religious Texts Recitation on the Psychological and Physiological Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review on Islamic Religious Texts

Islamic religious texts—principally the Quran and Hadith—exert a multidimensional influence on the psychological and physiological well-being of over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. This systematic literature review synthesises empirical and theoretical evidence on the effects of Quranic recitation and the practice of Dhikr (remembrance of God) as spiritually meditative practices (SMPs), situating them within the broader interdisciplinary domain of Islamic psychology, neuroscience, and mental health. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies published between 1995 and 2024 and sourced from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO, this review demonstrates that: (1) Quranic recitation consistently reduces anxiety, stress, and depression across diverse Muslim populations; (2) both recitation and Dhikr induce measurable neurophysiological changes, including increases in alpha and theta brain-wave activity and reductions in salivary cortisol; (3) Islamic ritual practices such as Salah and Sawm confer complementary physiological benefits, including improved cardiovascular markers and metabolic function; and (4) integrating Islamic SMPs into clinical frameworks—specifically Traditional Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy (TIIP)—yields clinically significant reductions in psychological and functional distress. This review further identifies critical research gaps, particularly the need for randomised controlled trials employing neuroimaging, cross-cultural comparative designs, and technology-mediated delivery of Islamic SMPs. The findings carry substantive implications for developing culturally responsive mental health interventions within Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority communities globally.