Construction of an Islamically-Integrated Psychological Well-Being Model

Abstract

Psychological well-being is defined as an individual’s overall functioning that includes fulfillment in various aspects of life, such as having positive relationships with others, personal mastery, autonomy, purpose and meaning in life, and personal growth. Despite the abundance of literature on psychological well-being, contemporary research has focused almost entirely on Western conceptualizations while often neglecting the cultural and religious factors that play a crucial role in defining it. The overall objective of this study is to conceptualize psychological well-being from an Islamic perspective, conducting a qualitative content analysis on two classical Islamic works, Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s 9th century work entitled Sustenance of Body and Soul and Imam al-Birgivi’s 16th century work on The Path of Muhammad. The results of the analysis of these sources lead to the construction of a model consisting of three main themes and eleven subthemes. The results of the study are considered in relation to the existing literature, with a focus on the study’s contributions, limitations, and implications for future practice and research.