Happiness and well-being in Islam: Intersections between positive psychology, psychology of religion and Islamic psychology | Synapse
July 6, 2026
Happiness and well-being in Islam: Intersections between positive psychology, psychology of religion and Islamic psychology
Key Points
The aim is to examine how Islamic perspectives intersect with concepts of happiness and well-being in positive psychology.
Literature review of positive psychology and Islamic psychology
Theoretical analysis of well-being concepts
Exploration of secular versus religious notions of flourishing
Identifies unique contributions of Islamic psychology to definitions of happiness
Demonstrates the influence of religious beliefs on subjective well-being
Reveals potential areas for integration between positive psychology and religious frameworks
Abstract
For much of its history, positive psychology has built its theoretical vocabulary on largely Western and secular assumptions about what constitutes a flourishing life. In recent years, however, a g...