HAPPINESS IN ISLAM:

CONCEPTUALISATION & OPERATIONALISATION

BY
ALI YOUSSEF ALSEHEEL
Supervisors:
Prof. Noraini Mohd. Noor
Dr. Jusmawati Fauzaman
 Introduction
Why Happiness?
Fundamental concern & top aspiration for most people.

Philosophers and religions believe that it is central to

human existence.

Philosophers: it is the ultimate virtue in everything

humans do.

Islam: one of the ultimate objective of the religion

(‫ مقاصد الشريعة‬- maqāsid al-sharī'ah)

Past empirical inquiries: associated with many

desirable qualities, such as success and health.
 Statement Of The Problem
Gap of research?

What is happiness? What is healthy, desirable,

valuable, meaningful, & worthwhile

Not neutral, shaped by cultural factors,

such as norms, ideologies, & ethical values.

Criticised the dominant unilateral Western

view, inspired by Greek or religious
traditions, and its generalisation

May contradicts Islamic principle

 Given the topic importance + it is
culture sensitive

Scarcity of research

This research undertaken: a mixed method

Qualitative study: its Quantitative study:

determinants in the measure of happiness
Qur’an

Conceptualisation Operationalisation

Indigenous understanding of happiness

from an Islamic perspective
Research Questions

• Drawing on the Holy Qur’an (as the

primary source of guidance in Islam),
How is human happiness defined
within an Islamic perspective?

• Drawing on the Qur’anic attributes

for human happiness identified in (1),
How can happiness be measured?
Research Objectives

• To formulate a conceptual definition

of human happiness derived from
Qur’anic literature addressing this
notion.

• To formulate an operational
definition of human happiness
derived from the Qur’anic attributes
of this notion.
 Literature Review

Historical, Religion and its

theoretical, and relation to
empirical bases human
of happiness happiness

Conceptualisations
&
operationalisations Happiness in Islam
of human
happiness
 Literature Review
• the meaning of happiness has
Throughout history been shaped by many cultural and
ideological factors.

• the question of happiness requires

For example normative values: what is good or
bad for human beings?

• the question of happiness rooted

Therefore
in worldview or religion.

• current knowledge is ideologically

secularised that may portray a
However distorted picture of human
happiness.
 Literature Review

Indigenous Islamic
understanding of
happiness is needed
for Muslim
 Literature Review

Understanding
Happiness

Conceptual Operational
Definition Definition

• Attributes
• Determinants • Items
• Components
 Methods

Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 4

Construct Items Validation
Objective Pilot Testing
Conceptualisation Generation testing
• Dictionaries &
Indexes Search.
• Keywords-in- • Test
context data • Test administra
analysis (KWIC) administration tion
• Converting
• Within-case and • Feedback • Reliability
attributes
between-case obtaining analyses.
Methods literature
to items.
• Internal • Validity
• Expert
analyses. consistencies/ analyses.
review.
• Data extracts reliability • Factor
generation analyses analyses
• Extracts coding. • Regression
• Concept analysis. analyses
• Thematic analysis
 Methods

Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 4

Construct Items Pilot Validation
Objective Conceptualisation Generation Testing testing
Reliable &
valid
Dimensions &
Initial pool Refined measure of
attributes of
Outcomes happiness in the
of Item Items Qur’anic-
(280-item) (153-item) based
Qur’an
happiness
(MQBH)
 Summary of the findings

Objective Finding

“affective and cognitive well-being,

accompanied by divinely guided and
bestowed worldly situational well-
Conceptual definition
being, which emerge from the
pursuit of faith and spiritual deeds
derived from the guidance of Islam”

• Spiritual Pursuits, Attainments, &

Allah-Consciousness
• Beliefs & Spiritual Experiences
Operational definition • Religious Struggles
• Positive Emotions
• Negative Emotions
 Other key findings

• Happiness in Islam is multidimensional in

nature.

• Allah-consciousness or taqwa unique to Islam (a

key contributor to and predictor of Muslims’
happiness).

• Islam plays a positive role in Muslims’ lives

(prosocial behaviours, experiencing positive
emotions, such as a sense of contentment,
security, harmony).

• Implications.
Thank You