HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Consciousness Research
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569393
This article is part of the Research TopicSpirituality and Religion: Implications for Mental HealthView all 54 articles
Achieving Our Highest Potential (Self-Actualization) Through Character Development (Husn-i-Akhlaaq): An Islamic Perspective on Holistic Personality Development, Spiritual Growth and Human Flourishing
Provisionally accepted
- University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
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This article proposes a theoretical framework for human personality development grounded in Husn-i-Akhlaaq-the Islamic model of character refinement-as the key to achieving one's highest potential (Self-Actualization). Islam designates human beings as Allah's visceregents on Earth, yet this status is not inherent; it is realized through a structured process of moral and spiritual growth. Drawing from Islamic thought, particularly Rumi's Universal Man and Iqbal's Mard-i-Momin, we argue that personal perfection is not an abstract or metaphysical state but a measurable and attainable goal. This theory integrates the Ruh (Soul), Qalb (Heart), and Nafs (Self) as essential faculties in character formation, positioning Husn-i-Akhlaaq as having a pivotal role in this holistic framework for personality development. We hypothesize that this model not only fosters spiritual excellence but also has direct implications for psychological resilience, emotional well-being, and overall human flourishing. By bridging Islamic teachings with contemporary psychological discourse, this article advances a structured, interdisciplinary approach to character education and character development, emphasizing its potential applications in mental health, personal growth, and social transformation.
Keywords: Character development, Self-actualization, Personality Development, spiritual growth, wellbeing, human flourishing
Received: 31 Jan 2025; Accepted: 10 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gillani and Khan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Uzma Gillani, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
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