Psychology of Human Development from an Islamic Perspective
Abstract
This study examines human development from an Islamic perspective by employing a qualitative literature review approach to synthesize classical and contemporary scholarly discussions. Human development is understood not merely as a biological or psychological process, but as a holistic and purposeful progression encompassing physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. In contrast to dominant Western developmental theories that often prioritize empirical and value-neutral explanations, Islamic thought conceptualizes development as a morally oriented journey guided by divine purpose and ethical responsibility. Data were collected from peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and authoritative Islamic scholarship relevant to psychology, human development, and religious studies. The selected literature was analysed using qualitative content analysis to identify recurring themes, conceptual frameworks, and interpretative differences among scholars. The findings indicate that Islamic perspectives emphasize the integration of bodily growth, intellectual maturity, and spiritual consciousness, with development evaluated not solely by age but by readiness, moral accountability, and social responsibility. Human development is framed as a continuous process directed toward the formation of ethically grounded individuals capable of fulfilling their roles within society. This study further reveals that Islamic developmental thought highlights normative objectives such as moral discipline, self-awareness, and stewardship, which are often underexplored in conventional psychological models. By articulating these dimensions, the study contributes to the enrichment of developmental psychology through a value-based and holistic framework. The findings offer theoretical insights that may inform future research, as well as practical implications for education, counselling, and human development programs that seek to integrate psychological growth with ethical and spiritual values.
References
Abdalla, M. (2025). Exploring tarbiyah in Islamic education: A critical review of the English-and Arabic-language literature. Education Sciences, 15(5), 559. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050559
Achoui, M. (1998). Human Nature from a Comparative Psychological Perspective. American Journal of Islam and Society, 15(4), 71–95. https://doi.org/10.35632/ajis.v15i4.2156
Adiyono, A., Ni'am, S., & Akhyak, A. (2024). Methodology of Islamic Studies: Islam as Religion (A Perspective Epistemology, Paradigm, and Methodology). Analisis: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 24(1), 169-200.
Ahmad, S., Qamar, A. J., Bhatti, M. A. A., & Bashir, U. (2023). Integrating Islamic Ethics with Modern Governance: A Comprehensive Framework for Accountability Across Religious, Social, and Economic Dimensions. Al-Irfan, 8(15), 51-79. https://doi.org/10.58932/MULB0043
Ali, Z., Anjum, G. M., Iqbal, J., & Ahmad, I. (2024). The role of Islamic values in promoting social justice and community welfare. International Research Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(1), 575-585.
Almizan. (2010). Al Mujib, Alquran dan Terjemahannya. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 1(1), 86. https://doi.org/10.37542/iq.v1i01.7
Arif, M. K. (2024). the Contribution of Qur’Anic Psychology To the Concept of Modern Educational Psychology Islamic Education Perspectives. Al-Risalah, 15(1), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.34005/alrisalah.v15i1.3143
Arroisi, J., Zarkasyi, H. F., Salim, M. S. U., & Taqiyuddin, M. (2022). Understanding ‘God as Reality’: Analysis of the Ontological Approach in the Tradition of Islamic Philosophy and Sufism. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 12(1), 98-115. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.121.07
Asrowi, A. (2023). PSIKOLOGI DAN AL-QUR’AN (Solusi Permasalahan Di Era Globalisasi). E-Jurnal Aksioma Al-Asas, 4(1), 33–67. https://doi.org/10.55171/jaa.v4i1.921
Azoma, M., & Ninin, R. H. (2022). Can Teenagers Put Their ‘Shoes’ On Prepetrators and Victims of Bullying? Psikostudia : Jurnal Psikologi, 11(2), 284. https://doi.org/10.30872/psikostudia.v11i2.7321
Batula, A. W., Ritonga, M. A. H., Helmy, H. A., Supriadi, U., & Zakaria, Z. (2025). Students' Self-Efficacy in Islamic Character Development: A Phenomenological Study of PAI Learning in the Merdeka Curriculum at Senior High Schools. ISLAMIKA, 7(4), 730-758.
binti Norman, N. A., Ismail, A. Z. B., Hussin, Z. B., & Ruhullah, M. E. (2024). The Development of the Soul in Early Childhood: A Model Based on Ibn Sina's Theory of the Soul in Islamic Philosophy. al-Afkar, Journal For Islamic Studies, 7(2), 89-104. https://doi.org/10.31943/afkarjournal.v7i2.1072
Das, S. S., Singh, K., Kumar, R., Singh, J. N., & Kumar, P. (2024). Exploring the multifaceted landscape of human rights: a comprehensive analysis of theoretical frameworks. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(5), 3346-3365.
Ghaseminiaei, F., Esmaeily, M., & Bagheri, F. (2022). A Growth-Oriented Therapeutic Model with an Emphasis on Time and Dimensions of Individual Responsibility According to the Opinions of Muslim Thinkers. International Journal of Islamic Psychology, 5(1), 37-51.
Ghofur, A. (2018). Tasawuf Al-Ghazali: Landasan Psikologi Pendidikan Islam. Jurnal Islam Nusantara, 2(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.33852/jurnalin.v2i1.74
Gillani, U., & Khan, M. J. (2025). Achieving our highest potential through character development (Husn-i-Akhlaaq): an Islamic perspective on holistic personality development, spiritual growth and human flourishing. Frontiers in Psychology, 16(August). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569393
Hashim, M. (2025). Developmental stages: an Islamic psychology perspective. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 27(4), 534-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2024.2439438
Hashim, M. (2025). Developmental stages: an Islamic psychology perspective. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 27(4), 534-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2024.2439438
Hossain, K. A. (2023). Evaluation of ethical values to develop global human resource. Journal of Liberal Arts and Humanities, 4(4), 1-29.
Huda, M., & Soleh, A. K. (2023). Komparasi Konsep Perkembangan Psikologi Manusia Fakhrudin Ar-Razi dan Sigmund Freud. Psikobuletin:Buletin Ilmiah Psikologi, 4(3), 209. https://doi.org/10.24014/pib.v4i3.23485
Ibrahim, M., Islam, S., Zohriah, O., & Azid, M. (2024). Addressing contemporary ethical and moral issues through islamic education. Journal on Islamic Studies, 1(1), 36-51. https://doi.org/10.35335/kbbzar83
Ikhwan, A. (2025). Islamic Eschatology, the Soul’s Journey, and the Ontology of Personhood. GNOSI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Theory and Praxis, 8(2), 46-54.
Jannataini, Z., Jamali, J., & Sumanta, S. (2025). Philosophical Foundation of Islamic Education in Muhammad Iqbal's Asrar-i Khudi: An Ontological, Epistemological, and Axiological Analysis. Jurnal Fuaduna: Jurnal Kajian Keagamaan dan Kemasyarakatan, 9(1), 83-99.
Khan, T. S. (2025). Human nature and divine purpose: Contrasting ontologies in Islamic and Western philosophy. Inverge Journal of Social Sciences, 4(3), 90-97.
Lestari, D., & Arumi, N. A. (2024). Factors that influence the Islamic perspective Human Development Index as evidence of the development of the Muslim community. Journal of Lslamic Economics and Bussines Ethics, 1(2), 75-93.
Mahfuzi, A., & Solehudin, M. (2025). Man as Subject of Education: Islamic and Western Philosophical Review of Freedom and Responsibility. Al-Munawwarah: Journal of Islamic Education, 1(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.38073/almunawwarah.v1i1.2509
Maidugu, U. A., & Isah, A. T. (2024). Islamic Education and its Value: A Vital Means for the Formation National Character. Bulletin of Islamic Research, 2(4), 725-744.
Mirza, R., Yanti Sitorus, T., Anjelina Sitorus, R., Tio Retta, C., Br Tarigan, N., & Rina Mirza, C. (2022). Bagaimana Gambaran Proses Regulasi Emosi Pada Anak Yatim. Psikostudia; Jurnal Psikologi, 11(4), 647–657. http://dx.doi.org/10.30872/psikostudia.v11i4
Nafi'Hasbi, M. Z., Munajat, M., & Qoyum, A. (2023). A Conceptual Framework of The Islamic Human Development Index (I-HDI) and its Relationship with Maqāṣid Al-Sharī'ah. Amwaluna: Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Keuangan Syariah, 7(2), 258-273.
Nurhidin, E. (2023). Tolerance Education and Rejuvenation of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) Learning on Independent Curriculum. Jurnal At-Tarbiyat: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.36088/islamika.v7i4.5918
Purnomo, S. (2023). Application of Developmental, Individual Differences, Relation-Based (DIR / Floortime) in Children with Developmental Disorders of the Neurological System and Brain. Psikostudia : Jurnal Psikologi, 12(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.30872/psikostudia.v12i1.9270
Putri, E. R. (2023). Krisis Identitas Agama pada Usia Remaja. Bayani, 3(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.52496/bayaniv.3i.1pp39-51
Redhatul Hayati, & Jamilus. (2023). Fase Perkembangan Manusia dalam Pendidikan Islam Ditinjau Dari Al-Qur’an dan Hadits. Cognoscere: Jurnal Komunikasi Dan Media Pendidikan, 1(2), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.61292/cognoscere.v1i2.93
Ruiz Andrés, R., & Sajir, Z. (2025). Introduction. Post-secularization and Diversity with a View to the Contemporary World and from an Interdisciplinary Dialogue. In Religious Diversity in Post-Secular Societies: Conceptual Foundations, Public Governance and Upcoming Prospects (pp. 1-13). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Sachedina, A. (2022). Islamic ethics: fundamental aspects of human conduct. Oxford University Press.
Salamuddin, A., Rahmat, M., Firmansyah, M. I., & Suresman, E. (2025). Humanistic Approach to Islamic Education Learning Management in Shaping Religious Maturity Among High School Students: An Exploratory Study. Nidhomul Haq: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 10(2), 411-429. https://doi.org/10.31538/ndhq.v10i2.191
Sari, M., & Asmendri. (2020). Peneltian Kepustakaan (Library Research). NATURAL SCIENCE; Jurnal Penelitian IPA Dan Pendidikan IPA, 6(1), 41–53.
Shaukat, M. A., Samra, U., Hassan, J., Saadi, C., & Hayat, I. (2024). Morality from classical civilizations to post-modern era: A historical account through Islamic lens. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 14(2), 321-335. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.142.19
Shehu, S. (1998). Toward an Islamic Perspective of Developmental Psychology. American Journal of Islam and Society, 15(4), 41–70. https://doi.org/10.35632/ajis.v15i4.2155
Thalgi, M. J. (2024). Altruism and Social Cohesion: An Islamic Perspective of Charitable Acts for Sustainable Development. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 14(2), 42-62. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.142.04
Tirta, T. A. W. D. (2024). Revisiting Islamic Philosophy: Ethical Insights for Education, Social Equity, and Technological Responsibility. Islamic Thought Review, 2(2), 163-177. https://doi.org/10.30983/itr.v2i2.8774
Zahid, H., & Kassim, S. B. M. (2023). A comparative analysis of human development: Exploring the Islamic perspective and non-Islamic perspective. Przestrzeń Społeczna (Social Space), 23(2), 166-197.
Zayd, N. A. (2025). Reformation of Islamic thought: A critical historical analysis. Routledge.
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal La Sociale
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
