Religions and Mysticism

Religions and Mysticism

An Analysis of Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali’s Teachings in Ihya’ Ulum al-Din and Kimiyā ye Sa’ādat based on Seligman’s Positive Psychology

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Zeinab Rezapour 1
Mahnaz Mehrabizadeh Honarmand, 2
Maryam Kereydizadeh, 3
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian literature and language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
3 MA, Department of Persian literature and language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
10.22059/jrm.2026.411055.630727
Abstract
Positive psychology, by shifting away from a pathology-oriented approach, emphasises the identification and cultivation of human strengths and the promotion of happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. In the works of Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali, particularly Ihya’ Ulum al-Din and Kimiya-yi Sa’adat, a coherent framework is presented for the purging of vices, the cultivation of virtues, and the elucidation of the nature of happiness, joy, and pleasure; a framework that, in addition to mitigating human suffering, facilitates the formation of positive emotions and feelings. Utilising a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative approach, this research examines several fundamental components of positive psychology within Ihya’ Ulum al-Din and Kimiya-yi Sa’adat.
The research findings indicate that Ghazali and Seligman, both influenced by Aristotelian thought, share significant commonalities in discussions such as the levels of pleasure, sustainable happiness, hope, optimism, and virtues; however, they differ in that Ghazali places a particular emphasis on religious and mystical virtues.
The article concludes that while positive psychology attributes authenticity to the human being and worldly pleasures, in Ghazali’s teachings, attention to religious doctrines, the afterlife, and Divine pleasure illuminates various dimensions of human life. These elements act as a powerful and effective force in organising and elevating emotions, as well as in motivating or deterring individuals from acquiring virtues and avoiding vices.
Keywords
Muhammad al-Ghazali
Seligman
happiness
optimism
virtue
Subjects
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Religions and Mysticism
Volume 59, Issue 1
(Spring & Summer 2026)
September 2026
Pages 141-162