Spiritual Growth in Islamic Psychology Research

Islamic spirituality along with effects such as connection with God, heeding the world hereafter, loving the good, communicating with God through prayers, and leaving affairs to His discretion leads to spiritual growth while non-divine spirituality does not follow spiritual growth, its main concern being peace and joy in this world. In addition to positive spiritual attitudes and emotions, Islamic spirituality emphasizes the positive religious manners such as prayer, observance of privacy of the non-intimate, and attention to responsibilities. These rituals and moral considerations have a decisive role in spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth in Islamic psychology is a given. Based on the premises of Islamic psychology, spiritual growth and approach to God are more important than tranquility and joy, and indeed the goal of life for the Muslim community is the same as spiritual growth (1). Among the effects of spiritual growth, psychological well-being, tranquility, joy, and performance improvement can be pointed out. For example, in case of suffering and hardship, a believer gives them a spiritual dimension, conceiving suffering and tribulations as an opportunity to approach God (2). Therefore, religious spirituality not only leads to spiritual growth through strengthening spiritual attitudes and emotions but also enhances the psychological well-being and compatibility.
Nowadays psychological works of spirituality and religiosity have been taken into consideration in a good number of articles. These works include promoting positive attitudes and emotions, flexibility and compatibility, as well as grief and anxiety reduction. It is suggested that future lines of research address the spiritual and religious functions of spirituality and religiosity as well. For instance, what is the effect of raising students’ awareness about the blessings of Paradise on their night prayers and the daily recitation of the Qur'an? What is the effect of reminding death on respecting chastity and privacy in dealing with non-intimates in the university campus? In every sort of science, there must be congruence among the fundamentals, purpose, subject, issues, and the methods of that science. The main objective in Islamic psychology is spiritual growth. Given that, all aspects of this science should be designed accordingly. If part of Islamic psychology seeks to cure psychological injuries, this goal is toward spiritual growth and approaching God. This is because physical-mental harm also causes problems for reaching God and attempts for God, and eliminating such problems will facilitate spiritual growth. It is hoped that this is taken into account in the scientific research so that, considering the spiritual and religious functions of Islamic teachings, the real spiritual growth of individuals is facilitated.