Religion and Life
Mohammad Rostami; Soheila Rostami; Wrya Hafidi; Pardis Rostami
Abstract
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: A significant body of research has consistently supported the effectiveness of spirituality-based interventions in influencing a range of psychological variables. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Iʿtikāf intervention on happiness and resilience in ...
Read More
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: A significant body of research has consistently supported the effectiveness of spirituality-based interventions in influencing a range of psychological variables. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Iʿtikāf intervention on happiness and resilience in a group of adults.METHOD & FINDING: This quasi-experimental study adopted a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up. The research sample consisted of 60 adult men and women, aged 18 to 60, from Sanandaj, Iran, in 2024. The participants were selected through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group (30 individuals per group). The participants in the intervention group attended a 10-night spiritual Iʿtikāf ceremony held in mosques. They completed the items in the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ-SF) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) at three pre-test, post-test, and follow-up phases. Results from the repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that the spiritual Iʿtikāf intervention significantly increased the participants' levels of happiness and resilience in the post-intervention phase, and these improvements were retained at the follow-up stage.CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous studies that have addressed the mental health benefits of spiritual interventions, the present study introduced Iʿtikāf as a spiritual intervention and a therapeutic option for enhancing the psychological well-being, specifically the happiness and resilience of adults.
Human Rights and World Peace
Hamid Moridian; Hamzeh-Ali Islaminasab; Sayed Mohammad Tabatabaei; Mohammed Benlamkaddem
Abstract
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: Contemporary emerging spirituality is derived from spirituality in postmodern conditions, moving beyond the era of modernity toward a form of spirituality without religion. Thus, the formation of contemporary emergent spirituality arises in response to the spiritual deficiencies ...
Read More
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: Contemporary emerging spirituality is derived from spirituality in postmodern conditions, moving beyond the era of modernity toward a form of spirituality without religion. Thus, the formation of contemporary emergent spirituality arises in response to the spiritual deficiencies of modernity, characterized by a pursuit of tranquility, accommodation to existing circumstances, and a stance of moral and political disengagement. This study aims to examine the critiques leveled against the elements of humanistic spirituality in newly emerging spiritual movements situated within the postmodern framework.METHOD & FINDING: Using qualitative content analysis, the components of humanistic spirituality in emerging spirituality-based movements within the postmodern context were extracted and subsequently subjected to critical analysis and review. The findings of the study indicate that one of the defining characteristics of this movement is humanism, according to which the human being is regarded as the measure of all things and the axis of the universe, standing in contrast to the various forms of theocentric religious thoughts. CONCLUSION: Prioritizing humanity and its desires over the primacy of God and His absolute will is a central consequence of humanistic spirituality, resulting in tendencies toward empiricism, pluralism, the pursuit of liberty, and individualism. Spiritual modernism is centered on a re-presentation of the sacred in a different form, and the stress on religious experientialism is rooted in an inadequate or flawed understanding of God, the cosmos, and the human being. With the introduction of religious experience, the legitimacy of every religion and denomination becomes dependent on the personal experience of each individual, making religiosity a relative matter and replacing religious realism with religious relativism.
The Meaning of Life
Mohammad Jawad Yaqubi; Ahmad Shakernejad; Mohammad RezaPoor
Abstract
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The analysis of the nature, characteristics, and differences of modern spiritualism with religious spirituality can be considered as one of the most important challenges and problems that have faced spirituality and mysticism. Today, the confrontation between modern spirituality ...
Read More
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The analysis of the nature, characteristics, and differences of modern spiritualism with religious spirituality can be considered as one of the most important challenges and problems that have faced spirituality and mysticism. Today, the confrontation between modern spirituality and religious spirituality has become very colourful, such that modern spirituality seeks to discredit and contradict religious spirituality. Therefore, they mainly seek to present non-religious spirituality based on the inefficiency of religious spirituality. From the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khāmeneī, religious spirituality is a ‘Revolutionary’ spirituality, which is equivalent to Jihadi spirituality, characterized by civilization, justice, revolution, epic, liberation from domination, martyrdom, and progressivism, as evident in his statements.METHOD & FINDING: Using the analytical-descriptive method, the findings of the research indicate that the practical functions of Islamic spirituality based on the thought of the Supreme Leader combining the triad ‘spirituality, rationality, justice’ in the individual and family arena (lifestyle) are: prosperity and happiness, scientific growth, security, comfort and well-being, hope, independence and freedom, honour and dignity, Justice, financial well-being, heart luminosity which lead towards ‘good life.’CONCLUSION: In the Islamic spirituality of Ayatollah Khāmeneī, the unity of materiality and spirituality is very prominent. In his careful inference, the way to achieve spirituality in the personal and family spheres is crucial, encompassing both worldly and material life, while it is considered the main pillar of leading a pure, Quranic life.
Religion and Life
David Kibirango; Dr. Syed Hossein Sajid
Abstract
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The enhancement and progress of Uganda's higher education system necessitate a foundational integration of religion and spirituality, the vital components that uphold the interests and dignity of Ugandan citizens. This research aims to scrutinize the profound effects of a religious ...
Read More
SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The enhancement and progress of Uganda's higher education system necessitate a foundational integration of religion and spirituality, the vital components that uphold the interests and dignity of Ugandan citizens. This research aims to scrutinize the profound effects of a religious and spiritual-based higher education system on both individuals and the broader societal framework. METHOD & FINDING: Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study conducts a comprehensive investigation into Uganda's higher education system through case studies and document analysis. Additionally, it explores the multifaceted dimensions of religion and spirituality within this context. The findings indicate a positive correlation between implementing a holistic religious and spiritual lifestyle and its constructive impact on the personal and communal aspects of Ugandan citizens' lives within the higher education sphere. CONCLUSION: Uganda's higher education system faces challenges that significantly impact individual and societal prosperity, leading to widespread criticisms and skepticism. Consequently, it has garnered low scores both locally and internationally. The cultivation of a lifestyle guided by religious and spiritual principles such as freedom, dignity, equality, and justice demonstrates a beneficial influence on the lives of Ugandans. Therefore, integrating religion and spirituality within higher education is a potential avenue to positively transform individual trajectories and societal paradigms, fostering the emergence of independent, esteemed, and morally grounded Ugandan citizens.
Religion and Life
Raouf Musayev (Azerbaijan); Dr. Ahmad Hossein Sharifi (Iran)
Abstract
The article discusses the role of gnosis and spirituality in human life. It is also pointed out that there are many and varied perceptions, but it is emphasized that not all of them are gnosis. It has been emphasized that gnosis, in fact, consists of the witness and inner perception of God, His Names, ...
Read More
The article discusses the role of gnosis and spirituality in human life. It is also pointed out that there are many and varied perceptions, but it is emphasized that not all of them are gnosis. It has been emphasized that gnosis, in fact, consists of the witness and inner perception of God, His Names, Attributes and Actions. This article examines the role of such true knowledge in human life.
