Jurnal Kajian Islam Interdisipliner
Vol. 11 No. 1 Juni (2026)

Model of Optimism–Tawakkal Integrative Self-Confidence: a Synthesis of Seligman’s Positive Psychology and Al-Ghazali’s Tawakkal

Busthanul Arifin (Mercu Buana University of Yogyakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
05 Jun 2026

Abstract

Self-confidence has become a critical psychological construct in the lives of modern individuals, where pressure from social media, intense competition, and economic uncertainty often diminish self-belief, leading to escalating cases of anxiety and depression among young people. While prior research has examined self-confidence either from general Islamic perspectives or from specific Western frameworks, a substantial gap remains regarding in-depth comparative analysis and a holistic integrative model that synthesizes Martin Seligman’s positive psychology (particularly his theory of learned optimism and the PERMA framework) with Imam Al-Ghazali’s Islamic spiritual paradigm of tawakkal as articulated in Ihya’ Ulumuddin. This study aims to compare the similarities and differences between the two conceptions of self-confidence, integrate them into a Model of Optimism–Tawakkal Integrative Self-Confidence (MOTIK), and elaborate its theoretical, practical, and methodological implications for Islamic psychology. The study employs descriptive–interpretative qualitative library research through an in-depth review of primary works, including Seligman’s Learned Optimism (1991), Authentic Happiness (2002), and Flourish (2011), alongside Al-Ghazali’s Ihya’ Ulumuddin and Minhaj al-‘Abidin, complemented by relevant secondary scholarly sources. The findings indicate convergence in the centrality of cognitive optimism, the learnable nature of confidence, and the role of internal–external factors, but reveal a fundamental divergence in Al-Ghazali’s transcendent–spiritual dimension, which complements Seligman’s empirical–secular approach. The integration yields MOTIK, a holistic framework comprising three pillars: a positive–spiritual self-concept, an ikhtiar–tawakkal process, and a flourishing–ridha outcome. Implications include the enrichment of Islamic psychology theory, the development of CBT–tawakkal-based counseling interventions, and recommendations for empirical validation through psychometric construction and quasi-experimental testing.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jkii

Publisher

Subject

Religion Arts Humanities Social Sciences

Description

Jurnal Kajian Islam Interdisipliner welcomes original research for manuscripts with various theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. It invites researchers and scholars of all backgrounds related to Islamic studies to contribute their research covering all aspects of Islam and the ...