Lifestyle as an Indicator for assessing the Level of Faith

"Lifestyle" is a rather new scientific term which is defined differently by different approaches. The best and most comprehensive approach seems to be the theology-based approach. According to this approach, lifestyle is a set of organized behavior which has become a distinctive feature of an individual or a group's behavior influenced by accepted beliefs and values and is appropriate to individual desires and social conditions. Lifestyle has an explanatory and symbolic aspect. The outward aspect constitutes the inner identity and hidden aspects of the individual and collective identity. Accordingly, lifestyle can be used as an indicator for assessing the quality of individuals and societie's faith. Quranic verses and Infallible Imam's traditions confirm this fact. Lack of harmony between individual's faith and their lifestyle, in spite of unity of beliefs and values, or the difference between lifestyles, in spite of the unity of beliefs and values, has different causes. Among these factors are gradation of faith, variety of instincts and desires and their influence on the way of selecting the individuals, the effect of social and environmental conditions or lack of social institutions which are compatible with beliefs and values on lifestyle.