Developing a Model of Self-Actualization Based on Islamic Morals and Comparing it with the Lived Experiences of Self-Actualized Artists

Sociologists have emphasized the importance of self-actualization in identity formation and modern societies’ health. Self-actualization researches in various cultures have indicated differences in the level of self-actualization in societies and emphasized the importance of a culture-based definition of self-actualization. To answer this necessity, the purpose of this study was to develop a self-actualization model based on perfection and according to Islamic morality viewpoints, and comparing it with the lived experiences of self-actualized artists. The research was conducted qualitatively. The research sample was Naraghi’s book of Jame’-al-Sa'adat on morality and six self-actualized artists. Data analysis method was thematic analysis. After coding the concepts, themes were identified, categorized and named. Findings indicate that self-actualization in Islamic morality has four scopes: "man and god", "man and self", "man and transcendence" and "man and society". The lived experiences of artists was much similar to the model, “creativity” was an additional theme to the morality model and there was an increased emphasis on the social functions of artists in the interviews. Thus, establishing a lifestyle according to Islamic morals and consolidating creativity and social approach in it, can answer to our society’s need for self-actualization to keep paradoxical demands of cultural changes and multiple roles imposed on man, in balance.