A Comparative Study of the Hope Construct in Islamic Psychology and Classical Psychology

The construct of hope is of a special place in psychological studies. Hope is one of the main components of positive psychology and plays an important role in many treatment protocols. Strengthening hope is effective in enhancing happiness and mental well-being of chronic patients. Although hope is of a special place in the sources of psychology, some components of the hope construct rely on the Western culture, and are not compatible with the culture of Islamic Iran. Some studies have shown that mixing the positive mental constructs with the Islamic spiritual teachings increases the effectiveness in these constructs. Therefore, this study aims to study the construct of hope in the Islamic sources, and compare it with the concept of hope in classical psychology. To achieve this purpose, the Islamic sources relating to hope and the comparative studies on hope in Islam and psychology were collected and analyzed through content analysis method, and the components of the Islamic hope were explained: the hope for the desirable, moderation, effort, trust, self-confidence, and transcendental hope.