Happiness (saadah) in the spiritual conception of muslim thinkers: a contribution to philosophy and islamic psychology

Abstract

The concepts of happiness disseminated in science largely focus on Western worldviews which, as well as being restricted to a particular cultural perspective, don't always include or emphasise the spiritual element. One of the hallmarks of the medieval philosophical works constructed by the Arab-Islamic civilisation was the union of spirituality with scientific thought. The aim of this study is to carry out a bibliographical survey that makes it possible to identify and compare the ideas of classical Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle with the conceptions of happiness developed by Islamic philosophers such as Al-Kindi, Al-Balkhi, Al-Farabi, Ibn-Misakwayh, Avicenna, Averroes and Al-Ghazali. The study shows that philosophers from classical antiquity constructed their conceptions of happiness based on the tangible world, relating it to the concepts of virtue, justice, wisdom and the distinctions of hedonism and eudaimonism, while in Islamic thought, the concept of happiness (saadah) is not restricted to values, virtues and subjectivity, but also to the balance between three aspects: body, mind and soul. Theories and reflections constructed by experienced Muslim scholars, including philosophers, theologians and doctors, have built up a more holistic concept of happiness that includes physical, cognitive/intellectual and emotional aspects, with a special emphasis on spiritual elements.