Meaning and Accomplishment as Components of Wellbeing: A Study of Psychological Theories in the Light of Islamic Teachings

Abstract

Meaningfulness and Accomplishment are two of the major components of life, which contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and societies. Social psychologists as well as thinkers from all generations have come up with benefits of having purpose in life and accomplishments along the way. Another tangent to these studies is the teachings of Islam, which not only focus on having a purposeful life and accomplishing the ultimate goal, but also they provide concrete and practical guidelines through which one can attain these components for the benefit of not only this worldly life but for the hereafter as well. This article analyzes these two components in the light of The Holy Qur’ān and Sunnah, and furnishes a framework for leading a purposeful, well accomplished life. The basic methodology used in this article is qualitative, and a comparison is drawn out between the Islamic and contemporary aspects of Meaning and Accomplishment, by citing examples from the life of the Prophet (SAW), his companions, and those who followed in their footsteps. The results show the undoubted supremacy of Islam in providing practical examples and implementation of both the elements of the PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) Model.