The Muslim Self: Religious and Psychological Implications of Testification and Self-Development in Malaysia

Abstract

The Integrative Islamic Personality Inventory (IIPI) is a newly developed measure evaluating Muslim ideal of testification and self-development with four factors: belief in God, awareness of prophetic teaching, self-striving, and self-regard. In a Malaysian Muslim student sample (n = 254), the four-factor structure of IIPI received psychometric support. Belief in God revealed direct associations with religious and spiritual adjustment, but awareness of prophetic teaching displayed some ambiguous implications. Self-striving only displayed linkages with religious functioning. Self-regard was the most consistent variable to exhibit positive linkages with both religious (higher Amanah and Muslim spirituality) and psychological functioning (higher life satisfaction and lower depression and anxiety). These findings supported the importance of submission and self domains in Muslim religious/spiritual functioning and psychological adjustment, while implicating that awareness of prophetic teaching factor needs reevaluation due to construct validity issues.