THE CONCEPT OF SELF-CONTROL: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN ISLAMIC CULTURE AND WESTERN THEORIES

Abstract

The focus of this research is on studying a term widely used across various disciplines such as psychology, sociology, economics, and politics: the term "self-control." This research examines the concept of self-control by analyzing its sources, foundations, and effects, and comparing these aspects between Islamic culture and Western theories. The study explores the idea of self-control from different perspectives to determine whether there is room for convergence between the Islamic and Western views or whether the differences are significant. It also seeks to understand the impact of these differences on individuals and society. The goal of this research is to outline the dimensions of this concept, highlight the importance of understanding it from an Islamic cultural perspective, and compare it with the idea as it appears in Western theories, examining its sources, foundations, and effects using a research methodology based on analysis and comparison. The research concludes with several findings, including the fact that the concept of self-control in Islamic culture is derived from Islamic principles based on the Quran and Sunnah. Islamic culture also offers a better and deeper term for the concept of self-control: "mastery of the self" (Mulk al-Nafs), a term used by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Regarding the etymology of the term "self-control," we find that its primary source in Islamic culture is revelation, while in Western theories, the concept’s origins are diverse, drawing from Greek philosophies, certain Christian concepts, and modern sources such as theories in Western psychology and sociology. This results in different effects of the conceptof self-control, with Islamic culture providing a more comprehensive, complete, and expansive understanding, free from the shortcomings observed in similar concepts within Western theories.