Islamic perspectives on wellbeing

Abstract

The present chapter looks at the Islamic understanding of wellbeing, the good life for the one living it, as reflected in the Quran and the themes commonly recognized in modernMuslim scholarship. The chapter discusses historical and contemporary Islamic interpretations of wellbeing, revealing only slight differences. It also explains how Islam advises one should live in order to achieve wellbeing. Finally, Islamic conceptions of wellbeing are compared to Western ones, revealing that, despite starting out with a similar religious focus, Western views of wellbeing have become much more centered on subjective happiness than Islamic conceptions.