An Investigation of Psychosocial Implementation Strategies for Moral Development in the Book ‘Mi‘raj al-Sa‘adeh’ and their Comparison with the Theory of Monotheistic Personality for the Purpose of Reforming Criminals

Marashi, Sayed Ali

doi:10.22106/pr.2026.2084059.1069

An Investigation of Psychosocial Implementation Strategies for Moral Development in the Book ‘Mi‘raj al-Sa‘adeh’ and their Comparison with the Theory of Monotheistic Personality for the Purpose of Reforming Criminals

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Sayed Ali Marashi

Associate Professor department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

10.22106/pr.2026.2084059.1069

Abstract

This study aims to extract and systematize practical strategies for moral development in rehabilitation of offenders through a comparative analysis of Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah by Mullā Aḥmad Narāqī and the theory of the monotheistic personality. Employing a qualitative methodology based on comparative content analysis, the operational strategies articulated in Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah were first identified and then aligned with the principles of the monotheistic personality theory in order to propose applicable models for offender rehabilitation. The theoretical findings indicate that mental health is intrinsically linked to monotheism, whereas polytheism constitutes a primary source of psychological pathology, such that psychopathology is inseparably intertwined with the value-laden dimensions of moral disorders. Furthermore, by explicating the roles of fiṭrah (innate disposition), reason, desire, and anger in the structure of personality, the study demonstrates which the balance of these forces under the guidance of monotheistic reason provides the groundwork for moral growth, psychological well-being, and a reduction in tendencies toward criminal behavior. The monotheistic developmental trajectory reduces criminal motivation by enhancing self-control, self-esteem, the capacity for delayed gratification, and death awareness, while simultaneously diminishing materialistic competitiveness and pathological perfectionism. Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah conceptualizes vices as maladies of the soul and proposes treatments in three domains: cognitive (knowledge and reflection on harmful consequences), behavioral (acting in opposition to the vice), and spiritual (attention to God and the Hereafter). These approaches are examined in detail in the present article. By strengthening monotheism, these strategies exhibit a bidirectional association with personality integration and psychological health. The proposed methods can be formulated into coherent intervention packages and subjected to empirical evaluation within psychological research designs. Given that this study is grounded in content analysis, it requires further completion through field-based and experimental investigations, and caution is warranted when generalizing the findings to non-Muslim populations.

Keywords

: Monotheistic personality theory

mental health

Miʿrāj al-Saʿādah

moral illnesses

cognitive therapy

behavioral therapy

spiritual therap

Subjects