A Comparative Analysis of the Concept of Thanksgiving from the Perspective of Islamic Scholars and Psychologists

Ebrahim Salarvand / Graduated in Qom Seminary (Level 4)     alarvand.salarvand@yahoo.com
Hossein Amiri / Teaching of Islamic Education, Ethics, Baqir al-Olum University     amirihossein61@gmail.com
Received: 2019/06/28 - Accepted: 2019/11/16
Abstract
Using a descriptive-analytical method, this paper seeks to compare the viewpoint of Muslim scholars and psychologists on the concept and the nature of thanksgiving. Regarding the importance of thanksgiving in Islam and the positive psychology, which thanksgiving is one of its basic concepts, this paper seeks to answer these questions, what is the nature of thanksgiving in Islam and positive psychology? Is there a similarity between these two schools? Is there a difference between these two views? The findings show that, thanksgiving has three differences from the viewpoint of these two schools in case of innateness, ethical act, and excitement. 1. Psychology does not care about nature, but Islam does pay particular attention to it. 2. In both views, thanksgiving is an ethical act, but they differ in their criterion of morality. 3. Most Islamic scholars (unlike many psychologists) have not explicitly used the term excitement in the definition of thanksgiving. Of course, if we divide excitement into two kinds of future-oriented excitement and immediate ones, then thanksgiving can be considered as future-oriented emotions.
Keywords: thanksgiving, gratitude, conceptualization, thanksgiving nature.