Principles of

Self
Development
ISLAM’S PERSPECTIVE ON SELF
DEVELOPMENT

NUR JANNAH KUNING

Principles of Self Development

1. Inspiration from divine guidance nurtures human development.

2. The concept of answerability and self-purification.
3. Being mindful of God and reflecting on our actions leads to
improving ourselves.
Challenge Yourself

• To create a mindmap for this series of topics.

– Online mind map software | Lucidchart
– Free Mind Map Software - Edraw (edrawsoft.com)
– MindMup
 َ‫ـــــــيم‬
ِّ ‫َِّٱلر ۡحـم ٰـ ِّن ه‬
‫َٱلر ِّح‬ ‫ـــــــــمَٱهلل ه‬
ِّ ‫بِّ ۡس‬

‫ون أ ُ همهاتِّ ُك ْمَ اَل ت ا ْعلا ُم ا‬

‫ون‬ َِّ ‫ط‬ ُ ُ‫مَمنَب‬ ِّ ‫َّللاَُأ ْخرج ُك‬
‫َو ه‬
ََۙ‫س ْمعََو ْاْلبْصارَو ْاْلَْفئِّدة‬ ‫ش ْيئ ًا وجعلَل ُك ُمَال ه‬ ‫ا‬
‫شك ُُر ا‬
‫ون‬ ْ ‫لاعالَّ ُك ْم ت ا‬ Inspiration from
divine guidance nurtures
human development.
Allah brought you forth from the wombs
of your mothers when you knew nothing;
and He gave you hearing, sight and
hearts, Be mindful of that and thank Him.
(Surat An-Nahl, Ayah 78)
Human Development

Development implies the enhancement of one's abilities and potentials. It

denotes a forward movement from one position to one with greater
achievement, opportunity, and benefit. To develop, either individually or
collectively, it is necessary to define the goals one wishes to achieve, the factors
influencing development, and the process of achieving the desired
development goals. Every human being is born with certain basic abilities. The
way these faculties develop is determined by inherent abilities, the nurturing
environment, and other external influences.
Islam on Self-Development

• Islam places a great deal of emphasis on ‘self-development’ where an

individual takes the responsibility for understanding the purpose of human
life, and for shaping that life in the best possible manner, for one’s own
benefit and the benefit of the society at large; Islam also provides
comprehensive guidance to achieve this goal.

Personal development is the conscious pursuit of self-growth

by self-discovery, self-awareness, self-help and
self-evaluation.
Growth and Change Processes

• Human development is made up of a number of growth and change

processes that occur from conception to death. The sensory inputs of the
organs have an external influence on the process of growth, while internal
experiences in the body and mind serve as its own internal drive.
• Our focus is on how sensory information and introspective mental processes
contribute to the development of the human mind. This development
comprises both learning through the senses and abstracting learning into
knowledge for eventual use.
Sources Affecting Human Progress

• Islam distinguishes two sources that can either promote or obstruct human
progress. Divine direction inspires and supports human growth. Human
progress is tainted when people ignore heavenly instruction and give in to
conspiracies that come from inside or outside of their environment.
Fundamentals of Human Growth

• Human development can be viewed from a variety of angles, including as a

fundamental human interest and as organised academic disciplines like
psychology, science, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and other related
fields. Studies on human development in the present day frequently focus on
analysis and solutions when development is hampered by temperament,
identity issues, parenting, society, chance, and other variables. Here, we'll
concentrate mostly on the fundamentals of human growth with the goal of
identifying any potential roadblocks to healthy development.
Human capacities

• Given that people's human capacities vary, what should be done to ensure
that they all develop into the best possible capabilities for achieving the
desired goals?

While there are many factors that are important for human
development, the most important factors to consider are
self-awareness, being mindful of doing the right thing, and
avoiding acting on impulses.
1. Identification Process

• How do these considerations come into play? Through the identification

process, sometimes known as "constructing an identity" (i.e. finding
principles that help develop the best possible human potential, and role
models that enliven those principles). It might be seen as a process of
anchoring that gives us a sense of belonging to something unique and
worthwhile. It may frequently be simpler to look at a positive role model and
then simply emulate that individual rather than merely and carelessly
embracing the activities we find around us.
2. Role Models

• Finding appropriate role models in our modern society, however, may be

challenging and at times perplexing, especially if these so-called role models
are undergoing their own life changes and the effects of adopting their way
of life may not become apparent until much later. Furthermore, even the best
role model might not be able to represent all aspects of life. Even if such
were the case, the role model's values might not be immediately apparent.
Only via repeated observations and experiments can principles be deduced.
Here, history is helpful.
3. Identification = Change
• We can examine a number of historical role models and the lessons learned
from the development of civilizations. Returning to identification, the single
most crucial element in human growth, we must choose some carefully to
identify with some undeniable source of guidance, the unquestionable
principles for human development. Most people will acknowledge God as
the unfailing source of wisdom, the revelation of the good and bad of human
civilisation that God sent to us, and the Prophets who served as examples of
how to maximise human potential. Therefore, being aware of God helps one
identify what is optimal for realising one's potential. This avoids alienation.
4. Link Between Existing and New Knowledge

• In both wealth and hardship, one can find comfort in the presence of God,
literally speak with him, maintain a harmonious balance in their personalities,
refrain from harming themselves or others by excesses, and protect
themselves from stress. Being honest and upright as well as aiming for both
individual and group well-being are other crucial traits that may emerge from
this identification process. The pursuit of existing knowledge and
involvement in the creation of new knowledge from that which already exists
are crucial prerequisites for achieving these aims.
Personal Development Areas

• What are the areas? • Individual

• What goes in each area? • Family
• Society