Islamic mindfulness as cultural mindfulness: a conceptual framework for decision-making and well-being.
Muhammad Salman Ahmad
Frontiers in Psychology February 11, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1715750 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Decision-making Workplace well-being Mindful consumption Islamic mindfulness |
| Key points | Argues that Islamic mindfulness practices (Muraqabah, Dhikr, Salah) may foster self-regulation, intentionality, and ethical attentional orientations, including reduced materialism, which the authors theorize supports more deliberate consumption and professional resilience, focus, and ethical decision-making. Proposes a Culturally Embedded Mindfulness Model (CEMM) framing mindfulness as culturally embedded rather than universal, and calls for empirical validation. |
Abstract
Objectives: This conceptual study examines how Islamic mindfulness practices (Muraqabah, Dhikr, Salah) influence psychological processes that extend beyond spiritual benefits, shaping decision-making and well-being in both personal and professional domains.
Methods: Employing a conceptual analysis methodology, this research synthesizes interdisciplinary literature from Islamic studies, psychology, consumer behavior, and organizational management to theoretically explicate the psychological mechanisms of these practices.
Results: The analysis suggests that these practices may cultivate heightened self-regulation, intentionality (Niyyah), and ethical attentional orientations, including tendencies toward reduced materialism. This psychological profile is theorized to be associated with more deliberate and ethically oriented consumption tendencies and with orientations supporting professional resilience, focus, and ethical decision-making.
Conclusion: This paper theorizes that Islamic mindfulness may provide a framework for understanding culturally embedded forms of mindfulness. While explicitly conceptual and exploratory in nature, it highlights directions for empirical validation and introduces a Culturally Embedded Mindfulness Model (CEMM) that contributes to ongoing debates in mindfulness science regarding universality versus cultural specificity.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- The dynamics of spirituality: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality March 12, 2018
- Effect of Mindfulness Dhikr Breathing Therapy for Insomniacs on Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial Islamic Guidance and Counseling Journal June 26, 2023
- Defining Mindfulness: A Review of Existing Definitions and Suggested Refinements Mindfulness 2025
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving health, quality of life and social functioning in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis 2017
and 2 more in the library