The Islamic Educational Psychology: Self-Efficacy through Tawakkul in Al-Ghazali's Thought

Abstract

This study aims to examine the concept of tawakkul in Al-Ghazali’s thought and analyse its implications for self-efficacy from the perspective of Islamic educational psychology. The study is significant because it seeks to enrich the discourse of Islamic educational psychology by integrating Al-Ghazali’s spiritual concept of tawakkul with the modern psychological construct of self-efficacy. In this study, tawakkul constitutes the primary concept under investigation, while self-efficacy serves as a contemporary psychological framework for discussing and contextualizing its psychological implications. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach through library research. The primary sources consist of Al-Ghazali’s major works concerning tawakkul, while the secondary sources include contemporary literature on self-efficacy, particularly Albert Bandura’s theory, and relevant studies in Islamic Educational psychology. The data were analysed using descriptive and conceptual analysis. The findings indicate that tawakkul in Al-Ghazali’s thought is not a form of passive resignation but a spiritual disposition that encourages individuals to make appropriate human effort while entrusting the ultimate outcome to Allah. In relation to self-efficacy, tawakkul has conceptual implications for understanding confidence, perseverance, optimism, emotional stability, and resilience. While self-efficacy emphasizes an individual’s belief in their capacity to perform actions and achieve desired goals, tawakkul provides a spiritual foundation that directs such confidence toward reliance on Allah. Thus, tawakkul complements self-efficacy by adding a spiritual dimension to psychological competence. The integration of these concepts offers a holistic framework for understanding Muslim personality development and provides a spiritually grounded perspective on psychological well-being and personal development.