Optimism and Its Relationship with Repentance: A Comparative Study of the Qur’an and Hadiths and Positive Psychology

Abstract

Optimism is an important psychological and ethical construct that influences how individuals respond to failure, wrongdoing, the future, and the possibility of personal change. In positive psychology, optimism is generally understood in terms of positive expectations regarding future outcomes, adaptive interpretations of negative events, and the maintenance of motivation and persistence in the pursuit of goals. In the Qur’an and Hadiths, however, optimism is situated within a broader theological and moral framework and is closely associated with good opinion of God, hope in divine mercy, avoidance of despair, moral responsibility, and the possibility of repentance and self-reformation. The present study employs a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach to examine the concept of optimism and its relationship with repentance from the perspectives of the Qur’an and Hadiths and to compare these perspectives with positive psychology. The findings indicate that Islamic optimism is not merely an expectation of favorable outcomes, but a realistic and responsible orientation in which individuals acknowledge their wrongdoing and its consequences while continuing to believe in the possibility of moral change and return. Good opinion of God and hope in divine mercy can prevent despair and strengthen the motivation to repent, abandon wrongdoing, compensate for past harm, and reform future behavior. Conversely, genuine repentance can reinforce optimism by providing an experience of personal transformation, moral reconstruction, and renewed hope for the future. The comparative analysis demonstrates that both Islamic teachings and positive psychology emphasize human changeability, the motivational function of positive expectations, and the detrimental consequences of helplessness and despair. Nevertheless, Islamic optimism is broader in its foundations, objectives, and ethical requirements, as it is grounded in divine mercy, accountability, moral reform, and spiritual salvation. Accordingly, the relationship between optimism and repentance may be understood as reciprocal and mutually reinforcing: optimism facilitates repentance, while successful repentance further strengthens hope and positive expectations about the future.