A process model of couples’ attachment based on Islamic sources: A qualitative study

Document Type : Scientific-research article

Authors

1 PhD student of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute, Qom, Iran

2 Faculty Member of Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute (RA)

3 Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute, Qom, Iran

4 Psychology Department, Al-Mustafa Al-Alamiyah Society, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Attachment, a foundational construct in psychology, plays a critical role in marital relationship quality. This study developed a process-oriented model of couples' attachment grounded in Islamic sources. Employing an ejtehād-based approach combined with qualitative content analysis, Qur’anic verses and Prophetic narrations on marital relations were coded and analyzed. Analysis produced 244 initial codes, 53 subcategories, 17 categories, and five overarching themes. Content validity indices confirmed the conceptual coherence and theoretical adequacy of the final model. Findings indicate Couples' attachment in Islamic teachings is organized around two innate systems: Mawaddah and Rahmah. Their dynamic interplay yields Sakan (secure base) and Ma’wā (safe haven), underpinning four dimensions (cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual) and facilitating marital well-being. Preconditions such as faith and ethics, physical and emotional attraction, informed mate choice, and kafā’ah (compatibility) support development of a God-centered secure attachment. Termed the Wedād Attachment Model, this culturally grounded and spiritually enriched framework advances understanding of couples' attachment in Islamic contexts and provides a theoretical basis for designing culturally congruent clinical interventions in couple therapy.

Keywords

Journal of Islamic Psychology
Volume 11, Issue 23
March 2026
Pages 3-29

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics