Moral Scale

Abstract

The Akhlāq Scale (Nabi et al., 2024) is a specialized psychological instrument developed to assess a comprehensive set of moral values that are central to Islamic teachings. The scale construction was grounded in an extensive review of authoritative Islamic literature, including the Quran and Hadiths, to ensure conceptual fidelity and relevance. The final instrument comprises 14 items distributed across four dimensions of Akhlāq (Islamic ethics). Validation of the measure was conducted using a sample of Muslim adults drawn from various regions of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Comprehensive psychometric properties, including factor analysis, reliability, and validity analyses, were established to confirm the scale’s robustness for measuring this critical religious construct.

Keywords

Akhlāq, Moral Values, Islamic Teachings, Religious Practices, Values, Psychometric properties, Muslim Adults, India, Religion and Spirituality Measures.

Authors

Nabi, Urfath, Fayaz, Ishrat, Kamal, Siti Soraya Lin Abdullah, Shah, Shawkat Ahmad.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Akhlāq Scale is to provide a reliable and valid measure of the core moral guidelines and ethical teachings that shape the behavior of Muslims. The scale aims to quantify an individual’s adherence to the principles of Akhlāq, which dictate virtuous conduct across different domains of life.

The instrument specifically measures moral behaviors directed toward three distinct entities: Allah (God), oneself, and others. By operationalizing these guidelines, the scale serves as a valuable research tool for understanding the psychological and behavioral manifestations of Islamic morality within contemporary populations.

Construct

The psychological construct measured by the scale is Islamic Religious Practices, specifically focused on the concept of Akhlāq (Islamic ethics). Akhlāq is understood here as the comprehensive system of moral codes derived from the foundational texts of Islam, dictating how a Muslim should conduct themselves in all spheres of existence.

The construct is broken down into four distinct, yet interrelated, dimensions, ensuring a holistic assessment of ethical behavior rooted in Islamic tradition: Akhlāq toward Allah, Akhlāq toward oneself, Akhlāq toward others – caring, and Akhlāq toward others – interactions. The scale thus assesses both personal piety and social responsibility as dictated by religious doctrine.

Validity

The validity of the Akhlāq Scale was thoroughly assessed using advanced statistical methods, providing strong evidence for both its convergent and discriminant properties.

Discriminant Validity: The results strongly supported the measure’s ability to differentiate between its distinct factors. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) demonstrated that the proposed four-factor model exhibited superior model fit compared to alternative factor structures, confirming that the dimensions of Akhlāq are empirically separate constructs.

Convergent Validity: The four-factor structure was deemed highly acceptable based on several key model fit indices (AGFI = 0.923, CFI = 0.935, TLI = 0.916, RMR = 0.041, and RMSEA = 0.049). Crucially, all 14 retained indicators showed statistically significant factor loadings (p > 0.001) onto their hypothesized dimensions, thereby confirming strong convergent validity—the degree to which items measuring the same construct are related.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the Akhlāq Scale was evaluated using composite reliability measures across the four subscales.

The composite reliability values obtained ranged from 0.56 to 0.72. While this range indicates varying levels of internal consistency across the subscales, the values generally suggest acceptable to moderate reliability for a measure assessing complex, religiously framed behavioral traits. Further research may explore consistency across different populations.

Factor Analysis

The development of the Akhlāq Scale relied heavily on both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to refine the item pool and determine the optimal dimensionality.

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA): The initial EFA utilized principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Factors were retained if their eigenvalue was greater than 1, and only items with a factor loading above 0.4 were considered. This EFA initially extracted a five-factor solution, which accounted for 56.3% of the total variance, diverging from the researchers’ initial conceptualization of three core factors.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): The measurement model was rigorously tested using CFA, starting with 18 items. Through iterative statistical refinement, the final 14-item, four-dimension model was established. Four items were systematically removed due to poor statistical performance: two items belonging to the initial fifth factor were removed due to low estimates, and two other items were excluded due to low factor loadings. The final four-factor model exhibited an acceptable fit, confirming the scale’s robust underlying structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Inventory/Questionnaire (14 items)

Language Available: Published items are in English. The scale was administered in India, suggesting potential use or translation into regional languages.

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older)

Population Details: Respondents were Muslim Adults sampled specifically from various regions within Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Test Methodology: The scale development utilized a comprehensive suite of psychometric techniques, including Test Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

Keywords

Muslims, Akhlāq, Islamic Ethics, Factor Analysis, Jammu and Kashmir, Psychometric properties, Moral Behavior, Allah, Hadith, Quran.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Urfath Nabi: ORCID

Affiliation Email addresses: Urfath Nabi: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Urfath Nabi, University of Kashmir, Department of Psychology, Hazratbal, JK, Srinagar, India, 190006, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Test Year associated with the research and validation of the scale is 2024. The publication year of the formal article is 2025. Information regarding specific permissions, usage fees, or licensing requirements for the scale is not provided in the source documentation. Interested researchers must contact the corresponding author, Urfath Nabi, for access and usage guidelines.

Reference’s

Nabi, U., Fayaz, I., Kamal, S. S. L. A., & Shah, S. A. (2025). Akhlāq Scale: Development and estimation of psychometric properties. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 17(1), 1–9. DOI: 10.1037/rel0000512.

Items of the Akhlāq Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• Akhlāq toward Allah (References: Al-Qur’an, 112:1-2; Al-Qur’an, 2:43; Al-Qur’an, 24:58)
  1. I perform voluntary or optional practises such as Dhuha prayer/ Tahajjud prayer
  2. I read the Noble Quran every day
  3. I practice chanting “SubhanAllah,” “Alhamdulillah,” and “Allahu Akbar” every day in salah.
  4. I remember Allah every now and then
• Akhlāq toward oneself (References: Muslim: 432; Sahih Bukhari: Vol. 3, 196)
  5. I use the knowledge gained to improve myself.
  6. I take care of my personal hygiene.
  7. I eat food that has no doubt/Halal.
• Akhlāq toward others – caring (References: Al-Quran, 5:2; Al-Quran, 4:36; Al-Quran, 20:44)
  8. I use my ability to help others
  9. I pray for the good of others
  10. I advise my friends who make mistakes
  11. I choose good and appropriate words when talking with others
• Akhlāq toward others – interaction (References: Al-Quran, 2:272; Al-Quran, 3:104)
  12. I share what I’ve learned with others
  13. I invite others to do good deeds
  14. I love to attend religious talks in mosques and other places