A Conceptual Model of Personal Integrity Based on the Quran and the Narrations of Infallibles: Deriving Educational Principles

Introduction and Objectives: Personal integrity refers to aligning our beliefs, values, and ideals with our actions and behaviors. In other words, personal integrity means consistency between words and actions. Numerous narrations address dual personality and hypocrisy, as outward appearance reflects inner reality, and language indicates the inner state. These narrations imply that an individual with a dual personality, possessing two contradictory characters, is a hypocrite, as a hypocrite also has two faces. The foundation of Islam is monotheism, which leads to the unity of personality. Unity of personality means the stability of human character, avoiding duplicity and hypocrisy. An individual should be consistent in his identity, never presenting different faces, appearances, and languages. Instead, unity and integrity should govern a person’s existence, meaning they should have one face and character. Socially, the greatest problems and misfortunes are caused by such individuals, as they adapt to any group they associate with. These hypocritical individuals cause societal disruption and create dangerous and unstable conditions. However, societies with fewer duplicitous individuals and more people with unified and stable personalities enjoy higher levels of well-being. Therefore, personal unity is valuable, as it ensures that a person remains consistent in both appearance and inner beliefs and behaviors, rather than harboring incorrect beliefs internally while displaying correct behavior outwardly, or constantly changing their approach to maximize illegitimate personal gains. This study presents a conceptual model of personal integrity based on the Quran and narrations of the Infallibles.
Method: The methodological approach in this study is the deductive method. This method follows the deductive or practical syllogism approach of Frankena and its reconstructed form. In the deductive approach, the main conclusion can be derived from the combination of premises. The principle has a normative nature and thus differs from the basis, which has a descriptive nature and encompasses “is” statements. Accordingly, an educational principle is a general rule that can be used as a comprehensive guideline in educational strategies and programs. According to the deduction of principles of personal integrity in education, a practical syllogism must be formed. Here, levels and subsets of personal integrity (i.e., Qurb (closeness) to Allah) are placed as a prescriptive matter in the first premise of the syllogism. The second premise of the syllogism will be descriptive (a descriptive and realistic statement). The conclusion of the syllogism will be educational principles in a prescriptive form; therefore, the content of the premises and consequently the practical deductions are derived from the text of the Quranic verses and narrations (Baqeri, 1389SH, pp. 123-126). The educational objectives focus on the spiritual elevation of personal integrity, considered in each syllogism, especially in the first premises.
Findings: The findings are presented in two sections: First, according to the Quranic verses and narrations, personal integrity is defined as follows: “Personal integrity means the existence of balance and harmony between speech and action. Such an individual not only does the right thing but also does it with the right intention and is recognized as honest, trustworthy, and steadfast, walking the path of receiving divine blessings, i.e., closeness to Allah.” The key points of this definition are:

The ultimate goal of personal integrity is to place them and society on the path of closeness to Allah;
Personal integrity means harmony between the outward and inward aspects;
Personal integrity depends on the consistency of inner aspects (beliefs, emotions and feelings, will and desires) and outer aspects (speech and actions);
An integrated individual's behavior remains unchanged in different situations and the individual is recognized as trustworthy and honest.

In the second section, the educational principles are discussed, including honesty, integrity, virtue, consistency in behavior, adherence to beliefs and values, commitment, harmony between appearance and inner self, and alignment of speech and action. A summary of the objectives and principles is presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Educational Objectives and Principles




Principle


Intermediate Objectives




Integrity


Belief and adherence to religious values, personal connection with Allah, performing individual and communal worship, self-purification and reform, mastery over negative traits, obedience to Divine commands, making a covenant with Allah, and striving to increase certainty and faith.




Virtue




Consistency in Behavior




Honesty




Commitment




Harmony between Appearance and Inner Self




Alignment of Speech and Action




Adherence to Beliefs and Values




Discussion and Conclusion: In Islamic sources, the human being's ultimate goal is to progress on the path of closeness to Allah. This path requires the establishment of personal integrity, which means the alignment and harmony between the inner and outer dimensions. According to the deduced educational principles, creating personal integrity enables the individual to recognize, and rectify his inconsistent actions and beliefs contradicting Divine standards, and move towards closeness to Allah.  
As long as the inner aspects (beliefs, emotions and feelings, desires and will) and outer aspects (speech and actions) do not align, they cannot walk the path of truth. In Islamic sources, an integrated person is recognized as honest and straightforward, possessing a harmonious appearance and inner self, and capable of achieving integrity through his choices. Additionally, according to the Quran and narrations, an integrated individual must be faithful to commitments, and virtuous and consistent in behavior. Belief in the Afterlife and Allah makes a person realize that Allah is a witness over his actions and that it is necessary to utilize the tools of knowledge (reason) and also a reflection on the Quran to gain the right understanding, discern the right path, and strive for their growth and elevation.