his study aims to compare the two key concepts of "transcendent development" in Islamic sources and "posttraumatic growth" (PTG) in positive psychology, focusing on the "nature of development" as the central point of distinction. Using a mixed-method approach (qualitative-quantitative) and employing three methods—linguistic semantics, the ijtihad-based paradigm of religious knowledge (PAD), and the Delphi method—the study extracted the components and stages of transcendent development from Islamic sources and compared it with PTG across three dimensions: the "nature of development," "influential factors," and "the ultimate goal of growth." To validate the findings, the Content Validity Index (CVI) was used with the participation of 11 experts in Islamic sciences and psychology.



Transcendent development encompasses seven conceptual components (process-oriented, stability, simplicity, developmental and bidirectional, qualitative and infinite, voluntary and purposeful, and humanistic) and four basic stages (faithfulness, existential commitment, construction of aligned identities, and positioning within the unified social system). The comparison of the two concepts revealed that, within the framework of positive psychology, "growth" is a "reaction" to crisis; whereas, within the Islamic theological framework, "growth" is a voluntary "initiative and journey" toward perfection. The CVI index for the model was calculated as 0.91.



The relationship between "transcendent development" and "posttraumatic growth" is characterized by a paradigmatic difference in the "nature of development" (reactive vs. voluntary), "influential factors" (crisis vs. purpose), and "the ultimate goal of growth" (adaptation vs. divine proximity). By presenting a three-dimensional analysis of the fundamental distinctions between these two concepts, this article provides a foundation for future research in the fields of religious and positive psychology.