Religiosity of Islam Scale (RIS)

1. Abstract

The Religiosity of Islam Scale (RIS) is a specialized psychometric assessment developed by Abdul-Latif Jana-Masri and Paul E. Priester in 2007. Constructed in response to the historical deficit of culturally congruent and theologically grounded measures of religiosity among Muslim populations, the RIS draws its theoretical and foundational architecture directly from the primary sources of Islamic doctrine, particularly the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The scale distinguishes between two interrelated yet psychometrically distinct dimensions: Islamic Beliefs (cognitive and doctrinal adherence) and Islamic Behavioral Practices (manifest religious and ritual actions). The initial validation demonstrated a two-factor structure accounting for meaningful variance in Islamic spiritual life, capturing elements such as theological creed (e.g., belief in Jinn, angels, and the finality of the Qur’an) and overt behavioral mandates (such as daily prayers, payment of Zakah, ablution, and modest social behaviors). Psychometric testing across Muslim samples in North America has evidenced solid reliability coefficients, with the Islamic Behavioral Practices subscale demonstrating robust internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of .81) and the Islamic Beliefs subscale demonstrating adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of .66). The tool utilizes dual response metrics tailored to the nature of the questions: behavioral items are gauged on a 5-point frequency format ranging from 1 (Always) to 5 (Never), whereas theological beliefs are evaluated across a 7-point Likert agreement scale ranging from 1 (Strongly agree) to 7 (Strongly disagree). By overcoming the methodological pitfalls of retrofitting Judeo-Christian religiosity scales to Islamic populations, the RIS offers clinicians, sociologists, and cross-cultural psychologists a valid, authentic, and clinically relevant tool to evaluate Islamic religiosity, examine acculturation dynamics, and explore the psychological correlates of religious adherence among diverse Muslim communities worldwide.

2. Keywords

Religiosity of Islam Scale, Islamic religiosity, Muslim mental health, psychometrics, Islamic beliefs, Islamic practices, psychology of religion, cross-cultural psychology, spiritual assessment, Jana-Masri

3. Authors

The Religiosity of Islam Scale (RIS) was conceptualized, developed, and empirically validated by:

• Abdul-Latif Jana-Masri, Ph.D.: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Jana-Masri specializes in multicultural counseling, Islamic psychology, and the development of theologically tailored psychological assessments for ethnic and religious minority populations.
• Paul E. Priester, Ph.D.: Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training in Counseling Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (subsequently affiliated with North Park University). Dr. Priester’s scholarship encompasses counseling psychology, psychometrics, multicultural competence, and the empirical measurement of religious and spiritual coping mechanisms across marginalized populations.

Corresponding communications regarding the initial scale validation were historically addressed to Dr. Paul E. Priester via the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

4. Purpose

For decades, empirical studies within the psychology of religion relied almost exclusively on instruments calibrated for Judeo-Christian paradigms, such as Gordon Allport’s Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale or measures assessing church attendance and conventional monotheistic attitudes. When applied to Islamic populations, these tools frequently demonstrated substantial conceptual and methodological limitations. They failed to capture the holistic framework of Islam, wherein theological doctrine (Aqidah) and daily behavioral jurisprudence (Sharia and practical obligations) are inextricably linked. The overarching purpose of the Religiosity of Islam Scale (RIS) was to provide a rigorous, authentic, and culturally congruent psychometric assessment grounded explicitly in the sacred text of the Qur’an, rather than a modified version of an instrument designed for Christian traditions.

The RIS was designed to serve critical objectives across both empirical research and clinical practice. In empirical contexts, the scale provides researchers with a standardized tool to quantify individual differences in religious adherence among Muslims living in Muslim-majority nations as well as in Western diaspora communities. Research on religious minorities often confronts confounding variables involving ethnic origin, generational migration status, and acculturation stress. By utilizing a measure that directly quantifies adherence to foundational Islamic beliefs and behavioral practices, social scientists can disentangle general ethnic or cultural identification from specific theological religiosity. This distinction is critical when investigating public health trends, interpersonal relationship dynamics, academic performance, sexual health attitudes, and intergenerational family conflicts.

In clinical and counseling settings, the RIS serves as a vital diagnostic and intake tool. Culturally competent psychological care requires clinicians to understand the worldview of their clients. For many practicing Muslims, religious beliefs dictate cognitive appraisals of suffering, coping styles, psychological distress, and family hierarchies. Administering the RIS enables mental health practitioners to gauge whether a client operates primarily from a traditional scriptural worldview, allowing them to tailor cognitive-behavioral interventions or narrative therapies in ways that do not conflict with the client’s core tenets. Moreover, it allows clinicians to identify discrepancies between cognitive belief and behavioral execution, which often manifest clinically as moral distress, scrupulosity, guilt, or spiritual anxiety.

5. Psychological Construct

The psychological construct evaluated by the Religiosity of Islam Scale is multidimensional Islamic religiosity, operationalized through two distinct psychological and theological domains: Islamic Beliefs and Islamic Behavioral Practices. In Islamic theology, faith is traditionally characterized through a dual paradigm comprising inward cognitive assent (Iman) and outward bodily submission and action (Amal). The RIS formalizes this classical distinction into psychometric constructs suitable for quantitative analysis.

Islamic Beliefs (Cognitive-Doctrinal Dimension)

The Islamic Beliefs subscale evaluates the cognitive endorsement of orthodox theological doctrines explicitly affirmed in the Qur’an. Rather than focusing on abstract metaphysical sentiment, the items assess adherence to fundamental tenets of the Islamic creed (Aqidah). This includes affirming the finality and infallibility of divine revelation (e.g., believing that Islam is the final and complete religion, and that the Qur’an is the uncorrupted, final word of God), acknowledging the metaphysical reality of unseen entities (e.g., the creation of angels from light to worship and obey God, and the existence of Jinn), and recognizing established legal principles and obligations (such as the obligation of performing the Hajj pilgrimage once in a lifetime, the religious duty of seeking knowledge, and traditional matrimonial rules). In psychometric terms, this dimension measures the cognitive internalization of orthodox religious dogma, representing an individual’s ideological alignment with canonical Islam.

Islamic Behavioral Practices (Ritualistic-Behavioral Dimension)

The Islamic Behavioral Practices subscale measures the behavioral manifestation of faith in everyday life. In Islamic praxis, belief without action is deemed incomplete. This construct encompasses mandatory ritual duties (Arkan al-Islam) alongside behavioral prohibitions and cultural-religious lifestyle expressions. Specific behavioral manifestations include ritual purity and worship (e.g., performing ablution or wudu prior to prayer, offering the five daily prayers, attending congregational Friday prayers at the mosque), economic justice (e.g., giving Zakah), and devotional habits (e.g., reading the Qur’an multiple times weekly). Furthermore, it evaluates the behavioral adherence to traditional Islamic social norms and modesty rules, such as wearing the hijab, observing gender separation in social gatherings, and refraining from prohibited acts like gambling, alcohol consumption, and smoking. This subscale reflects how completely religious tenets are translated into daily motor, social, and dietary routines.

6. Theoretical Framework

The development of the Religiosity of Islam Scale is grounded in the convergence of psychometric measurement theory, cross-cultural psychology, and orthodox Islamic epistemology. Historically, Western psychology conceived of religious orientation through unidimensional or bidimensional frameworks, most notably Gordon Allport and J. Michael Ross’s (1967) taxonomy of Intrinsic versus Extrinsic religious orientation. While Allport’s paradigm offered valuable insights into whether individuals live their religion or use their religion, it reflected an individualistic, privatized model of faith deeply rooted in Protestant Christianity. In contrast, Islamic epistemology asserts that true religiosity cannot be compartmentalized into private sentiment alone; it is inherently communal, behavioral, and legalistic.

Jana-Masri and Priester (2007) drew upon the classical theological taxonomy established in the seminal Hadith of Gabriel, wherein the Prophet Muhammad delineated the faith into three hierarchical yet interdependent dimensions: Islam (outward submission through physical actions and rituals), Iman (inward cognitive conviction and belief in theological realities), and Ihsan (spiritual perfection and constant mindfulness of the Divine). The RIS specifically models the first two foundational pillars: Iman, operationalized as cognitive assent to Qur’anic doctrine, and Islam, operationalized as bodily observance of prescribed commandments and proscriptions.

From a psychological perspective, the RIS incorporates principles from the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), which conceptualizes the relationship between normative beliefs, subjective norms, and behavioral intentions. In traditional Islamic communities, scriptural beliefs serve as powerful normative determinants that directly guide daily habits. By constructing a scale that assesses both belief systems and behavioral frequency, Jana-Masri and Priester established a framework that allows psychologists to analyze the congruence or divergence between cognitive belief systems and manifest behavioral execution.

7. Validity

The psychometric validity of the Religiosity of Islam Scale was systematically established through content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validation protocols. Content validity was ensured at the instrument’s inception by developing scale items directly from canonical Qur’anic verses and standard theological treatises. Items were thoroughly vetted by Islamic scholars and bilingual psychometricians to ensure that the operationalized statements accurately reflected orthodox theology rather than localized cultural practices.

Construct validity has been supported through exploratory and confirmatory analytic frameworks across multiple independent investigations. Studies exploring the psychological correlates of religiosity among North American Muslims demonstrated that the RIS captures unique variance distinct from broad acculturation measures. In empirical research conducted by Ali-Faisal (2014) examining sexual attitudes, guilt, and anxiety among Canadian and American Muslim men and women, the RIS demonstrated significant predictive and construct validity. Higher scores on the RIS—indicating greater adherence to Islamic beliefs and traditional practices—correlated significantly with higher levels of sexual guilt regarding premarital intimacy, conservative sexual attitudes, and stricter adherence to traditional gender roles. These findings confirm the instrument’s capacity to predict real-world psychological attitudes and moral frameworks that stem from religious socialization.

Convergent validity has been evidenced through significant positive correlations with alternative measures of intrinsic religiosity, subjective spirituality, and frequency of communal worship. Discriminant validity has been demonstrated by the scale’s divergent correlations with purely secular distress and psychological well-being markers, confirming that the RIS does not merely capture general psychological distress, neuroticism, or generalized socially desirable responding, but specifically assesses Islamic religious adherence.

8. Reliability

The internal consistency and temporal stability of the Religiosity of Islam Scale have been empirically substantiated across both its development sample and subsequent independent replications. In the initial validation study conducted by Jana-Masri and Priester (2007), the scale demonstrated acceptable to robust reliability across its two primary dimensions:

• Islamic Behavioral Practices Subscale: Demonstrated high internal consistency, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .81. This indicates strong item homogeneity among the questions assessing behavioral rituals, dietary avoidances, and social adherence.
• Islamic Beliefs Subscale: Yielded an acceptable internal consistency coefficient with a Cronbach’s alpha of .66. The slightly lower alpha reflects the theoretical breadth of theological concepts encompassed within this dimension (ranging from the unseen metaphysical realm to specific jurisprudential mandates).

Subsequent psychometric testing in academic dissertations and cross-cultural studies has confirmed the overall reliability of the instrument. For example, Ali-Faisal (2014) corroborated the reliability of the RIS in an applied sample of Muslim women and men, reporting internal consistency estimates consistent with the original validation. Corrected item-total correlations across the behavioral subscale consistently exceed .40 for core religious practices (such as regular prayer, fasting, and ablution), supporting the psychometric strength and measurement precision of the instrument across varying demographic cohorts.

9. Factor Analysis

The structural dimensionality of the Religiosity of Islam Scale was initially examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with orthogonal and oblique rotations to identify underlying latent factors. The empirical extraction supported a clear, theoretically congruent two-factor solution representing the cognitive and behavioral components of the faith.

The primary factor, labeled Islamic Behavioral Practices, captured items measuring overt worship, ritual observance, and practical life choices. High-loading items on this factor included performing the five daily prayers, performing ablution (wudu) before prayer, attending the Friday congregational prayer at the mosque, and giving Zakah. Items addressing behavioral taboos (such as gambling and drinking alcohol) loaded negatively onto this factor prior to reverse scoring.

The secondary factor, labeled Islamic Beliefs, encompassed items assessing theological assertions derived from Qur’anic scripture. Prominent items loading onto this factor included the belief that Islam is the final and complete religion, the belief that the Qur’an is the uncorrupted final word of Allah, belief in the existence of Jinn, and the conviction that Allah created angels from light to worship Him and carry out His commands.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) models tested in subsequent investigations have confirmed acceptable goodness-of-fit parameters for this two-factor model over a unidimensional model. Standard fit indices, including the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), confirmed that modeling Islamic religiosity as two interrelated yet separate latent constructs yields superior theoretical and empirical fit, with a moderate positive inter-factor correlation reflecting that strong beliefs generally, but not invariably, predict consistent behavioral execution.

10. Instrument / Measurement Tool

The Religiosity of Islam Scale is structured as a self-report psychological instrument. Below are its formal structural parameters:

• Test Type: Multi-dimensional self-report psychological survey / inventory.
• Administration Format: Paper-and-pencil or secure computer-based digital questionnaire.
• Target Population: Adolescent and adult Muslim individuals, adaptable across cross-cultural, clinical, and sociological settings.
• Total Items: 14 verified authentic items in the standard abbreviated version (up to 19 items in extended validation protocols).
• Subscale Breakdown:
  • Islamic Behavioral Practices: Assesses ritual performance, worship frequency, and practical religious lifestyle actions.
  • Islamic Beliefs: Assesses cognitive assent to core theological and scriptural doctrines.
• Response Formats: The instrument uses two specialized response formats aligned with item content:
  • Behavioral Practices Items: Evaluated on a 5-point frequency scale: 1 = Always, 2 = Usually, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Rarely, 5 = Never.
  • Theological Beliefs Items: Evaluated on a 7-point Likert agreement scale: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Mostly agree, 3 = Somewhat agree, 4 = Neither agree nor disagree, 5 = Somewhat disagree, 6 = Mostly disagree, 7 = Strongly disagree.
• Scoring and Directionality: Items can be scored either by calculating separate subscale means/totals or an overall composite score. Depending on research preferences, items are typically reverse-coded so that higher numerical values reflect greater levels of Islamic religious belief and behavioral practice. Specific items measuring behaviors or attitudes contrary to orthodox practice (where present in extended protocols) are reverse-scored accordingly.

11. Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Religiosity of Islam Scale was formally published in 2007 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Muslim Mental Health. As an academic psychometric tool developed for the advancement of cross-cultural research and mental health care, the scale is typically available free of charge for non-commercial educational, scientific, and clinical research purposes.

Scholars and practitioners wishing to use the instrument in empirical studies, academic dissertations, or clinical settings are expected to cite the original validation publication by Jana-Masri and Priester (2007). Inquiries regarding commercial use, formal institutional distribution, or large-scale clinical test battery adaptations should be directed to the copyright holders and the original publishing entity.

12. References

• Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
• Ali-Faisal, S. F. (2014). Crossing sexual barriers: The influence of background factors and personal attitudes on sexual guilt and sexual anxiety among Canadian and American Muslim women and men (Publication No. 5051) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Windsor]. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/5051
• Allport, G. W., & Ross, J. M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5(4), 432–443. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0021212
• Jana-Masri, A., & Priester, P. E. (2007). The development and validation of a Qur’an-based instrument to assess Islamic religiosity: The Religiosity of Islam Scale. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 2(2), 177–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564900701624436

13. Items of the Scale