Development and validation of a Traditional Inventory of Islamic Virtues (TIIV)

Abstract

This study introduces the Traditional Inventory of Islamic Virtues (TIIV), a psychometric tool developed to assess character grounded in classical Islamic virtue ethics. The TIIV builds upon the traditional Islamic virtues model (Keshavarzi et al., 2024), which provides a reorganization of al-Ījī’s 14th-century classification of virtues into five cardinal virtue: wisdom, temperance, valor, justice, and spirituality with 31 associated subvirtues. Data were collected from a diverse sample of 1,324 adults (M = 34 years, SD = 12) across 70 countries via an online survey. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), two studies were conducted to evaluate the internal consistency and factor structure of the TIIV, as well as its convergent and divergent validity with the Values in Action (VIA) Inventory. The final model retained five factors with 121 items across 31 subvirtues. All five virtue domains demonstrated acceptable to excellent fit indices comparative fit index (CFI = .94–.98; root-mean-square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .05–.07) and acceptable to strong internal consistency (ω = .71–.89). Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with 26 of 28 hypothesized VIA subscales. The TIIV appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing virtues within an Islamic framework. While still in its initial stages, it offers a culturally grounded complement to existing character assessments and supports the integration of Islamic concepts in psychological research and practice.