Imam Alhaddad and James W. Fowler Perspectives on the Concept of Stages Faith Development: A Comparative Analysis

The research related to the development of the stages of faith is an interesting theme to be researched, considering that human needs in religion need to be accommodated with qualified knowledge. In Islam, figures who talk specifically about the stages of faith development have not been found much, even though if Muslim scientists more carefully research the writings of contemporary figures, these stages can be found. Imam Alhaddad is one of the great scholars from Yemen who talks about this in his books. In the world of western psychology, James W. Fowler is the initiator of the theory of the stages of the development of human faith. This paper tries to find common ground and differences between these two theories. The author uses a descriptive-qualitative analysis method with comparative research of the views of the two figures. As a result, Fowler and Imam Al-Haddad agreed that the spiritual journey through stages is natural and necessary to reach the depth of faith. In Fowler's theory, faith develops through stages such as Intuitive-Projective Faith (which focuses on external influences such as parents and the environment), to Universalizing Faith which emphasizes the awareness of love and universal justice.In the context of Imam Al-Haddad's teachings, the stages of spiritual development focus on the search for knowledge, the practice of worship, the purification of the soul (tazkiyatun nafs), and reaching the level of ihsan—a deep awareness of Allah's presence in every action. Both theories illustrate that spirituality is not just a matter of knowledge or belief, but also involves a constantly evolving inner transformation.