Procrastination in the Quranic Perspective: A Comparative Study of Tafsir Al-Misbah and Tafsir Al-Munir in Dialogue with Temporal Motivation Theory
Keywords:
Procrastination, Quran, Tafsir Al-Misbah, Tafsir Al-Munir, Temporal Motivation Theory, self-improvement, Islamic psychologyAbstract
Procrastination is a universal behavioral phenomenon defined as the voluntary and irrational delay of intended action despite awareness of its negative consequences. While contemporary psychology has produced robust theoretical frameworks to explain this phenomenon, most approaches remain confined to cognitive and behavioral dimensions, overlooking the moral and spiritual layers embedded in religious traditions. This article investigates how the Quran constructs the concept of procrastination through a comparative thematic analysis of Tafsir Al-Misbah by M. Quraish Shihab and Tafsir Al-Munir by Wahbah al-Zuhaili, and examines the convergences and divergences between these Quranic constructions and Temporal Motivation Theory (TMT) developed by Piers Steel. A qualitative library research method with a thematic-comparative exegetical approach was employed. Primary data consisted of Quranic verses thematically related to procrastinatory behavior, analyzed through the interpretive lenses of both tafsir works. The findings reveal that while the Quran does not deploy the modern psychological term procrastination, it captures its essential features through the concepts of al-taswif (deliberate deferral of righteous acts), al-kasl (motivational inertia), and al-ghaflah (spiritual-cognitive negligence). The antitheses of these concepts appear in the imperative forms of musaraah (urgent forward movement) and fastabiqul khairat (competitive pursuit of goodness). Comparatively, Tafsir Al-Misbah foregrounds contextual-psychological and ethical readings, while Tafsir Al-Munir emphasizes normative-theological and consequentialist framings. Dialogue with TMT reveals significant structural parallels on the mechanics of delay, impulsiveness, and diminished value perception, while the Quranic perspective extends these into dimensions of spiritual accountability, transcendental motivation, and temporal ontology grounded in faith. The article concludes by proposing an integrative self-improvement model that synthesizes behavioral-cognitive strategies from TMT with the spiritual-regulatory principles derived from Quranic exegesis.
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