CHAPTER 12: Religiosity and Happiness of American-Muslim Youths: An Empirical Study of Faith Maturity and Subjective Well-Being

This chapter explores the state of personal religiosity and subjective wellbeing of American Muslim youths and the relationship between these two psychological attributes. Adapting the theory of patriarchal interpretation of Islam and Muslim faith, this chapter also examines the moderating effect of gender between faith maturity and subjective well-being. The samples are taken from 336 Muslim youths age 18–20 in southern California. The results show that American Muslim youths are highly religious as well as relatively happy about their life in the United States. Mature faith is found to increase subjective well-being of the Muslim youths. The moderating-gender effect hypothesis is also supported. Vertical faith maturity is significant in accounting for the variance in male Muslim youth’s subjective well-being, whereas it is the horizontal trait of faith maturity that is more influential in relation to female Muslim youths.