Diverging Paths to Well‐Being: A Cross‐National Hierarchical Analysis of Islamic Work Ethic Among Working Muslims

This study examines how Islamic Work Ethic (IWE) relates to well-being among working Muslims, emphasizing the roles of socio-economic, cultural, and demographic conditions rather than assuming uniform benefits. Using hierarchical mixed-effects models on 13,561 employed Muslims in 46 countries from the 7th Wave of the World Values Survey (2017-2022), we analyse IWE in relation to five facets of well-being: happiness, subjective health, freedom of choice and control, life satisfaction, and financial satisfaction. The results show that IWE is positively associated with overall well-being and with each facet, with stronger links for subjective health and perceived freedom of choice and control, and more modest associations for happiness and life satisfaction. Subgroup analyses indicate that the IWE-well-being association is statistically robust in Muslim-majority countries but weaker and not significant in non-Muslim-majority contexts, consistent with a cultural fit interpretation. Across income, gender, and marital-status groups, the association between IWE and well-being remains positive, although its magnitude varies. The study situates IWE within a multidimensional well-being framework, shows that its benefits are generally favourable but modest and context dependent, and highlights the importance of aligning organizational and policy initiatives with both Islamic work values and structural conditions that support health, agency, and financial security.