Question:
As-salaamu alaikum. What is the ruling on personality quizzes such as myers-briggs personality type. Some companies ask employees to complete this quiz to understand their working style. Jzk.
Answer:
Alaykum us-Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
Personality quizzes are of different types. Some are purely baseless and merely fortunetelling, whereas others are rooted in psychology and research.
The scholars have prohibited personality tests which attempt to predict the future of a person or reveal their past merely based on someone’s name, writing, or the likes.
Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked,
Question:
“The questioner says: there has recently appeared something called personality tests which reveal someone’s character through knowing one’s name or looking at their handwriting. So what is the ruling on that, may Allah reward you?”
Answer:
“This is from witchcraft and sorcery and it enters into the actions of those who claim to have the knowledge of the unseen. Those who claim to have the knowledge of the unseen take these means claiming that they can reach the knowledge of the unseen, secrets, and other than that. So do not turn towards it and do not fill it out for it is from the superstitions”. End. [Reference]
A similar verdict was given by the mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaikh Abdul-Aziz Aal Shaikh (may Allah preserve him) here.
Personality tests which the Mashaaikh have prohibited above attempt to reveal someone’s personality merely through their name, writing, or through one’s signature. This is unIslamic and has no basis. If however a personality test is based on research and questions that can tangibly show some parts of someone’s personality, then this does not enter into the above prohibition in shaa Allah. Some of the people of knowledge have mentioned that a personality test which is based on sound and tangible research and rules is similar to the science of Physiognomy (القيافة), which is established in Islam.
With that being said, the Myers-Briggs personality test is widely used but heavily criticized by a lot of psychologists for being unreliable. However, others have said that despite its flaws that it has some benefit (See here). That’s why it is very popular across the world. Thus, if someone has to use it due to a company or organization asking them to, then in shaa Allah there is no harm in filling it out. If they do not need to use it, then it is best to avoid it anyways.
An important note: it is important to remember that all personality tests are only speculative and are by no means a definitive measure of someone’s true personality. Therefore, a person should not rely on personality tests to determine what lifestyle they should live, whether they will be happy or not, or what position/occupation in society they should occupy, etc.
And Allah knows best
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
