The Multi-Faith Religious Support Scale: Validation with a Sample of Muslim Women

Abstract

The Religious Support Scale (RSS; We modified the RSS and assessed the reliability and validity of our new Multi-Faith Religious Support Scale (MFRSS) with 539 Muslim women in the United States. The MFRSS replicated the RSS's three-factor structure and subscale reliabilities. The three subscales respectively assess perceived support from religious peers (fellow adherents), from religious leaders, and from Allah. Moreover, even after controlling for social support, support from religious leaders and from Allah were both related to more life satisfaction. Support from Allah was also associated with less depression. Religious support's value among Muslim women is discussed, and the generalizability of the MFRSS is addressed.