This study aims to identify and rank the religious factors influencing school principals’ success and to examine their role in improving job commitment, based on the theoretical framework of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). Given the essential role of religious beliefs in shaping ethical behavior and organizational commitment in Iran’s educational system, the research integrates spiritual and moral dimensions of leadership with global indicators of successful principalship.
A mixed‑method (qualitative–quantitative) approach was applied. In the qualitative phase, semi‑structured interviews were conducted with successful principals and experts in Islamic education to identify relevant religious factors. In the quantitative phase, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was employed to rank the factors, and multiple regression analysis was used to explore their effect on job commitment. The statistical population included principals of primary and secondary schools in West Azerbaijan Province.
Results revealed that religious components such as justice and fairness, sincerity in educational service, faith and trust in God during decision‑making, moral responsibility, and respectful behavior toward human dignity have the most significant impact on leadership success and directly enhance job commitment, motivation, and organizational satisfaction among school principals.
Ultimately, the study concludes that combining a religious–ethical approach with the ISSPP model can provide a localized and value‑based framework for improving performance and job stability among Iranian school principals.