Sufism and Mental Well Being among Urban Muslims through Spiritual Practice and Religious Coping
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62731/rgjirs.v1i2.34Keywords:
Sufism, Mental Well-Being, Urban Muslims, Spiritual Practice, Religious CopingAbstract
This study aims to explore how urban Muslims construct mental well-being through Sufi spiritual practices and religious coping in the context of modern urban life. The study responds to the growing psychological and spiritual pressures experienced by Muslims in urban settings, including work stress, social mobility, digital exposure, and emotional fatigue. Using a qualitative design with an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research was conducted in Jakarta and its surrounding metropolitan areas from September to November 2025. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, limited participant observation, documentation, and field notes involving 18 to 24 urban Muslims who actively engaged in Sufi-oriented spiritual practices. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal five main themes: urban pressure and spiritual restlessness, dhikr and prayer as embodied calming practices, sabr and tawakal as religious coping, Sufi community as social and spiritual support, and mental well-being as inner balance. The study shows that participants did not define mental well-being merely as the absence of stress, but as emotional calmness, moral awareness, spiritual closeness to God, and the ability to face hardship with meaning. This study contributes to Islamic psychology, contemporary Sufism, and religious coping studies by showing how Sufi practice functions as a lived psychospiritual resource for urban Muslims. The findings imply that culturally and spiritually sensitive mental health programs should consider reflective prayer, guided dhikr, spiritual mentoring, and community-based support.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Haris Nuruddin, Sofia Rahmah, Malik Ibrahim Yusuf (Author)
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