Praktik Khalwāt dan Spiritualitas: Pengalaman Religius Santri di Pondok Pesantren
Defa Fatma Sari, Zainul Abas
SUHU Journal of Sufism and Humanities December 20, 2025 DOI: 10.69548/suhu.v1i2.75 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative phenomenological study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Students at Al-Hikmah Islamic Boarding School in Gatak, Sukoharjo |
| Intervention | Khalwāt |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Transformative learning Interpretative phenomenological analysis Spiritual development Religious experience Participant observation Islam Qualitative research Spiritual practice Psychology of religion Religious education Pedagogy Workplace spirituality Phenomenology philosophy |
| Key findings | Khalwāt is perceived as a transformative process that constructs personal religious meaning, leading to changes in affective, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions. |
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to explore the meanings and dynamics of the religious experiences of students undertaking khalwāt at Al-Hikmah Islamic Boarding School in Gatak, Sukoharjo.
Method: A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation, and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Data validity was ensured through method and source triangulation.
Results: Khalwāt is perceived not merely as a spiritual ritual but as a process of constructing personal and transformative religious meaning. Participants reported significant changes across affective, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions, including increased inner tranquility, greater discipline in religious practice, and deeper self-awareness. They also experienced mystical phenomena, interpreted as part of spiritual testing and purification.
Conclusion: Khalwāt functions as a strategic inner spiritual space that strengthens spirituality and fosters the sustained development of students’ religious subjectivity.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Individuals with extensive experience administering psilocybin or psilocybin-containing... | 2017 | Survey and qualitative/quantitative analysis | n = 10 |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Do Drugs Have Religious Import? A 40-Year Retrospective | 2004 | Interview | |
| Narratives of the mystical among users of psychedelics Psychedelic drug users | 2021 | Qualitative study | n = 50 |
| Auras in mysticism and synaesthesia: a comparison. Synaesthetes who experience colors in response to human faces and figures | 2012 | Qualitative study | n = 4 |