Maqashid Analysis of the Phenomenon of Sufi Dance Practices as an Effort to Build Holistic Health on Practitioner in Kartasura
Siti Fathonah, Ernawati Ernawati, Syamsul Bakri
SHAHIH Journal of Islamicate Multidisciplinary February 10, 2026 DOI: 10.22515/shahih.v10i2.14185 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Sufi dance |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Dance Terminology Phenomenon Islam Trance Holistic health Function biology Aesthetics Epistemology Meaning existential Social science Human body Spirituality Qualitative research Action physics |
| Key findings | Sufi dance can function as therapy to build holistic health through trance states and the stages of bidayah, takhalli, tahalli, and tajalli. |
Abstract
This study aims to describe and analyze the construction of holistic health in Sufi dance, which is considered a human effort to preserve the soul. Holistic health, in anthropology, is a social phenomenon associated with the terminology of illness. Anthropology observes various practices related to how society responds to illness and how to overcome it. Sufi dance is known as a model of healing modified from human-produced art. This study used in-depth interviews and observation as data collection techniques. Through a symbolic analysis typical of anthropology, it was concluded that Sufi dance can function as therapy to build holistic health. There is a close connection between medicine, magic, and religion. Sufi dance is believed to have a health-promoting effect on the performers when they are in a trance state. The Sufi healing process occurs through the stages of bidayah (initiative), namely takhalli, tahalli, and tajalli. In Islamic culture, Sufi dance practices are part of human efforts to implement the maqasid sharia through self-care, which they carry out in Sufi dance practices as Sufi healing. These practices resulted from cultural developments that did not originate from the framework of modern medicine but rather from the framework of classical medicine in the past.
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 |