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The Concepts of Khouf and Roja' in The Qur'an as The Spiritual Foundation of Islam for The Practice of Mindfulness

Lina Ayu Fitriyyah

Proceeding ISETH February 5, 2026 DOI: 10.23917/iseth.6925 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Topics Meditation
Key findings Argues that khouf (fear) serves as moral awareness promoting caution, self-control, and spiritual discipline, while roja' (hope) supplies optimism, inner peace, and psychological resilience; their integration yields an emotional and spiritual balance that the authors propose as the basis of a holistic Islamic mindfulness model for facing modern psychological and spiritual crises.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the concepts of khouf and roja' thematically in the Qur'an, including their interpretation by exegetes, and to analyze the function of these two concepts as a spiritual basis for achieving emotional balance and peace of mind. In addition, this study also explains the relevance and application of khouf and roja' in the practice of mindfulness from an Islamic perspective, as a strategy for overcoming psychological and spiritual crises in the present day. Thus, this study is expected to contribute theoretically to the study of the Qur'an and Sufism, as well as practically to the development of mental health methods based on Islamic values. This study uses a qualitative method with library research. Data was collected through documentation techniques on verses from the Qur'an, tafsir books, and contemporary Sufism and psychology literature, then analyzed using a maudhū‘ī (thematic) interpretation approach. The results of the study show that khouf functions as moral awareness that fosters caution, self-control, and spiritual discipline, while roja' acts as a source of optimism, inner peace, and psychological resilience. The integration of the two forms an emotional and spiritual balance that is an important foundation in the Islamic perspective of mindfulness. Thus, Qur'anic mindfulness is not only oriented towards emotional regulation, but also towards strengthening faith and character building. This study concludes that the concepts of khouf and roja' are relevant to be developed as a holistic Islamic mindfulness model, which combines psychological well being and spiritual depth in facing modern life crises.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... 2017 Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system 2004 Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety 2006 Exploratory mixed methods study n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context 2001 Qualitative study n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators 2013 Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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