SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE JAMA'AH TABLIGH IN WEST JAVA THROUGH RITUAL-BASED RELIGIOUS COUNSELING PRACTICES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24260/7wjadv84Keywords:
da'wah management, Islamic guidance and counseling, religious counseling, spiritual transformation, Jama'ah Tabligh.Abstract
Purpose – This study analyzes how ritual-based religious counseling operates within the Jama'ah Tabligh as a da'wah (Islamic propagation) management strategy, read through the Islamic Guidance and Counseling (IGC) approach, and identifies the forms of spiritual transformation that its members experience. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative phenomenological design was applied. Data were gathered through participatory observation, in-depth interviews and documentary study involving karkun, mutakallim and ta'lim participants at five markaz (centers) in Bandung City, Bandung Regency, Garut, Sukabumi and Cirebon, and were analyzed thematically with source and method triangulation and member checking. Findings – Religious counseling is managed informally yet systematically through planning, organizing, actuating and controlling embedded in the rituals of bayan, muzakarah, ta'lim and khuruj fi sabilillah. It rests on faith (iman), righteous deeds (amal saleh) and moral character (akhlak) and is directed toward tashfiyah al-iman, tahliyah al-amal and tarbiyah al-akhlaq. Members' transformation unfolds cyclically: from an egocentric to a transcendental mindset, from a consumptive to an ascetic (zuhud) lifestyle, toward deeper worship and social responsibility, and finally toward an identity as da'i and servant of the ummah. Research limitations/implications – The study covers one da'wah community in one province, so findings are transferable only with caution, and retrospective accounts may carry recall bias. Practical implications – Managers of da'wah institutions can embed counseling competencies and a staged curriculum in congregational development programs and build referral links with professional counselors. Originality/value – The article positions community-based religious counseling as an integral function of da'wah management and offers an integrative model linking managerial functions with counseling principles and objectives.
References
Abrar, A. (2021). The attitude of the Tablighi Jamaat toward the COVID-19 pandemic. ISLAMICA: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 15(2), 242–272. https://doi.org/10.15642/islamica.2021.15.2.242-272
Achmad, U. (2013). Kritik psikologi sufistik terhadap psikologi modern: Studi komparatif pemikiran Al-Ghazali dan Descartes (upaya memperkuat bangunan konseling Islam). Konseling Religi: Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling Islam, 4(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21043/kr.v4i1.1071
Achmad, U. (2016). Pengalaman spiritual menurut psikologi transpersonal (kajian kritis ilmu tasawuf). Kalimah: Jurnal Studi Agama dan Pemikiran Islam, 14(2), 233–252. https://doi.org/10.21111/klm.v14i2.609
Aggarwal, S., Wright, J., Morgan, A., Patton, G., & Reavley, N. (2023). Religiosity and spirituality in the prevention and management of depression and anxiety in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 23, Article 729. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05091-2
Al Faruqi, A. R. H., Fuadi, I., & Haeba, I. D. (2024). Tazkiyah al-nafs sebagai terapi bagi penyakit jiwa (tinjauan hadis). Kalimah: Jurnal Studi Agama dan Pemikiran Islam, 22(1), 95–120. https://doi.org/10.21111/klm.v22i1.12409
Al-Ghazali. (2005). Ihya Ulum al-Din (Vols. 1–3). Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.
Alhamdi, R. (2022). Political consciousness of Muhammadiyah: Historical trajectories and future. Studia Islamika, 29(3), 451–484. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v29i3.15866
Ali, J. A. (2010). Tablighi Jama'at and the "remaking" of the Muslim. Australian Religion Studies Review, 23(2), 155–171. https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v23i2.148
Ali, K., & Minxing, H. (2021). Muslims preaching movements in British-India: An appraisal of the Tablighi Jamaat and its competitors. Liberal Arts and Social Sciences International Journal, 5(1), 356–371. https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/5.1.23
Ali, K., Minxing, H., & Smith, A. (2024). Muslim ummah and its disintegration in the past: A critical analysis of the Tablighi Jamaat perspective. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 14(1), 55–73. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.141.04
Al-Thani, H. (2025). Religion and spiritual well-being: A qualitative exploration of perspectives of higher education faculty in Qatar and its challenge to Western well-being paradigms. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1549863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1549863
Anbiya, A. (2023). Tazkiyatun nafs dalam mengembalikan fitrah manusia modern. Islamic Counseling: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam, 7(1), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.29240/jbk.v7i1.5130
Angraini, D., & Asmita, W. (2022). Konsep dan contoh aplikasi konseling religius dengan pendekatan tazkiyah al-nafs. Jurnal Consulenza: Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling dan Psikologi, 5(2), 190–197. https://doi.org/10.56013/jcbkp.v5i2.1635
Ayre, J., & McCaffery, K. J. (2022). Research note: Thematic analysis in qualitative research. Journal of Physiotherapy, 68(1), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2021.11.002
Badriza, K. (2022). Kampung Madinah Temboro as Tablighi Jama῾at sub-cultural community: A socio-historical study. Karsa: Journal of Social and Islamic Culture, 30(2), 328–363. https://doi.org/10.19105/karsa.v30i2.6438
Baig, N. (2023). Islamic spiritual care and negative religious coping. Scandinavian Journal of Islamic Studies, 17(2), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.7146/tifo.v17i2.142405
Baikuni, A., Rusdi, R., Rohman, R., & Osman, K. (2026). Adaptive resilience in newly established public organizations. J-MD Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 7(2), 102–122. https://doi.org/10.24260/hsa47134
Barrow, B. H., Dollahite, D. C., & Marks, L. D. (2021). How parents balance desire for religious continuity with honoring children's religious agency. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 13(2), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000307
Bastomi, H. (2017). Menuju bimbingan konseling islami. Konseling Edukasi: Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 1(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.21043/konseling.v1i1.4434
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
Cantori, V. (2021). Civic engagement as religious duty among American Muslims: Between "Muslim charity" and "collective goodness" in a Muslim food pantry. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 41(4), 643–657.
Carey, L. B., Cohen, J., Koenig, H. G., & Gabbay, E. (2021). COVID-19, Islam and Christianity. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(2), 621–624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01228-3
Chavatel, W. (2022). Revelatory anxiety and dissociative disorders: An existential-humanistic approach. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678221138385
Choirin, M., Rustandi, R., et al. (2026). Cultural localization in Islamic da'wah: Toward a cultural adaptation mechanism in Islamic communication (CAMI) framework. J-MD Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 7(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.24260/n8f6yg94
Chowdhury, S. Z. (2024). Suffering, Islamic consolation literature and the process of meaning-making. Journal of Islamic Ethics, 8(1–2), 173–200. https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-20240013
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cucchi, A., & Qoronfleh, M. W. (2025). Cultural perspective on religion, spirituality and mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1568861. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1568861
Fanan, M. A., Alfarisyi, A. L., Salsabila, J. A., & Ariella, S. D. (2023). Optimalisasi media digital TikTok sebagai layanan informasi bimbingan konseling berbasis dakwah. Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam, 13(1), 70–82.
Fauziyah, N. K., Azaria, D. L., & Khainuddin. (2024). Konsep pemikiran tazkiyatun nafs menurut Ibnu Taimiyah dan relevansinya dengan pendidikan karakter. Spiritualita, 8(2), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.30762/spiritualita.v8i2.2316
Fayaz, I. (2023a). Role of religion in posttraumatic growth among population exposed to armed conflict: A systematic review. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2023.2237909
Fayaz, I. (2023b). Role of religiosity or spirituality in experiencing posttraumatic growth among sexual assault survivors: A systematic review. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2023.2264834
Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning. Harper & Row.
Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man's search for meaning. Washington Square Press.
Frankl, V. E. (2000). Man's search for ultimate meaning. Basic Books.
Gschwandtner, C. M. (2021). Faith, religion, and spirituality: A phenomenological and hermeneutic contribution to parsing the distinctions. Religions, 12(7), Article 476. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12070476
Gull, B. (2026). Unweaving the tapestry: The emplotment of "exvangelical" narratives of religious change. Sociology of Religion, 87(3), 366–391. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/sraf013
Hamdi, A. Z. (2021). Constructing Indonesian religious pluralism: The role of Nahdlatul Ulama in countering violent religious extremism. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 15(2), 433–464. https://doi.org/10.15642/jiis.2021.15.2.433-464
Hamdi, S. (2021). Dakwah Jamaah Tabligh di Asia Tenggara: Negosiasi mazhab, transformasi pendidikan dan fasilitator konflik politik-keagamaan. Jurnal Review Politik, 11(1), 105–139. https://doi.org/10.15642/jrp.2021.11.1.105-139
Hamdi, S. (2022). COVID-19, social stigma, and changing religious practice in Tablighi Jamaat communities in Lombok, Indonesia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 76, Article 102996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102996
Hasanah, U. (2014). Keberadaan kelompok Jamaah Tabligh dan reaksi masyarakat (dari perspektif teori penyebaran informasi dan pengaruh). Jurnal Indo-Islamika, 4(1), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.15408/idi.v4i1.1559
Hasanah, U., Holilah, I., Milah, A. S., & Halimatusa'diah. (2025). The transformation of Tablighi Jamaat's da'wah: Digital adaptation and political engagement in Indonesia. Ilmu Dakwah: Academic Journal for Homiletic Studies, 19(1), 235–266. https://doi.org/10.15575/idajhs.v19i1.45960
Hennink, M., & Kaiser, B. N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, Article 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. (2003). Madarij al-salikin [Steps of the seekers]. Dar Ibn Hazm.
Idati, L. A. (2024). Pendekatan eksistensial humanistik dalam konseling Islam. CONS-IEDU, 4(1), 156–167. https://doi.org/10.51192/cons.v4i1.736
Ifdil, I., Zatrahadi, F., Hasibuan, M. F., Abdullah, N. Z. M., Bah, Y. M., Abu Bakar, A. Y., & Nurkholidah, E. (2023). The evolution of Islamic counseling: A bibliometric analysis of trends in publications from 1981–2023. Islamic Guidance and Counseling Journal, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.25217/0020236410700
Kelley, H. H., Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2022). Uniting and dividing influences of religion on parent–child relationships in highly religious families. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 14(1), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000321
Khamis, S. (2024). The paradoxes of modern Islamic discourses and socio-religious transformation in the digital age. Religions, 15(2), Article 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020207
Kim, H. J. (2023). Collegial leadership and election in Muhammadiyah: Institutional ways to diffuse the religious authority of leaders. Studia Islamika, 30(2), 211–234. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v30i2.33741
King, P. E., & Boyatzis, C. J. (2004). Exploring adolescent spiritual and religious development: Current and future theoretical and empirical perspectives. Applied Developmental Science, 8(1), 2–6. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532480XADS0801_1
Koburtay, T., Jamali, D., & Aljafari, A. (2023). Religion, spirituality, and well-being: A systematic literature review and futuristic agenda. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, 32(1), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12478
Koburtay, T., Syed, J., & Salhi, N. A. (2022). Theorizing the notion of well-being in Islam: An update of Ryff's theory of eudaimonic psychological well-being. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(5), 2475–2490.
Lestari, S. K. F. W., Urokhim, A., & Iriandi, F. (2026). Hybrid coastal da'wah model: Integrating digital media and local wisdom to promote religious moderation among coastal Muslim communities. J-MD Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 7(2), 38–62. https://doi.org/10.24260/50g42s77
Loewenthal, K. M. (2022). Religious change and post-traumatic growth following EMDR trauma therapy. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(3), 380–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2021.2016668
Louca, E. (2023). Spirituality and religiosity in the developing person. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 46(1), 15–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2023.2267924
McLaren, H., Taylor, R., Patmisari, E., McLaren, C., Jones, M., & Hamiduzzaman, M. (2024). Community cultural wealth among a South Australian Muslim population: A reflective evaluation of strengthening family health and wellbeing. Religions, 15(3), Article 351. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030351
Mehrabadi, A. F., Ehsan, H. B., Adeli, S. H., & Bayat, A. (2022). Religious coping strategies in patients with post-traumatic growth due to COVID-19: A qualitative study. Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics, 9(1), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.32598/hsmej.9.1.7
Mehta, C. M., & Arnett, J. J. (2023). Toward a new theory of established adulthood. Journal of Adult Development, 30(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-023-09440-z
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Muadz, A. S., Andri, N., Ainur, R., Alfiyatul, A., Yeti, D., & Ahmad, N. (2024). Challenges of da'wah research: Understanding da'wah models in the context of Qur'anic guidance and social change. Al-Afkar, Journal for Islamic Studies, 7(3), 1120–1141. https://doi.org/10.31943/afkarjournal.v7i3.1604
Mujahidah, S., Zahra, S., & Hariyadi, R. (2025). Islamic counseling and cognitive psychotherapy for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adolescents. Journal of Islamic Communication and Counseling, 4(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.18196/jicc.v4i1.96
Munir, M., & Ilaihi, W. (2009). Manajemen dakwah. Kencana.
Mutholingah, S., & Zain, B. (2021). Metode penyucian jiwa (tazkiyah al-nafs) dan implikasinya dalam pendidikan agama Islam. Ta'limuna, 10(1), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.32478/talimuna.v10i1.662
Nilhakim. (2021). Program khurûj Jamaah Tabligh dalam perspektif maqasid al-syari'ah. Jurnal Alwatzikhoebillah: Kajian Islam, Pendidikan, Ekonomi, Humaniora, 7(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.37567/alwatzikhoebillah.v7i1.396
Nurul Fadilah, & Ardiansyah, M. Y. (2024). Pemikiran manajemen dakwah K.H. Hasyim Asy'ari. Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 2(2), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.22515/jmd.v2i2.10044
Perry, S. (2024). Religious/spiritual abuse, meaning-making, and posttraumatic growth. Religions, 15(7), Article 824. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070824
Qomariyah, Yazid, M. A., & Farmawati, C. (2026). Nahdlatul Ulama's cultural da'wah strategy in building religious harmony in Jepara Regency: Ritualized bridging in a post-conflict setting. J-MD Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 7(2), 83–101. https://doi.org/10.24260/q07deh23
Rassool, G. H., & Luqman, M. M. (2022). Foundations of Islamic psychology: From classical scholars to contemporary thinkers. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003181415
Razak, Y., & Asrori, S. (2024). Ritual, religion, and reform: The impact of Khuruj on the Tablighi Jamaat community. Buletin Al-Turas, 30(2), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.15408/bat.v30i2.40670
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin.
Rothman, A., Ahmed, A., & Awaad, R. (2022). The contributions and impact of Malik Badri: Father of modern Islamic psychology. American Journal of Islam and Society, 39(1–2), 190–213. https://doi.org/10.35632/ajis.v39i1-2.3142
Rozikan, M. (2017). Transformasi dakwah melalui konseling Islam. INJECT: Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication, 2(7), 191–210.
Rustandi, R. (2022). The tabligh language of the millenial generation in social media: Analysis of popular Islamic account framing. Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 42(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.21580/jid.v42.1.10731
Sahib, R. (2022). Emotion work in Tabligh Jama'at texts. Religions, 13(7), Article 632. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13070632
Santoso, D., & Syarifudin, A. (2021). Berdakwah sambil merawat keluarga: Aktivitas khurūj Jama'ah Tabligh Keamiran Metro Lampung pada masa pandemi. Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam, 14(1), 57–70. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2021.14105
Schafer, M. H., & Upenieks, L. (2026). Shifts in American religiosity and spirituality from 1995 to 2014: How did community life change? Sociology of Religion, 87(3), 466–495. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/sraf005
Seprianto, S., Warsah, I., & Purnama, D. (2023). Psikoterapi Islam dan implikasinya dalam bimbingan dan konseling. Muhafadzah, 2(2), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.53888/muhafadzah.v2i2.587
Setiawan, A. I., Abidin, Y. Z., Rustandi, R., Sarbini, A., & Aziz, R. (2026). Transforming religious education through inclusivity: How Indonesian pesantren cultivate moderate Islamic values and da'wah practices. Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(1), 70–92. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v9i1.406
Subchi, I., Zulkifli, Z., Latifa, R., & Sa'diyah, S. (2022). Religious moderation in Indonesian Muslims. Religions, 13(5), Article 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13050451
Surya, M. A. (2024). Pandangan teologis Jamaah Tabligh tentang kerja, usaha, dan takdir di Kota Medan. Substantia: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin, 26(2), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.22373/substantia.v26i2.26313
Syukur, M. A. (2012). Sufi healing: Terapi dalam literatur tasawuf. Walisongo: Jurnal Penelitian Sosial Keagamaan, 20(2), 405–424. https://doi.org/10.21580/ws.20.2.205
Tobing, M. S. (2022). Islamic guidance counseling techniques for developing self-control among online game players. At-Taujih: Islamic Guidance and Counseling, 5(1), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.22373/taujih.v5i1.11994
Trimulyaningsih, N., Subandi, M. A., & Yuniarti, K. W. (2024). The process of spiritual transformation to attain Nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah in Islamic psychology. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 80(1), Article a8526. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i1.8526
Wilber, K. (2000). A theory of everything: An integral vision for business, politics, science, and spirituality. Shambhala Publications.
Yurika, R. E., & Pratiwi, R. C. (2025). Islamic logotherapy tree: Peta jalan menuju hidup yang bermakna di era kontemporer. Counseling As Syamil: Jurnal Ilmiah Bimbingan Konseling Islam, 4(2), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.24260/as-syamil.v4i2.3366
Yusrain, Y. (2023). Dakwah berbasis konseling Islam. Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam, 10(1), 44–54.
Yusran, H. (2024). Zikir dan kesadaran spiritual dalam konseling Islam. Jurnal Konseling Religi, 15(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.21043/kr.v15i1.16741
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dede Lukman, Ridwan Rustandi, Dudy Imanuddin Effendi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
