A PRE-SYMPTOMATIC MODEL OF PSYCHOSPIRITUAL DISTRESS: AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS BASED ON AL-MUHASIBI’S CONCEPT OF KHĀṬIR

Atika Ulfia Adlina; Muzdalifah

doi:10.59005/ls.v5i1.1182

Authors

Atika Ulfia Adlina Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia
Muzdalifah Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59005/ls.v5i1.1182

Keywords:

khāṭir; amrāḍ al-qulūb; Psychological distress; Al-Muhasibi

Abstract

Psychological distress today manifests not only in clinical disorders but also in everyday experiences such as anxiety and emotional instability. Contemporary psychological approaches tend to focus on symptoms (symptom-based), thus often failing to fully capture the deeper dynamics of the inner self. This study aims to construct an interpretative diagnostic model grounded in Sufism, drawing on the thought of Al-Muhasibi, particularly the concepts of khāṭir and amrāḍ al-qulūb. Using a qualitative approach with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design, the study involved six participants through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The findings indicate that psychological distress develops through a layered process: khāṭir (initial thought impulses), cognitive distortions, amrāḍ al-qulūb (diseases of the heart), and ultimately the manifestation of symptoms such as anxiety and emotional reactivity. This study proposes a pre-symptomatic model that positions inner dynamics as the primary basis for analyzing psychospiritual distress. Theoretically, it extends psychological inquiry from a symptom-based approach toward a process-oriented understanding of the inner self. Practically, the model offers implications for the development of more contextual psychospiritual assessment and intervention, particularly through the management of khāṭir.

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