The Lived Meaning of Islamic Spirituality in Students' Emotional Recovery After Bullying: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

This study explores the lived meaning of Islamic spirituality in the emotional recovery of students who experienced bullying in an Islamic educational setting. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and document analysis involving students of an Islamic junior secondary school (MTs) in Lamongan, Indonesia. The findings reveal four interrelated themes: self-acceptance through prayer and dhikr; spiritual reflection (tafakkur) and sincere acceptance (ikhlas) in reinterpreting traumatic experiences; the role of the pesantren environment and religious teachers in reconstructing positive self-identity; and emotional transformation through sustained worship practices. These themes illustrate a continuous process of emotional recovery, progressing from spiritual self-acceptance to the reconstruction of meaning and emotional resilience within a supportive religious environment. The findings indicate that Islamic spirituality functions as a form of positive religious coping, enabling students to reinterpret suffering within a faith-based framework while strengthening emotional regulation and psychological resilience. This study highlights the contribution of Islamic spirituality as a holistic resource for emotional recovery in Islamic educational contexts.