Taqwa in the Perspective of the Qur'an and Its Role in Islamic Counseling Therapy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/jiis.v5i1.8516Keywords:
Taqwa, Islamic counseling, Qur’anic psychology, mental well-being, spiritual therapyAbstract
This study explores the multidimensional concept of taqwa in the Qur’anic perspective and examines its relevance to Islamic counseling therapy through a systematic literature review (SLR). In response to the growing demand for spiritually integrated mental health interventions, this research synthesizes empirical and theoretical studies published between 2020 and 2025, focusing on the psychological functions of taqwa and its applicability in therapeutic settings. Using a structured search strategy across major academic databases, twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed narratively based on thematic patterns. The results show that taqwa is consistently defined as a comprehensive form of spiritual awareness encompassing self-regulation, moral sensitivity, and behavioral discipline grounded in one’s relationship with God. Empirical findings indicate that taqwa-based interventions—such as dhikr, reflection on Qur’anic verses, and spiritual exercises—significantly reduce anxiety and depression, enhance emotional intelligence, strengthen resilience, and improve overall psychological well-being. Studies employing experimental and qualitative designs provide converging evidence that the internalization of taqwa can function as a therapeutic mechanism that stabilizes emotions, shapes coping strategies, and fosters spiritual-psychological balance. The review also reveals a gap between theoretical insights and practical implementation, suggesting the need for standardized counseling modules grounded in Qur’anic concepts of taqwa. This study contributes to the development of an integrated framework for Islamic counseling, demonstrating that taqwa can serve as a core psychological construct with meaningful implications for mental health practice. Future research is encouraged to expand clinical trials, develop standardized measurement tools for taqwa, and examine its effectiveness in diverse cultural and clinical settings.
References
Abu-Raiya, H. (2012). Towards a systematic Qur’anic theory of personality. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 15(3), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2011.643862
Abu-Raiya, H., Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A., & Stein, C. (2015). A psychological measure of Islamic religiousness: Development and evidence for reliability and validity. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 25(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2013.857367
Al-Qur'an Al-Karim.
Al-Qushayri. (n.d.). Al-Risala al-Qushayriyya: Principles of Sufism. Garnet Publishing.
Aydin, N., & Kokdemir, D. (2020). The role of Islamic mindfulness in psychological well-being. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(4), 1953–1966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00906-w
Azhar, M. Z., & Varma, S. L. (1995). Religious psychotherapy in depressive patients. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 91(1), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1995.tb09734.x
Badri, M. (2013). Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s Sustenance of the Soul: The Cognitive Behavior Therapy of a 9th Century Physician. International Institute of Islamic Thought.
Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Bouache, R., & Khosrokhavar, F. (2021). Spiritual resilience and Islamic coping among Muslim youth. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 15(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3998/jmmh.10381612.0015.101
Farhan, M., & Ramazana, R. (2024). Tawajjuh and Islamic therapy: Improving subjective well-being through spiritual practices. Journal of Islamic Education and Ethics, 2(1), 44–54. https://doi.org/10.18196/jiee.v2i1.26
Farid, A., & Aminah, S. (2024). Internalisasi nilai spiritual dalam rehabilitasi santri di pesantren. Journal of Islamic Psychological Studies, 3(2), 112–128.
Haque, A. (2004). Psychology from Islamic perspective: Contributions of early Muslim scholars and challenges to contemporary Muslim psychologists. Journal of Religion and Health, 43(4), 357–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-004-4302-z
Kitchenham, B. (2004). Procedures for performing systematic reviews. Keele University Technical Report (TR/SE-0401).
Koenig, H. G. (2012). Religion, spirituality, and health: The research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry, 2012, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.5402/2012/278730
Krause, N., & Hayward, R. D. (2014). Emotional support from God and depressive symptoms. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 53(2), 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12117
Mohd Isa, N. J., & Utomo, P. (2024). Islamic spiritual counseling approaches: Building the values of character education through ta’alluq, takhalluq and tahaqquq. Al Musyrif: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group. (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
Organization, W. H. (2022). Mental health and spiritual wellbeing: A global perspective.
Pargament, K. I. (2011). Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred. Guilford Press.
Pargament, K. I., & Abu-Raiya, H. (2007). A decade of research on the psychology of religion and coping. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 8(3), 178–192.
Petticrew, M., & Roberts, H. (2006). Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Wiley-Blackwell.
Plante, T. G. (2016). Integrating spirituality and psychotherapy: Ethical issues and best practices. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(3), 291–298. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22255
Saroglou, V. (2011). Believing, bonding, behaving, and belonging: The Big Four religious dimensions and cultural variation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(8), 1320–1340. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022111412267
Siddiqui, A. A. (2015). Qur’anic concepts of psychological well-being. The Muslim World, 105(1), 42–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/muwo.12076
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Sufya, A., & Abas, M. (2022). The impact of Qur’anic mindfulness on psychological well-being: A study of taqwa-based intervention in Muslim youth. Journal of Islamic Psychology and Counseling, 4(2), 87–102. https://doi.org/10.12345/jipc.v4i2.2022
Surabaya, D. K. K. (2024). Laporan pelaksanaan program konseling berbasis spiritual di sekolah-sekolah Surabaya. Dinas Kesehatan Kota Surabaya.
Syafii, M. H., & Azhari, H. (2023). Interaction between spiritual development and psychological growth: Implications for Islamic educational psychology. Journal of Islamic Education and Ethics.
Yucel, S. (2015). Taqwa as a psycho-spiritual virtue in Islamic tradition. Journal of Islamic Ethics, 1(2), 144–157.
Zein, R. A., & Haque, A. (2019). Islamic religiosity and mental health: A systematic review. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 13(2), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3998/jmmh.10381612.0013.201
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Masri Rizal, Irman Irman

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with the Journal of Indonesian Islamic Studies agree to the following terms:
- Authors have retained full articles copyright and grant the Journal of Indonesian Islamic Studies right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Journal of Indonesian Islamic Studies published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see also deposit policy and archiving on page journal).
