Reconstructing University Student Mental Health Via Dakwah Psychology: A Phenomenological Analysis and Tazkiyat An-Nafs Intervention
Authors
Mohamad Nurul Hafiz Bin Ab Latif
Department of Da’wah and Islamic Civilization, Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Pusat Bahasa, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, 57000, Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Centre for Fundamental and Continuing Education, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Terengganu (JHEAT), 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Department of Da’wah and Islamic Civilization, Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Department of Education, Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Law Department, Faculty of Law and International Relations, (UniSZA), Gong Badak Campus, 21300, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu (Malaysia)
Engku Ahmad Zaki bin Engku Alwi
Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Malaysia)
Hasanulddin MohdHasanulddin Mohd
Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Malaysia)
Article Information
DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2025.91100290
Subject Category: Psychology
Volume/Issue: 9/11 | Page No: 3728-3736
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2025-11-27
Accepted: 2025-12-03
Published: 2025-12-08
Abstract
The escalating psychiatric morbidity among university students has necessitated a critical re-evaluation of existing therapeutic interventions. This study utilizes a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the subjective stress experiences of 129 university students and proposes a holistic intervention framework based on Dakwah Psychology (Psikologi Dakwah). Through rigorous thematic analysis, the findings uncover nine critical stressors clustered into three crisis domains: Firstly: Risky Behavior & Physiological, specifically the functional abuse of synthetic drugs as a maladaptive survival mechanism for academic performance; Secondly: Psychosocial Dysfunction, characterized by family instability, toxic peer dynamics, and social isolation; and thierdly: Cognitive Pressure, stemming from academic overload, financial anxiety, and a lack of prioritization skills. The study diagnoses these external symptoms as manifestations of a deeper "Crisis of Meaning" rooted in a "Spiritual Void" and the dominance of the lower self (Nafs al-Ammārah). To address this, a comprehensive intervention model rooted in Tazkiyat an-Nafs (Soul Purification) is proposed. This framework integrates clinical approaches with spiritual mechanisms—including Taubat Nasuha for cognitive reframing, Zikir therapy for neuro-spiritual regulation, Usrah support systems for social healing, and the application of Fiqh Awlawiyat and Tawakkul for anxiety management. The study concludes that integrating this psychospiritual module into higher education is an urgent imperative to produce graduates who are not only intellectually competent but spiritually resilient, thereby safeguarding the future generation from total psychological collapse.
Keywords
Dakwah Psychology, Student Mental Health, Tazkiyat an-Nafs
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References
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