Dzikir is a ritual that is practiced by Muslims in which they pronounce the names of God repeatedly to stimulate enjoyment. This study examined the relationship between subjective well-being and dzikir intensity. Data were collected both by quantitative and qualitative methods. Instruments for quantitative data collection were The Satisfaction With Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scales, and Dzikir Intensity Scale. Result showed that dzikir intensity is significantly correlated with subjective well-being (p < .01). This result is supported by qualitative data from interviews with members of the Sufi group.

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Dzikir and Happiness: A Mental Health Study on
An Indonesian Muslim Sufi Group
Fuad Hamsyah & Subandi
To cite this article: Fuad Hamsyah & Subandi (2017) Dzikir and Happiness: A Mental Health Study
on An Indonesian Muslim Sufi Group, Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 19:1, 80-94, DOI:
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2. Dzikir and Happiness: A Mental Health Study on An
Indonesian Muslim Sufi Group
Fuad Hamsyah and Subandi
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Dzikir is a ritual that is practiced by Muslims in which they
pronounce the names of God repeatedly to stimulate enjoy-
ment. This study examined the relationship between subjective
well-being and dzikir intensity. Data were collected both by
quantitative and qualitative methods. Instruments for quanti-
tative data collection were The Satisfaction With Life Scale,
Positive and Negative Affect Scales, and Dzikir Intensity Scale.
Result showed that dzikir intensity is significantly correlated
with subjective well-being (p < .01). This result is supported by
qualitative data from interviews with members of the Sufi
group.
KEYWORDS
Dzikir intensity; subjective
well-being; Sufi group
Introduction
Subjective well-being can be defined as a state experienced by someone
when there is satisfaction of their life, high positive affect or feelings,
and low negative affect—all of which are desired by nearly everyone.
Subjective well-being is one’s evaluation of their entire life, including
variables such as life satisfaction, lack of negative affect such as depres-
sion and anxiety, and positive feelings that emerge within someone
(Diener, Suh, & dan Oishi, 1997).
Subjective well-being is influenced by many things, including level of
spirituality/religiousness. Several studies on the relation between subjec-
tive well-being and spirituality discover that people who have had spiritual
experiences, have a normal level of well-being, and tend to have more
positive feelings (Van Dierendonck & Mohan, 2006). Koenig,
McCullough, and Larson (2001) reviewed 100 published and unpublished
studies that reported positive relations between religiousness and well-
being, happiness, joy, fulfillment, pleasure, and contentment.
Almost all studies on spirituality and well-being are on the subjects of
Judaism, Catholicism, and Christianity. Spirituality studies on Islam are rare.
Islam is all Words of Allah (SWT) accumulated in the Quran as a holy book
CONTACT Fuad Hamsyah fuadhamsyah@ugm.ac.id Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada
(UGM), Jl. Sosio-humaniora No. 1, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH
2017, VOL. 19, NO. 1, 80–94
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2016.1193404
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

3. implemented, exemplified, and taught by prophet Muhammad (SAW) cor-
rectly; they will bring happiness in the life of humans, physically and
spiritually, in the world and the afterlife (Mawardi, as cited in Haryanto,
1996). Besides as a faith, religion can also serve in preventing negative affect
or has therapeutic effects on mental health (Levin & Chatters, as cited in
Cohen, 2002).
One of the techniques used to develop the spirituality of Muslims is dzikir.
Linguistically, dzikir means remembering. In the context of spirituality,
dzikir (remembering) means remembering God, who is Allah SWT. By
definition, dzikir is “an awareness of a creature on the relation which unite
his entire life with the Creator” (Michon, as cited in Subandi, 2009). In Islam,
dzikir is also a form of worship that involves a special ritual. Howell (2005)
revealed that dzikir is a Muslims’ ritual in which uttering God’s name
repeatedly can stimulate “religious ecstasy.”
Dzikir ritual is usually performed by Sufi groups using certain dzikir
practices and procedures. For example, Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir
Congregation in Klaten and Boyolali, Central Java, has special practices in
every weekly and daily dzikir ritual. The special dzikir practices of this
congregation have the same function as other dzikir practices: making
them feel peaceful. This idea is similar to the opinion that besides a form
of spirituality in Islam, dzikir also has same therapeutic aspects. Haryanto
(1996) described several therapeutic aspects in dzikir, including the medita-
tion aspect. That aspect shows that dzikir can reduce various everyday
problems, whether physical, mental, or other social problems (Subandi,
2009).
Based on the previous description, dzikir as a spirituality ritual in Islam is
considered to help make one peaceful and solve one’s psychological pro-
blems. This raised a question: Is there any relation between the intensity of
dzikir practice performed by Sholawat A’dzom congregation and their level
of subjective well-being? If a member of the congregation has a high intensity
of dzikir practice, will they achieve true happiness?
Intensity of dzikir and subjective well-being
By referring to the definition, type, and functions of dzikir, it can be outlined
into several aspects. Ibnu Atta (as cited in Afrianti, 1999) explained that the
aspects of the intensity of dzikir are as follows:
(1) Intention: Intention is a strong will in one’s heart to perform dzikir
in any situation, anywhere, and any time. Psychologically, intention
may be one’s motivation to practice dzikir, whether internal motiva-
tion such as wanting to get the mercy and blessings of Allah or to
get forgiveness from Allah, or external motivations such as wanting
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 81

4. others to see them or only performing dzikir when having problems.
In the intensity of dzikir, intention or motivation from within an
individual (internal) has higher quality or appreciation than external
motivation.
(2) Taqorrub (feeling close): Taqorrub is a feeling that emerges when
performing dzikir. During a dzikir ritual
an individual feels very close to Allah. Feeling close to god will make
one feel safe. When one feels close to God, they will start to love God,
leading the performer to surrendering and totally depending on Allah.
As a result, all worry, anxiety, and confusion when facing a problem
will disappear and be replaced by peace and optimism.
(3) Tadharru (feeling humble): The definition of tadharru is performing
dzikir quietly and feeling humble before Allah. Tadharru or feeling
humble before Allah can also be considered a sense of nothingness
(Subandi, 2009). When an individual loses their self-hood, they will
feel powerless and even feel they are nothing. A sense of nothingness
from practicing dzikir doesn’t mean the individual who experiences it
feels useless in life; instead they lose the pride that makes them
arrogant.
(4) Liqa’ (feeling of meeting Allah): Liqa’ is a feeling of meeting Allah
when practicing dzikir. It’s almost like taqorrub, which is described
previously. When one feels close to God, there will be total surrender
to His love and will. The feeling of meeting Allah when practicing
dzikir is a manifestation of living the practice of dzikir and one’s
closeness with God.
(5) Ihsan (feeling of seeing and being seen by Allah): Ihsan is an indivi-
dual’s feeling of seeing Allah when performing dzikir, or conversely
feeling of being seen by Allah when performing dzikir. Ihsan is the
basis of tasawuf, where one must always pay attention to their every
action because there’s a feeling inside them that every action and every
activity is seen by Allah. As a result, one will always consider the
impacts of their actions before performing them. High comprehension
of dzikir can produce ihsan in individuals.
(6) Khauf (feeling fearful): Khauf is an individual’s fear or the power and
strength of Allah when performing dzikir. This aspect can be called a
manifestation of tadharru. An individual who feels humble and has a
sense of nothingness will find the reality that they have nothing except
by His will and power. It produces an awareness that everything that
exists and happens on earth is there by His will and power.
In performing dzikir, fear of the strength and power of Allah is an
important aspect of the indicator of the level of one’s comprehension
in practicing dzikir. Someone with high comprehension must have
fear. The lower the comprehension, the smaller the fear of Allah.
82 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

5. (7) Tawadhu’ (feeling lowly):
Tawadhu’ is humbling oneself before Allah and in front of
beings around the dzikir place. Tawadhu’ is performed by self-
introspection and being aware of the greatness of Allah. This step is
performed to discover one’s flaws and producing a feeling of being
“small” before Allah and among other people. In performing the dzikir
ritual, this aspect aims to feel the strength and power of Allah so that
the merit in dzikir can enter the hearts and souls of people who
perform it. Tawadhu’ can also be used as a measurement of an
individual’s comprehension in performing dzikir.
The description on the intensity of dzikir states that dzikir is a meditation
ritual in Islam. Dzikir as meditation isn’t very different from meditations in
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity that are performed by an auditory
method. There are many types of dzikir based on the method, whether by
mind, heart, or body. Different types of dzikir don’t make the purpose of
dzikir different, to call/remember Allah and expect his blessings. Therefore,
individuals will benefit from dzikir by getting peace of mind.
Subjective well-being has been defined as one’s evaluative reaction to their
life, whether in terms of life satisfaction (cognitive evaluation) or affection
(ongoing emotional reactions) (Diener & Diener, 1995). Subjective well-
being starts from life satisfaction, emergence of positive affect, and lack of
negative affect. There are many factors that influence subjective well-being
such as health, interpersonal relationships with others, financial condition,
and spirituality. Spirituality as a form of transcendental approach effort
(approach to God) plays a rather important role here.
Several studies on the relationship between subjective well-being and
spirituality have discovered that people who have had spiritual experi-
ences have a normal level of well-being and tend to have more positive
feelings (Van Dierendonck & Mohan, 2006). The relationship is also
supported by the argument that besides as faith, religion can also serve
in preventing negative affect or can have have therapeutic effects on
mental health (Levin & Chatters, as cited in Cohen, 2002).
Other studies on spirituality have produced findings that show it
supports individual’s health, both physical and psychological. Lee and
Newberg (2005) found evidence in their spirituality study that the
involvement of religion in one’s life will lead to the emergence of
positive feelings in someone and will help them develop an understand-
ing of the meaning of their life. The research result was consistent with
the aforementioned studies. Religion or spirituality has an important
role in life. Beside as a ritual that connects an individual to God, it
can also help individuals develop a positive attitude in facing everyday
problems.
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 83

6. In addition to influence at individual level, spirituality also influences
subjective well-being in groups or communities. Koenig (2008) reviewed
approximately 1,800 studies on the spirituality and health of populations
and individuals. The results showed that there is positive relation between
religion/spirituality and well-being including stress reduction, minimizing
symptoms of depression, increasing quality of life, reducing alcohol abuse,
reducing crime levels, improving students’ learning outcomes, healthy life-
styles, reducing sexual deviations, accelerating recovery from diseases, and
better physical health. Moreover, he also stated that communities with high
religious involvement recover from natural disasters and acts of terrorism
faster.
In the context of Islamic spirituality, French, Eisenberg, Vaughan,
Purwoko, and Dan Suryanti (2008) conducted a study on adult Muslims in
Indonesia on their involvement in Islamic rituals and the influence on social
life. The research results showed a positive relationship between their reli-
gious activities and social status, emotional regulation, and prosocial
behaviors.
The dzikir ritual as a spiritual ritual also has several functions related to
subjective well-being, such as to calm oneself and for meditation. Sufis
and Sufi groups recognize the dzikir ritual. The ritual consists of praying,
and dzikir congregations use certain prayers and dzikir unique to every
group. In practice, the ritual has a meditational element (Subandi, 2009),
where everybody is lost in the stillness of the soul. Generally, the defini-
tion of meditation is contemplation and reflection. However, the more
detailed definition of meditation is a psychophysiological condition where
an individual experiences active passiveness and creative silence (Shafii,
1985).
Meditation is generally performed by being silent, focusing the mind, and
regulating the breath by inhaling and exhaling a word. There are several
meditation techniques such as the concentration technique, the awareness
technique, and the Sufism technique. In the concentration technique, an
individual meditates by focusing the mind on a single object. The awareness
technique suggests the meditating individual use the awareness of their mind
to accept things around them. In the Sufism technique, meditation is per-
formed by various methods. According to Subandi (2005), meditation in
dzikir practice is performed by repeatedly pronouncing a word. Meditation
by dzikir is practiced in a Sufi group.
Sufis usually start their dzikir ritual by quiet passive concentration, and
then they gradually turn to the awareness technique. In this phase, a Sufi will
focus their attention to their mind, sensations, and feelings (Shafii, 1985).
Moreover, the Sufism technique also has jahr dzikir, which is verbally
pronouncing the greatness of Allah. The method is different from other
techniques mentioned previously.
84 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

7. Subandi (2009) stated that the mystical experiences of people who per-
formed dzikir in his study have therapeutic aspects. The aspect is closely
related to one’s affective and cognitive conditions as indicators of subjective
well-being. Some of the therapeutic aspects are as follows. First, people who
perform dzikir are cleansed spiritually and psychologically. They feel that all
the burdens in their minds and hearts disappear and are replaced by a feeling
of being a new optimistic person. Second, people who perform dzikir feel
close to Allah after performing dzikir ritual. The feeling of closeness pro-
duces love, happiness, joy, pleasure, and other positive emotions. Third,
people who perform dzikir lose their selfhood (selflessness), so they totally
surrender to Allah. This surrender increases gratefulness for everything that
exists and happens in their lives. Fourth, people who perform dzikir find
their daily lives to be more meaningful. Finding meaning in one’s life
increases one’s life satisfaction, because wisdom is gained from everything
that happens in their life.
Dzikir as a ritual and meditation of Muslims is closely related to an
individual’s affective and cognitive conditions. It creates positive affect and
removes negative affect. Life satisfaction can also be reached immediately
when one performs dzikir, because in dzikir there are humility, fear of His
power, and powerlessness before Him. They cultivate gratefulness, making it
easy to achieve life satisfaction.
From the aforementioned description, it was concluded that subjective
well-being consisted of life satisfaction, emergence of positive affect, and lack
of negative aspects. Dzikir as an Islamic spirituality ritual that effects one’s
life satisfaction, producing a positive affect and reducing the negative affect.
It’s assumed that if one’s intensity of dzikir is high, the person’s level of
subjective well-being will also be high. If one’s intensity of dzikir is low, the
person’s level of subjective well-being will also be low.
Method
Participants
The subject in this study was a Sufi group called Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir
Congregation in Klaten and Boyolali. A total of 51 members of the dzikir
congregation become the subjects in this study. They were adult members
between the ages of 22 and 71, and had been members of this dzikir
congregation for at least 1 year. The research subjects have varying
professions and level of knowledge. The majority were entrepreneurs,
while the rest were retired civil servants, civil servants, and labors. The
majority of the subjects had a high school education, while the remainder
had junior high school, associate’s degree, and bachelor’s degree-level
education.
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 85

8. The structure in this Sufi is very simple. It consists of an imam and the
congregation. The imam is appointed by the main imam from the
congregation.
Like tasawuf groups, they practice wirid and prayers by pronouncing
tauhid, asma’ul husna, sholawat and certain prayers repeatedly. This is
performed at least once a week, on Thursday night. An imam often performs
what Sufis call khalwat, which is when a Sufi leaves worldly activities to
retreat to a dark and quiet place. During khalwat, a Sufi can only eat and
drink a little and relieve themselves as their only worldly activities. Generally,
khalwat is performed for one to two weeks.
Data analysis method
Statistical analysis was used in this study. Statistical analysis was used to
collect, present, and analyze numeric research data. This study produced two
data sets that were analyzed statistically. The first data set was scale trial data
and the second data was research data to prove the hypothesis. The statistics
used to test the hypothesis was the product moment correlation technique by
Pearson.
Beside statistical analysis, we also used the qualitative method in this
study. This method included interviews with subjects, observation of dzikir,
and the daily lives and involvement of the subjects in the weekly dzikir.
Materials
Subjective well-being scale
The Subjective Well-Being Scale used in this study is a modification
adapted from the Subjective Well-Being Scale used by Wibisono (2010)
and Kuswardani (2010), among other researchers. The scale consists of
three subscales: the positive affect subscale and negative affect subscale,
which measure an individual’s affective condition, and the satisfaction with
life subscale, which measures an individual’s life satisfaction. Scale items
were measured on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = very true, 2 = true, 3 = untrue,
and 4 = very untrue). The higher a subject’s score on the Subjective Well-
Being Scale, the higher the subjective well-being; the lower the score, the
lower the subjective well-being.
Scale of intensity of dzikir
Intensity of dzikir was measured by the Scale of Intensity of Dzikir. which
was modified from Afrianti (1999). The Scale of Intensity of Dzikir measured
items on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = very untrue, 2 = untrue, 3 = true, 4 = very
true). A high score on the Scale of Intensity of Dzikir shows high intensity of
dzikir; conversely, a low score shows low intensity of dzikir.
86 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

9. Procedures
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the relevant university ethics
committee. The research subjects were 51 members of Sholawat A’dzom
Dzikir Congregation of Klaten and Boyolali, Central Java. The subjects’ back-
grounds varied. The subjects’ ages ranged from 22–71 years old. In terms of
education, the subjects had bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, high school
diploma, junior high school, and elementary school education. Most of the
subjects were entrepreneurs and labors, although some were civil servants,
private employees, and retirees.
The research locations were Klaten, Central Java, and Yogyakarta. The
research was collected not only when the congregation hold the dzikir ritual,
but also when the researcher met some subjects. A total of 51 responses
received from the subjects were considered suitable to be analyzed. This
suitability was obtained after conducting a feasibility test, which included
giving identities and completing the scales. The researcher distributed the
research scales directly to the subjects and checked the completeness of the
answers at the site, so that there were no empty answers in the scales.
Results
Based on the analysis, it was concluded that the intensity of dzikir had a very
significant positive relation with subjective well-being, r = 0.58, p < .01, so the
hypothesis of this research was accepted. The effective contribution of the
intensity of dzikir is 33.64% to the emergence of subjective well-being; in
other words, other factors caused the remaining 63.36% of subjective well-
being on the Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation. The factors might
invlude social interaction, health, welfare, and culture. Moreover, this study
also discovered that every dzikir practice of Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir
Congregation has a rather significant impact on the aspects of subjective
well-being of the subjects, such as life satisfaction and domination of positive
affect over negative affect in the subjects’ lives.
The result of quantitative statistical analysis showed that Sholawat A’dzom
Dzikir Congregation’s comprehension on dzikir practice influenced their
level of subjective well-being. The comprehension had a very significant
influence, and contributing 33.64% to their happiness. Besides quantitative
analysis, qualitatively the congregation also showed increased levels of sub-
jective well-being after practicing dzikir.
Discussion
Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation is a non-tarekat dzikir congregation
dominated by middle-aged and elderly individuals who used to have great
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 87

10. problems in their families, work, internal conflicts, and other areas of life. In
the beginning they were depressed and desperate, and some even had alcohol
abuse and suicidal tendencies. After joining Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir
Congregation, they faced their problems by getting close to God by perform-
ing religious rituals such as dzikir, which they call mujahadah.
Members of the congregation who had an understanding of religion and
the presence of God showed positive everyday behaviors and attitudes at
work and in their social and family lives. These attitudes and behaviors were
dominated by positive affect and only a little were influenced by negative
affect. It was consistent with the statements of Powers, Cramer, and dan
Grubka (2007), in their study that found that spirituality is an attitude that
can reduce the manifestation of negative affect due to stress and produce a
positive affect instead.
The dzikir practice of Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation is always
opened with sholawat, which is sung together solemnly, followed by an
imam who reminds them that the right intention to perform the dzikir
ritual is only to search of the blessings of Allah SWT. Next is a reading,
Ismul A’dzom (five names of Allah). The purpose of reciting it is so that
the congregation can internalize the properties of Allah to create positive
affect and diminish the negative affect of the members of the congrega-
tion. Davidson et al.’s study (2003) discovered that meditation signifi-
cantly triggers stronger activities in the left prefrontal cortex, an area in
the brain related to positive emotion.
The next practices are Tasbih prayer and Mutlak prayer. During the
prayers, the congregation is expected to fully surrender to Allah SWT, and
after the prayers they repeatedly recite “istighfar” and “syahadat” together. In
this condition, the congregation feels that everything that existed and hap-
pened in their lives were fully the rights of Allah. The congregation could
only try and make plans, so they became grateful and never feel lacking in
their lives. It produced life satisfaction and constant happiness in the con-
gregation. In a review of 100 studies on religion and well-being before 2000,
Koenig (1998) discovered that nearly 80% showed a significant statistical
relationship between religion and greater life satisfaction, happiness, better
mood, or higher morals.
This is followed by Sholawat A’dzom, Nida’ Rasul, and recitation of verse
81 of Al Isro’ of Al-Qur’an. It aims to calm anxiety, remove doubts, develop
optimism, and avoid worry. In a study by Diener, Suh, Lucas, and Smith
(1999), religion provides strength when in doubt, provides certainty and
confidence, increases feelings of security, and prevents pain thus protecting
from mental illnesses and worry. It’s in line with what happened in members
of Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation.
One subject, SM, a 65-year-old man, is a retired Islamic religion teacher.
He said that before joining Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation he was
88 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

11. bored of worship because he thought it’s not to be comprehended, but
performed in plain view. Worse, in that boredom he felt restless, stifled,
and irritable: “I used to feel stifled, distraught, every emotional. When I pray,
I just pray after arriving home from work … I was like a child.”
Negative affect kept appearing and became the dominant feelings in his
life. For example, when a neighbor bought something, he was envious. But,
after joining the congregation, the positive affect was more dominant and his
life satisfaction increased: “I’m calmer now, not agitated, not irritable. Back
then, when a neighbor bought a new bike, I was angry. I don’t do that
anymore, this is what I have … I’m grateful for what Allah gave me.”
The difference after the subject practiced dzikir in Sholawat A’dzom
Congregation was reduced negative affect, improved social relations with
others, positive coping by being grateful, and achieving life satisfaction.
Based on the description of dzikir practices, it was discovered that the dzikir
practice that influenced the subject was Ismul A’dzom, which produced
positive affect and reduced negative affect. Tasbih prayer, Mutlak prayer,
and istighfarand and syahadat recitation produced gratefulness in the subject,
so the subject was satisfied with what was in his life. The positive values,
starting from the emergence of positive affect, lack of negative affect, grate-
fulness, and life satisfaction, improved social relations with others.
In subjective well-being, the emergence of negative affect is one of the
causes of stress and depression. When an individual too often experiences
negative affect, they can easily experience stress and depression. Conversely,
when an individual is always filled with positive affect, they will be closer to
happiness. The research result showed that members of the Sholawat
A’dzom Dzikir Congregation had more positive affect than negative. As
stated by Daaleman and Frey (2004), spirituality has a positive correlation
with well-being (positive) and inverse correlation with negative affect and
depression (negative). Another study stated that beside as faith, religion can
also serve in preventing negative affect or have therapeutic effects on
mental health (Levin & Chatters, as cited in Cohen, 2002).
The intensity of dzikir isn’t limited to the quantity of dzikir, but also the
quality, understanding, and comprehension of religion and divinity. Besides
the emerged positive affect and lack of negative affect, the members of the
congregation who had a high intensity of dzikir also could understand the
meaning of their lives. They were satisfied with their entire life. They were
satisfied with their family lives, social lives, and themselves. In addition to
being satisfied, they were also optimistic in facing all problems in everyday
life. The congregation also wanted to develop themselves by doing something
to benefit the environment and adjust with good situations.
Another subject, TT, a 46-year-old woman who works in a bank, said
something different. The subject had a family and financial problem that
made her lose her spirit, and the subject found it again in this congregation:
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 89

12. “You can say I lost my spirit in life, there was only 30% of it left at most …
then I joined this congregation, practice the teachings and Alhamdulillah
until now I can live life better.”
She used to have anxiety, confusion, and distress due to an unstable
financial condition that caused her to worry about her future and family.
But after practicing dzikir in Sholawat A’dzom Congregation, the subject felt
calm and optimistic in facing her problems: “Financially, it’s still the same,
still unstable. But mentally, I’m more stable. I’m more accepting, calmer in
solving the problems.”
Unlike the first subject, the second subject had significant changes in her
optimism and gratefulness, which she showed in accepting everything in her
life and in having a reduced negative affect. Practices that strongly affected
the second subject were Sholawat A’dzom, Nida’ Rasul, and the recitation of
verse 81 of Al Isro’ of Al-Qur’an. It created optimism in the subject in facing
all problems in her life. Moreover, Tasbih prayer, Mutlak prayer, istighfar
recitation, and syahadat recitation created gratefulness in the subject. To
reduce negative affect, the subject’s comprehension of Ismul A’dzom had a
rather strong influence.
Similarly, a study by Haber, Jacob, and Spangler (2007) discovered seven
factors of the influence of spirituality on subjective well-being, including
spirituality or relation with God cultivates an understanding of life, increases
satisfaction of life, gives comfort when facing difficulties in life, and forms an
adaptable personality. It could be said, therefore, that individuals with a high
intensity of dzikir also had a high level of life satisfaction and optimism in
facing problems.
In the context of religion, it’s said that one who has good spiritual under-
standing of faith, Islam, and ihsan will be devoted to the commands of God
and avoid everything He forbids. It leads individuals to true happiness. In his
book Psikologi Agama, Jalaluddin (2007) stated that in religion, problems that
appear in one’s life are a process to be better. It triggers optimism, happiness,
and other positive feelings. In QS Ar Ra’ad 28, Allah says: “Those who have
believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah.
Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.”
The components of aspects of subjective well-being, according to Diener
et al. (1999), are dominant positive affect, lack of negative affect, and life
satisfaction. One of the factors that influences subjective well-being is
religion. From the previous description, it’s concluded that Sholawat
A’dzom Dzikir Congregation mostly had medium and high intensity of
dzikir. It influenced their subjective well-being or happiness.
Several similar studies have also stated that religiousness and spirituality
are positively related to subjective well-being (Ellison, 1991). In a review of
around 200 studies, Matthews and Larson (1995) found positive relations
between spirituality/religion and physical and functional statuses, reduced
90 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

13. psychopathology, and greater emotional well-being and positive coping.
Moreira-Almeida, Neto, and Koenig (2006) discovered that in most studies
on the involvement of religion, there is positive relation with indicators of
well-being such as life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect and lack of
depression, suicidal thoughts, and drug and alcohol abuse.
This happened to the third subject, RY. He was a 46-year-old entrepre-
neur. The subject used to never pray and was a hoodlum. This happened
until the subject joined Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation due to family
issues and internal conflict: “I used to be impudent, a trouble maker. I never
prayed and only sinned every day and my family situation was very unstable,
there was a fight everyday.”
In confusion, the subject looked for someone to solve his problems. The
subject visited witchdoctors in Central Java and East Java. However, he
always doubted what they gave him to solve his problems:
I used to go to witchdoctors a lot. On one occasion, I was told to drink water from
a razorblade which was wrung by the witchdoctor. I was told to do many other
things, but I never felt any effect. I started to doubt those witchdoctors. Finally, I
found this dzikir congregation and was taught dzikir practices to do after
prayers… but back then I didn’t pray. After that, I started to pray … hehehehe.
The subject felt the benefits of the dzikir practices Sholawat A’dzom
Congregation after practicing them regularly. The subject became calmer,
more optimistic in facing problems, and grateful for what was in his life:
I’m calmer now. … Back then, when I had no money, I became confused …
agitated. Now, if I have no money, I say nothing, accept the situation. If I have
money, I use it carefully to give it to the needy. I’m sure it will be replaced. I
believe Allah always grants solutions. My change was almost 180 degrees after I
joined this dzikir congregation.
The third subject experienced changes in the emergence of positive affect,
good self-acceptance, and optimism in facing problems. These changes were
the results of the subject’s comprehension of the dzikir practices in the
congregation. Ismul A’dzom practice created positive affect inside him. The
subject’s comprehension of Tasbih prayer, Mutlak prayer, istighfar recitation,
and syahadat recitation also increased the subject’s acceptance of his life.
Meanwhile, Sholawat A’dzom, Nida’ Rasul, and recitation of verse 81 of Al
Isro’ of Al-Qur’an triggered optimism to solve his problems.
The intensity of dzikir as a predictor of subjective well-being has another
factor beside the spirituality level of religious understanding, which is med-
itation. Meditation as a contemplation and reflection activity plays a part in
reaching subjective well-being by producing positive emotions, removing
negative emotions, and increasing life satisfaction for people who perform it.
Gopukumar and Hussain Ali (2002) reported that 40 days of meditation
exercise brings significant positive influence on individual’s subjective well-
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 91

14. being. It happens because during meditation, an individual will be very
relaxed (Shafii, 1985). Meditation also binds one’s awareness to a certain
object and doesn’t change for a time (Oernstein, in Subandi, 2009). Relaxed
feelings and focused awareness bring the individual to a transformed state of
awareness, from normal awareness to changed awareness. So, the individual
will have a spiritual experienced of feeling something divine (Subandi, 2009).
The next subject, SY, was a 45-year-old furniture salesman. Unlike the
previous subjects, this subject joined Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation
due to business competition. Many of his business competitors used witch-
doctors to increase their production and income. However, the subject didn’t
do that and chose instead to join the dzikir congregation:
Businesspeople usually ask for help from witchdoctors … they receive spells, it’s
like if we’re hungry, we’re given food to eat. But I don’t like that method. I prefer a
process … from planting, cultivating, to eating [the process of dzikir practice].
In terms of peace of mind after practicing dzikir, the subject experienced
the same as the previous subjects. After practicing dzikir they became calm
and peaceful, including when they view their lives: “The heart becomes calm,
so when we face problems, we’re not stressed.”
Life satisfaction and positive affect are common for the subject. This was
concluded from the following statement from the subject: “The difference is,
after joining this dzikir, it’s around 90% … not greedy anymore, meaning
people usually want the world for themselves … but now we’re not like that.”
The fourth subject is a member of the dzikir congregation who claimed to
join Sholawat A’dzom congregation not because of personal problems, but
due to business competition. The differences in the subject after practicing
dzikir were gratefulness and optimism in facing problems. Based on those
changes, it was discovered that the dzikir practices that strongly influenced
the subject were Sholawat A’dzom, Nida’ Rasul, and recitation of verse 81 of
Al Isro’ of Al-Qur’an which develop optimism. Tasbih prayer, Mutlak prayer,
and istighfar recitation and syahadat recitation repeatedly developed grate-
fulness inside him.
The next subject, MS, was a 35-year-old laborer. The subject’s initial
motivation to join and practice in Sholawat A’dzom Congregation was bank-
ruptcy. The subject had been stressed because his business collapsed and he
sold nearly all his properties to survive:
Before I joined this dzikir congregation, I had a business. In 2002, my
business collapsed … Alhamdulillah, soon after that, I met Simbah, and I
realized why my business failed after I joined this mujahadah … I had
abandoned Allah for too long. I used to never go to mosques, but now I’m
a muadzin in the mosque in my village.
92 F. HAMSYAH AND SUBANDI

15. The subject had life satisfaction now that he was a laborer. When he was
rich when he owned a business, he was restless: “I was materially fulfilled …
but now I don’t even have a motorbike, but I’m calmer.”
The last subject experienced a difficult situation as a businessman who
went bankrupt. It changed his life totally. In that difficult condition, the
subject joined Sholawat A’dzom congregation and tried to practice the dzikir
practices of this congregation. Over time, the subject managed to compre-
hend every practice of his dzikir, especially Tasbih prayer, Mutlak prayer,
istighfar recitation, and syahadat recitation, which had a great influence on
the emergence of gratefulness and self-acceptance within him.
The result of quantitative statistical analysis showed that the comprehen-
sion of Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation on their dzikir practices
influenced their level of subjective well-being. The comprehension had a
very significant influence and had a 33.64% contribution to their happiness.
Beside quantitative analysis, qualitatively the congregation showed increased
levels of subjective well-being after practicing dzikir based on dzikir practices
in Sholawat A’dzom Dzikir Congregation.
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