The Qur'an as a Self-Healing Medium: A Study of the Living Qur'an among Final Year Students of the Imam Syafi'i Islamic Institute

Abstract

This study analyzes how final-year students at IAI Imam Syafii Pekanbaru use the Qur’an as a self-healing medium in responding to academic and psychological pressures. A qualitative descriptive and interpretive design grounded in the Living Qur’an approach was employed. Twelve final-year students were selected purposively, and data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, then analyzed thematically and interpretively. The findings identify three major stressor categories: chronic academic workload, administrative disorientation, and conflicts in social relationships and personal life. In response, students engage with the Qur’an through listening to murottal, internalizing patience, tawakkul, and gratitude, reviewing memorization, dhikr, and spiritual reflection. These practices are perceived as providing emotional calm, meaning, and resilience when students face academic uncertainty and bureaucratic confusion. The study shows that Living Qur’an practices function as forms of spiritual coping that support emotional regulation and continued academic engagement, while not substituting professional psychological support when such assistance is needed.