The Epistemology of Sufi Healing in Miftāḥ al-Ṣudūr by Pangersa Abah Anom

Teten Jalaludin Hayat; Nasihun Amin; Nizar Nizar

doi:10.21580/tos.v13i2.21941

Authors

Teten Jalaludin Hayat Postgraduate Program, Department of Islamic Studies, State Islamic University Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9548-5674
Nasihun Amin Department of Quranic Sciences and Tafsir, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Humanities, State Islamic University Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia
Nizar Nizar State Islamic University of Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21580/tos.v13i2.21941

Keywords:

Epistemology, Sufi Healing, Dhikr, Miftāḥ al-Ṣudūr, mental impurities

Abstract

The global rise of mental health issues has encouraged the search for therapeutic models that integrate spiritual and psychological dimensions. Sufism provides a rich foundation for inner healing, yet its epistemological basis is still underexplored. This study examines the epistemology of Sufi healing in Miftāḥ al-Ṣudūr [The Key of Hearts] by Pangersa Abah Anom, employing a descriptive qualitative method and the Miles and Huberman analysis model. Classical Sufi concepts like purification, emptying, and filtering of the self, combined with psychological and neuroscientific insights, form a holistic framework for self-healing. Dhikr and spiritual heart-to-heart transmission are mechanisms for inner purification, emotional regulation, and neuroplasticity. Sufi healing presents an interdisciplinary paradigm relevant to the mental health discourse; however, it is limited to textual analysis and lacks empirical field data. Future studies should incorporate ethnographic and clinical approaches involving active Sufi practitioners.

Contribution: This study establishes an epistemological framework for Sufi healing by integrating classical Sufi concepts with psychological and neuroscientific insights. It introduces a new perspective on healing through epistemological awareness of mental impurity and mind-wandering.

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