LIVING THE QUR'AN THROUGH DHIKR: ATTITUDES OF THE KHALWATIYAH SHAYKH YUSUF AL-MAKASSARI ORDER TOWARD THE RECITATION OF LĀ ILĀHA ILLALLĀH IN RATIB AL-'AṬṬĀS

Abstract

The study of Living Qur'an has increasingly expanded beyond textual interpretation to investigate how Qur'anic values are embodied in the everyday religious practices of Muslim communities. Among these practices, dhikr occupies a distinctive position as a ritual through which Qur'anic teachings are continuously internalized and experienced. Despite the growing body of scholarship on Living Qur'an, relatively limited attention has been devoted to understanding how specific Qur'anic invocations function not only as devotional expressions but also as mechanisms for constructing religious attitudes and collective spiritual identity within Sufi communities. This study addresses this gap by examining the attitudes of the followers of the Khalwatiyah Shaykh Yusuf al-Makassari Order toward the recitation of Lā Ilāha Illallāh within Ratib al-'Aṭṭās. Employing qualitative field research within the Living Qur'an paradigm, this study integrates phenomenological and social psychological approaches to investigate how Qur'anic values are interpreted, practiced, and internalized through ritual remembrance. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with murshids and disciples, and documentation of ritual practices. The collected data were analyzed thematically through processes of data reduction, categorization, interpretation, and triangulation. The findings reveal that the recitation of Lā Ilāha Illallāh functions simultaneously as a theological affirmation, a spiritual discipline, and a social practice that shapes the religious worldview of the Khalwatiyah community. Rather than being understood merely as repetitive verbal worship, the invocation constitutes a continuous process of internalizing Qur'anic teachings concerning tawḥīd, purification of the soul, reliance upon God, and moral transformation. The ritual practice of Ratib al-'Aṭṭās strengthens individual spirituality while simultaneously reinforcing collective religious identity through shared devotional experience. The study further demonstrates that the attitudes developed by practitioners encompass cognitive conviction, emotional attachment, and behavioral commitment, thereby illustrating how Qur'anic values become living realities within everyday religious life. Theoretically, this study contributes to the development of Living Qur'an scholarship by proposing that Qur'anic reception should be understood not only through textual interpretation but also through the interaction between sacred text, ritual performance, spiritual experience, and communal religious identity. The findings also enrich contemporary discussions on Qur'anic embodiment, Sufi spirituality, and the anthropology of Islamic devotional practices.