The Living Qur’an Jar as Qur’anic Psychospiritual Support for Inner Peace among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects not only patients’ physical conditions but also their psychological and spiritual well-being. Many patients experience anxiety, emotional instability, uncertainty, and a need to reinterpret illness within a meaningful framework. In the Islamic context, Qur’anic reflection may provide a source of spiritual reassurance and meaning-making for Muslim patients facing chronic illness. However, limited studies have examined how Qur’anic reflective practices are experienced by patients with SLE in their everyday efforts to attain inner peace. This study aims to explore the psychospiritual meanings constructed by Muslim women with SLE through their engagement with The Living Qur’an Jar as a medium of Qur’anic reflection. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, this research involved five Muslim women diagnosed with SLE in Jember, East Java. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and field notes after participants engaged with The Living Qur’an Jar for seven days. The data were analysed using phenomenological thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns of meaning in participants’ lived experiences. The findings show that participants interpreted Qur’anic reflection as a way to feel spiritually accompanied by Allah, regulate emotional distress, reinterpret illness through patience and trust in God, and transform reflective awareness into simple daily actions. Rather than functioning as a clinical therapy, The Living Qur’an Jar was experienced as a Qur’anic psychospiritual practice that supported participants in constructing meaning, emotional calm, and spiritual reassurance. This study contributes to discussions on the lived experience of Muslim patients with chronic illness by highlighting Qur’anic mindfulness as a reflective process of psychospiritual meaning-making.