A Phenomenological Exploration of Religious Meaning-Making Through Literary Qur’an Interpretation

Abstract

Religious education, particularly Qur’anic learning, has long emphasized memorization as a core spiritual and pedagogical practice. Within this tradition, the integration of literary interpretation into Qur’an memorization offers a unique space for spiritual reflection and meaning-making among students. However, little is known about how Qur’an-memorizing students personally experience and internalize religious meaning through literary engagement with the text. This study addresses that gap by exploring how students construct spiritual understanding through memorization and interpretation of Qur’anic verses in a pesantren context. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, this research uncovers how embodied recitation and interpretive reflection shape the religious experiences of santri (Qur’an-memorizing students). Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method, a systematic process for identifying core themes in qualitative data, to extract essential themes of meaning. Findings reveal that rhythmic recitation fosters emotional resonance, literary interpretation invites existential insight, and together they contribute to a deeper sense of spiritual embodiment. In summary, this study highlights how combining memorization with literary reflection transforms Qur’anic learning into a deeply personal and spiritual process. This study enhances our understanding of personal meaning-making in Islamic education and suggests that phenomenological inquiry can reveal dimensions of religious learning that remain inaccessible to traditional pedagogical or textual approaches.