Lived Experiences of Rural Youth in Religious-Economic Majelis Taklim Programs

Abstract

Religious education plays a vital role in shaping individual and communal identities, particularly within rural Muslim communities. While majelis taklim are widely recognized as centers for spiritual learning, their evolving role in youth economic empowerment remains underexplored. Despite growing attention to their practical benefits, little is known about how rural youth personally experience and interpret their participation in these faith-based programs. This study addresses that gap by asking: how do young people make sense of their engagement in majelis taklim that combine religious instruction with economic empowerment? Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, this study explores the lived experiences of ten rural youth (aged 17–25) from Central Java, Indonesia who actively participated in such programs. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to identify key experiential themes. The findings reveal four emergent themes: (1) majlis as a spiritual sanctuary, (2) economic participation as a form of religious duty, (3) peer bonding and communal resilience, and (4) aspiration building through integrated learning. Participants described deep internalization of religious values, strengthened social bonds, and renewed purpose through their involvement. These results suggest that religious spaces can function as holistic platforms for youth development in under-resourced settings. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how integrated religious and economic programs impact youth empowerment and provides a foundation for future research into the subjective dimensions of faith-based community education.