Penuaan dari Perspektif Badiuzzaman Said Nursi: Solusi Rohani dalam Menghadapi Ketakutan Penuaan dan Kematian
A Qurʾānic-Spiritual Reframing of Aging and Mortality: Insights from Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s Thought for Contemporary Gerontology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/jmqs.v22i1.609Abstract
Aging constitutes an inevitable ontological trajectory in human existence, frequently accompanied by physiological decline, cognitive changes, and heightened psychological vulnerability, particularly manifesting as anxiety toward death. Within contemporary gerontology, increasing attention has been accorded to spirituality as a determinant of emotional resilience and quality of life in later adulthood. This study aims to critically examine the conceptualisation of aging and death from the perspective of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and to articulate his spiritually grounded remedies for mitigating aging-related anxiety. Employing a qualitative library-based methodology, the study undertakes a thematic and textual analysis of Nursi’s seminal work, Risale-i Nur, alongside interdisciplinary scholarship in gerontology and the psychology of aging. The findings reveal three principal insights: first, aging is reframed not as mere degeneration but as a divinely ordained phase of repose imbued with mercy, inviting heightened awareness of human dependency upon God; second, death is reconceptualised as a transformative existential passage toward eternal life rather than annihilation; and third, Nursi’s proposed spiritual remedies centre upon tawakkul (reliance upon God), reflective engagement with Qurʾānic meanings, and the cultivation of faith as sources of hope, meaning, and inner tranquillity. These insights collectively challenge reductionist biomedical narratives by introducing a theologically anchored paradigm that integrates metaphysical purpose with psychosocial adaptation. The study concludes that Nursi’s framework offers a constructive and integrative model for contemporary gerontology, particularly in enhancing emotional regulation, resilience, and spiritual well-being among older adults, thereby contributing to a more holistic understanding of aging within Islamic intellectual and applied contexts.
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