Profesionalisme Imam Masjid sebagai Pembimbing Kesejahteraan Psikospiritual Berasaskan Al-Quran: Analisis Perspektif Pakar

Professionalising Mosque Imams as Psychospiritual Well-Being Guidance: An Expert Perspective Analysis

الملخص

The increasing prevalence of emotional distress, psychosocial challenges, and spiritual insecurity in contemporary Muslim societies has heightened the need for effective psychospiritual support mechanisms that integrate religious and emotional well-being. In this context, mosque imams frequently serve as the first point of reference for individuals seeking spiritual guidance, religious counselling, and emotional support. However, despite the growing expectations placed upon them, their psychospiritual guidance role is often undertaken without a clearly articulated professional framework or systematic competency development. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to analyse the essential dimensions of mosque imam professionalism as guides of community psychospiritual well-being from the perspective of experts. Employing a qualitative research design, the study utilised semi-structured interviews with experts in Islamic studies, psychospiritual development, counselling, and community development. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and core dimensions that underpin effective psychospiritual guidance within the mosque context. The findings reveal five interrelated dimensions of imam professionalism: mastery of Islamic knowledge, personal integrity and moral character, psychospiritual guidance and Islamic counselling competencies, effective communication and emotional management skills, and integrated institutional support for professional capacity development. The analysis further indicates that these dimensions are deeply rooted in Islamic principles of spiritual nurturing, self-purification (tazkiyah al-nafs), and holistic human development, reflecting the broader objectives of Islamic guidance in promoting individual and communal well-being. This study contributes to the discourse on Islamic leadership and community well-being by providing a structured conceptualisation of imam professionalism in psychospiritual guidance. The findings offer important implications for the development of imam training programmes, mosque governance, and policy formulation by religious authorities aimed at strengthening the capacity of mosque institutions to address contemporary psychosocial and spiritual challenges within Muslim communities.