WALI PILGRIMAGE AS RELIGIOUS COPING AMONG GENERATION Z: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF RELIGIOUS MEANING-MAKING AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES IN KUDUS

Authors

  • Aulia Raihan Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia
  • Arum istiqoma Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia
  • Rifqi Irfan Khariri Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia
  • Anwar Yusuf Huda Universitas Al Azhar Cairo, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32332/akademika.v31i2.14240

Keywords:

Generation Z, wali pilgrimage, religious coping, religious meaning-making, emotional experience, digital culture

Abstract

This study explores how Generation Z experiences wali pilgrimage as a religious coping practice when encountering emotional and personal difficulties. It specifically examines participants’ motivations, the meanings they attribute to pilgrimage, their emotional experiences before and after pilgrimage, and the role of religious practices in their coping processes. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach with eight Generation Z participants aged 18–26 years, four males and four females, all employed and having visited the Tomb of Sunan Kudus more than once. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation from January to April 2026. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological approach, supported by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s qualitative data analysis framework. The findings indicate that participants engaged in wali pilgrimage for diverse reasons, including seeking emotional calm, maintaining religious habits, seeking barokah, engaging in spiritual reflection, and responding to social and digital influences. Pilgrimage was experienced not only as a religious visit but also as a space for prayer, remembrance of death, self-reflection, seeking closeness to Allah, and temporarily distancing oneself from everyday pressures. Several participants reported experiencing emotional relief, greater inner calm, patience, acceptance, and greater clarity following pilgrimage, although these experiences varied across participants and did not necessarily resolve the practical problems they faced. The findings further indicate that pilgrimage may function as a religious coping resource through prayer, remembrance, reflection, surrender, and the search for spiritual meaning. Social media contributed to the visibility and motivation of pilgrimage for some participants, while established religious practices and personal spiritual intentions remained significant. Overall, wali pilgrimage among Generation Z reflects a multidimensional process of religious meaning-making in which emotional experiences, Islamic tradition, social relationships, and digital culture intersect.

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Published

29-10-2026

Issue

Vol. 31 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Aulia Raihan, Arum istiqoma, Rifqi Irfan Khariri, Anwar Yusuf Huda

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