Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism
Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025)

Existential Anxiety and Spiritual Coping in the Contemporary Digital Landscape: A Dialogue with Buya Hamka's Sufism

Aswar Aswar (Department of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta)
Muhammad Aska Irfani (Department of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta)
Alam Khaerul Hidayat (Department of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta)
Musdalipa Musdalipa (Department of Management, Insan Madani Mandar College of Economics and Business, Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi)
Mahsur Mahsur (Department of Islamic Religious Education, Faculty of Tarbiyah, Institut Agama Islam Al-Manan NU, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara)



Article Info

Publish Date
08 Dec 2025

Abstract

Existential anxiety has emerged as a growing concern in contemporary digital society, yet its spiritual dimension remains insufficiently explored. This study examines manifestations of existential anxiety and spiritual coping through the philosophical framework of Buya Hamka's Tasawuf Modern. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, it integrates digital content analysis of publicly accessible narratives from TikTok, X, Instagram, and Threads with philosophical textual analysis of Tasawuf Modern. The findings reveal three major manifestations of existential anxiety: loss of meaning in life, digital isolation, and uncertainty about the future, alongside four forms of spiritual coping: gratitude (shukr), contentment (qanā’ah), trust in God (tawakkal), and remembrance of God (dhikr). These findings highlight the relevance of Hamka's modern Sufism (Tasawuf Modern) as a philosophical framework for understanding spiritually grounded coping with existential anxiety in the digital era. Contribution: This article contributes to the growing scholarship on existential anxiety by integrating empirical digital narratives with Buya Hamka's Tasawuf Modern. Rather than treating Hamka's thought as an empirically tested intervention, the study positions Tasawuf Modern as an interpretive philosophical framework for understanding contemporary forms of spiritual coping in digital society.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

teosofia

Publisher

Subject

Religion Arts Humanities Social Sciences

Description

This journal provides a scholarly forum for sustained discussion of Islamic Mysticism and covers Humanities studies; Philosophy, Critical Thought, Cultural Studies, Art, Sociology, Anthropology, and Ethics. It presents developments of the related issues through publication of articles as well as ...