Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

Journal Metrics

News

The Role of I'tikaf in Spiritual Empowerment and Enhancing Life Satisfaction Among Adults: A Semi-Experimental Study with a Psycho-Spiritual Rehabilitation Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of counseling, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

2 . Department of Shafi'I Jurisprudence, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

3 Department of Shafi'i Jurisprudence, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Objective: In recent years, spiritual interventions have received increasing attention as complementary approaches in psychosocial rehabilitation and health promotion. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of E'tekaf (Islamic spiritual retreat) as a spiritual–social intervention on spiritual well-being and life satisfaction among adults.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a one-month follow-up phase. The study population consisted of adults aged 18 to 60 years in Sanandaj, Iran, in 2024. A total of 60 participants were selected using convenience sampling. The experimental group (n = 30) comprised individuals who voluntarily participated in the E'tekaf program, whereas the control group (n = 30) consisted of individuals who were either unwilling or unable to participate. The experimental group attended a 10-night spiritual retreat program conducted in mosques. Data were collected using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (1982) and the Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (1993). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results: The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in mean scores of spiritual well-being (F = 24.34, η² = 0.29, p < .01) and life satisfaction (F = 14.17, η² = 0.19, p < .01). Participation in the E'tekaf program led to significant improvements in spiritual well-being and life satisfaction among participants in the experimental group compared with those in the control group. These effects remained stable at the one-month follow-up assessment.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that E'tekaf may serve as an effective spiritual–social intervention for psychosocial rehabilitation and the enhancement of quality of life among adults. The development and support of community-based spiritual programs may contribute to strengthening spiritual well-being, increasing life satisfaction, and promoting psychological empowerment.
Keywords: I'tikaf, spiritual empowerment, psycho-spiritual rehabilitation, life satisfaction, spiritual well-being.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References
Asar Roudi, A., Jalilvand, M. R., Udi, D., & Akaberi, A. (2012). The relationship between spiritual well-being and life satisfaction in the nursing staff of Mashhad Hashemi Nezhad Hospital. Modern Care Journal, 9(2), 156–156. [In Persian]
Asqalānī, A. ibn Ḥajar. (2018). Fatḥ al-Bārī sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (M. al-Dīn Khaṭīb, Ed.). Dār al-Maʿrifah. [In Arabic]
Basid, A. (2022). I'tikaf therapy as an effort to prevent terrorism: A study of Al-Qurtubi’s interpretation of QS. Al-Baqarah: 187. Al-Quds: Jurnal Studi Alquran dan Hadis, 6(3), 1153–1176. https://doi.org/10.29240/alquds.v6i3.4279
Bryan, S., Zipp, G., & Breitkreuz, D. (2021). The effects of mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga on spiritual well-being in cancer survivors: A pilot study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 27(3), 36–43.
de Miranda, R. C., Moreira-Almeida, A., & Caixeta, L. (2022). Religiosity/spirituality and mental health in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 877213. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.877213
Diego-Cordero, R., Suárez-Reina, P., Badanta, B., Lucchetti, G., & Vega-Escaño, J. (2022). The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Nursing Research, 67, 151618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151618
Dortaj, F., & Allahi, Z. (2015). A study of the effectiveness of I'tikaf ceremony on students’ mental health and happiness. Islamic Perspective on Educational Science, 3(4), 75–88. [In Persian]
Eker, H. H., Onuk, M. D., Geredeli, C., & Abuduli, M. (2017). The impact of Ramazan I'tikaf on immune system. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 17(3), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.37268/mjphm/vol.17/no.3/art.221
Fatemi, M. M., Nazari, R., Safavi, M., Naini, M. K., & Savadpour, M. T. (2011). The relationship between nurses’ spirituality and patients’ satisfaction in hospitals of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, 5(17), 141–159.
Graça, L., & Brandão, T. (2024). Religious/spiritual coping, emotion regulation, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction among university students. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 52(3), 342–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471231223920
Guerriero, S., & Hida, R. T. B. (2025). New airs for Spiritism: From Xavierian moralism to New Age individualism. International Journal of Latin American Religions, 9(1), 286–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41603-025-00285-w
Heidari, A., Ghorbani, N., & Pourhosein, R. (2018). The relationship between attachment style and life satisfaction: The mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction. Journal of Psychological Science, 17(70), 643–650. [In Persian]
Ibn ʿĀbidīn, M. A. (1992). Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār. Dār al-Fikr. [In Arabic]
Ibn Qudāmah, A. A. (1986). Al-Mughnī. Maktabat al-Qāhirah. [In Arabic]
Jafari, A., & Momeni, K. (2024). Effectiveness of religious-spiritual group therapy on spiritual health and quality of life in methadone-treated patients: A randomized clinical trial. Addiction & Health, 11(3), 156–164.
Jubair, H., Ahasan, A., & Islam, M. M. (2025). Investigating the psychological, emotional, and social benefits of I'tikaf. Authorea Preprints. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175139156.65624810/v1
Karakaş, A. C., & Eker, H. H. (2018). The effects of I'tikâf on state-trait anger, intrinsic religiousness, and subjective well-being. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 3(2), 161–176. https://doi.org/10.12738/spc.2018.3.2.0044
Kāsānī, A. M. (1986). Badāʾiʿ al-ṣanāʾiʿ fī tartīb al-sharāʾiʿ. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah. [In Arabic]
Lee, K. (2024). Validation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale for Korean older adults using item response theory. Journal of Health Psychology, 29(12), 1365–1376. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053241233461
Mahmudi, T., Mar’ashi, S. A., Afshari, H., Mansurinejad, R., & Naderi Tezengi, M. (2016). Effectiveness of attending Etekaf ceremony on spiritual intelligence, depression, anxiety, and stress among students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Journal of Islamic Psychology, 2(2), 61–77. [In Persian]
Marāghī, A. (1946). Tafsīr al-Marāghī. Muṣṭafā al-Bābī al-Ḥalabī wa Awlāduh. [In Arabic]
Martinez-Calderon, J., Garcia-Munoz, C., Cano-Garcia, F. J., & Heredia-Rizo, A. M. (2023). Psychological and spiritual interventions to enhance meaning in adults diagnosed with cancer: A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. Supportive Care in Cancer, 31(9), Article 523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07986-y
Moradizallani, A., Azarbayjani, M., Hassanabadi, H., & Ahmaidifaraz, M. (2020). Comparison of group cognitive therapy and Islamic-based spiritual intervention in palliative care on quality of life, anxiety, and depression among patients with breast cancer. Journal of Ilam University of Medical Sciences, 28(3), 93–102. [In Persian]
Motevalian, S. M., Noori, Z., & Hosseini Shirvani, S. M. (2018). The relationship between religiosity, gender, marital status, and life satisfaction among university students. Journal of Islam and Social Sciences, 9(18), 139–160. [In Persian]
Nangia, P., & Ruthven, I. (2025). A review of the literature on spirituality and religion in information research: 1990–2022. Journal of Documentation, 81(1), 236–258. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2024-0039
Özdemir, A. A., Kavak Budak, F., Dural, G., & Gültekin, A. (2023). The relationship between spiritual well-being, life satisfaction, and hope in elderly individuals in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(5), 3123–3136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01517-5
Qarāfī, S. H. (1994). Al-Dhakhīrah. Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī. [In Arabic]
Qāsimī, M. J. (1997). Maḥāsin al-taʾwīl (M. B. ʿUyūn al-Sūd, Ed.). Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah. [In Arabic]
Raffone, A., Marzetti, L., Del Gratta, C., Perrucci, M. G., Romani, G. L., & Pizzella, V. (2019). Toward a brain theory of meditation. In A. Rafal & B. L. Giacomo (Eds.), Progress in Brain Research (Vol. 244, pp. 207–232). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.028
Ramlī, M. A. (1984). Nihāyat al-muḥtāj ilā sharḥ al-minhāj. Dār al-Fikr. [In Arabic]
Shirbīnī, M. A. (1994). Mughnī al-muḥtāj ilā maʿrifat alfāẓ al-minhāj. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah. [In Arabic]
Shojaie, A., & Porzoor, P. (2017). A study of the effectiveness of religious seclusion (I'tikaf) in increasing students’ mental health and happiness. Journal of Educational Psychology Studies, 14(28), 105–126. [In Persian]
Sholihin, M., Hardivizon, H., Wanto, D., & Saputra, H. (2022). The effect of religiosity on life satisfaction: A meta-analysis. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 78(4), Article 7172. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7172
Soboleva, N. (2022). The determinants of the link between life satisfaction and job satisfaction across Europe. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 42(11–12), 1180–1198. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2021-0152
Soleimani, I., Azmoudeh, S. H., & Shirpour, V. (2019). I'tikaf and its psychological effects among university students. Epistemological Studies in Islamic University, 23(78), 65–80. [In Persian]
Steger, M. F. (2022). Making meaning in life: A thematic review of successful experimental psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions. In Meaning in Life International Conference 2022: Cultivating, Promoting, and Enhancing Meaning in Life Across Cultures and Life Span (pp. 5–20). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-096-1_2
Sujoodi, A., Masoomi Rad, R., Avardide, S., & Abdi, F. (2015). Examining social factors affecting life satisfaction: A case study of Payame Noor University students. Rooyesh, 4(3), 19–30. [In Persian].
Swami, V., Stieger, S., Voracek, M., Aavik, T., Abdollahpour Ranjbar, H., Adebayo, S. O., et al. (2025). Life satisfaction around the world: Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. PLoS ONE, 20(1), e0313107. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313107
Vivalya, B. M. N., Vagheni, M. M., Piripiri, A. L., & Mbeva, J. B. K. (2025). Religion and mental health seeking behaviors in war-torn zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00912174251316784
Wang, X., Wang, P., Wang, P., Cao, M., & Xu, X. (2022). Relationships among mental health, social capital, and life satisfaction in rural senior older adults: A structural equation model. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-02761-w
Yıldırım, M., Aziz, I. A., Vostanis, P., & Hassan, M. N. (2024). Associations among resilience, hope, social support, feeling belongingness, satisfaction with life, and flourishing among Syrian minority refugees. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 23(1), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2022.2078918
Yousefi Moqaddam, M. S. (2022). An examination of views about the place of Iʿtikāf. Fiqhe Moqaran, 10(19), 255–273. [In Persian].
Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling
Volume 2, Issue 1 - Serial Number 5
July 2026
Pages 365-378
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics