Al-Kahfian Tradition: Motives, Goals, and Qur’anic Reception among Mahasantri of Ma’had Tahfizh UIN Bandung.

Abstract

This study investigates the practice of reciting Surah Al-Kahfi, known as the “Al-Kahfian” tradition, at Ma’had Tahfizh Al-Qur’an of UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung within the framework of Living Qur’an studies. This weekly communal recitation, conducted every Friday morning after the Fajr congregational prayer, is compulsory for all mahasantri (student-santri) residing in the ma’had. The study aims to analyze the motives and goals underlying mahasantri’s participation in this tradition and to identify their forms of reception toward it. Employing a qualitative field research method with a phenomenological approach, data were gathered through direct observation on 22 May 2026, in-depth semi-structured interviews with six informants conducted on 1 June 2026, and documentation. Analysis draws on Alfred Schutz’s social phenomenology to examine because-motives and in-order-to motives, and on Ahmad Rafiq’s theory of Qur’anic reception to map exegetical, aesthetic, and functional forms of reception. Findings reveal that participation is driven by three interconnected because-motives: habituated practice from prior pesantren or community study environments, normative-theological legitimacy derived from hadith on the virtues of Al-Kahfi, and institutional tradition as communal intersubjectivity. In-order-to motives include building spiritual consistency (istiqāmah), seeking protection from the tribulation of Dajjal, obtaining blessings for the afterlife, and using recitation as a weekly “faith charger” amid academic pressure. In terms of Qur’anic reception, functional reception dominates, evidenced by strong convictions regarding protective and blessing-granting effects and active compensatory recitation when absent. Aesthetic reception is weak due to the post-Fajr timing, fast reading tempo, and biological sleep inertia. Exegetical reception varies and is determined by tafsir knowledge brought from prior education rather than length of residence. This study contributes to Living Qur’an scholarship by revealing how tradition, institution, and individual agency interact in shaping Qur’anic reception in a contemporary Islamic boarding institution embedded within a modern university.