Rethinking Spiritual Bypassing dalam Perspektif Islam: Distorsi Makna Tawakal dalam Keberagamaan Muslim Kontemporer

Abstract

The phenomenon of contemporary Muslim religiosity shows a growing tendency to use religious teachings as a means of instant psychological relief, commonly referred to as spiritual bypassing. However, this concept is insufficient when applied in the Islamic context, as it reduces religion to a mere psychological instrument. This study aims to rethink spiritual bypassing by shifting its framework from a psychological to an epistemological perspective within Islam, through an analysis of the distorted understanding of tawakal in contemporary Muslim religiosity. Using a qualitative library research approach, this study draws on both psychological and Islamic classical and contemporary sources. The findings indicate that religious practices emphasizing surrender without effort reflect not only emotional avoidance but also a simplification of Islamic teachings. In Sufism, tawakal is understood not as passive resignation, but as reliance on God preceded by effort and spiritual awareness. Therefore, spiritual bypassing in this context is better understood as an epistemological issue, highlighting the need to reconstruct religious understanding so that religion functions not merely as emotional relief but as a path toward spiritual maturity.