Recitation of Dzikir Ratib al-Attas and Ratib al-Haddad at the Mambaus Sholihin Islamic Boarding School in Gresik: A Study of the Living Qur'an

Abstract

This study is motivated by the limited anthropological research on ratib dhikr practices in Islamic boarding schools and the tendency of Living Qur’an studies to focus more on the reception of specific Qur’anic verses than on collective wirid prayers. This qualitative field study was conducted at Mambaus Sholihin Islamic Boarding School, Gresik. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten informants, four weeks of participant observation, and document analysis, and were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman technique. The findings reveal that ratib practice is mandatory, congregational, and conducted according to a fixed schedule, with male students being entrusted to lead Ratib al-Haddad. The practice contributes to inner peace, increased worship discipline, patience, and ease of sustenance, and continues to be observed after graduation. From Talal Asad’s perspective, the ratib tradition functions as a means of shaping collective identity and transmitting traditional values. The study concludes that ratib dhikr plays a significant role in fostering a sustainable religious habitus and strengthening the Islamic identity of students.