Prayer as an Educational Strategy: Modeling Students' Spiritual Resilience in the Framework of Islamic Education

Despite the expansion of research in the field of spiritual resilience, the role of a fundamental devotional practice such as prayer (Salat) within a coherent educational model has been less elaborated. This qualitative study aimed to model students’ spiritual resilience based on the educational functions of prayer. Data were gathered through a purposive study of 57 credible sources, including verses and traditions (Hadiths), exegesis (Tafsir) sources, educational biography (Sireh), upstream documents, and scientific researches. The data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach through a three-stage process of extracting conceptual codes, sub-themes, and main themes. The data analysis resulted in the extraction of 75 conceptual codes, 12 sub-themes, and 4 main themes. The findings revealed that prayer, beyond being a devotional act, is a multidimensional educational strategy operating in four domains: “cognitive education,” “emotional education,” “behavioral education,” and “enhancement of spiritual resilience.” These mechanisms strengthen students’ spiritual resilience capacities through three fundamental processes (meaning-making and orientation, emotion regulation and hope, and moral self-regulation). The presented conceptual model indicates that prayer can be employed as an educational strategy in designing curricula and developmental interventions to enhance students’ coping capacity against life challenges.