Internalizing Spirituality Values and Ukhrawi Orientation in Building Generation Z's Learning Motivation

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the mental health challenges faced by Generation Z in the digital era through the lens of Islamic educational psychology, by revisiting the thoughts of Imam Al-Ghazali regarding the anatomy of the soul. The current prevalence of mental health crises, as evidenced by the 2022 Indonesia National Adolescent Mental Health Survey (I-NAMHS) data, indicates a significant disparity between rapid technological advancement and individual inner stability. This research employs a qualitative methodology through library research by analyzing Al-Ghazali's classical works on Tazkiyatun Nafs (purification of the soul). The findings indicate that psychological distress among contemporary adolescents stems from the fragmentation of the human psyche comprising the heart (al-qalb), intellect (al-aql), spirit (ar-ruh), and soul (an-nafs) which has lost its transcendental orientation amidst hyper-connectivity. Al-Ghazali's adab-based educational framework offers an integrative model capable of restoring the soul's function as a spiritual anchor. This study concludes that a reorientation of education, synthesizing intellectual dimensions with spirituality, is essential for building resilient mental health for university students in the digital age.