Literary Reception and Religious Transformation in the Reading of the Manāqib of the Qadiriyya wa Naqshbandiyya Order in Lamongan

Abstract

This study examines literary reception and religious transformation in the recitation of Lujayn al-Dānī fī Manāqib al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī within the community of the Qadiriyya wa Naqshbandiyya Order (TQN) in Lamongan. In contrast to previous studies that primarily emphasize the ritualistic and social dimensions of manāqib gatherings, this research positions the text as a living religious work that generates transformative effects through reader interaction. Employing a qualitative approach with a religious ethnographic design, the study integrates Wolfgang Iser’s reception theory—particularly the concepts of the implied reader and Wirkung (effect)—with participatory observation and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that the reception of the manāqib text produces multidimensional religious transformations: psycho-spiritual (inner tranquility and strengthened tawakkul), devotional praxis (increased intensity of dhikr and religious practices), social (enhanced solidarity and communal cohesion), and cultural (reinforcement of Sufi identity and the legitimization of spiritual authority). The manāqib text does not merely function as a hagiographic narrative; rather, it operates as a performative agent that shapes religious habitus through repetitive collective recitation. This study broadens the application of literary reception theory to the analysis of classical Sufi religious texts and affirms that manāqib functions as a living text, continually interacting with social realities and the spiritual experiences of its congregation.