Decoding Sufism and Symbolic Hermeneutics in Dewa 19’s Album Laskar Cinta: A Paul Ricoeur Perspective
Authors
-
Mohammad Shidqi Fadli
Universitas Islam Malang
-
Akhmad Tabrani
Universitas Islam Malang
-
Abdul Rani
Universitas Islam Malang
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v6i3.6375Keywords:
Dewa 19, Laskar cinta, Sufism ideology, Paul ricoeur, Symbolic hermeneutics, Popular musicAbstract
Song lyrics in contemporary popular music frequently serve as complex symbolic systems capable of communicating deep theological and philosophical ideologies, yet prior research has mostly categorized religious themes under broad moral headings without dissecting specific ontological constructs. This study aims to systematically analyze the symbolic representation of Sufi ideology and the multi-layered mechanisms of spiritual meaning transformation in Dewa 19’s album Laskar Cinta (2004) through Paul Ricoeur’s symbolic hermeneutics. Employing a qualitative descriptive-analytic design with purposive sampling, seven selected tracks (“Satu”, “Pangeran Cinta”, “Nonsense”, “Hadapi dengan Senyuman”, “Hidup Ini Indah”, “Atas Nama Cinta”, and “Sweetest Place”) were examined using Ricoeur’s three-tiered interpretive framework: semantic analysis, reflective interpretation (the world of the text), and existential appropriation. The findings demonstrate that the album articulates four core Sufi doctrines: Wahdat al-Wujud (unity of existence), Tadzakkur al-Maut (remembrance of death), Mahabbah (unative divine love), and Ithmi'nan al-Qalb (tranquillity of the heart). The structural transformation moves from surface poetic metaphors to reflective theological horizons that re-frame physical mortality into divine encounter (liqa' Allah) and external conflict into inner purification (tazkiyatun nafs), ultimately guiding listeners toward ego dissolution (fana') and serene spiritual contentment (nafs al-mutmainnah). This study concludes that popular rock music functions as an inclusive, humanistic, and transformative medium capable of bridging classical esoteric Sufi philosophies with the spiritual needs of modern society.
Downloads
References
Adams, S. (2016). On Ricœur’s shift from a hermeneutics of culture to a cultural hermeneutic. Ricœur Studies, 7(1), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.5195/rs.2016.358
Ahmad, M., & Wilkins, S. (2025). Purposive sampling in qualitative research: A framework for the entire journey. Quality and Quantity, 59(2), 1461–1479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-024-02022-5
Al-Ghazali. (1994). Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din. Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.
Ali, Z. A., & Al-bahrani, R. H. (2025). A comparative study on using the persuasive power of person deixis in political and religious texts. Lark Journal of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Social Sciences, 18(1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.31185/lark.5230
Ariyanto, J., Kant, M. A. G., Hakim, I. C., & Darmawan, F. (2025). Analisis Semiotika Ferdinand De Saussure: Representasi Kritik Sosial Pada Lirik “Bayar, Bayar, Bayar.” Jurnal PIKMA: Publikasi Ilmu Komunikasi Media Dan Cinema, 8(1), 159–172. https://doi.org/10.24076/k1tw5171
Bani Sudardi. (2003). Sastra Sufistik: Internalisasi Ajaran-Ajaran Sufi dalam Sastra Indonesia. UNS Press.
Barokati, N., & Ihsan, M. (2025). Nilai-nilai Sufisme dalam karya sastra melalui empat tahapan spiritual: Syariat, tarekat, hakikat, dan makrifat. Jurnal Studi Islam dan Sastra, 19(1), 45–62.
Barus, E., Aisyah, A., Siregar, E. F., & Risnawaty, R. (2025). An Analysis of Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Theory: Focusing on Denotation, Connotation, and Myth. International Journal of Educational Research Excellence (IJERE), 4(2), 355–363. https://doi.org/10.55299/ijere.v4i2.1438
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research designs (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Dayu, B. S. A., & Syadli, M. R. (2023). Memahami Konsep Semiotika Ferdinand De Saussure dalam Komunikasi. Lantera: Jurnal Komunikasi Dan Penyiaran Islam, 1(2), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.30999/lantera.v1i2.2774
Denzin, N. K. (1989). Interpretive Biography. SAGE Publications.
Endraswara, S. (2011). Metodologi Penelitian Sastra: Epistemologi, Model, Teori, dan Aplikasi. CAPS.
Erlangga, C. Y., Utomo, I. W., & Anisti, A. (2024). Konstruksi Nilai Romantisme dalam Lirik Lagu (Analisis Semiotika Ferdinand de Saussure pada Lirik Lagu “Melukis Senja”). Linimasa: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 4(2), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.23969/linimasa.v4i2.4091
Fatiya, R., Putri, M. A., Wati, W. K., & Sudiatmi, T. (2024). Makna Romantisme dalam Lirik Lagu Penjaga Hati Karya Nadhif Basalamah: Analisis Semiotika Ferdinand de Saussure. Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra, 9(2), 387–394. https://doi.org/10.36709/bastra.v9i2.476
Fitriani, L. R. N., & Pratama, A. D. (2024). Analisis Semiotika pada Lirik Lagu “Cheers to Youth” Karya Seventeen. Mediakom: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 8(1), 121–134. https://doi.org/10.32528/mediakom.v8i01.3951
Furidha, B. W. (2023). Comprehension of the descriptive qualitative research method: A critical assessment of the literature. ACITYA WISESA: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.56943/jmr.v2i4.443
Gadamer, H. G. (2004). Kebenaran dan Metode: Landasan Hermeneutika Filsafat. Kanisius.
Gobel, F., Lihawa, K., & Hasanuddin. (2023). Personal deixis used in Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or The Bullet” speech. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 26(1), 387–402. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v26i1.4268
Hadi, A. W. M. (1999). Tasawuf yang Tertindas. LKiS.
Hadi, A. W. M. (2004). Islam dalam Sastra dan Budaya Indonesia. Paramadina.
Hardiman, F. B. (2009). Filsafat Hermeneutika: Melacak Jejak Interpretasi dari Schleiermacher sampai Derrida. Kanisius.
Hermansen, M. (2018). Sufism in the Modern World. Routledge.
Ibn 'Arabi. (1980). Fusus al-Hikam. Dar al-Kitab al-'Arabi.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah. (1996). Madarij al-Salikin. Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi.
Indah, S., Lukman, H., & Ulvi, S. (2025). Makna Filosofis Lagu “Jiwa Yang Bersedih” Karya Ghea Indrawari (Kajian Semiotik Ferdinand De Sassure). Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra Indonesia, 7(2), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.30999/xq670y25
Izutsu, T. (1994). Sufism and Taoism: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts. University of California Press.
Maslia, & Patriansah, M. (2024). Analisis Semiotika Ferdinand De Saussure pada Lirik Lagu JKT48 “Langit Biru Cinta Searah.” VisaArt: Jurnal Seni Rupa & Desain, 2(1), 66–76. https://doi.org/10.61930/visart.v2i1.666
Mustamain, M. (2021). Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Hamzah Fansuri. Pustaka Pelajar.
Nur Kholis. (2021). Pandangan Sufistik Ketuhanan dalam Puisi Al-Hallāj dan Abdul Hadi W.M. Jurnal Studi Islam dan Sastra, 15(1), 67–89.
Nurdin, M., Haeruddin, H., Baso, Y. S., Ridwan, M., & Walidin, M. (2026). The Meaning of Romanticism in the Lyrics of “Albi Ya Albi” by Nancy Ajram: Semiotics of Ferdinand de Saussure. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 6(2), 931–940. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v6i2.4905
Nursi, B. S. (2022). Revitalisasi sufisme dan integrasi syariat–tariqat–haqiqat dalam pemikiran Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. Jurnal Pemikiran Islam Kontemporer, 17(2), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.24014/jpic.v17i2.9876
Palmer, R. E. (2003). Hermeneutika: Teori Baru Mengenai Interpretasi. Pustaka Pelajar.
Pandey, G. P. (2019). The transformative role of qualitative research in ELT and applied linguistics. International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, 3(1), 87–97.
Pranata, J. R., & Deni, I. F. (2024). Analisis Semiotika Makna Spiritual pada Lirik Lagu Jiwa yang Bersedih Karya Ghea Indrawari. Jurnal Ilmiah Dinamika Sosial, 8(1), 127–140. https://doi.org/10.38043/jids.v8i1.5313
Pristianingrum, S., & Damayanti, R. (2022). Pragmatic dimension of semiotics in song lyrics. Journal of Pragmatics and Discourse Research, 2(2), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.51817/jpdr.v2i2.215
Putri, A. O. S., Budiman, T. C. S., & Setyorini, A. (2026). A Pragmatic Analysis of Deixis in Selected Songs from the Album Being Funny in a Foreign Language for ELT. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 6(1), 313–324. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v6i1.4653
Rabi‘ah al-‘Adawiyyah. (1982). Doa dan Puisi Cinta Ilahi (A. Schimmel, Trans.). Pustaka Firdaus.
Rahardjo, M. (2007). Spiritualitas dalam Budaya Populer. Gramedia.
Ricoeur, P. (1976). Interpretation theory: Discourse and the surplus of meaning. Texas Christian University Press.
Ricoeur, P. (1984). Time and narrative (Vol. 1). University of Chicago Press.
Safrina, M. M., & Siregar, O. (2025). Analyzing Deixis in the Lyrics of the Pop Ballad 'It’s You' by Sezairi. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 5(3), 670–681. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v5i3.2876
Salimullah, A., Busri, H., & Tabrani, A. (2023). Representasi Nilai Moral dalam Syair Lagu Permainan Anak Daerah Madura. NOSI, 11(2), 1–19.
Schimmel, A. (2011). Mystical Dimensions of Islam. University of North Carolina Press.
Siregar, A. (2024). Analisis Lagu “Komang” Karya Raim Laode Menggunakan Pendekatan Ekspresif. Literasi: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Indonesia, 3(1), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.58218/literasi.v3i1.1119
Storey, J. (2018). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (8th ed.). Routledge.
Suratullah, G., Ahmad, S. B., Hassan, A. J., & Manu, S. M. T. (2023). Self-regulated learning in the teaching of speaking and listening skills integrated with self-confidence and linguistic awareness: A Lesson Learned from a University in Turkey. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 3(2), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v3i2.1339
Sya’rani, A. (1995). Al-Anwār al-Qudsiyyah fī Ma‘rifat Qawā‘id al-Ṣūfiyyah. Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī.
Syaefudin, A., & Hidayat, N. (2021). Simbolisme Sufistik dalam Puisi Arab Klasik: Kajian Hermeneutika Paul Ricoeur. Jurnal Adabiyah, 21(2), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.24252/adabiyah.v21i2.2021
Teeuw, A. (2003). Sastra dan Ilmu Sastra: Pengantar Teori Sastra. Pustaka Jaya.
Teguh, T. T. S., Adhitya Fadilla, M., Niswa Aceh, K., Hhe, H., & Enrieco, E. (2025). Interpretasi Lirik Lagu “Bukan Orangnya” oleh Juicy Luicy Dalam Semiotika Ferdinand de Saussure. Jurnal Media Penyiaran, 5(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.31294/jmp.v5i1.9264
Ulfah, U., & Dewi, D. W. C. (2025). Makna dalam Lirik Lagu ‘Halu’ Karya Feby Putri: Analisis Semiotika Ferdinand de Saussure. Sintaksis: Publikasi Para Ahli Bahasa Dan Sastra Inggris, 3(3), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.61132/sintaksis.v3i3.1658
Zulkifli, & Alatas, I. F. (2018). Tasawuf dan Tarekat: Dimensi Esoteris Ajaran Islam. Kencana.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammad Shidqi Fadli, Akhmad Tabrani, Abdul Rani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with JOLLS agree to the following terms:
- For all articles published in JOLLS, copyright is retained by the authors. Authors permit the publisher to announce the work with conditions. When the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to implement a non-exclusive transfer of publishing rights to the journals.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
