Self-Help Maqam-Based Search System

Abstract

Self-help systems developed include the pervasive mental health applying machine learning to cognitive-behavior therapy and quality criteria for self-healing systems.  However, access to a system offering a self-help assessment of a person’s current state (maqam) with an opportunity to learn ways of improvement is not available.  There is a need to offer such a system with tasawuf as the foundation and content for improvements. The system consists of texts, states of each maqam, transitions, questionnaire for self-help maqam analysis, and an effective user interface.  Al Ghazali has written many publications including the Ihya’ Ulumuddin, Tahafut al-Falasifah and Minhajul Abidin. In his Minhajul Abidin, al-Ghazali explained the seven climbings (Maqam): knowledge and acquisition; repentance; obstacles; hindrances; motivation; factors that ruin worship; and praise and gratitude. To each climbing, al-Ghazali gave an account of charateristics: sound mind; self-reflection; control man’s self; full trust and patience; hope and fear; free from ostentation and pride; and praise and gratitude.   This research aims at establishing a preliminary work on testing the self-help maqam based search system resulted from the finite state machine filled by the Seven Maqam as given in Minhajul Abidin.  The objectives are: to investigate the use of finite state machine for self-help maqam analysis; assess the relevancy of the texts on Tasawuf against the passing level of the desired maqam; investigate the transition level set as the passing level of the maqam; and make recommendation based on the evaluation of the self-help maqam-based search system. The methodology includes finite state model (FSM), pre- and post questionnaires with items representing the transitions and passing levels developed in 7 different models and scales.  Initial results include the prototype with all the 7 maqams with 7 different models of items, retrieval of items (texts) and maqams, and relevance built upon passing levels at varying degrees.