Qur'anic Narratives on Nature and Ecological Activism in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65586/jli.v1i2.27Keywords:
Ecological activism, Ecological justice, Ecological politics, Nature, Qur'anic narrativeAbstract
Departing from the ecological crisis that reveals the paradox between ritual piety and massive environmental destruction, this study positions the Qur'anic narrative about nature not as a frozen normative text, but as a living ethical-political horizon with the potential to convert Indonesian Muslim religiosity into transformative ecological activism. This study uses a qualitative approach with an interpretive-critical design, combined with a multiple-case study strategy, to examine in depth how the Qur'anic narrative about nature is produced, articulated, and mobilised in ecological activism as a social practice rich in context, values, and power relations. The results indicate that the reconstruction of Qur'anic narratives about the cosmos, mīzān, fasād, raḥmah, and amānah of the caliphate encourages the conversion of religiosity from ritualistic to ecological religiosity, which positions nature as an ethical-political subject, while also providing a framing device for Muslim activists, Islamic boarding schools, and grassroots movements to build awareness, environmentally friendly practices, and advocacy for ecological justice in agrarian conflicts, climate crises, and resource management. These findings strengthen and expand the study of Islam and the environment by showing that Qur'anic narratives function as symbolic resources that frame awareness, build solidarity, and drive community-based ecological activism, especially when they engage creatively with local wisdom and respond to the dynamics of environmental politics in Indonesia.
References
A, A., Rahmawati, Nurhaedar, Rahmi, & Harun, S. (2025). Environmental Fiqh as a Framework for Social Sustainability. Jurnal Lentera Insani, 1(2), 96–110. https://doi.org/10.65586/jli.v1i2.25
Abusaada, H., & Elshater, A. (2025). Practical Strategies and Guidance for Contextual Literature Reviews in Urban Studies. Societies, 15(6), 163. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15060163
Afif, F., Khasri, M. R. K., & Khasri, M. I. U. A. (2024). Post-Truth And Qur’an: Hacking The Truth Decay Through The Qur’anic Epistemological-Ethical Vision. Religia, 27(2), 162–195. https://doi.org/10.28918/religia.v27i2.8562
Ajl, M. (2023). Theories of political ecology: Monopoly capital against people and the planet. Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, 12(1), 12–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/22779760221145232
Alam, L., Alam, M., Samaalee, A., & Suyatno, S. (2024). Environmental sustainability in Indonesian pesantren: Integrating pious principles and da’wah efforts. Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah, 44(2), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.21580/jid.v44.2.23607
Alamri, M. S. A., Muslimin, J. M., Mukti, K. W., & Jasin, R. (2025). Text, Context and Natural Conservation: An Analysis of Muhammadiyah’s and Nahdlatul Ulama’s Islamic Legal Thought on Fiqh of Environment. Nurani: Jurnal Kajian Syari’ah Dan Masyarakat, 25(2), 690–715. https://doi.org/10.19109/nurani.v25i2.31305
Arauf, M. A. (2021). Ecological view from the Perspective of Quranic verses: Contesting the Idea of Religion and Environment. International Journal of Social Science and Religion (IJSSR), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.53639/ijssr.v2i2.45
Benmessaoud, S., Fareh, S., & Abidi, L. (2024). Images of the Qur’an in Western scholarship: a socio-narrative approach. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1), 2303183. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2303183
Ekananda, M. (2022). Role of macroeconomic determinants on the natural resource commodity prices: Indonesia futures volatility. Resources Policy, 78, 102815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102815
El-Sherbini, M. S., Tajudeen, Y. A., Oladipo, H. J., Oladunjoye, I. O., Adebayo, A. O., & Mahmood, J. (2023). Planetary health and Anthropocene discourse: The role of Muslim religious leaders. Challenges, 14(4), 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040046
Fannani, B., Rohmah, S., Ma’arif, A. S., & Arifuddin, N. (2025). Aswaja and Al-Ma’un Theology in Brantas River Preservation: Local Muslim Environmental Activism and Indonesia’s Green Constitution. Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf Dan Pemikiran Islam, 15(2), 350–377. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2025.15.2.350-377
Fuad, A. F. N., Afrianty, D., & Basya, M. H. (2025). The hermeneutical approach in Indonesia’s contemporary campaign for gender equality by Indonesian progressive Muslim women scholars. Contemporary Islam, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11562-025-00587-y
Hadi, A. A., Arofah, M. W., Kristiawan, H., & Berutu, S. A. (2024). The Thursina Creative Islamic Boarding School Landscape Design with an Ecological Approach. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1384(1), 12015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1384/1/012015
Hassan, M. K. (2016). The necessity of studying the natural sciences from the Qur’anic worldview. Islamic Perspectives on Science and Technology: Selected Conference Papers, 35–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-778-9_4
Helfaya, A., Kotb, A., & Hanafi, R. (2018). Qur’anic Ethics for Environmental Responsibility: Implications for Business Practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 150, 1105–1128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3195-6
Hendra, Sumarmi, Astina, I. K., Idris, A., & Jaya, R. (2025). Unveiling the mystic sense of place and ocean literacy: the role of the Torosiaje community in championing marine sustainability in Tomini Bay, Indonesia. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1), 2586139. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2025.2586139
Hidayat, M. (2023). Islamic Eco-theology: Religious narratives in the climate crisis in Indonesia. Bulletin of Indonesian Islamic Studies, 2(2), 197–212. https://doi.org/10.51214/biis.v2i2.678
Insani, N., & Karimullah, S. S. (2023). Justice for Nature: Integrating Environmental Concerns into Legal Systems for Adequate Environmental Protection. Jurnal Hukum Dan Peradilan, 12(1), 129–158. https://doi.org/10.25216/jhp.12.1.2023.129-158
Irawan, B. (2016). Environmental protection from the perspectives of Indonesian, sufi and United Kingdom muslim environmentalists. Heritage of Nusantara: International Journal of Religious Literature and Heritage, 5(2), 230–261. https://doi.org/10.31291/hn.v5i2.151
Ives, C. D., Buys, C., Ogunbode, C., Palmer, M., Rose, A., & Valerio, R. (2023). Activating faith: pro-environmental responses to a Christian text on sustainability. Sustainability Science, 18(2), 877–890. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01197-w
Karimullah, S. S. (2023). Reflections on Human-Nature Relations: A Critical Review in Islamic Humanities. Jurnal Adabiyah, 23(2), 189–206. https://doi.org/10.24252/jad.v23i2a5
Karimullah, S. S. (2024). Humanitarian Ecology: Balancing Human Needs and Environmental Preservation in Islamic Law. Asy-Syari’ah, 26(2), 97–116. https://doi.org/10.15575/as.v26i2.38177
Karimullah, S. S. (2025). Konsep dan Implementasi Zakat untuk Pelestarian Lingkungan. DIRHAM: Jurnal Ekonomi Islam, 6(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.53990/dirham.v6i1.396
Karman, K., Anwar, R., & Hakim, L. (2023). The Qur’anic Learning Based on Islamic Eco-Theology at Pesantren. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 9(2), 169–186. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v9i2.24933
Khoirurrijal, M. F., Ala, A., & Huda, H. (2025). Integrating religious and environmental education in Indonesian eco-pesantren: does student religiosity enhance environmental awareness? Environmental Education Research, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2600602
Maghfiroh, M., Iryani, E., Haerudin, H., Yani, M. T., Zaini, N., & Mahfud, C. (2024). Promoting Green Pesantren: Change, Challenge and Contribution of Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia. Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 7(2), 409–435. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v7i2.4668
Malik, I. H. (2024). Can political ecology be decolonised? A dialogue with Paul Robbins. Geo: Geography and Environment, 11(1), e00140. https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.140
Miao, Q., & Nduneseokwu, C. (2025). Global environmental leadership: addressing the triple planetary crisis. In Environmental Leadership in a VUCA Era: An Interdisciplinary Handbook (pp. 37–119). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0324-4_2
Mohidem, N. A., & Hashim, Z. (2023). Integrating Environment with Health: An Islamic Perspective. Social Sciences, 12(6), 321. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12060321
Muhammad, M. (2025). Hamka’s Thought in Tafsir Al-Azhar: Between Acculturation and Rejection of Local Culture. Journal of Social Innovation and Knowledge, 1(aop), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1163/29502683-bja00012
Mukhlis, M., Daniswara, N., Abdillah, A., & Sofiaturrohmah, S. (2025). The Intersectional Lens: Unpacking the Socio-Ecological Impacts of Oil Palm Expansion in Rural Indonesia. Sustainability, 17(23), 10570. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310570
Nur, A., bin Husin, H., & Yasir, M. (2025). Qur’anic Ecotheology and the Ethics of Forest Protection in Indonesia. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Hadis, 26(2), 351–382. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.v26i2.6312
Nurizka, M. S., Islami, A., Rofi’ieh, M., & Dzulfikar, M. L. (2025). Criticism of the Neoclassical Approach in Islamic Economic Policy in Indonesia. Jurnal Pelita Raya, 1(1), 17–30. https://doi.org/10.65586/jpr.v1i1.9
Öhlmann, P., & Swart, I. (2022). Religion and environment: exploring the ecological turn in religious traditions, the religion and development debate and Beyond. Religion and Theology, 29(3–4), 292–321. https://doi.org/10.1163/15743012-bja10044
Omoyajowo, K., Danjin, M., Omoyajowo, K., Odipe, O., Mwadi, B., May, A., Ogunyebi, A., & Rabie, M. (2024). Exploring the interplay of environmental conservation within spirituality and multicultural perspective: insights from a cross-sectional study. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(7), 16957–16985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03319-5
Pertamawati, T., Rukiyanto, B. A., & Asifarani, E. (2025). Negotiating Religious Identity in State Schools Within the Flow of National Curriculum Policy. Jurnal Pelita Raya, 1(2), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.65586/jpr.v1i2.19
Pourghasemian, H. (2023). Obedience and Consciousness of Creatures in the Qur’an: A Cognitive Approach. Interdisciplinary Studies of Quran & Hadith, 1(1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.30497/isqh.2023.244635.1001
Qonitah, M. (2025). Green dakwah: The transformation of mosques as agents of nature conservation in the digital age. Abdurrauf Journal of Islamic Studies, 4(2), 152–175. https://doi.org/10.58824/arjis.v4i2.352
Rahmat, M. B. (2025). The Idea of Islamic Ecotheology in Responding to the Global Environmental Crisis: An Analysis of the Concepts of Khalifah, Mīzān, and Maṣlaḥah. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, 7(1), 93–110. https://doi.org/10.24042/ijitp.v7i1.27596
Ramdhani, H., Firmadi, S., Sarofah, R., & Nurohman, T. (2025). Green Politics as an Environmental Governance Strategy Towards Ecological Sustainability in Majalengka Regency. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1566(1), 12030. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1566/1/012030
Rembulan, C., Maghfur, I. R., Siregar, M. A. H., Jakfar, M. A., & Solehah, S. (2025). The Impact of the Digital Economy on Economic Empowerment Models for Muslim Youth in Indonesia. Jurnal Lentera Insani, 1(1), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.65586/jli.v1i1.17
Rodrigues do Nascimento, F. (2023). Global environmental change, climate crisis and desertification. In Global Environmental Changes, Desertification and Sustainability (pp. 9–16). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32947-0_2
Rohman, A., Kurniawan, E., Syifauddin, M., Muhtamiroh, S., & Muthohar, A. (2024). Religious Education For The Environment: Integrating Eco-Theology in The Curriculum of Islamic Religious and Character Education to Enhance Environmental Education in Indonesia. Nadwa: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 18(2), 201–226. https://doi.org/10.21580/nw.2024.18.2.21094
Rosyid, A. F., Asror, A., Al-Mubarok, Z., & Dahri, H. (2025). The Value of Local Spirituality in Indonesian Society as the Basis for Managing Religious Ecotourism. Jurnal Lentera Insani, 1(2), 80–95. https://doi.org/10.65586/jli.v1i2.24
Ruhullah, M. E., & Ushama, T. (2024). Time and Society in the Qur’an: Al-Ghazali’s Integration of Ancient Wisdom into Islamic Epistemology. Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies, 10(1), 62–80. https://doi.org/10.30983/islam_realitas.v10i1.8583
Saad, M., & Faruq, U. (2024). Agency, Cultural and Theological Representation of Ecological Narrative in Indonesian Popular Islamic Websites. Jurnal Penelitian, 101–113. https://doi.org/10.28918/jupe.v21i1.6894
Setiawan, H., Kurniawan, N. I., & Santoso, P. (2022). The Ecotheological Movement of the Muhammadiyah Environmental Council in Response to the Environmental Governance Crisis. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 639–670. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol21.iss3.art2
Smith, J. D., Adam, R., & Maarif, S. (2024). How social movements use religious creativity to address environmental crises in Indonesian local communities. Global Environmental Change, 84, 102772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102772
Subaidi, Tantowi, A., Cholid, N., Junaedi, M., Waluyo, & Nursikin, M. (2023). Eco-pesantren: Islamic education in forest conservation landscapes. Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 16(4), 541–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-023-00386-w
Telhalia, & Munte, A. (2025). Balancing biomass energy utilization with sustainability, Christian education, and social justice: theological and ecosophical approach. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 12(1), 2564207. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2025.2564207
Wahyudi, Mahrus, Kurniyadi, Munawwarah, U. D., & Khoiruddin. (2025). Carl Rogers’ Humanistic Approach in Character Education in Pesantren. Jurnal Pelita Raya, 1(1), 31–45. https://doi.org/10.65586/jpr.v1i1.10
Wijaya Mulya, T., & Salvi, F. (2025). ‘Grass, rice, and aubergine’: a case study of an Islamic eco-pesantren in Indonesia. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 33(4), 1437–1455. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2385049
Yasmeen, K., Yasmin, K., & Al Abri, S. (2024). Islamic framework for sustainable development: Islamic framework for sustainable development. International Journal of Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development, 16(4), 136–160. https://doi.org/10.55188/ijifsd.v16i4.978
Zuhdi, M. N., Setiawan, I., Aditya, D. S., Nawawi, M. A., & Firmansyah, R. (2023). Religion, Higher Education, and Environmental Sustainability: Identification of Green Fiqh in Islamic Religion Courses at Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Universities. Jurnal Iqra’: Kajian Ilmu Pendidikan, 8(2), 443–460. https://doi.org/10.25217/ji.v8i2.2984
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Suyuti Dahlan Rifa’i, Agiel Laksamana Putra, Nawwira Zakiyatuzzahro, Triana Zio Khapizah

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.







