Female Preachers as Eco-Islamic Communication Agents: Reconfiguring Da’wah through Environmental Praxis in Aceh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37680/muharrik.v9i1.9776Keywords:
environmental dakwah, eco-Islamic communication, female preachers, ecological awarenes, Islamic communication, communication strategiesAbstract
This paper examines at how female Islamic preachers in Langsa, Aceh who use da'wah to spread Islamic ideals and raise public awareness of environmental issues. This study uses Saba Mahmood’s notion of pious agency to examine women's preaching behaviors within socio-religious framework of Acehand Anna M. Gade’s idea of Muslim environmentalism to explain ecological concern as a crucial part of religious practice. Observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with seven informants—five female preachers and two members of different islamic study circles (pengajian)—were used to collect data using an ethnographic approach. The results show three main patterns of environmental da'wah carried out by female preachers: the adoption of adaptive preaching techniques, the framing of environmental concern within religious values, and the transition of preaching from oral discourse (bi al-lisan) to action-oriented praxis (bi al-hal). This study shows that environmental awareness in Aceh is expressed and carried out through regular ecological activities rather than stopping at the normative level. And by emphasizing the agency of Acehnese female preachers in establishing Islamic principles as the cornerstone of ecological stewardship, this study broadens the body of knowledge on da'wah bi al-hal. Finally by emphasizing the agency of Acehnese female preachers in establishing Islamic principles as the cornerstone of ecological stewardship, this study broadens the body of knowledge on da'wah bi al-hal.
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