Work

Islam, Land, and Local Knowledge in Acehnese and Sasak Novel: A Cultural Ecosemiotic Perspective on Narratives Environmental Guardianship in Muslim Communities

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: This study explores the intersection of Islam, indigenous ecological knowledge, and environmental narratives in Muslim communities through a cultural ecosemiotic analysis of two contemporary Indonesian novels: Raifa dalam Dekapan Selembu by Boy Abdaz and Sanggarguri by Lalu Agus Fathurrahman.The novels represent two major Islamic cultural communities in Indonesia-Acehnese and Sasak-whose relationship with nature is mediated by local wisdom and religious values.Using a cultural ecosemiotic lens, this study examines how signs, symbols, and cultural codes embedded in the narratives reflect the communities' environmental ethics and cosmologies.Findings reveal that the novels construct a layered understanding of environmental guardianship rooted in Islamic teachings, indigenous traditions, and socio-ecological memory.Raifa portrays the sacredness of forested Selembu hills as intertwined with sharia-based communal responsibilities, while Sanggarguri frames the preservation of water, land, and Rinjani Mountain in Lombok within the Sasak-Islamic worldview.These literary narratives offer a rich source of culturally responsive material for science education in Islamic contexts, particularly in promoting STEM learning that values local knowledge and sustainability.The study concludes that integrating fiction grounded in local Muslim communities into science education can foster ecological literacy, reinforce cultural identity, and support context-sensitive pedagogical innovation.This research contributes to broader conversations on Islam, literature, and environmental education, proposing literary texts as vehicles for embedding indigenous ecological insights into culturally inclusive STEM curricula.

Source: Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in social science, education and humanities research

DOI: 10.2991/978-2-38476-464-8_2