From Charity to Agency: Expanding Human Capabilities through Islamic Philanthropy-Based Education and Poverty Alleviation in Rural Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59373/drs.v4i2.84Keywords:
Islamic philanthropy, Human agency, Capabilities approach, Maqasid al-Shariah; SDGs, Rural development, IndonesiaAbstract
Traditional Islamic philanthropy has long been criticized for its charity-based approach, which often fosters dependency rather than empowerment. In the contemporary era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a paradigm shift toward ‘agency’ is essential. This study explores how Islamic philanthropic institutions, specifically LAZISNU Tuban, navigate this transition by integrating religious mandates with global developmental benchmarks. Drawing on an extensive 21-month qualitative case study (July 2024 – March 2026), this research utilizes an integrative socio-Maqāṣid framework, combining Pierre Bourdieu’s social capital theory with Amartya Sen’s Human Capability Approach. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with institutional elites and grassroots beneficiaries, participant observation, and a multi-year audit of institutional documents. The study reveals that LAZISNU Tuban operates through a model of institutional hybridity, effectively synthesizing traditional charismatic authority with modern professional governance. The results indicate that zakat-based educational programs have evolved beyond mere financial assistance into mechanisms for expanding human capabilities, enabling marginalized students to achieve upward social mobility and structural autonomy. Furthermore, the research identifies a process of vernacularization, where the global SDGs are sacralized through the lens of Maqāṣid al-Syarī’ah (ḥifż al-ʿaql and ḥifż al-māl), making universal goals culturally and religiously resonant at the grassroots level. Theoretically, this study bridges transcendental theology and empirical development studies. Practically, it offers a replicable model for faith-based organizations to accelerate the 2030 Agenda by fostering genuine human agency within rural Muslim societies.
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