Revitalizing the Islamic Religious Education Curriculum in Higher Education: Integrating Ecotheology and Social Justice to Support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Authors

  • Alwazir Abdusshomad Politeknik Penerbangan Indonesia Curug, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24256/iqro.v9i1.9637

Keywords:

Islamic Education, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Islamic Eco-Theology, Social Justice, Higher Education Curriculum

Abstract

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesian higher education has largely emphasized environmental and social dimensions, while ethical and spiritual aspects remain relatively overlooked. This study positions Islamic Education (PAI) as a vital instrument to address this moral gap through a transformative education approach. This article aims to formulate a conceptual framework for integrating Islamic values rooted in ecotheology and social justice into the PAI curriculum to strengthen the achievement of the SDGs agenda, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). The study employs a systematic literature review combined with a critical analysis of 45 reputable academic publications from 2020–2025. The findings highlight three key pillars: Tauhid as the basis of an ecological paradigm, Khilafah as an ethical mandate of stewardship, and Maqasid al-Shari’ah as a socio-ecological justice framework. Theoretically, this study offers a new pedagogical model that shifts PAI from mere normative knowledge transfer to action-based education aligned with global sustainability concerns

References

Ahmed, H. (2025). Islamic normative legal theory: Framework and applications. Journal of Law and Religion, 40(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1017/jlr.2025.10056

Almirzanah, S. (2020). God, humanity and nature: Cosmology in Islamic spirituality. HTS Teologiese Studies, 76(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6130

Atta, N., & Sharifi, A. (2024). A systematic literature review of the relationship between the rule of law and environmental sustainability. Sustainable Development, 32(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3087

Blankinship, L. A., Gillaspie, S., & Enein, B. H. A. (2024). Highlighting the importance of biodiversity conservation through the Holy Qur'an. Conservation Biology, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14309

Bonnett, M. (2024). Contextualizing climate change education: Taking nature seriously. Journal of Moral Education, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2024.2361509

DeWeese, G. J. (2023). A theocentric environmental ethic. Religions, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14070913

Droubi, S., Galamba, A., Fernandes, F. L., Mendonça, A. A., & Heffron, R. J. (2023). Transforming education for the just transition. Energy Research & Social Science, 100, 103090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103090

Eom, K., & Ng, S. T. (2023). The potential of religion for promoting sustainability: The role of stewardship. Topics in Cognitive Science, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12641

Filho, W. L., Eustachio, J. H. P. P., Vila, L. V., Dinis, M. A. P., Diaz, P. M. H., Batista, K., Borsari, B., & Abubakar, I. R. (2024). Enhancing the contribution of higher education institutions to sustainable development research: A focus on post-2015 SDGs. Sustainable Development, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3184

Hanafiah, M. H. (2024). Systematic literature review: Servant leadership in public sectors. F1000Research. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.159336.1

Hong, X., Calderon, A., & Coates, H. (2022). Universities and SDGs: Evidence of engagement and contributions, and pathways for development. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 7(1), 56–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2022.2121311

Hutla, K., & Rompanen, S. (2023). Comparing legal disciplines as an approach to understanding the role of law in decarbonizing societies. Transnational Environmental Law, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1017/s204710252300016x

Junaidi, J., Majid, L. A., & Nazri, M. Z. A. (2023). Revisiting social justice: Exploring the Qur'anic paradigm in addressing contemporary challenges. Afkar, 25(2), 153–192. https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol25no2.5

Komath, M. (2025). Rational force of analogy (qiyās) in law. Informal Logic, 45(3), 423–448. https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v45i3.10212

Kureethadam, J. I. (2023). Towards an “eco-theo-logy.” Journal of Empirical Theology, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231145

Lan, H. (2025). Sustainable development of social responsibility in universities in the digital era: Perceptions and advances. Information Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/02666669241303124

Mesiranta, N., Mattila, M., Koskinen, O., & Närvänen, E. (2024). Circular consumption practices as matters of care. Journal of Business Ethics, 200, 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05888-5

Mohamed, N. (2014). Islamic education, eco-ethics and community. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 33, 315–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-013-9387-y

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Mubarak, R., Eriza, F., & Lubis, A. S. (2024). Islamic liberation in human responsibility as a caliph on earth. Pharos Journal of Theology, 105(5). https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.105.512

Possumah, B. T. (2024). Searching for Islamic perspectives on livelihood theory: Insights from Al-Ghazali and Al-Shaybani. Afkar, 26(1), 219–244. https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol26no1.7

Rane, H. (2023). Higher objectives (maqāṣid) of covenants in Islam: A content analysis of ‘ahd and mīthāq in the Qurʾān. Religions, 14(4), 514. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040514

Reid, C. T. (2022). Catching the tide: Reversing legal trends to find collective and long-term solutions that value the natural world. Global Policy, 15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13152

Ruuska, T., Heikkurinen, P., & Wilén, K. (2020). Domination, power, supremacy: Confronting anthropolitics with ecological realism. Sustainability, 12(7), 2617. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072617

Stanton, T., & Buttle, T. S. (2024). Hobbes, Locke, and the Christian commonwealth. Hobbes Studies. https://doi.org/10.1163/18750257-bja10074

Torres, D. I. R. (2020). Contribución de la educación superior a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible desde la docencia. Revista Española de Educación Comparada, 37, 89–110. https://doi.org/10.5944/reec.37.2021.27763

Umar, U. H., Besar, M. H. A. H., & Abduh, M. (2022). Compatibility of the CSR practices of Islamic banks with the United Nations SDGs amidst COVID-19: A documentary evidence. International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 39(3), 629–647. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoes-12-2021-0221

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

Vesal, M., & Alam, M. A. (2025). Emerging stronger from challenging times: How servant leaders manage workplace spirituality and employee flourishing. Australian Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/03128962251338332

Warner, M. (2022). Leviathan's heirs: Sovereignty, intelligence, and the modern state. Intelligence & National Security, 37(6), 888–902. https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2022.2076338

Downloads

Published

2026-03-07

Issue

Section

Articles

Citation Check