Ecosufism as a Critical Lens on the Disconnection Between Islamic Spirituality and Ecological Responsibility

Abstract

This study examines the persistence of ecological crises in Pekalongan, particularly recurrent flooding, by analyzing the disconnection between Islamic spirituality and socio-ecological praxis within santri communities. Despite the strong presence of Sufi traditions, pesantren culture, and religious moral discourse, environmental degradation continues, indicating an urgent gap between spiritual piety and ecological responsibility. This research aims to explore how ecosufism is understood and articulated in socio-religious life, why Sufi spirituality has not been significantly transformed into environmental awareness and conservation practices, and what theological, socio-cultural, and structural factors shape this disjunction. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and document analysis, and analyzed thematically using ecosufism, Islamic environmental ethics, social practice theory, and political ecology. The findings show that ecosufism operates mainly at a normative and symbolic level, emphasizing individual moral cultivation and spiritual endurance rather than collective ecological action. Environmental crises are commonly interpreted as divine tests rather than consequences of human–nature imbalance. The study concludes that weak articulation and institutionalization of ecosufism as a public ethic hinder the transformation of spiritual piety into ecological piety in disaster-prone contexts.