Religion, Humanitarian Action, and Natural Disaster: Dawah bil-Hal Practices of Palang Merah Indonesia during the Bengkulu Flood
Keywords:
Dawah bil-hal, Islamic Humanitarianism, Disaster Response, Faith-based VolunteeringAbstract
Purpose: This study examines how dawah bil-hal —the Islamic practice of preaching through action— was embodied by Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI) volunteers during the 2024 Bengkulu flood response. It explores how humanitarian work served both as aid delivery and as a form of religious devotion. Method: Using a qualitative approach, the study draws on in-depth interviews with eight PMI volunteers and one coordinator. Data were analyzed thematically, informed by literature on Islamic ethics, religious subjectivity, and humanitarian action. Findings: The research finds that volunteers expressed Islamic values through compassionate, inclusive actions, often without explicit religious discourse. Their humanitarian work deepened their sense of faith and ethical responsibility, illustrating how Islamic principles guided their disaster response. Implication: This study shows that faith-based motivations can enrich humanitarian practice. It urges greater recognition of religious ethics in disaster frameworks and encourages further cross-context research on dawah bil-hal as an embedded form of moral resilience in Muslim-majority societies.
References
Alatas, S. H. (1977). Intellectuals in Developing Societies. Frank Cass.
Apriyani, J., & Syaoki, M. (2025). Charity Connectors and Da’wah Motivation: A Phenomenological Study of Generation Z Muslim Volunteers. Indonesian Journal of Da'wah Management Scholars, 1(02), 72-81.
Asad, T. (1986). The Idea of an Anthropology of Islam. Occasional Papers Series. Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University.
Barnett, M., & Stein, J. G. (2012). Sacred Aid: Faith and Humanitarianism. Oxford University Press.
Barnett, M., & Weiss, T. G. (2008). Humanitarianism in Question: Politics, Power, Ethics. Cornell University Press.
BNPB. (2023). Data Kebencanaan Indonesia Tahun 2023. Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Cahyadi, A. Pilli, S. B., & Rahmat, I. (2021). Mosque as Emergency Shelter in Natural Disaster: Responses and Challenges. Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat: Media Pemikiran dan Dakwah Pembangunan 5(2).
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Elkind, D. (1970). The Child’s Reality: Three Developmental Themes. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, E. (2016). Humanitarianism in Context. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ferris, E. (2011). Faith and Humanitarianism: It’s Complicated. Brookings Institution Press.
Galea, S., Nandi, A., & Vlahov, D. (2007). The Epidemiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Disasters. Epidemiologic Reviews, 27(1), 78–91.
Goldman, R. (1965). Readiness for Religion: A Basis for Developmental Religious Education. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Hashmi, S. H. (2002). Islamic Ethics in International Society. Princeton University Press.
Hoesterey, J. B. (2016). Rebranding Islam: Piety, prosperity, and a Self-Help Guru. Stanford University Press.
Jouili, J. S., & Moors, A. (2014). Introduction: Islamic Religious Practices and the Problem of Governance. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 40(5), 733–747. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.851470
King, U. (2003). The search for spirituality: Our Global Quest for a Spiritual Life. BlueBridge.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (2nd ed.). Sage.
Latief, H. (2014). Islamic Charities and Social Activism: Welfare, Dakwah and Politics in Indonesia. Asian Journal of Social Science, 42(1–2), 129–158. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685314-04201007
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage.
Mahmood, S. (2005). Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. Princeton University Press.
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Nasr, S. H. (2002). The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. HarperCollins.
Omer, A. (2018). When Peace is not Enough: How the Israeli Peace Camp Thinks about Religion. University of Chicago Press.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). Sage.
Petersen, M. J. (2012). International religious NGOs at the United Nations: A Study of a Group of Religious Organizations. Journal of Humanitarian Assistance, 1–18.
Saeed, A. (2003). Islamic Thought: An introduction. Routledge.
Shihab, M. Q. (2004). Membumikan Al-Qur’an: Fungsi dan Peran Wahyu dalam Kehidupan Masyarakat. Mizan.
Suisyanto. (2020). Dakwah bil hal sebagai Wujud Pengamalan Nilai-nilai Islam dalam Kegiatan Kemanusiaan. Jurnal Dakwah dan Komunikasi Islam, 5(2), 87–98.
Swinton, J., & Mowat, H. (2006). Practical Theology and Qualitative Research. SCM Press.
Tierney, K. (2019). Disasters: A sociological Approach. Polity Press.
Wisner, B., Gaillard, J. C., & Kelman, I. (2015). Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction. Routledge.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Franda Rizeta, Ihsan Rahmat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
