Rethinking religious ecotheology: The material ecology of turats and the paradox of sacred waste in Islamic environmental thought

Abstract

Background: Contemporary Islamic ecotheology has increasingly promoted environmental ethics, yet it pays limited attention to the ecological consequences of the material life cycle of sacred texts. Although turats (Islamic textual heritage) has been revitalized as a foundation for Islamic environmental thought, its preservation and disposal generate the paradox of sacred waste, revealing a gap between textual reverence and ecological responsibility. Methods: This study employed a qualitative case study design involving three urban pesantren in Jakarta, including Asshiddiqiyah, Darunnajah, and Darurrahman. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, and analyzed using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the interplay between religious discourse, institutional practices, and ecological implications. Findings: The findings show that sacred waste management is predominantly governed by symbolic interpretations of textual sanctity, resulting in practices such as open burning, long-term storage, and limited reuse that generate environmental risks. These practices reflect an epistemological separation between ta‘zhīm al-nuṣūṣ (reverence for sacred texts) and ḥifẓ al-bī’ah (environmental preservation), constraining the integration of ecological responsibility into pesantren governance. Conclusion: Islamic ecotheology requires an epistemological shift from symbolic environmental ethics toward material ecological responsibility. Integrating theological values with sustainable waste management enables pesantren to function as ecotheological laboratories that reconcile textual sanctity with environmental stewardship and strengthen the practical contribution of Islamic environmental thought. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study introduces the Material Ecotheology of Turats as a new analytical framework that conceptualizes turats as a material entity participating in ecological processes. It also proposes the Sacred Environmental Stewardship Theory (SEST), integrating maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, textual reverence, and environmental stewardship into a unified model for Islamic ecotheology and sustainable sacred waste governance.