Meritocracy with soul: Islamic spirituality and Leuit wisdom as middle path for community-base food security
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/jreh.v2i1.2025.2678Keywords:
islamic meritocracy, Leuit, transcendenceAbstract
Background: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) shows fundamental irony regarding global food scarcity; the increase of hunger from 7.9% to 9.2% since 2019, whereas green investment coordinated by SDG strengthens corporate hegemony over locals. The reductionistic approach based on quantitative indicators has covered long-term qualitative objectives and marginalized local knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual meaning. Method: This study asks how to build a food security governance paradigm that bridges spiritual values and local practices. This article operates on the literature review method utilizing three-step framework by Paul and Lim (Assembling-Arranging-Assessing). Several data sources are: the interpretation of Qur'anic verses following Abd al-Hayy al-Farmawi's thematic approach, the Sundanese Leuit ethnographic in literature during 2019-2025, and SDGs food security documents. Thematic analysis was organized through three-step codification by Braun and Clarke, and also verified sources through a triangulation audit. Finding: This study established the Islamic Meritocracy framework grounded in transcendent pillars: amanah (vertical-horizontal accountability), ibtala' (cosmic-social competency test), futuwwah (chivalry ethos), and strong integrity from qawiyyun amin, hafizun ‘alim, and bastatan fi al-‘ilm wa al-jism. Islamic Meritocracy is compatible with Sundanese Leuit system, in which Leuit is triadic harmony (God-human-nature) of socio-cultural institution and organic solidarity through Jekat. Conclusion: The convergence of Islamic Meritocracy and Leuit offers an alternative food security governance that transcends technocratic dichotomy by restoring spiritual dimension and local wisdom as the policy core. Novelty/originality of this article: This model integrates right man in the right place and right soul and spirit in the right position, ensuring accountability born from transcendent awareness and collective social control—a novelty distinguish the framework from neoliberal meritocracy and reductionist SDG.
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