Social Welfare and the Role of Sufi Orders in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review

Budi Rahman Hakim; Ismatu Ropi; Panji Putrawan  Makalalag

doi:10.21580/tos.v14i2.29071

Authors

Budi Rahman Hakim Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6561-0625
Ismatu Ropi Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, Indonesia
Panji Putrawan Makalalag Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21580/tos.v14i2.29071

Keywords:

Sufi orders, social welfare, Islamic social work, sufipreneurship, Indonesia

Abstract

Study on Indonesian Sufi orders has focused on spirituality, politics, and religious revival, but their role in social welfare is scattered across isolated studies. This article explores how these orders act as welfare providers and transform spiritual ethics into social services. Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review searched databases like Scopus, DOAJ, Garuda, SINTA, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles in English and Indonesian from 2013 to 2024. After removing duplicates, screening titles and abstracts, assessing full texts, and evaluating quality, 18 articles were selected and analyzed through thematic coding and cross-case comparison. Most studies focus on TQN/Inabah and Idrisiyya, with fewer on other Qādiriyya–Naqshbandiyya, Naqshbandiyya, Shādhiliyya, Hizib Nahdlatul Wathan, and hybrid Sufi communities. The studies reveal three main, interconnected welfare mechanisms: care and human development, redistributive and economic support, and community resilience and inclusion. The findings indicate that spiritual-ethical commitments are socially impactful when expressed through relational authority, trust within congregations, organizational routines, and institutional structures.

Contribution: This review conceptualises ṭarīqa-based welfare as a socio-spiritual configuration linking spiritual-ethical foundations, relational infrastructure, institutional translation, and multidimensional welfare outcomes, thereby extending the interface between Sufi studies and Islamic social work.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Budi Rahman Hakim, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta

Budi Rahman Hakim is a lecturer in Sufism at the Department of Tasawuf and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Ushuluddin, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, Indonesia. His research interests focus on Sufi orders (ṭarīqa), contemporary developments in Sufism, and the intersection between Sufi spirituality and social welfare. He explores how Sufi ethics and practices inform social work, community development, and spiritual well-being in modern societies.

Ismatu Ropi, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta

Prof. Drs. Ismatu Ropi, M.A., Ph.D., is a Professor of Comparative Religion and currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Ushuluddin at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta. His academic work focuses on interreligious studies, Islamic thought, and the sociology of religion. With a strong background in religious and social studies, Prof. Ropi has been actively engaged in advancing scholarship in the field of religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue in Indonesia. He holds the academic rank of Pembina Utama Madya (IV/d) and contributes extensively to both teaching and research in the Department and Graduate Program of Religious Studies at UIN Jakarta.

Panji Putrawan Makalalag, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta

Panji Putrawan Makalalag is a master's student in Islamic Broadcasting Communication (Magister Komunikasi Penyiaran Islam) at the Faculty of Da’wah and Communication, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta. He is currently pursuing his graduate studies with a focus on digital da’wah, media studies, and Islamic communication, exploring how contemporary media platforms can be used to deliver religious messages effectively in today’s digital era.

References

Abdullah, Luqman. "Kontribusi Tarekat Naqsabandiyah Terhadap Pendidikan Agama Islam Dan Perubahan Perilaku Sosial Jamaah (Studi Kasus Jamaah Tarekat Naqsabandiyah Di Dukuh Tompe, Kabupaten Boyolali)." Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam 1, no. 1 (2018): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v1i1.39.

Adinugraha, Hendri Hermawan, Muhammad Shulhoni, and Dliya'udin Achmad. "Islamic Social Finance in Indonesia: Opportunities, Challenges, and Its Role in Empowering Society." Review of Islamic Social Finance and Entrepreneurship 2, no. 1 (2023): 45–62. https://doi.org/10.20885/RISFE.vol2.iss1.art4.

Ahmad, Maghfur, Abdul Aziz, Mochammad N. Afad, Siti M. Muniroh, and Husnul Qodim. "The Sufi Order against Religious Radicalism in Indonesia." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 77, no. 4 (2021). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v77i4.6417.

Amboro, Kamas Wahyu. "Integration of Tarekat Teachings in the Islamic Education Curriculum: A Case Study at the Miftahul Huda Gading Islamic Boarding School in Malang." Atthulab: Islamic Religion Teaching and Learning Journal 8, no. 2 (October 31, 2023): 219–37. https://doi.org/10.15575/ath.v8i2.25167.

Azra, Azyumardi. The Origins of Islamic Reformism in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia Publications Series. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2004.

Baried, Ariani Barroroh. "Sufisme and Business: Study of Social and Business Activities of the Tarekat Al-Idrisiyyah In Indonesia." Jurnal Studi Agama Dan Masyarakat 18, no. 2 (January 3, 2023): 116–29. https://doi.org/10.23971/jsam.v18i2.3808.

Bielefeld, Wolfgang, and William Suhs Cleveland. "Faith-Based Organisations as Service Providers and Their Relationship to Government." Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 42, no. 3 (June 21, 2013): 468–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013485160.

Bruinessen, Martin van. Tarekat Naqshbandiyya Di Indonesia: Survei Historis, Geografis, Dan Sosiologis. Bandung: Mizan, 1992.

Budi Rahman Hakim. "Sufi Lifestyle, Spiritual Resilience, and Social Welfare (Psychospiritual and Metabolic Pathways to Community Health in the COVID-19 Era)." Jurnal Riset Rumpun Agama Dan Filsafat 1, no. 2 (2022): 196–214. https://doi.org/10.55606/jurrafi.v1i2.6698.

Budi Rahman Hakim and Fajrur Rahman. "Sufi Ritual Practices and Perceived Mental Well-Being: Insights from Indonesia's COVID-19 Pandemic Experience." Jurnal Sosial Humaniora dan Pendidikan 1, no. 2 (2022): 147–63. https://doi.org/10.55606/inovasi.v1i2.5326.

Canda, Edward R., and Leola Dyrud Furman. Spiritual Diversity in Social Work Practice: The Heart of Helping. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Chittick, William C. Sufism: A Short Introduction. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2000.

Clarke, Gerard. "Faith Matters: Faith‐based Organisations, Civil Society and International Development." Journal of International Development 18, no. 6 (August 24, 2006): 835–48. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.1317.

Dixon-Woods, Mary. "Using Framework-Based Synthesis for Conducting Reviews of Qualitative Studies." BMC Medicine 9, no. 1 (2011): 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-9-39.

Gilligan, P. "The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice: Views and Experiences of Social Workers and Students." British Journal of Social Work 36, no. 4 (2005): 617–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bch252.

Hawker, Sheila, Sheila Payne, Christine Kerr, Michael Hardey, and Jackie Powell. "Appraising the Evidence: Reviewing Disparate Data Systematically." Qualitative Health Research 12, no. 9 (2002): 1284–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732302238251.

Howell, Julia Day. "Indonesia's Salafist Sufis." Modern Asian Studies 44, no. 5 (2010): 1029–51. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X09990278.

———. "Sufism and the Indonesian Islamic Revival." The Journal of Asian Studies 60, no. 3 (2001): 701–29. https://doi.org/10.2307/2700107.

Jawad, Rana. "Religion and Social Welfare in Lebanon: Treating the Causes or Symptoms of Poverty?" Journal of Social Policy 38, no. 1 (2009): 141–56. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279408002596.

Komaruddin, Didin, and Ilim Abdul Halim. "Peranan Terapi Spiritual Terhadap Penyembuhan Adiksi Narkoba (Studi Di Inabah XX Tasikmalaya Jawa Barat)." Syifa Al-Qulub: Jurnal Studi Psikoterapi Sufistik 5, no. 2 (2021): 155–68. https://doi.org/10.15575/saq.v5i2.11226.

Mardani, Dede Aji. "Spiritual Entrepreneurship Dalam Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Umat: Studi Terhadap Tarekat Idrisiyah Pageningan Tasikmalaya." Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah 4, no. 2 (2019): 194–206. https://doi.org/10.37058/jes.v4i2.1252.

Munandar, Siswoyo Aris, and M. Mursalat. "Akuntabilitas Manajemen Pemberdayaan Pendidikan: Studi Pada Pesantren Tarekat Al Idrisiyyah Tasikmalaya." Jurnal MD 5, no. 1 (June 2019): 13–37. https://doi.org/10.14421/jmd.2019.51-02.

Munandar, Siswoyo Aris, Sigit Susanto, and Wahyu Nugroho. "Tarekat Qa>diriyya Wa Naqsabandiyah Terhadap Kesalehan Sosial Masyarakat Dusun Gemutri Sukoharjo Sleman." Jurnal Studi Agama dan Masyarakat 16, no. 1 (2020): 35–51. https://doi.org/10.23971/jsam.v16i1.1833.

Mursalat, Mursalat, and Siswoyo Aris Munandar. "Socio-Economic Dimensions of The Al-Idrisiyah Tarekat In Indonesia: Doctrine And Practice." Jurnal Sosiologi Reflektif 17, no. 1 (2022): 205–32. https://doi.org/10.14421/jsr.v17i1.2543.

Ni’am, Syamsun. "Tasawuf Di Tengah Perubahan Sosial (Studi Tentang Peran Tarekat Dalam Dinamika Sosial-Politik Di Indonesia)." Harmoni 15, no. 2 (2016): 123–37. https://doi.org/10.32488/harmoni.v15i2.35.

Nurdin, Muhammad Riza. "Islamic Faith‐based Organisations and Their Role in Building Social Capital for Post‐disaster Recovery in Indonesia." Disasters 48, no. S1 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12635.

Page, Matthew J, Joanne E McKenzie, Patrick M Bossuyt, Isabelle Boutron, Tammy C Hoffmann, Cynthia D Mulrow, Larissa Shamseer, et al. "The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews." BMJ 372 (March 29, 2021): n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71.

Rahman Hakim, Budi. "Transformation of Sufistic Da'wah and Islamic Psychotherapy Through Online Manaqib: A Qualitative Case Study on Tarekat Qa>diriyya Naqshbandiyya Community in Indonesia." G-Couns: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling 9, no. 3 (2025): 2278–91. https://doi.org/10.31316/g-couns.v9i3.7780.

Rahman Hakim, Budi, and Herman L Beck. "Sufistication of Social Welfare Policies in Contemporary Indonesia: Recalibrating Policy Ethics through Tasawuf-Based Values." Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Indonesia (JISI) 6, no. 2 (2025): 16–27. https://doi.org/10.15408/jisi.v6i2.50028.

Rasyad, Abdul, Reiza D. Dienaputra, Mumuh Muhsin Zakaria, and Raden Muhammad Mulyadi. "T}ari>qa of Hizib Nahdlatul Wathan: Construction of Social Change During the New Order Period in Lombok, Indonesia." International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 18, no. 6 (June 27, 2023): 1963–72. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.180633.

Rohmawati, Hanung Sito, and Zulkifli Zulkifli. "The Role of Sufi Orders in Social Change in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review." Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism 13, no. 2 (2024): 187–212. https://doi.org/10.21580/tos.v13i2.22567.

Rosidi, Imron. "The Sulu>k Ritual in the Tradition of the T}ari>qa (Sufi Order) Naqsyabandiyyah Al-Kholidiyyah Jalaliyyah in Indonesia." An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities) 38, no. 4 (April 2024): 819–36. https://doi.org/10.35552/0247.38.4.2186.

Rusmana, Asep, and Wan Zailan Kamaruddin Wan Ali. "Sufism Healing Methods for Drug Rehabilitation in Inabah of West Java, Indonesia." TEMALI : Jurnal Pembangunan Sosial 5, no. 2 (2022): 153–60. https://doi.org/10.15575/jt.v5i2.21234.

Saifuddin, Ahmad. "Therapeutic Principles in Healing Reliability of Addictive Substances and Behavioral Disorders." Indigenous: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi 6, no. 1 (2021): 37–54. https://doi.org/10.23917/indigenous.v6i1.11401.

Sholihah, Maidatus, Muhammad Anas Maarif, and Moh. Syahru Romadhan. "Konseling Islam dengan Dzikir Tarekat Qa>diriyya Naqsabandiyah: Mengatasi Kegelisahan Jiwa dan Bathin." Al-Afkar, Journal for Islamic Studies 4, no. 2 (2021): 299–317. https://doi.org/10.31943/afkarjournal.v4i2.143.

Smith, Kenneth Scott, and Martell Teasley. "Social Work Research on Faith‐Based Programs: A Movement Towards Evidence‐Based Practice." Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought 28, no. 3 (2009): 306–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426430903070236.

Sofwatul Ummah, E. Ova Siti. "Tarekat, Kesalehan Ritual, Spiritual, Dan Sosial: Praktik Pengamalan Tarekat Syadziliyah Di Banten." Al-A'raf : Jurnal Pemikiran Islam Dan Filsafat 15, no. 2 (2018): 315–34. https://doi.org/10.22515/ajpif.v15i2.1448.

Sulaiman, Sulaiman, Miftahul Ula, Muhammad Faiq, Machrus Machrus, Yusriyah Yusriyah, and Rokhmah Ulfah. "The Revival Movement of the Idrisiyya Order in Indonesia." Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism 12, no. 2 (2023): 303–32. https://doi.org/10.21580/tos.v12i2.18810.

Suwito, Suwito, Ida Novianti, Suparjo Suparjo, Corry A. Widaputri, and Muhammad Azmi Nuha. "Hybrid Sufism for Enhancing Quality of Life: Ethnographic Perspective in Indonesia." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 78, no. 4 (2022): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4102/HTS.V78I4.7198.

Syukur, M Amin, and Abdul Muhaya. "Economic Movements within Sufism in Java: A Case Study on Qa>diriyya and Naqshbandiyya Sufi Orders." Journal of Indonesian Islam 9, no. 2 (2015): 229–56. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2015.9.2.229-256.

Trimingham, J. Spencer. The Sufi Orders in Islam. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1971.

Turmudi, Endang. "The Tarekat Qa>diriyya Wa Naqshbandiyya in East Java and Islamic Politics in Indonesia." Asian Journal of Social Science 26, no. 2 (1998): 65–84. https://doi.org/10.1163/030382498X00166.

Ziadi, M. Rohman. "Tarekat Hizib Nahdlatul Wathan Dan Perannya Dalam Perpolitikan Di Lombok." Refleksi Jurnal Filsafat dan Pemikiran Islam 18, no. 2 (July 30, 2018): 207–39. https://doi.org/10.14421/ref.v18i2.1866.