Environmental Preaching Training Strengthens the Role of Ulama in Protecting Forests and Wildlife

Tapak Tuan, January 30 – February 1, 2026. Environmental Da’wah Training with the theme “Strengthening the Role of Teungku in Environmental Da’wah: Islam, Nature and Solutions to the Climate Crisis in Aceh” was held in Tapak Tuan on January 30 to February 1, 2026. This activity is not the first time held by the HAkA Foundation. Previously, environmental da’wah initiatives have been held several times in various regions as part of a long-term commitment to integrating conservation issues into religious spaces. This training was held through a collaboration between the HAkA Foundation and Dayah Nurul Huda, involving 30 teungku, dayah leaders, and preachers from the Southwest region of Aceh.

The event’s organizing committee, Tgk. Iqra, stated that the environmental outreach collaboration with the HAkA Foundation has been ongoing for the past two years. This collaboration focuses on strengthening the understanding of religious leaders so they can integrate environmental conservation messages into religious study groups, Friday sermons, and mosque pulpits.

He emphasized that the prohibition against destroying the earth is clearly stated in the Qur’an, “Do not cause corruption on the earth.” Therefore, religious leaders have a moral and spiritual responsibility to apply these values, starting with themselves, and to encourage people not to damage the ecosystem and not to hunt wild animals.

In line with this, the Aceh Ulema Consultative Assembly (MPU) previously issued a fatwa regarding wildlife protection from an Islamic perspective. The fatwa was also submitted to relevant government agencies as a form of cleric support for environmental protection efforts.

Raja Mulkan, Campaigner for the HAkA Foundation, emphasized in his opening remarks that forest and environmental damage ultimately impacts humans. “When forests are damaged, we are the ones who bear the consequences,” he said. He explained that the HAkA Foundation, as an institution working in the field of conservation, needs the support of religious scholars to disseminate environmental information to the community.

According to him, environmental da’wah is not only about conveying verses or arguments, but also sharing knowledge about the current condition of forests, threats to wildlife, and the increasing risk of disasters due to deforestation and environmental damage. Previously, a similar activity was also held in East Aceh in July 2025, involving mosque imams and Islamic boarding school leaders. The Aceh MPU issued a fatwa number 3 of 2022 on wildlife protection based on an Islamic perspective, as strong evidence of the ulama’s support for nature conservation. The challenge ahead is how to convey this message widely to the community. Therefore, through the issuance of this fatwa, the HAkA Foundation is helping to socialize the MPU’s fatwa.

Abah Muhib, a representative of the Aceh MPU, emphasized in a discussion session that human relationships extend beyond relationships with God and encompass relationships with fellow creatures and the environment. In Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), there are discussions that emphasize that sharia governs not only ritual worship but also human relationships with other creatures. Maintaining these relationships is part of worship.

In this training, participants not only received presentation materials but were also provided with an environmental da’wah handbook containing the core training material and a compilation of MPU fatwas regarding wildlife protection. Furthermore, the training participants stated that they would implement environmental material into their da’wah, especially during this year’s Ramadan. Furthermore, participants have also written da’wah manuscripts related to the environment which will later be published in a book. One participant from Aceh Singkil, Tgk. Dahuri, recommended that environmental fiqh material be officially included in the curriculum for the training of ulama cadres conducted by the Aceh MPU. This is considered important considering that the community has felt the real impact of various environmental disasters in recent years. It is hoped that the cadres returning to their regions can actively voice and preach the importance of protecting the environment, thereby strengthening the collective awareness of the community and minimizing the risk of disasters.

The Environmental Da’wah Training in Tapak Tuan is expected to be a strategic step in strengthening the synergy between conservation institutions and religious authorities, so that the message of protecting forests and wildlife is not just discourse, but becomes part of the moral and spiritual movement of the Acehnese people.

HAkA Foundation Contact Person:
Rizkia Fardilla (+62 853-6005-6110)