Rediscovering Local Wisdom: A Cultural Turn in Islamic Economic Education

This study explores the urgent need for a cultural turn in Islamic economic education by emphasizing the integration of local wisdom into its theoretical and pedagogical frameworks. While contemporary Islamic economics has developed rapidly in institutional and academic domains, its educational approaches often remain disconnected from the socio-cultural contexts in which it operates, by overlooking indigenous economic values and practices rooted in local traditions—such as mutual cooperation, ethical trade, and community-based redistribution—Islamic economic education risks becoming abstract, elitist, and less impactful at the grassroots level. This paper argues that local wisdom is not merely a cultural artifact, but an epistemic resource aligned with the maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, capable of enriching curriculum content and pedagogical methods. Through a conceptual-normative analysis, this research highlights how incorporating local wisdom can bridge epistemological gaps, foster inclusive education, and promote a more holistic understanding of Islamic economics that is both theoretically grounded and contextually relevant. The findings suggest that reclaiming local wisdom is essential for improving educational outcomes and restoring the ethical and social dimensions of Islamic economics in pluralistic and postcolonial societies like Indonesia.