Mosque-Based Community Empowerment to Improve Welfare in Pringsewu Regency, Lampung Province

This study examines mosque-based community empowerment in improving societal welfare in Pringsewu Regency. Mosques have long been understood as centers of spiritual worship, yet historically they also function as social, economic, educational, and cultural hubs. The research arises from the urgent need to strengthen the mosque's role as a space for social transformation capable of addressing welfare-related issues. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) of Pringsewu Regency for 2020–2023 show fluctuating poverty levels, indicating that welfare challenges still require comprehensive intervention. Therefore, mosque-based empowerment becomes a relevant strategy to enhance community capacity both spiritually and materially. The empowerment approach applied in this study refers to concepts considering capacity building for individuals and groups through civic competence, sociopolitical capability, and technical proficiency. The integration of Islamic values serves as an essential foundation, particularly through strengthening the dimensions of hablumminallah and hablumminannas, as well as promoting public good through amar ma'ruf nahi munkar. A well-empowered mosque is capable of performing its economic, educational, social, and spiritual functions in a synergistic manner, thus becoming a center for distributing benefits to congregants and surrounding communities. Empirically, the research observes how several mosques in Pringsewu Regency have begun implementing empowerment programs such as strengthening religious activities, enhancing community solidarity, managing zakat, infaq, and sadaqah, developing mosque-based cooperatives, and providing social services. The findings indicate that mosque empowerment has a positive impact on community welfare in both material and spiritual aspects. These results affirm that optimizing mosque functions is crucial for fostering self-reliance, strengthening social resilience, and building an empowered and prosperous society. This study contributes to the development of a sustainable model of mosque-based community empowerment applicable in both local and regional contexts.