Bridging Spirituality and Ecology: An Analysis of the Rimbo Concept in Minangkabau Culture, Indonesia

Thaufiq Hidayat; Imam Iqbal; Vikri Hamzah

doi:10.19109/jmis.v8i1.30392

Authors

Thaufiq Hidayat Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta
Imam Iqbal Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta
Vikri Hamzah The National University of Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19109/jmis.v8i1.30392

Keywords:

Rimbo, Minangkabau, Ecotheology, Islamic-Malay Environmental Ethics, Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Abstract

The global ecological crisis reveals the limitations of dominant technocratic paradigms, highlighting the need to explore alternative environmental ethics rooted in spiritual values and local wisdom. This study aims to analyze the concept of rimbo (forest) in Minangkabau culture as an ontological entity that integrates spirituality and ecology. Using a qualitative phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, this research was conducted in two nagari in West Sumatra, with data collected through in-depth interviews with five purposively selected informants (customary and religious leaders, community members) and participant observation. The results show that rimbo is conceptualized as a physical resource and a sacred cosmological bridge connecting the human, natural, and transcendent worlds. This sacredness fosters a collective ecological ethic, embedded in customary law and reinforced by Islamic principles governing sustainable management. This study contributes a novel analysis of rimbo as an ontological bridge, offering a grounded model of vernacular ecotheology. It significantly enriches the discourse on Islamic-Malay environmental ethics by demonstrating how local cosmology and religious doctrine can synergize to create a robust framework for sustainability.

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