Mosques as Hubs of Islamic Financial Literacy

Mohammad Nur Rianto Al Arif
(Professor at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta,
Secretary General of the Central Board of the Indonesian Lecturers Association,
Board Member of ISEI Jakarta Chapter,
Board Member of the Central Board of IAEI)

At every prayer time, many people gather in mosques from various social backgrounds, education levels, and economic conditions. The mosque becomes the most routine and most evenly distributed social meeting space in Indonesia. However, amid the massive role of mosques as centers of worship and religious activities, one major potential is often overlooked: the mosque as a center of Islamic financial literacy.

In an era when household financial problems, consumer debt traps, pay-later schemes, online loans, and low financial literacy are becoming more acute, mosques actually have a strategic opportunity to become hubs of education and economic empowerment for the ummah.

Ironically, discussions on Islamic economics in the public sphere mostly revolve around macro policy, the banking industry, and elite events. Meanwhile, literacy at the grassroots level lags behind. Many mosque congregants still struggle to distinguish between Islamic and conventional financial products, do not fully understand the risks of consumer debt, and lack basic family financial planning skills.

Mosques, which should serve as spaces for transformative preaching, often stop at normative messages such as halal and haram, encouragement of charity, or general ethics of mu'amalah, without translating them into practical guidance for facing modern financial problems.

This article invites readers to reconsider the role of the mosque—from merely a ritual center to a center of Islamic financial literacy and economic empowerment—to optimize the social potential that has long been dormant.

Low financial literacy remains a classic problem in Indonesia. When general financial literacy itself lags behind, Islamic financial literacy faces layered challenges. Many Muslims understand “sharia” in normative terms but are unfamiliar with modern financial products, mechanisms, and risks. As a result, financial choices are often driven by ease of access, aggressive promotion, and instant promises.

The rise of pay later services, online lending, and fraudulent investments shows how vulnerable society is to financial traps. Here lies the paradox: religious in ritual, yet fragile in financial literacy. Mosques, which serve daily as gathering centers, have not been fully utilized as grounded financial education spaces. Friday sermons rarely address family financial management, ethical borrowing, or value-based financial planning. Regular study circles more often discuss jurisprudence of worship than contemporary muamalah.

In fact, financial literacy is not merely a technical economic matter; it is closely related to character, responsibility, and family sustainability. Without adequate literacy, teachings about simple living, avoiding riba, and being trustworthy with wealth risk remaining moral slogans rather than daily practice.

Sociologically, the mosque is one of the most inclusive social institutions. It crosses social class, age, and professional boundaries. In big cities and remote villages alike, the mosque serves as a community center. In many places, it is even a venue for deliberation, social assistance, and resolving social problems.

With such strong social capital, mosques have the potential to become hubs of Islamic financial literacy—a meeting point for education, access to information, and economic empowerment networks. Mosques can serve as entry points for financial literacy that are more trusted by the community due to their strong moral authority. Amid declining trust in formal financial institutions, mosques hold symbolic advantages because they are associated with trustworthiness and communal care.

However, this potential is often constrained by a rigid separation between “worship” and “economics.” Mosques are seen only as ritual spaces, while economic matters are considered worldly affairs. This dichotomy does not fully align with the spirit of Islam, which views muamalah as an integral part of religiosity. When mosques avoid economic issues because they are considered “outside their domain,” the space for financial literacy is left to markets and digital platforms that do not always align with ethical values.

One key to activating the mosque’s role as a hub of Islamic financial literacy is transforming preaching. Economic preaching cannot stop at normative advice such as “avoid riba,” “increase charity,” or “seek halal income.” It must move to practical guidance: how to manage debt responsibly, how to choose suitable Islamic financing products, how to prepare a household budget, and how to start small community-based businesses.

Friday sermons, regular study circles, and religious gatherings can become effective literacy channels if the material is contextual and applicable. Narrative approaches—linking religious teachings with the real problems faced by congregants—are more grounded than abstract lectures. For example, discussing consumption ethics amid a culture of “guilt-free installments" or analyzing the traps of instant investments that have harmed mosque members themselves.

Transformative preaching requires improving the capacity of preachers and mosque managers. Not all preachers have backgrounds in economics or financial literacy. Therefore, collaboration with academics, Islamic finance practitioners, and philanthropic institutions is essential. Mosques do not need to become “financial experts,” but they can serve as nodes connecting congregants with credible sources of knowledge and services.

Islamic financial literacy becomes more meaningful when connected to real economic empowerment. Many mosque members are micro-entrepreneurs, small traders, daily laborers, or informal sector workers. They need access to financing, business mentoring, and market networks. Mosques can become initial nodes in building local economic empowerment ecosystems based on sharia values.

Some mosques have initiated economic programs such as mosque cooperatives, community-based Baitul Maal wat Tamwil (BMT), or productive waqf programs for members’ businesses. However, these practices remain sporadic and have not become systemic movements. The challenges lie in governance, professionalism, and sustainability. Without proper management, mosque economic initiatives risk stagnation or internal conflict.

Here, literacy plays a crucial role. Islamic financial literacy is not only for congregants as consumers but also for mosque managers as drivers of community economics. Transparency in fund management, accountability in economic programs, and risk management must become part of the mosque’s institutional ethos. If mosques demonstrate good governance practices, congregational trust will grow, and empowerment programs will have greater sustainability.

The digital era presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, fintech and digital platforms offer fast and broad financial access. On the other hand, aggressive marketing of instant financial products often ignores risk literacy. Mosque congregants, including youth, are not immune to the temptations of pay-later schemes, online loans, and speculative investments.

Mosques need to be present in digital spaces—not to compete with fintech platforms but to offer counter-narratives: literacy, prudence, and financial ethics. Mosque social media, YouTube study channels, and WhatsApp groups can be used as educational media. Short, practical, contextual financial literacy content will be more relevant for younger generations than long, inaccessible lectures.

However, digital presence requires improved content management capacity. Without proper curation, mosque digital spaces can become noisy or even spread misinformation. Collaboration with official institutions and financial literacy experts is essential to maintain message quality.

Optimizing mosques as hubs of Islamic financial literacy is not without obstacles. Structurally, many mosques are managed voluntarily with limited resources. Management priorities often focus on worship operations and physical maintenance rather than empowerment programs. Culturally, there is still resistance to discussing economic issues in mosques, as they are seen as “polluting” sacred spaces.

These obstacles must be addressed gradually and context-sensitively. Islamic financial literacy does not need to begin with large programs. It can start with brief segments in study sessions, small discussions after prayer, or simple financial consultation clinics. The key is building awareness that financial literacy is part of safeguarding the community’s welfare (maslahah).

Synergy with zakat institutions, waqf bodies, Islamic banks, and local governments can strengthen mosque capacity. Literacy programs integrated with real services—such as microfinance access, business training, or family financial mentoring—will have greater impact than education alone.

If we want to move beyond slogans, mosques must be positioned as nodes within the ecosystem of Islamic financial literacy and empowerment. A node connects congregants with financial institutions, micro-enterprises with markets, and social finance (zakat and waqf) with empowerment programs. This role requires clear institutional design: who is responsible, how partnerships operate, and how accountability is maintained.

An ecosystem approach also demands a shift in policy perspective. National financial literacy programs are often top-down and event-based. Involving mosques as strategic partners will expand outreach to grassroots communities. The state does not need to take over mosque roles; it only needs to facilitate training, literacy modules, and collaborative networks.

The mosque as a hub of Islamic financial literacy is not a utopia. It is real potential that has long been overlooked—overlooked due to conceptual separation between worship and economics, limited institutional capacity, and the dominance of elite-driven approaches in Islamic economic development. Amid literacy challenges, the rise of instant financial products, and household economic struggles, mosques have a strategic opportunity to serve as trusted educational spaces.

Reviving this role requires courage to step out of comfort zones: preachers willing to learn financial literacy, mosque managers ready to transform into community drivers, and public policies willing to embrace mosques as partners in socio-economic development.

If this potential continues to be ignored, Islamic economics will remain a discourse project far removed from the daily lives of congregants. But if mosques are activated as nodes of literacy and empowerment, Islamic economics can rediscover its social meaning—being present among the people, addressing concrete problems, and fostering value-based economic independence.

This article was published in Suara Muhammadiyah on Thursday, February 4, 2026.